HOUSTON — A Drivenow customer claims he was leased a defective vehicle that cost him more than $30,000 in repairs.
Michael Bell filed a complaint in Harris County District Court against Drivenow Leasing LLC alleging breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty of merchantability and other claims.
Bell, leased a 2012 Freightliner Cascadia from Drivenow Leasing on Aug. 31, 2021, for $46,502.94, according to his complaint. He alleges he paid $8,000 and agreed to a 48-month $1,650 per month payment plan. Bell claims that in October of 2021, the vehicle's engine light turned on and off and that it shut down while he was making a haul delivery.
He further claims the vehicle required a new battery, starter and alternator which cost $2,893.88 in addition to a $1,295 towing charge and also required new crankshaft bearings at a cost of $28,000. Bell alleges the crankshaft bearings were already damaged months prior to his leasing the vehicle. He claims Drivenow made false representations regarding the vehicle's quality and violated the Deceptive Trade Practices Act by failing to disclose information about the vehicle's condition.
Bell seeks monetary relief between $250,000 and $1 million, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. He is represented by Douglas Alford of The Sanchez Law Firm in Houston.
Harris County District Court case number 2022-73793