Used Cars Often Sold With Dangerous Defects

Millions of used cars are sold with unrepaired defects, according to a new Carfax report, CNBC has reported. Million of these used cars were subject to recall, and the defects have not been fixed.

“More than 46 million cars and trucks on the road in the U.S.— about one-fifth the total — were recalled because of safety defects but never repaired, according to a study by Carfax, a company that sells vehicle history reports. Some of those defects have the potential to cause a crash, injury, even death,” CNBC reported.

Dealers selling used cars are not required to fix such defects subject to recall, nor are they required to disclose such defects to the buyers of those used cars. CNBC reported that five million such defective used cars were sold last year.

The five states where the most defective used cars were sold in 2014 were California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania, the Columbian reported. California and Texas had more than four million defective used cars sold while other three states had approximately two million defective used cars sold each. Most states had more than one million defective used cars sold in 2014.

“No one is sure how many crashes or injuries happen because of unheeded recalls. But buying an unrepaired car cost Carlos Solis his life. The 35-year-old father of two died Jan. 18 when shrapnel from the driver’s air bag in his 2002 Honda Accord tore into his neck after a minor accident near Houston,” the Columbian reported.

As the market for used cars seems to lead to higher prices, it seems dealers have had little incentive to fix such defects. Used cars have been rising in price, the Inquisitr reported last month.

“The prices of used cars are still rising, USA Todayreported this past week. As new cars are rising in price, more buyers are turning to the purchase of used cars as the choice. In many ways it makes sense, when used cars, three or four years old, that are higher end cars with more options and feature can be purchased for much less than new cars with much less to offer. Increased demand for used cars, as a result, drives up their prices, the the Inquisitr reported.

As consumers demand more quality in used cars, it might pressure dealers to disclose or repair defects and recalls affecting the used cars they sell.

[Image from CNBC]