NHTSA Complaint #11704902 — 2005 LEXUS ES

FORMAL COMPLAINT: CONSUMER FRAUD & SAFETY VIOLATION Dealership: Germain Toyota West (Columbus, OH) Case Reference: #[XXX] ​To the Consumer Protection Division: ​I am filing a formal complaint regarding Theft by Deception, Gross Negligence, and Reckless Endangerment by this dealership. ​1. THEFT & BILLING FRAUD On Oct 24, 2025, the dealership charged me $455.00 for labor to install rear sway bar links. I provided my own parts. The technician (Maciah Houpe) failed to install the parts but still charged me. He later admitted via text message: "I did not do your rear links... you didn't pay for rear links." The dealership has refused to refund this money despite the written confession. ​2. PROPERTY DESTRUCTION During the attempted repair, the technician used excessive force and bent the vehicle's "wheel rod" (Tie Rod), destroying the steering geometry. The technician later admitted to a witness that he was fired for "bending the wheel rod" on my vehicle. ​3. RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT (SAFETY VIOLATION) The dealership released the vehicle to my family on Oct 26, representing it as "safe." After a near-miss incident on [XXX] where the steering failed at highway speeds, Management admitted to my wife that they knew the vehicle "might be lucky to make it to the North Side" before failing. They knowingly released a vehicle with a critical safety defect onto a public highway. ​4. RETALIATION When I contacted Toyota Corporate to complain, the technician texted me: "You blew up the spot coming through Toyota... they can't help you." The dealership then revoked a "cure offer" (towing/rental) purely as retaliation for my consumer complaint. ​ATTACHED EVIDENCE: Please see the attached "Master Case Brief" and "Exhibit A" (PDFs). These contain the full legal timeline and the Text Message Logs where the employee confesses to the theft and damage. ​I have served the dealership a Notice of Intent to Sue. I am requesting an immediate investigation into this franchise's billing fraud INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORM