Lawsuit Claims Dealership Totaled Rare Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 During Highway Joyride
The dealership was specifically instructed not to drive the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Hendrick Edition off the lot.
It is a frustrating experience anytime you have to take your car to the dealership because it won’t start. It is inconvenient and potentially expensive. However, you do expect the car to be repaired and returned to you in the same condition as it was when you dropped it off. According to a lawsuit that was first reported on by Automotive News a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Hendrick Edition was not only not returned in the same condition, it was totally destroyed by a couple of reckless employees. The collectible Camaro was owned by Kenny Habul. In late January of 2024 Habul had the car dropped off at H&L Chevrolet of Darien, Connecticut via a flatbed truck.
The car had only 989 miles on it and none of them were street miles. Habul was using this track-focused Camaro ZL1 1LE Hendrick Edition on the track as it was intended. Despite the low miles, and a good battery, the supercharged 6.2-liter engine would not start. Because of the rarity and condition of the car, Habul allegedly told the dealer that under no circumstances was the car to be driven on the road. The estimated value of the car was $97,000. The dealer found that a broken clutch switch was preventing the car from starting. The repair was made, and all was well. Until a service advisor decided to take the car onto I-95 and crash it into a guardrail at nearly 90 mph. The special Camaro was totaled.
Details of Crash
The lawsuit claims that dealership employee, Matthew Sebastian got behind the wheel of the car and fellow employee Joseph Ingram got in the passenger seat. At that point Sebastian seemed to make one terrible decision after another. According to the factory track data recorder, Sebastian never put on his seatbelt. He then took the car on I-95 North. 3 seconds before the crash, the accelerator was 95 percent depressed and the Camaro was going 89 mph. Half a second later the accelerator was not being pressed at all. This indicates that the driver floored the accelerator, lost control, and then got off the accelerator. The car left the center lane, crossed the right-hand lane, and hit the guardrail. Thankfully no injuries were reported but the car was a total loss.
Lawsuit
Nearly every day we hear about some sort of frivolous lawsuit being filed. However, this is not one of those cases. If everything played out as the lawsuit alleges, Habul should be compensated. He is seeking reimbursement for the $97,000 value of the car. In addition, he is looking for punitive damages against both the driver and the dealership.
Dealership Response
On July 1 the attorney representing Habul filed a motion for a default judgement against the dealership and Sebastian. The motion claimed that the defendants did not file an appearance by the June 25 deadline. However, on July 10 the court denied the motion as they said an appearance was filed. Legal technicalities aside, this is a bad look for the dealership. And now the world is down another Camaro ZL1 1LE that can never be replaced.
Images: Chevrolet
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