Local News in Brief : Rebate on Car Repairs

A Downey auto dealer accused of overcharging car owners for repair work has agreed to pay a total of $12,000 to 465 customers, the district attorney’s office announced Tuesday.

Under an agreement to settle a civil lawsuit filed by the office, Greenwood Pontiac also will pay $44,000 in penalties and costs, said Andy Reynolds, a spokesman for Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner. The dealer has six months to make the payments.

The lawsuit, filed by the district attorney’s Consumer Protection Division, alleged that between Sept. 1, 1984, and May 31, 1986, the dealership sometimes added a hidden labor charge for work done by a mechanic referred to as “007.” The suit alleged that the mechanic did not exist.

The suit also alleged that hourly labor charges often exceeded posted rates. In agreeing to the settlement, Greenwood Pontiac did not admit any wrongdoing, Reynolds said.