With the current, rapidly changing used vehicle market, there may be more pressure to make quick buying decisions. If you’re shopping for a vehicle at an automotive business or plan to buy privately, make sure you do some research on the vehicle you’re interested in to avoid surprises.
Purchasing from an automotive business
Section 31.1(1) of the Automotive Business Regulation requires automotive business operators to disclose vehicle history in writing to the consumer before the purchase. The disclosure requirements include, but are not limited to:
- Was the vehicle ever declared a salvage vehicle in Alberta, or the equivalent under another jurisdiction?
- Was the vehicle ever declared a non-repairable vehicle in Alberta, or the equivalent under another jurisdiction?
- Was the vehicle ever in need of repairs that cost more than $3,000 including parts and labour due to an incident or collision? If yes, the total cost to complete the repairs must be disclosed.
For a free, easy to use vehicle history checklist, visit amvic.org for AMVIC’s used vehicle consumer guide. AMVIC also recommends reviewing current vehicle history reports such as a Carfax or a Vehicle Information Report from an Alberta registry.
Buying privately
When buying privately, watch out for curbers: illegal, unlicensed vehicle sellers that often sell stolen, damaged or odometer-tampered vehicles. As a purchaser, you should always ask for the seller to show their identification and previous registration so you can match the two. A curber will seldom have the vehicle registration and they will not be the previous owner. Visit amvic.org to learn more about curbers.
Get another opinion
Whether buying privately or from an automotive business, consumers should consider hiring a service and repair business with an automotive technician or journeyperson who can perform an independent mechanical inspection on the vehicle you’re interested in so you can be aware of:
- the complete and current mechanical condition of the vehicle,
- repairs the vehicle may have had, and
- if the components of the vehicle will need replacing or repairs in the near future.
Understand the vehicle condition
Don’t rush into a decision; ensure you understand the complete mechanical condition of the vehicle you are buying. If you purchased a vehicle from an automotive business and the vehicle history was not disclosed as required, you can file a complaint with AMVIC’s consumer services team.