In a report from CBS news, it was discovered that approximately 100,000 Chevrolet Impalas being sold pre-owned across the country have a side air-bag listed on the original ticker of sale, but never had them installed.
It seems that Enterprise, a major car rental company in the US, purchased the cars for their fleets in recent years, and to save $145 on each car, cut a deal with GM to delete the bags and fill the space with a plastic insert. The car sticker continued to show a side air bag, but in an accident, the best you would get is to get slapped by plastic. Hardly what I would classify as safety equipment. Enterprise answer to this debacle is to offer to buy back the used vehicles at $750 above the Blue Book price, and GM, while stating that these cars “still meet or exceed US safety standards” admitted that they will no longer delete any airbags in private deals for purchase. Get that? Did you hear any apology or admission of doing a really bad thing? Nah…
Now I don’t know about you, but I am absolutely enraged over this issue. I will never rent from Enterprise again, which means they will loose about 6 rentals a year from me. Add up how many rentals they will lose as result of this, divide it by $145 per car, and think about how their money saving, bean-counting decision will cost them. It is clear that they valued $145 per car over the health and well being of their renters, and to me, it is unconscionable. Has this what life today has come to? Money before life? Are there no morals left in business today? It’s really frightening…
If you are in the market to buy a used vehicle, make sure you research the history of the vehicle: Carfax , a company that tracks the history of vehicles, provides, for a modest price, the history of your potential purchase. They list repairs, if the car has been in an accident, and most of the service records. While it’s not foolproof, it is a leg up on buying blind. Take the car to an independent mechanic- preferable one you know and trust. Get under the car and look around. Even if you don’t know about mechanics, you know if you see scrapes or bends in the metal it is showing abuse. Tap the car, looking for body filler. The sound of hollow metal is much different than if it has been repaired- don’t just take its good looks for granted (I did that too many times with girlfriends in my youth, but I digress) If you are buying from a dealer, inquire about a limited warranty. Be wary, be informed, be careful…nothing is more important than safety to you and your family.
