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Company Offers NADA Dealers Free Information to Detect Vehicles Damaged by Gulf Coast Storms

Experian Also Building Clearinghouse for Impacted Dealers to Report Their Affected Inventories

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Oct. 3 -- Experian Automotive, in cooperation with the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), has instituted a toll-free number and e-mail address for NADA members to obtain free branded title and other information to check for vehicles damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

NADA members concerned that a vehicle might have been damaged by these hurricanes may access these free services by calling 1-800-509-5489 or e-mailing stormsupport@experian.com . The nationwide offer provides branded title and dealer-reported damage information on up to 25 vehicles per dealership through the end of this year. The title information includes whether the title reflects any storm damage, as this information becomes available, and whether the vehicle was titled within the last 12 months in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama or Texas.

Dealers are also encouraged to contact Experian Automotive to register their own vehicles damaged by the storm and subsequent flooding. This dealer-reported information will also be included in the storm check and provided along with the title records.

"We urge dealers to take the steps necessary to ensure they avoid purchasing vehicles damaged by these devastating storms, and a title report will help do that," said NADA Chairman Jack Kain.

Dave Nemtuda, director of Experian's AutoCheck, noted, "Cars could be dried out, fixed up and shipped across the country in a matter of weeks. It is crucial that dealers nationwide safeguard themselves against unknowingly purchasing flood-damaged vehicles."

NADA and Experian also urge consumers to take steps to avoid inadvertently purchasing a flood-damaged vehicle. For consumer tips on spotting such vehicles, visit http://www.nada.org/ .

About Experian Automotive

Experian Automotive delivers information solutions to manufacturers, dealers, finance and insurance companies, and consumers. Experian helps automotive clients increase customer loyalty, target and win new business, and make better lending and vehicle purchase decisions. Its National Vehicle Database, housing more than 450 million vehicles, along with Experian's credit, consumer and business information assets, meets the industry's growing demand for an integrated information source. Experian's advanced decision support services help clients turn this information into improved business results. Experian technology supports several top automotive web sites including eBay Motors, CarsDirect.com and NADAguides.com. For more information on Experian Automotive and its suite of solutions, visit our web site at http://www.experianautomotive.com/ .

About Experian

Experian(R) is a global leader in providing information solutions to organizations and consumers. It helps organizations find, develop and manage profitable customer relationships by providing information, decision-making solutions and processing services. It empowers consumers to understand, manage and protect their personal information and assets. Experian works with more than 40,000 clients across diverse industries, including financial services, telecommunications, health care, insurance, retail and catalog, automotive, manufacturing, leisure, utilities, property, e-commerce and government. Experian is a subsidiary of GUS plc and has headquarters in Nottingham, UK, and Costa Mesa, Calif. Its 13,000 people support clients in more than 60 countries. Annual sales exceed $2.2 billion. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.experian.com/ .

About NADA

The National Automobile Dealers Association, founded in 1917 and based in McLean, VA, represents approximately 20,000 new car and truck dealers holding nearly 43,000 separate franchises, domestic and international.