Dublin Car Dealers Convicted and Sentenced Over Hidden Crash History Sales
Two Dublin car dealers operating under Lucan Auto Sales have been convicted following prosecutions brought by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) for misleading consumers about the history of second-hand vehicles. In a ruling delivered at Dublin District Court, Judge Anthony Halpin sentenced Andrius Miliauskas to four months in prison, while Brian Healy received a €1,500 fine, alongside an order to pay costs of €3,567 to the CCPC and €1,994 in compensation to a consumer.
The Deceptive Sales of Damaged Vehicles
The prosecutions related to two cars that had been crashed and classed as write-offs. The first case involved a 161 Ford Focus that was crashed in March 2023 and classed as a write-off. After being sold as salvage, the vehicle made its way to Lucan Auto Sales, which sold it to a consumer in June 2023 for €11,500 while giving the buyer misleading information regarding the car’s crash history.
A second transaction involved a 142 Audi A5 that was crashed and written off in the UK in 2017. Lucan Auto Sales sold this vehicle in June 2024 for €14,000 without disclosing its crash history. After the buyer found out about the crash and brought the vehicle back to the seller, it was listed for sale once more almost immediately, without any mention of its damaged past.
Judicial Condemnation and Regulatory Enforcement
Judge Halpin noted that the dealers had “completely deceived” the two consumers, saying that if one of the previously written-off cars were to break down on the road, “not only could the people in that car be killed, but other people could be killed as a consequence of that … to deceive a buyer in that regard is outrageous”.
Following a probe that proved Healy, who owns Lucan Auto Sales, had intentionally supervised vehicle sales to buyers who received false details regarding car backgrounds, the CCPC brought charges against him. Similarly, a CCPC probe led to the prosecution of Miliauskas, associated with Lucan Auto Sales, after it was proven he gave a customer false details regarding a vehicle’s background during a sale. Prior to this, Miliauskas faced a CCPC inquiry resulting in a 2023 conviction for deceiving a buyer regarding a vehicle’s collision background. That conviction was subsequently upheld in the Circuit Court. Today’s court orders against Miliauskas have been appealed to the Circuit Court.
The Broader Push for Vehicle History Access in Ireland
Commenting on the case, Brian McHugh of the CCPC said: “Car traders have a legal obligation not to mislead buyers about a car’s history and condition. Misleading information can put the buyer and all other road users in danger.”
Collaboration is currently underway between the CCPC and the Department for Transport to guarantee that buyers can obtain essential details about a vehicle’s background, such as whether a vehicle has been in a collision and filed an insurance claim. Any buyers who suspect a motor dealer has deceived them are urged by the consumer protection agency to reach out to the CCPC helpline at 01-4025555 or visit CCPC.ie.
