Other LanguagesThe federal “Used Car Rule” needs a tune-up. Forty-two attorneys general are asking the Federal Trade Commission to add additional disclosures about a vehicle’s history to the “Buyer’s Guide” notice displayed on cars available for purchase from dealers.
“Laws are like cars, they need regular maintenance to make sure they’re operating effectively,” Attorney General Rob McKenna said in today's news release. “The federal ‘Used Car Rule’ is rusty and needs tuning to perform properly for consumers.”
The current Used Car Rule requires that Buyer’s Guide notices be posted on used vehicles offered for sale at dealerships. The notices indicate whether a car is covered by a warranty or sold “as-is.” But the law doesn’t require additional information about a vehicle’s history to be printed on the guide, such as whether cars have been assigned titles that would indicate damage from a flood or crash or if the car was repurchased by a manufacturer under a state’s Lemon Law.
A Washington state law requires dealers to disclose a vehicle’s history – but only if the buyer requests this additional information.
A dealer's guide to the Used Car Rule. (FTC publication)