When a vehicle owner drops their pride and joy off at a franchise dealership for service, the legal relationship established is a bailment for mutual benefit. For starters, the customer surrenders the physical possession of the asset strictly for the requested work. The dealer, on the other hand, assumes a legal duty to care and protect the property, only to return it intact after servicing.
Kia Telluride owner Shirley Poullard says that trust was broken after discovering her sport utility vehicle had allegedly become an impromptu parts donor for another customer's vehicle, a situation that saw Louisiana-based Kia of Lake Charles fire the service manager and apologize to the customer.
What occurred at Kia of Lake Charles, where service department staff removed engine components without knowledge or consent from the owner of the vehicle while the SUV was awaiting repairs, violates the core tenets of that legal relationship. This, in turn, creates pretty obvious consequences.
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