Thrifty Diversified, Inc. v. Searles

The world has come a long way since the day of the Yankee horse trader, the Arab bazaar and unfettered laissez-faire economics. A modern-day consumer, unlike his earlier counterpart, is entitled to more than the callous admonition "caveat emptor.” This case helps to illustrate why this should be so.

In late August, 1976, Thomas R. Searles, the appellee, and his family were planning to leave for a one-week vacation in Ocean City, Maryland. Mr. Searles intended to drive to Ocean City in his 1971 Chevrolet station wagon. At that time, the automobile had approximately 73,000 to 75,000 miles on the…