AG Ellison announces consumer protection lawsuit against used car dealership

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Fridley, Minn. used-car dealership is facing a lawsuit filed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for deceptive sales that the AG says "has cheated thousands of Minnesotans out of millions of dollars collectively."

Ellison held a press conference announcing the lawsuit on Tuesday.

The lawsuit accuses Midwest Car Search and its owner Scott Spiczka of misrepresenting vehicles as certified used – when they weren't, adding expensive vehicle service contracts to purchases without buyer consent, refusing to provide warranties, and not making accurate "Buyer's Guide" disclosures – and providing them in Spanish as required by law.

The lawsuit also claims that Midwest Car Search "heavily targets and exploits Spanish speakers."

Between 2017 and 2022, Ellison's office says the dealership sold more than 3,000 vehicles to people in Minnesota.

"Affording your life is tough enough without bad actors taking advantage of you. A car is a necessity for many, and Minnesotans should be able to shop for cars without having to worry about being deceived or defrauded," Attorney General Ellison said in a provided statement. "But that’s what Midwest Car Search did. They broke the law and violated consumers’ trust by misrepresenting the nature and quality of the cars it was selling, while also illegally including expensive add-on products in purchases without disclosing them. Equally appalling is that Midwest Car Search aggressively targeted Spanish speakers through widespread advertising campaigns in Spanish and conducted sales in Spanish, only to have those speakers sign documents in English that bore no relation to the promises Midwest Car Search made to them. I look forward to holding these bad actors accountable for cheating Minnesota consumers."