Lawsuit

You didn't actually think we'd heard the last of Crashgate, did you? The scandal that rocked the Formula One racing world last season and well into the post-season involved the Renault F1 team, its driver Nelson Piquet, Jr. and its top executives Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds.

A California-based Hyundai dealership has filed a lawsuit against Hyundai Motor America claiming that the automaker did not provide help to the struggling dealership despite contractual agreements and assurances that Hyundai would do everything necessary to help out the dealership during the economic downturn.

Estes Automotive Group, owner of Merced Hyundai in California, claims that the company treated them unfairly and did not act in good faith. The suit, filed in early March by Estes, seeks $30 million in losses that the dealership endured under promises from Hyundai that the company would help them weather the economic storm.

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In June 2006, Koua Fong Lee was driving his pregnant wife and other family members home from church when he says his 1996 Toyota Camry accelerated on its own and the brakes stopped working. Lee struck another vehicle, killing three people in that car. A Minnesota jury convicted Lee of vehicular homicide and the native of Laos was sentenced to an eight-year prison sentence even though there was no evidence of alcohol or drugs involved in the incident.

BMW gave us the Mini Cooper, Mini Convertible and Mini Clubman. We've also seen the Mini Countryman, Mini Coupé and Mini Roadster. Well, how about a Mini roller coaster?

The only thing surprising about Martin Eberhard's latest move is that it took so long to happen. Eberhard was co-founder of Tesla Motors along with Mark Tarpenning, and he was ousted from the company in November 2007 by then-chairman Elon Musk. Musk has never been one to hide his feelings about other people (or much of anything) - and comments he has made about Eberhard and his role in the company have clearly not gone over well.

Just because your car has been repossessed doesn't mean you don't still owe the bank money on it. If that vehicle gets sold at auction for less than the bank is owed on it, the difference is called the "deficiency." And as MSNBC informs, banks are increasingly suing to get that deficiency amount back, plus applicable attorney's fees.

With the increasing cost of vehicles, smaller down payments, and longer loan terms, it is easier than ever to get upside-down on your car loan. Furthermore, banks don't send a repossessed car to auction and work to get the highest price for it. They farm it out to third parties who need to move cars, not hold out for the absolute best deal. Take depressed auction prices into account as well, and it's not hard to end up with a deficiency in the tens of thousands of dollars.

As a political statement against Maryland politician E. J. Pikpkin's run for national office, Charles Richter painted a swastika on his car next to the words "Vote Pipken" and parked it legally on a public street. The same day it was parked, a sheriff's deputy ticketed the car as abandoned. Two days later, the car was towed from the same spot. When Richter refused to pay the impound lot to get his car back, it was crushed. Richter has brought suit against the deputy, and a federal judge has just ruled that the lawsuit can go forward.