Selling a Car That's Been Recalled

[Norm K]

On hold with American Honda now, awaiting their response/advice on my responsibility as a consumer when it comes to selling a car with a known material defect, one that has significant potential health and safety concerns - in this case both the driver's and passenger's side airbags.

I'm hoping to learn that I can sell it as long as I disclose my knowledge of the airbag recall.

Of course, I can always trade or sell it back to the dealer, but as you might expect they're offering far under (what oughta be) fair market wholesale value. Nothing like taking advantage of of a situation your own company caused...

Anyway, I figured that while I wait I might as well put this in front of the OT brain-trust.

[pete3799]

Why not take it in for the recall and then sell it?

[1990C4S]

Because you can't get airbags repaired for months and months. There is a huge backlog of vehicles to be repaired. It could be six months or more.

Disclose the defect and sell the car. People can make their own choice.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Norm K

Of course, I can always trade or sell it back to the dealer, but as you might expect they're offering far under (what oughta be) fair market wholesale value. Nothing like taking advantage of of a situation your own company caused...

My brother works for Toyota.

He says recalls are great for business.

A lot of people opt for the trade up.

[mikester]

Honda put a stop sale out to all their dealerships earlier this year. They had many cars all the way up to the current model year affected by this airbag recall. While used car shops not affiliated with Honda can do whatever they want Honda dealerships were told that if they sold the cars and something bad happened that Honda would not stand behind them.

The Ford dealership I bought my truck from recently told me that they had to send a whole shipment of Mustangs back because of the recall and lack of parts.

[pwd72s]

Yep...Months ago, I got a "don't call us..we'll call you" airbag recall notice on my '09 Mustang. I'm still waiting. If this kills me, I'll sue 'em!

[KNS]

I've got two vehicles with Takata air bags, I think I've been waiting close to a year on one of them.

[Steve Carlton]

New car dealers will steer clear of these to resell themselves due to liability, but 2nd tier used car dealers don't care. The market value is lower- it's not like the dealers are stealing them to make more money. Nobody would tie up money in a car they couldn't sell for months and months- they wholesale them. In non-humid climates, I think the failure rate is virtually zero- so perhaps a buyer's opportunity.

[aigel]

I do not think you have any liability in a private sale. It isn't that you could have fixed it or that you are the one causing the unsafe condition. I would not even consider this when selling my car. There are millions of cars sold privately every month now with such air bag recalls open.

G

[red-beard]

This Takata airbag situation has soured us to BMW. One of my buddies bought an Acura RDX. Aucra has rented him a car and will keep renting it until the air bags.

[Robert Coats]

So what did Honda say?

Any reason you don't just take it to a dealer have the (free) recall work done? Should only take a hour or two.

I understand there is no longer a shortage of parts from Honda, so you should be able to get the work done right away.

Recall done = no longer a hazard. Easy enough to show a potential buyer paperwork documenting the fix.

Caveat: I work for Honda (the lawn mower part).

[MBAtarga]

My daughter got another recall notice the mail yesterday on her 2012 Accord.
They told her don't let anyone sit in the front passenger seat - and just wait for the air bag to be replaced - expected around the end of this year.

[Joe Bob]

Disclose it and sell it.