Almost daily you see something in the news about another vehicle recall. One big concern that gets little publicity is that used car dealers continue to pass-off dangerous recalled cars on consumers. It is against the law for car dealers to sell or lease recalled new cars unless they have been fixed, but that is not the case with used cars.
New York City is taking used car dealers to task by enforcing a state law that says all vehicles must be safe and roadworthy in order to be sold. City officials are using this law to force used car dealers to make sure that cars under recall are repaired before they are sold. Subpoenas were sent to dealerships asking how many vehicles had been sold that were under recall and those found to have sold unrepaired recalled vehicles will be required to notify the buyers and make the repairs.
Displaying a 19th Century “buyer beware” attitude, the president of the New York Independent Automobile Dealers Association asked “When do we stop babysitting the consumer?” The real question is “When will used car dealers stop endangering consumers?” There are reasons for product recalls; when defective cars get recalled, it is often because they are dangerous and can cause personal injuries and wrongful deaths. As in the case of the recent General Motors ignition recalls, it too often takes lawsuits over those injuries and deaths to bring the problems to light. New York City has set an example that other cities, states and our federal government should follow so that companies are not allowed to get away with selling defective products and endangering the lives of the people who are there customers.
New York City Imposes a Used-Car Repair Rule

Used Cars and Recalls: What You Should Know