Failure to replace airbags in rebuilt cars is real and very deadly problem. NPR has a great article on airbag fraud. According to NPR, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reviewed 1,446 fatal crashes and found that in 255 of those cases, the air bags had not been replaced after a previous accident. Unknown is exactly how widespread the problem is because it is hard to detect without paying to have the bag physically checked.
If you are buying a used car, I cannot stress strongly enough the need to take it to an experienced auto body person to have them look at the car to see if it has been in a collision, sometimes they can also quickly tell if the bags have been deployed and replaced. If it has been in a collision at all, think twice.
Nick Slade is a consumer rights lawyer, and will be posting at Caveat Emptor until 12.2.2009.
(photo: Wikimedia Commons)
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You can also check the new National Motor Vehicle Title Information System dataa. By typing in the car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), you can quickly check a car’s title, odometer reading and other details about its previous life.
More details here. http://credit-blog.creditfyi.com/personal-finances/check-used-car-history-for-free.html