Question for Fuel

[dickytim]

Hi Phil,

Can you please tell me, is a dealership oblidged to disclose that a vehicle was imported with reported structual damage?

[Ghost_2008]

I would expect a retailer to be open and clear about the condition of the vehicle they are selling, they cant adverstise a car as clean and tidy if they have been clearly informed that it was structually damaged........

If they know about damage and dont disclose it would be subject to false advertising laws.............

I found the below online:

Dealerships are required to disclose material known facts about a used vehicle such as if the vehicle was:

involved in a prior accident (that caused substantial damage)
it was a prior rental vehicle
a lemon law buy back (the vehicle was repurchased by either manufacturer or dealer under the lemon law because of a defect)
odometer readings not accurate, etc.
They are also prohibited from misrepresenting facts about the vehicle's history (such as its never been in an accident, it was a trade vehicle (when it was a rental), etc.

[Subaru ETA]

Yes they are. If you have a chassis number I can find out for you if you want

[fuel]

Yes, if they are aware of it then yes they have to make it known. If the vehicle is imported as a damaged vehicle it is usually flagged on the system. On the CIN card there is a box down the bottom which has a check box 'imported as a damaged vehicle?'.

There are cases though where a vehicle could have had structural damage and had been repaired after it was imported into the country, and no one knew until fully checked out by a mechanic up on a hoist etc.