A woman recounts her frustration with a 2014 Toyota Highlander recently purchased from a dealership.
In a video posted on Nov. 20 with over 377,000 views, TikToker Cassidy Maldonado (@cassidymaldonado_) explains that she purchased a Toyota Highlander when she was four months pregnant, hoping to circumvent any issues by buying a car directly from her local dealership.
"Put a finger down if...they sold it to you broken with a water leak and you didn't know," she says.
Maldonado says she brought the car back to the dealership 10 times, and the dealership mechanics were unable to fix it each time. During one of the visits, she says that they charged her $2,500 for a new moonroof, believing that would fix the leak. However, the repair did not improve the leak.
When she inquires about replacing the car, the dealership says they'll only give her half of her money back.
"That's not fair," she exclaims. The caption reads, "This is my way to cope with my frustration."
In the comments, viewers tell Maldonado to get a lawyer to help her navigate "Lemon Laws"—consumer protections that would force the manufacturer to reimburse her for the defective vehicle after several failed repairs. These laws vary slightly by state, according to Kelly Blue Book. In some cases, even used vehicles are covered.
"Invoke lemon law. Get a lawyer if you have to. 3 or more times repairing the same issue equals you get a new car," one suggests.
"Lemon law. Good luck with that though bc we went through years of it and ended up selling my car before I got help," another says.
"Hire a good lawyer. In the state I practice there are consumer protection laws that allow for treble damages," a third adds.
In the comments, Maldonado responds that she doesn't believe her car is protected by lemon laws because it's a 2014 model. But commenters still push her to pursue legal action.
"That’s what they want you to think. It’s 18 months of ownership or 18,000 miles. New or used. If bought from a dealership, they’re required to uphold it within that time frame," one writes.
In a follow-up video posted on Dec. 7, Maldonado shares a clip of the roof of her car leaking during a downpour. Shortly after her first video, she says she took the car back to the dealership for another repair. However, the leak is not repaired.
"I called them, and they didn't answer," she says.
@cassidymaldonado_ this is my way to cope with my frustration #storytime #putafingerdown #fyp @Toyota USA ♬ original sound - cassidy
The Daily Dot reached out to Maldonado via TikTok direct message and comment. We also emailed Toyota for further information.
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The post ‘It’s the 10th or 11th time’: Woman buys Toyota Highlander. Now she’s issuing a warning after dealership bills her for $2,500 repair appeared first on The Daily Dot.
