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Who is Robert Hill? Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat owner says dealership totaled his prized muscle car during ‘test drive'
Photos posted online showed Robert Hill’s bright Sublime Green Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak with catastrophic front-end damage.
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A routine dealership visit turned into a nightmare for Robert Hill, the owner of a limited-edition Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Last Call Jailbreak. Hill alleged that an employee at a Louisiana dealership took his 717-horsepower muscle car on an unauthorized test drive and crashed it.
Hill said he left his high-performance vehicle at Matt Bowers Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Louisiana on July 3 for maintenance. Several hours later, he was allegedly informed that a dealership employee had crashed it during a “test drive.”
Photos posted online showed Hill’s bright Sublime Green Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak with catastrophic front-end damage.
Who is Robert Hill?
Robert Hill is a Louisiana-based Dodge enthusiast who owned one of the brand’s highly sought-after Last Call Jailbreak models. This was part of Dodge’s farewell lineup before production of the Challenger ended in 2023.
The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Last Call Jailbreak is among the final high-performance Challengers. The limited-production “Last Call” models remain highly sought after and often command premiums on the used market, according to Earth Motor Cars.
Hill shared his account in a Facebook post. He said he brought the Challenger to Matt Bowers Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram on July 3 for scheduled maintenance. He waited six hours for his car to be serviced after which he was allegedly informed by the dealership’s general manager that an “unqualified lube tech” had taken the vehicle for a test drive and wrecked it.
The dealership allegedly told Hill that it was under no legal obligation to compensate him beyond insurance. However, it offered to sell him another comparable vehicle at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), instead of charging its reported $25,000 dealer markup.
Hill stated that the proposal still left him significantly out of pocket because it did not account for his original down payment and financing terms.
Hill also emphasized in his post that his goal was not to attack one dealership but to raise awareness about dealership policies. "This is not meant to bash a particular dealership,” Hill wrote in an update. “This kind of thing can actually happen to anyone. The important thing is that this be used as a learning experience for dealerships everywhere.”
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Company representative reached out to Hill
Hill later shared a positive update, saying a senior company representative contacted him after learning about the situation.
According to Hill, the representative apologized and explained that he believed the matter had already been handled. Hill also confirmed that he received an insurance payout but said it was insufficient to purchase another comparable Hellcat while keeping his monthly payments manageable.
Hill shared that he chose different path instead of stretching his finances. He said he purchased a more affordable vehicle and decided to use the remaining funds to continue saving for a future home.
