PRIOR DAMAGE

The worst problem used car buyers face is the fraudulent resales of vehicles that were totalled in a wreck or flood, then patched together by unscrupulous, unskilled rebuilders. Auto "salvage" fraud costs American consumers over $4 billion a year, and endangers lives. Rebuilt wrecks are generally quite unsafe. They may look OK, but have structural damage that makes them uncrashworthy. Instead of protecting you, they may actually cause a crash. In some tragic incidents, young people whose 1^st car was a disguised junker, suffered major brain trauma or spinal cord injuries. The best way to avoid these clunkers is to get your OWN inspection doneóbefore you buy.

BEWARE OF "CERTIFIED" USED CARS

Virtually every car company now offers "certified" used cars with a warranty. They claim they have performed a "92-Point" inspection or "106-Point" inspection or even "132-Point" inspection. Some salespersons have admitted, however, that they just make up those numbers. Sometimes, so-called "certified" cars are actually junkers that had been totalled--wrecked in severe collisions or floods and patched together by unskilled, unlicensed rebuilders. "Certified" cars are often just a sales gimmick, because the dealers know consumers are fearful of buying a bad car, and will pay more for one that has been "inspected." Don't be lulled into a false sense of security. Get your OWN inspection done.

I AM GETTING THE RUN-AROUND. WHERE DO I GO FOR HELP?

Contact CARS, 1303 J Street, Suite 720, Sacramento, CA 95814

Click on the Center for Auto Safety at www.autosafety.org.