Pacifica Buyback Advice Needed

Ask the Hackrs Buy/Finance
1

Hello. I have an odd situation and I could use advice.

I factory ordered and opened a CCAP loan on a 22 Pacifica Hybrid. On my delivery date I was informed that a recall came out on the vehicle and that I could not take delivery.
It is now 30 days later which is the threshold for days out of service for lemon law in the state of purchase. My first loan payment is coming due and there is no estimated resolution date for the recall so it is indeterminate when I will be able to take delivery. I have registered the vehicle at my local motor vehicle office and have hard plates.
No attempt has been made to suspend my loan or offer any recourse by the dealer or corporate.
At this point I want to get out of the car and move on.

I see 3 options:

  1. Ask the dealer to rollback the purchase. Will the car revert to new or is it now a used car since it was registered? Am I due any additional compensation for the inconvenience? What happens to the federal tax credit on it?
  2. Pursue a buyback through Stellantis / FCA corporate.
  3. Lawyer up.

Any direction is appreciated. Thanks.

2

Have they provided you with alternate transportation?

3

No recourse at all.

4

If you haven’t already opened a case/lodged a complaint with Stellantis, yes immediately.

No point in communicating with the dealer.

I would also get a free consultation with a Lemon Lawyer, and don’t say anything about a lawyer to Stellantis - until the lawyer instructs you to.

3 Likes
5

Stay current on your payments. I would contact the dealer and ask for either a SOC (replacement) or repurchase. If you’re up for a challenge you can try to squeeze them for goodwill $$$$ but with no finite resolution on the horizon that seems too open ended.

1 Like
6

It’s very odd that the dealer could even sale the car to you with the recall in place. I would also question the sale since you never took possession of the vehicle. As suggested, contact CCAP to see if the contract is valid and see what they can do or contact a lawyer.

3 Likes
7

In California (where I live), it is against the law for a dealer to sell a car with an open safety recall.

If you did not take delivery, do you even own the car?

2 Likes
8

The loan closing and down payment were finalized a few days before delivery date (remote sign). The vehicle has been registered in my name already. I paid for it / took a loan on it / registered it and have plates for it. In my state the title is mailed to the Lien Holder.
I do have a case # with Stellantis and am expecting an escalation callback.

9

If this is in California, vehicle delivery is considered driving the vehicle off the lot. If you’ve never taken delivery, you can request the dealer unwind the deal as the transaction isn’t complete.

1 Like
10

In the end the dealer closed out the loan and refunded everything that I paid.

4 Likes
11

As they should, don’t ever sign anything unless you can drive off in the car that day. Sounds like they pushed the remote signing deal.

12

What recall was it?

I think in CA it isn’t considered sold until you drive the car off the lot.

13

The recall was 03A.

14

We have a Pacifica. Isn’t there a fix for it? We are scheduled for it on 2 weeks.

15

Is this the software update? We’re bringing ours in this morning for it.

16

Yes. Software. All the dealers around here were booked out for like 2-3 weeks

17

Are you in the valley? We’re taking it to downtown and they had several slots open when we called a couple of days ago.