TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Dan Padilla bought a 2018 Subaru Forrester in April from Carvana, an online used-car dealer known for its multi-story car vending machines.
Now, four months later, he wants to know where the title to the car his.
“They’ve told me so many things,” Padilla said. “Now, they’re saying the title may be been misplaced.”
Padilla is concerned because Carvana has issued him temporary tag and registration multiple times.
“I’m afraid I’m going to get pulled over,” he said. “An officer is not going to want to hear this complicated story. I don’t want to have to try to explain this.”
His last temporary tag expired August 5. He said he was at first told by Carvana customer service that they could not issue another one, but on Wednesday, Aug. 11, Carvana emailed another temporary tag and temporary registration.
They both expire on on Sept. 9.
The Florida Highway Safety Motor Vehicle website states, “A licensed dealer is required to apply for a tag and title within 30 days, during which the buyer will be issued a temporary paper tag. It is a violation of Florida Statutes for a dealer to issue a second temporary tag.”
The Florida Highway Safety Motor Vehicle website states, “A licensed dealer is required to apply for a tag and title within 30 days, during which the buyer will be issued a temporary paper tag. It is a violation of Florida Statutes for a dealer to issue a second temporary tag.”
Padilla called Better Call Behnken for help. A spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles sent this statement:
“This time, it does not appear that Carvana has filed an application for title on behalf of Mr. Padilla. Our department is contacting Carvana regarding this issue.”
A Carvana spokeswoman sent this statement to Better Call Behnken:
“Thank you for reaching out. We are committed to ensuring the customer’s needs are met and working closely to resolve the matter.”
Carvana recently came under fire in North Carolina and its dealer’s license was revoked until until Jan. 29, 2022. The suspension began Aug. 2.
In an administrative hearing, the DMV accused the company of “failing to deliver titles to DMV, selling a motor vehicle without a state inspection, and issuing out-of-state temporary tags/plates for a vehicle sold to a person in North Carolina.”
