Louisiana Kia dealership caught harvesting a woman's car for parts to fix a different vehicle

When she asked what was going on and started filming, a service manager repeatedly said nobody touched her vehicle. He eventually admitted, on camera, that the dealership had been using parts from her vehicle to service another customer’s car, according to KPLC 7. Nobody had asked Poullard’s permission or told her this was happening.

“Taking something without permission is stealing. Which is what y’all were doing is stealing,” Poullard stated. “Because had I not come up there, I wouldn’t have known. Y’all would have just threw my car back together and expected me to drive it. And later down the line when something went wrong, I would’ve been the person they tried to say was at fault.”

The video quickly went viral on social media. After KPLC-TV visited the dealership, it issued a statement: “We took your feedback seriously and immediately began an internal review. Following that review, the Service Manager is no longer employed with our company. Our team is held to a high standard of customer care, professionalism, respect and honesty. Every customer deserves to be treated with dignity, and we sincerely apologize to the customer involved.”

Moneywise contacted the dealership for response as well, but had not heard back by publication time.

Poullard now has her vehicle again but says she is uncomfortable driving it, KPLC-TV notes, and she’s seeking legal representation.

What Louisiana law might tell us

Swapping car parts from one vehicle to another can be legitimate industry practice. But what happened to Poullard may violate state law, depending on what she was told and provided throughout the process.

For example, Louisiana Administrative Code Title 46, Section V-1103, states it’s an “unfair act or practice” for a motor vehicle repair supplier to perform repairs or services without proper consumer authorization.

It appears the law says that when a consumer requests it and anticipated repairs exceed $125, suppliers must provide a written estimate in advance and obtain consumer authorization before performing any additional unanticipated repairs beyond that estimate.

Louisiana Revised Statute 32:1263 also notes dealers must provide consumers with an itemized bill detailing all repairs performed, parts replaced and materials used.

Using parts from one customer’s vehicle to service another without consent, documentation or notification potentially runs afoul of both provisions, as well as the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act, which “prohibits deceptive or unfair practices in commerce.”

Whether or not these things apply to Poullard’s case, they’re important considerations for anyone sending their vehicle in for service.

A broader pattern of dealership misconduct

Poullard’s experience isn’t an isolated incident in auto repair.

A report from the Consumer Federation of America finds that, for the 10th consecutive year, auto related issues including “deceptive advertising, lemon vehicles, incomplete repair work, and mechanical failures involving new and used vehicle sales, leases, and repairs” ranked as the top consumer complaint in the U.S.