One in Ten Used Cars Is a Disaster Waiting to Happen
12 October 2000
Lemons and Lies; Reader's Digest Reports One in Ten Used Cars Is a Disaster Waiting to HappenNEW YORK - Used cars outsell new ones nearly three times over. But an estimated one in ten used cars now sold has serious damage or extra mileage that unscrupulous sellers don't want buyers to know about. Cosmetic repairs on totaled vehicles, unreported flood damage and odometer rollbacks are a few of the secondhand car scams that are costing some consumers their safety. Of the 75,000 flood damaged cars from Hurricane Floyd, 15,000 are already dangerously back on the road. And the law offers little protection. This month, Reader's Digest offers consumer tips on how to avoid getting stuck with a lemon, and readersdigest.com has the tools your viewers need to protect themselves against used car fraud, including: * A free odometer check on any vehicle they own -- or are about to buy. * A state-by-state guide to car title laws. Every state has its own laws for getting a car title, and laws vary greatly. What's considered salvage in one state allows for a clean title in other. And a car's history can literally vanish by crossing state lines. Unscrupulous sellers use these gaps to perpetuate fraud every day. Learn what they know by checking out this exclusive state-by-state guide on readersdigest.com.