Doral Volkswagen Lawsuit: Paperwork Error, Tracker, and Arrest

The Doral Volkswagen lawsuit was filed in July 2025 by U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Shane Sprague, who says a VIN entry error by the South Florida dealership caused his newly purchased truck to be reported stolen ten days after he bought it, leading to a felony traffic stop at gunpoint and four hours in a jail cell. Sprague is seeking more than $50,000 in damages on claims including negligence, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violations of Florida consumer protection law.¹

What Went Wrong With the Paperwork

Sprague bought a 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X from Doral Volkswagen on June 21, 2025, putting $15,000 down on a truck priced at roughly $61,000.² According to the complaint, a finance manager entered the wrong Vehicle Identification Number on the paperwork, tying Sprague’s license plates to a 2024 Chevy 1500 instead of the GMC he actually drove off the lot.³ The dealership’s inventory system then showed the GMC as unsold but missing from the lot, and Doral Volkswagen reported it stolen.

The dealership also activated a LoJack GPS tracker installed on the vehicle. That signal gave deputies a live location for the truck.³

The Traffic Stop and Detention

On July 1, 2025, Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies tracked the LoJack signal and conducted a felony traffic stop in Tamarac, Florida.⁴ One report says an unmarked Ford F-150 rammed the rear bumper of Sprague’s truck during the stop.² Deputies then pulled Sprague from the vehicle at gunpoint and handcuffed him.

Body-worn camera footage shows Sprague complying while visibly confused, telling deputies, “I have no idea what’s happening right now.”⁴ He explained that he had bought the truck at Doral Volkswagen and had documentation at home.² He was held in a jail cell for four hours before detectives reached the dealership and confirmed the mistake.

When Sprague later went to the tow yard, he discovered the truck was still titled to a previous owner, meaning ownership had never been properly transferred to him.¹

The Undisclosed Tracker and Security Clearance

Sprague says he never agreed to and did not know about the LoJack device installed on the truck.³ That matters beyond the stop itself. Sprague is a 27-year Coast Guard veteran stationed at the Opa Locka facility, and his role carries a security clearance that, according to his legal team, prohibits tracking devices on his vehicles.⁵

Sprague described the personal fallout in public statements. “This incident has turned my life upside down,” he said. “I’ve gone from a professional service member to somebody who is getting text messages and Facebook requests from people I don’t know talking about that I’m a criminal or why did I steal a truck.”⁴

What the Complaint Alleges

The Complaint for Damages was filed on July 28, 2025, in the Circuit Court for the 11th Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County. The defendant is Doral-VW, LLC, doing business as Doral Volkswagen and part of the Lithia Motors auto group.¹ It brings six causes of action:

Negligence, based on the wrong VIN entry, the failure to properly title and register the vehicle, and the resulting stolen-vehicle report.
Negligent training of employees on vehicle sales and theft-investigation procedures.
Negligent supervision of the finance staff handling the transaction.
Intentional infliction of emotional distress, based on what the complaint calls “extreme and outrageous conduct” in reporting the truck stolen.
False imprisonment, arising from the felony stop and four-hour detention.
Violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, including the failure to transfer title and the undisclosed LoJack installation.

Sprague is seeking more than $50,000 in damages.¹ His attorney, Ignacio M. Alvarez, called the dealership’s actions “gross negligence that escalated into a dangerous situation no customer should ever face.”³

Where the Case Stands

Lawyers for Doral Volkswagen called the incident “an isolated occurrence caused by human error” and “not reflective of the level of service that we provide to our customers,” offering an apology and saying the dealership was “committed to working toward a resolution.”⁴

The dealership has filed a motion to compel arbitration along with a request for an evidentiary hearing, arguing the dispute should be resolved outside of court.² Doral Volkswagen returned Sprague’s $15,000 deposit, the retail purchase agreement was formally rescinded, and the dealership retrieved the truck from the tow yard.¹ Sprague had canceled the purchase and was driving a rental car as of September 2025 reporting.⁴

No ruling on the arbitration motion has been issued, and the case remains pending.⁶

1
The Civil Rights Lawyer. Sprague v. Doral-VW LLC, Complaint for Damages
2
CarBuzz. Florida Dealer Mistake Coast Guard Arrested
3
Jalopnik. Dealership Mistake Causes Coast Guard Officer Arrest
4
NBC Miami. Paperwork Error at Doral Car Dealership Leads to Arrest of U.S. Coast Guard Officer
5
Carscoops. Coast Guard Officer Arrested at Gunpoint Over a Truck He Just Bought
6
MotorBiscuit. Chief Coast Guard Officer Sues VW Dealership Wrongful Arrest