Wisconsin’s lemon law for cars is pretty strict. If a customer demands a refund on a newly bought car that won’t run and can’t be repaired, the manufacturer has to comply within 30 days or pay double the purchase price plus legal fees. Marco Marquez has been fighting Mercedes-Benz for 4 years now over a $56,000 E 320 he bought in 2005 that immediately stopped working. He says the company deliberately stalled on giving him the refund in time, and last week a judge awarded him $482,000.

Because the lawsuit keeps dragging on–a judge ruled in his favor in 2007, then an appeals court overturned it and a jury sided with Mercedes, the last week another judge overturned the jury verdict–the cost of the payout keeps ballooning. In 2007, the award was $202,000. Of that $482,000 awarded last week, only $168,000 covers the car (double the purchase price plus interest).

Marquez says whether he ever sees the money or not, he’ll never buy another Mercedes–although he says he’s still driving this one until the company gives him a refund.

“Mercedes-Benz hit with large ‘lemon law’ judgment” [Associated Press via Atlanta Journal-Constitution]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.