How dealers mislead buyers
- Hiding flood, frame, salvage, or prior-accident history
- Odometer rollback or misrepresentation
- "Yo-yo" or spot-delivery financing tricks
- Packing add-ons, warranties, or fees into the contract
- Selling a vehicle with an open safety recall without disclosure
- Bait-and-switch advertising and refusals to honor a quoted price
What Maryland law says
Maryland's Consumer Protection Act, Md. Code, Com. Law § 13-101 et seq., bans unfair, abusive, and deceptive trade practices. Section 13-301 defines what counts as a deceptive trade practice and § 13-303 lists practices prohibited in consumer sales. Section 13-408 gives injured consumers a private right of action for damages and attorney's fees.
Concealing a material fact — that the car was flooded, that the frame was repaired, that the mileage is not accurate — can be an unfair or deceptive trade practice under this law.
Documents that prove your case
- Buyer's order and retail installment contract
- Window sticker (Monroney label) and any advertising you responded to
- Title and registration paperwork, including any brand on the title
- Pre-purchase inspection reports and repair orders
- Texts, emails, and notes of what the salesperson said, with dates
What to do now
- Don't sign anything new until you know what you're giving up
- Put your dispute in writing and keep a copy of everything you send
- Ask for the vehicle history and any prior damage reports in writing
- Note dates and names — dealer fraud claims turn on what you were told and when
- Don't wait: deadlines apply to these claims
Frequently asked questions
- The dealer hid prior damage. Do I have a case?
- Concealing material facts like flood, frame, or salvage history can be an unfair or deceptive trade practice under Maryland law.
- I already signed the paperwork. Am I stuck?
- Not necessarily. Maryland's Consumer Protection Act bans unfair, abusive, and deceptive trade practices, and § 13-408 lets injured consumers sue for damages and attorney's fees. What matters is what the dealer told you — and what it left out — before you signed.
- What should I keep?
- Your buyer's order, retail installment contract, window sticker, repair orders, and every communication with the dealer or manufacturer.