Buying A Used Car? It May Not Be As Safe As You Think
In the past, consumers shopping for a used automobile have relied on the Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) designation to mean that a vehicle has been thoroughly inspection and can be expected to be reliable and safe. Manufacturer backed certified pre-owned programs generally include checking for and performing any open recall as part of the certification process. Until last month, when the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) made changes to the used car rules that will allow dealerships to advertise vehicles as CPO even when there are open recalls.
Last year, most major car companies said they would not sell any used vehicles with open recalls, but the massive Takata airbag recall has made that promise a costly one, as a backlog of vehicles sit awaiting airbag repairs. Dealerships will be required to disclose to the buyer that there are open recalls, leaving the responsibility to the owner to get repairs done. These changes are leaving consumers confused while they try to figure out which vehicles need repairs and how much sellers are disclosing.