The used Porsche Panamera that Cecil Rookwood Jr. bought in 2016 has been in the shop for repairs for 147 days and counting, and now he wants his money back.
Rookwood, of Greenburgh, sued Porsche for breach of warranty and negligence, claiming that two dealerships have failed to fix a balky suspension system.
He was repeatedly told that his car was fixed, he claims in the May 5 complaint filed in Westchester Supreme Court, only to have the same component fail again and again.
Porsche Cars North America declined to discuss the lawsuit. “As a matter of policy, spokesman Marcus Kabel said, “Porsche does not comment on any pending litigation.”
Rookwood bought the 2011 “certified pre-owned” Panamera from a Porsche dealer in Newark, Delaware. The lawsuit does not disclose the price.
Used 2011 Panameras now sell for about $30,000 to $41,000, according to Cargurus.com.
The sedan came with a service contract and the remainder of a 6-year, 100,000-mile limited warranty that was good until March 2017.
In January 2017 a warning light indicated a problem with the Airmatic suspension system, an electronic component that continuously adjusts the damping force on each wheel, to increase stability, comfort and performance.
He took the car to Porsche of Larchmont and the problem was fixed that day.
But the very next day, he alleges, the warning light came on again. This time it took 10 days to fix.
That repair allegedly lasted about six weeks.
The system malfunctioned three more times over the following six months, the complaint states. He took the Panamera back three times to Porsche of Delaware, where he bought it, and where it was allegedly kept for three days, two days and then 131 days.
Rookwood says he hired a lawyer in February “in an attempt to amicably resolve the Airmatic suspension condition, to no avail.”
In July, he filed a request for arbitration, but he was told the car was not eligible because it was no longer under warranty.
He returned the car to Porsche of Larchmont on Nov. 28, for the same problem. As of Dec. 4, according to the complaint, it was still being worked on.
He sued Porsche Cars of North America and Porsche Delaware, but not Porsche of Larchmont.
Rookwood argues that Porsche sold him a car that “was not fit for the ordinary purposes for which a 2011 Panamera is used,” and it failed to fix the car when it was still under warranty.
He is asking for at least $75,000 in damages for expenses, loss of use and loss of value to the car.
He is represented by Stephen A. Florek III of White Plains.
