Coronado's State Senator Wants Dealers to Issue Car History Reports

Sen. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, said Monday he has introduced a bill that would require automobile dealers to offer customers a choice of vehicle history reports generated by government or commercial services.

Senate Bill 990 is intended to fix previously passed legislation which mandates that dealers give consumers a government report called the National Motor Vehicle Titling Information System, beginning July 1.

According to Vargas, the system provides fewer details on car histories than commercial reports like CARFAX. Among the omissions are air bag deployments, open recalls and structural or frame damage, he said.

“My legislation is an important fix to better ensure that Californians have the opportunity to receive the best and most accurate information possible when purchasing a used vehicle,” Vargas said. “For many working families, their car is their lifeline and it is essential that they are confident that it is safe and free of damage.”

The law that takes effect July 1 will discourage the use of commercially available vehicle history reports and create an opportunity for widespread fraud in California, according to Vargas.

More than 9,000 state titling agencies, insurance carriers and auto recyclers or junkyards are required to report to the titling system, which was created in 1992 and is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice.

– City News Service