Kim Muratori did not buy a luxury vehicle to watch it collect dust in a dealership's lot for more than two years. But that is exactly what happened. Her 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-400 sat completely motionless for 25 months before a tow truck finally came to haul it away, a moment she made sure to capture on video. It was not a joyful occasion. It was the end of a grueling legal fight that cost her far more than she ever anticipated.
The problems with the car were serious from the start. An independent Mercedes-Benz technician discovered that the mileage shown on the odometer did not match the mileage stored in the vehicle's own computer system. That alone would raise alarm bells for most people. But there was more: the bumper, on a car that retails for well over $50,000 new, had been zip-tied to the frame. Not repaired. Not replaced. Zip-tied.
