My Car Dealer Demanded That I Return My New Car But Won’t Give Me My Trade-In Vehicle Back, What Are My Rights?

By Law Office of Paul Mankin of Law Office of Paul Mankin on Wednesday, June 28, 2017.

In California, if you recently purchased a vehicle with dealer financing, the dealer is allowed to cancel the contract within 10 days of the contract being signed. If the dealer chooses to cancel the contract within the time allowed, the dealer must give its customer back everything the customer provided to complete the sale. This means that if you traded in a vehicle to purchase the new car, then the dealer must give you the trade-in vehicle back immediately. If the dealer attempts to cancel the contract after 10 days, you are not required to return the new vehicle because the dealer waited too long to attempt to the cancel the contract.

Oftentimes, when the dealer cancels the contract it will say that the trade-in vehicle is already sold so it cannot be given back. Making this statement true or untrue is against the law. Most of the time the dealer makes this statement in an effort to force the customer into signing a new contract with a higher interest and higher monthly payment. Do not allow this to happen to you. If you are being contacted by an auto dealer about returning a vehicle that you recently purchased, it is best to contact an attorney to review your situation.