Prosecutor's Office caught inflated fees and phantom services in car purchases after leasing; Nissan to refund money to customers
A Nissan dealership in New York charged a customer $2,563 for electrical tape that, according to the store’s own records, was worth around 40 cents. The case is one of the most extreme in a state investigation that has led Nissan Motor Acceptance Company (NMAC), the automaker’s U.S. financial arm, to reimburse consumers unduly charged for vehicle purchases at the end of lease agreements.
The announcement was made by New York Attorney General Letitia James and expands on a lawsuit that has already returned more than $4.5 million (R$ 22.8 million) to about 3,100 customers.
The investigation focused on the moment when the customer exercised the purchase option provided for in the contract. Many consumers had received, at the signing of the lease, a fixed price to purchase the car at the end of the period. When returning to close the deal, part of the concessionaires would have inflated the value, added unauthorized fees or embedded extra charges.
A customer claimed to have paid for a supposed repair of a certified used car inspection that, in practice, boiled down to washing the car with a hose. In several cases, the stores charged more than $2,500 for certification services classified as repairs. There were also those who paid up to US$ 3,200 (R$ 16,192) for recall repairs, although US federal law determines that this work is free.
Investigators also reported a more subtle tactic: gathering legitimate items and hidden surcharges under a single line, listed only as “aftermarket products,” which made it difficult to identify the extra charge.
Of almost 10 thousand repurchase contracts analyzed by the state, more than 3 thousand had some irregular collection. Eligible customers will not need to request reimbursement: NMAC informed that it audits concessionaires throughout the state and will make payments throughout 2026, including interest on those who financed inflated values.
SEE ALSO:
