WGN-TV Show Notes Dec. 28, 2001

LETTER 1: I recently bought a used car from a car dealer. I specifically asked the dealer whether the car had been in an accident or not. He told me no, but my friend was driving with me and when he opened the car door he showed me that the serial number on the door didn’t match the VIN number of the rest of the car. Clearly, the dealer lied. But now what should I do?

ANSWER: Clearly, the car dealer lied to you, but they’re allowed to do that. Your job as a consumer is to make sure no one takes advantage of you. There are a couple of places where you can go to check out whether a car has been in an accident.

Carfax.com
AAA.com

These sites will charge you about $13 to $15 to check out the accident history of a vehicle. If you’re buying a used car, it’s invaluable, and you shouldn’t buy a used car without pulling up the accident history first. Remember, you can’t rely on the dealer to tell you the truth.

Dec. 28, 2001.