• CarMax not required to fix recalled vehicles

    The same rules that apply to dealerships don't apply to used-car dealers.
    June 16, 2015

    The California Public Interest Research Group Education Fund (CALPIRG) and the Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety Foundation (CARS) say the California CarMax locations have been selling vehicles that need to be repaired, according to a news item found on The Car Connection's website, a car research forum.

    In May, CALPIRG and CARS performed sweeps of CarMax outlets in Oxnard and Sacramento, Calif. In Oxnard, they found that, of the 455 vehicles on the CarMax lot, 46 were subject to a federal recall, and seven had more than one recall. In Sacramento, 34 of 386 vehicles on offer at CarMax had yet to be repaired. The recalls at both locations covered a range of important issues, including software problems, fire hazards, faulty brakes and more. 

    Although federal regulations require new-car dealers to repair recalled vehicles before selling them, the same rules don't apply to used-car dealers. The article says that used-car dealerships like CarMax typically justify that loophole by noting that they're not directly affiliated with any manufacturer. As a result, they would have to take recalled vehicles off their lots and transport them to dealerships for repairs.

    To read the article from The Car Connection in its entirety, visit: http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1098707_is-carmax-selling-unrepaired-recalled-vehicles-you-betcha---and-so-are-other-used-car-dealers

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