Investigation exposes several Vancouver-area used vehicle dealerships

More than half the used car dealers visited by reporters from the Canadian news program W5 got failing grades from the Automobile Protection Association (APA).

The investigation, which was broadcast on CTV recently, revealed that 12 used car dealers added significant extra fees and misrepresented the condition of their vehicles.

According to CTV, the results confirm Vancouver’s “shady” reputation when it comes to used-vehicle sales.

Among the biggest issues uncovered was the sale of cars not identified as having once been used as rental vehicles. By law, dealers must let potential buyers know this information. Two of the three dealerships that were selling former rentals failed to do so.

Another condition that was often failed to be met is in the sale of cars that has previously been in an accident. According to British Columbia law, a vehicle that has been in a collision can be rebuilt and resold, but only after the vehicle has passed both a structural inspection, as well as a mechanical inspection, administered by British Columbia’s Ministry of Transportation.

Of the eight vehicles that had been rebuilt and supposedly passed these inspections, four of them were poorly repaired and were not roadworthy.

“We audit them every two years. If we suspect that there are facilities out there that are not following the rules, we have numerous ways of watching and ensuring that they’re inspecting to standard,” Dennis said.

To watch W5’s full investigation, visit CTV’s website.

www.ctvnews.ca

This investigation is not the only recent probe into the used vehicle market in Canada. A report by CBC highlights very similar concerns regarding extra fees in the province of Alberta. To read this article, visit CBC.ca.