Buying a car is a major purchase for most people. Unless you have the cash lying around, you are committing to making payments on one for a number of years. You want the best deal possible for your money, and the salesperson’s job is to reassure you that the vehicle you choose is in good condition.
Depending on your financial situation, you may need to look at a used car instead of a new one. When you do this, you usually end up with the issues that the prior owner had with the vehicle. In some cases, that means that the vehicle was rebuilt after an accident.
Did the vehicle earn a “rebuilt” title?
Hopefully, you wanted to take a look at the history of the vehicle before purchasing it. When you saw that it had a “rebuilt” title, you questioned the salesperson. Perhaps the salesperson told you that this means the vehicle was in an accident but repaired well enough for government officials to convert the title to rebuilt from salvage. The problem is whether you can trust that the repairs done on the vehicle really make the vehicle safe to drive.
Should you purchase a vehicle with a rebuilt title?
You can ask to have the vehicle looked over thoroughly by a mechanic you trust; however, that may not provide you with enough of a guarantee. In fact, your insurance company might not even give you a policy on the vehicle due to the title. If it passes all of your tests, you may decide to go ahead and buy the vehicle. It’s not impossible to find a vehicle with this type of title that is in excellent shape, but there is a risk in purchasing one.
If you are like most people, you may not have followed all of these steps. After all, the salesperson seemed trustworthy and told you that they don’t let any vehicle leave the lot unless it is safe to do so. Only later did you find out that the company didn’t handle the repairs as well as you expected.
What can you do after the fact?
If you found out later that the vehicle was not repaired properly, you may have recourse against the dealership that sold it to you. The only way to know for sure is to schedule a consultation with an attorney experienced in this area of law.
Articles
