Six miles from the dealership, the 'check engine light' came on. Now the AG is involved.

Two years ago, Ed Gordon bought a 2011 Jeep Cherokee from King Philip Motors in Bristol for $14,999, but the "check engine" light came on as he drove from the dealership.

Gordon returned the Jeep to the automotive business on Metacom Avenue and thought they had fixed the problem, but the issue persisted. Over nearly 12 weeks, he went back to the dealership nine times, asking them to find out why the light was coming on and to fix it.

"I couldn't drive it more than 6 miles before the check engine light would come on," Gordon, a Portsmouth resident, said in a recent interview.

Neronha says he's cracking down on unfair auto sales practices

Gordon's experience is among four cases that Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha cited in a lawsuit accusing King Philip Motors of violating the state’s consumer protection law.

Neronha alleges, in the lawsuit filed last Thursday in Superior Court, that the business and its managers, Neil and Tammy DeAlmeida, have "engaged in a pattern of unfair and deceptive trade practices targeted at Rhode Island consumers."

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The lawsuit claims the defendants have "engaged in the sale and advertising of potentially unsafe vehicles to unsuspecting consumers, which can lead to dire consequences for consumers who are put in a potentially dangerous situation."

The business violated the Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA) and Division of Motor Vehicles Rules and Regulations by routinely advertising and selling vehicles for sale before they passed a required state safety inspection, the lawsuit claims.

The lawsuit asks the court to "enforce the DTPA, enjoin this type of unfair and deceptive sales activity, provide monetary relief to consumers, and impose civil penalties for Defendants’ misconduct."

The lawsuit is part of Neronha's "industry-wide effort to crack down on unfair and deceptive practices in the auto sales industry," his office said in a press release announcing the lawsuit.

King Philip attorney accuses AG of selective prosecution

The DeAlmeidas will contest the lawsuit, according to their lawyer, Carl J. Ricci of Providence.

"The attorney general's office is selectively prosecuting my client," Ricci said. "I'd say they're playing by the exact same rules as everybody in the state."

Ricci said all of the cars that King Philip Motors sells have inspection stickers by the time the sale is closed. He suggested that it's common in Rhode Island for dealerships to put cars up for sale before they've gotten an inspection sticker.

The attorney general's complaint cites the experiences of four consumers involving three vehicles, since one, a GMC Acadia with a bad engine, was sold twice, according to the lawsuit.

Unpleasant interactions at King Philip Motors

Neil DeAlmeida could be unpleasant, even threatening, when consumers returned with problems, according to the lawsuit.

He allegedly told the first buyer of the GMC Acadia, which died at a traffic light when his son drove it from school the day after purchase, that he could "take the car and shove it up your a**.”

That buyer complained to the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles Dealers License and Regulations Office, but DeAlmeida bought it back before the board made a decision.

A few months later, King Philip Motors sold the Acadia to another buyer without replacing the engine, as another dealer had recommended after inspecting the SUV.

The next buyer immediately had problems, according to the lawsuit. When the buyer brought it back, DeAlmeida "refused to take responsibility, blamed another business for the problem, and told her to remove it from the property," the complaint says.

"Eventually," the second buyer filed a complaint with the state Division of Motor Vehicles Dealers License and Regulations Office, "which found that KPM had engaged in an unconscionable business practice by willfully and knowingly selling Consumer B a vehicle with a defective motor in need of replacement," the complaint says. "KPM was ordered to pay the consumer the full purchase price of the vehicle."

Buyer wants to put it all behind him

In Gordon's case, he said DeAlmeida got more testy as time passed.

"I asked for my money back on several occasions," Gordon said, "he refused."

At one point, Gordon said, "I was honestly a little fearful it would come to blows. I felt like I was cornered."

The DeAlmeidas referred an inquiry by telephone to their lawyer, Ricci.

Gordon, a small business owner, decided to buy a car from King Philip in part because he thought he was helping a local small business. He spent about $800 repairing the Jeep. He said the vehicle was leaking oil and coolant from three places. He also replaced spark plugs.

He sold it recently at a substantial loss.

Gordon said, "I wanted to be done with it and have this in my past."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: King Philips Motors in Bristol accused of deceptive practices by RI's AG