Wyoming Car Dealers Not Surprised by Utah Man Who Drove New Car Into Dealership

When a Utah man drove his new car through the front doors of a Mazda dealership earlier this week in frustration over being denied a refund, some Wyoming car dealers were not shocked, Cowboy State Daily reports.

The incident, which took place on Monday, involved Michael Lee Murray, 35, who allegedly warned dealership staff he would take drastic action if his request for a return was denied. After smashing through the dealership’s glass doors with the vehicle, Murray walked away, telling employees:

“I warned you, huh? I told you motherf***er.”

He was later arrested on charges of felony criminal mischief and reckless endangerment.

This extreme form of buyer’s remorse has been a rare but noted occurrence in Wyoming as well. Local car dealers recall similar situations of disgruntled customers, although none quite as dramatic as Murray’s actions. Cheyenne car dealer Dallas Tyrrell shared a harrowing memory from about 10 years ago, when a woman who had test-driven a new $90,000 Chevy Silverado caused extensive damage after breaking into the dealership and driving the truck through a gate before crashing it into a rock at a nearby campground. Tyrrell said the scene was unsettling, with a pool of blood left at the dealership after the woman injured herself during the break-in.

In another incident, a customer at Cowboy Dodge in Cheyenne threw a fake hand grenade at the dealership’s front window when they were denied a refund after a service issue.

While these events are extreme, Tyrrell and Scott Roybal, a former car salesman at Halladay Motors, explain that Wyoming dealerships generally adhere to a strict no-return policy. According to Roybal, once a vehicle is purchased, the sale is typically final unless a trade-in is involved. The primary reason for this policy is the immediate depreciation of a vehicle once it leaves the lot. Tyrrell added that dealerships also face financial complications in buying back a car, such as having to refund taxes.

Murray, the Utah man, claimed that the dealership sold him a “lemon” and refused to refund his money. However, dealers in Wyoming point out that such claims are often hard to address, as the vehicle is considered “as-is” once the sale is finalized.