Rayz
10-07-2005, 03:51 AM
FYI
The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) has issued a warning to the public to beware of hurricane or otherwise damaged vehicles that may be making their ways to used car lots. The NADA is also pressing Congress to pass legislation establishing uniform standards among states for vehicle titles.
"The current system invites fraud," NADA chairman Jack Kain told the Automotive Press Association at a Detroit meeting Thursday. "Massive storms like Katrina have a way of showing us exactly where our weaknesses lie. And one of our weaknesses, in the largest sector of the U. S. retail economy, is a lack of accurate and timely title information."
"There's a lack of uniformity in the way state motor-vehicle departments process titles and it leads to title washing," the Versailles, Ky., Ford dealer said.
Kain said the country and the industry need a "national, electronic database" to provide dealers and retail customers up-to-date accurate title information before a purchase. He urged Congress to provide incentives for state DMVs "to make title laws more uniform." The Commonwealth of Kentucky, he noted, has recently revised and tightened up its vehicle titling laws. Previously, Kentucky had a bad reputation among insurance company adjusters for porous title regulations.
In the short run, he said, insurance companies should make VINs on totaled vehicles quickly available to the public - meaning data companies like Carfax. Auto manufacturers need to disclose their information on cars and trucks wiped out by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (and other such storms) - "kill the VINs of cars and trucks that were on vehicle lots and totaled." And state DMVs should work with the data vendors on "creation of an electronic vehicle title data system that is uniform and easily accessible."
Kain warned that fraudulent operators may be flooding the country, especially the southeast, with hurricane-damaged vehicles. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) also is working with the industry and authorities to catalog recent hurricane-damaged vehicles. .The Bureau's Web site (http://nicb.org/) provides a way for consumers to cross check the VIN of a car or truck under purchase consideration. -- Mike Davis
Avoiding Damaged Cars
In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, concerns over flood-damaged vehicles are at a peak. The National Auto Dealers' Association (NADA) says there are ten ways you can spot whether your new vehicle has been damaged by flood waters from the storms or from other events:
· Check the vehicle's title history - it MAY state flood damage.
· Examine the interior and the engine compartment for evidence of water and grit from suspected submersion.
· Check for a recently shampooed carpet.
· Look under the floorboard carpet for water residue or stain marks from evaporated water not related to air-conditioning pan leaks.
· Inspect for rusting on the inside of the car and under interior carpeting and visually inspect all interior upholstery and door panels for any evidence of fading.
· Check under the dashboard for dried mud and residue, and note any evidence of mold or musty odor in the upholstery, carpet or trunk.
· Check for rust on screws in the console or other areas where the water would normally not reach unless submerged.
· Look for mud or grit in alternator crevices, behind wiring harnesses and around the small recesses of starter motors, power steering pumps and relays.
· Complete a detailed inspection of the electrical wiring system looking for rusted components, water residue or suspicious corrosion.
· Inspect the undercarriage of other components for evidence of rust and flaking metal that would not normally be associated with late model cars and trucks
The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) has issued a warning to the public to beware of hurricane or otherwise damaged vehicles that may be making their ways to used car lots. The NADA is also pressing Congress to pass legislation establishing uniform standards among states for vehicle titles.
"The current system invites fraud," NADA chairman Jack Kain told the Automotive Press Association at a Detroit meeting Thursday. "Massive storms like Katrina have a way of showing us exactly where our weaknesses lie. And one of our weaknesses, in the largest sector of the U. S. retail economy, is a lack of accurate and timely title information."
"There's a lack of uniformity in the way state motor-vehicle departments process titles and it leads to title washing," the Versailles, Ky., Ford dealer said.
Kain said the country and the industry need a "national, electronic database" to provide dealers and retail customers up-to-date accurate title information before a purchase. He urged Congress to provide incentives for state DMVs "to make title laws more uniform." The Commonwealth of Kentucky, he noted, has recently revised and tightened up its vehicle titling laws. Previously, Kentucky had a bad reputation among insurance company adjusters for porous title regulations.
In the short run, he said, insurance companies should make VINs on totaled vehicles quickly available to the public - meaning data companies like Carfax. Auto manufacturers need to disclose their information on cars and trucks wiped out by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (and other such storms) - "kill the VINs of cars and trucks that were on vehicle lots and totaled." And state DMVs should work with the data vendors on "creation of an electronic vehicle title data system that is uniform and easily accessible."
Kain warned that fraudulent operators may be flooding the country, especially the southeast, with hurricane-damaged vehicles. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) also is working with the industry and authorities to catalog recent hurricane-damaged vehicles. .The Bureau's Web site (http://nicb.org/) provides a way for consumers to cross check the VIN of a car or truck under purchase consideration. -- Mike Davis
Avoiding Damaged Cars
In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, concerns over flood-damaged vehicles are at a peak. The National Auto Dealers' Association (NADA) says there are ten ways you can spot whether your new vehicle has been damaged by flood waters from the storms or from other events:
· Check the vehicle's title history - it MAY state flood damage.
· Examine the interior and the engine compartment for evidence of water and grit from suspected submersion.
· Check for a recently shampooed carpet.
· Look under the floorboard carpet for water residue or stain marks from evaporated water not related to air-conditioning pan leaks.
· Inspect for rusting on the inside of the car and under interior carpeting and visually inspect all interior upholstery and door panels for any evidence of fading.
· Check under the dashboard for dried mud and residue, and note any evidence of mold or musty odor in the upholstery, carpet or trunk.
· Check for rust on screws in the console or other areas where the water would normally not reach unless submerged.
· Look for mud or grit in alternator crevices, behind wiring harnesses and around the small recesses of starter motors, power steering pumps and relays.
· Complete a detailed inspection of the electrical wiring system looking for rusted components, water residue or suspicious corrosion.
· Inspect the undercarriage of other components for evidence of rust and flaking metal that would not normally be associated with late model cars and trucks