It was more than 50 years ago when a virtually unknown political aide took the automobile industry by storm. Ralph Nader’s 1965 book “Unsafe at Any Speed” was a best-seller that turned the consumer protection advocate into a household name.
More than half a century later, the auto industry has apparently forgiven the man whose relentless consumer advocacy helped wring concessions on a wide range of safety issues, including mandatory seat belts. Nader is being inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame later this month; a move that “astounded” the 82-year-old.
It must have been a case of mistaken identity,” Nader joked in an interview after the announcement of his induction was made.
The president of the Automotive Hall of Fame said there was some debate among Hall members over Nader’s inclusion, but that overall “people recognize the value of what he accomplished.”
Consumer protection advocacy has likewise benefited from what Nader has done. That doesn’t mean, of course, that the auto industry is free of fraud or other problems. We can see that here in Philadelphia, there are still victims of auto dealer fraud.
In some cases, unscrupulous dealers sell an unsuspecting buyer a lemon by misrepresenting the vehicle or by deceptively hiding serious flaws such as damage done to the vehicle in a past accident. There are also instances of financing fraud, too.
An experienced consumer protection attorney can help you fight back against a shady auto dealers. At Bensley Law Offices, LLC, we are committed to standing up to auto dealer fraud on behalf of our clients.