Unsafe Cars being Sold in Georgia

There are major safety gaps and concerns present in the used car market. Thousands of hazardous cars are going for sale nationally without the buyers' awareness.

Chris Humphries, the former owner of a 2015 Toyota 4-runner, discussed how his car had the potential to kill people. He noticed that the vehicle did not have side impact airbags. Apparently, these missing parts weren’t repaired after the car was in a wreck prior to his purchase.

“I never would have bought a salvage vehicle, I mean I wouldn’t have done it ,” Chris Humphries said.

State Title Laws

The state of Texas allows cars with an accident history to keep a clean title without approval of safety repairs being fixed nor prepared. Humphries Toyota 4-runner was sold by a Progressive insurance auction with an approved Texas title. Sooner or later, the car was purchased at Quality Cars in Cobb County by Chris Humphries, who was completely unaware about the lack of airbags in the vehicle.

The state of Georgia adheres to strict title rules to ensure the safety of used cars, however, anyone can end up with problematic cars, such as the 4-runner, due to states such as Texas.

The Dangers of Used Cars

Humphries returned the vehicle to the Georgia car dealer due to the excessive danger the car possessed. He stated how the car “Was sold 39 days later [without airbags] to a dealership 1.8 miles down the road. To a guy out of Chattanooga, Tennessee”. Luckily, Humphries tracked the Chattanooga man down to warn him about the missing airbags in the car.

Justin Gray, a Channel 2 reporter, went to the dealer to investigate how an unsafe vehicle was sold multiple times.

“We didn’t sell this retail. We sold this red light at an auction,” sales manager, Toby McKinnon stated. Red light means that the dealership warned every buyer that the 4-runner’s airbags were missing.

After this, the same Toyota 4-runner was sold once again at Gravity Auto Sales in Sandy Springs, Georgia. According to the Gravity Auto Sales manager, there was no red-light when it was purchased from a Florida dealership. The car did not sell within the 60-day period, so it was put back up for auction and sold in the state of Florida.

No one knows the location of the 4-runner, who bought it, nor if the airbags were still missing.

The Consumer Federation of America

The Consumer Federation of America has been working for decades to make sure all used cars are safe to drive. The executive Director of the Consumer Federation of America, Jack Gillis, believes that there are “a sea of problematic cars around the country” and all buyers must be aware when going to a dealer.

“Imagine any other industry in which the sellers know that the product is dangerous, and yet they continue to sell it”, Gillis said.

To protect yourself from danger, Gillis recommends hiring an independent mechanic to inspect any used car you’re thinking about buying. An independent mechanic inspection may range from $50 to $100 - which is worth spending to avoid cars with any major safety defects.

Channel 2 Action News received this statement from Progressive:

"Individual states determine how vehicles are titled and laws can drastically differ from state-to-state. We follow the laws and regulations set forth by the applicable state and are extremely confident we were in compliance with the Texas state law when we titled the vehicle you referenced before it was sold at auction. Since that vehicle was sold at auction, it has been re-titled and sold several times.

When a consumer is interested in buying a used vehicle, it’s suggested that they should do some research on the car. If it was previously in an accident, they should attempt to contact the shop where the vehicle was repaired to see what work was performed on the car. Additionally, for peace of mind, it's highly recommended to have the vehicle inspected by a local mechanic prior to purchasing it so they understand what they are buying and making sure it is operating properly."