What Wrong With My Used Car

A Mr. Park (55, Whagok-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul) who purchased a used vehicle made in September of 1996 and traveled 98,209 km from a used car dealer in Gangseo-gu of Seoul in this May, suffered irritation because of frequent trouble.

He finally visited a mechanic shop operated directly by the automotive manufacturer and found out that the mileage was falsified. The vehicle had already traveled more than 120,000 km in December of 1998. The mechanic shop operated directly or designated by the automotive manufacturer share information together, so the shop could identify the falsification.

At 12th, Consumer Protection Board (www.cpb.or.kr) reported the result of a survey for 500 persons who have experience to purchase used vehicles in Seoul Metropolitan area. According to the survey, about three of ten (29.2%) had be damaged from the purchasing.

The main damage was from ‘the performance of the vehicle was different from the explain or advertising at the sale time’ and it occupied 42%. The next main damage was the falsification of traveled distance or suspicion about it (18.8%), and the next one was sale of accident vehicle as non- accident vehicle (16.5%).

According to the survey only 50% of 210 purchasers made agreement as purchasing the used vehicle. From April of 2001, the car dealer should have issued ‘Vehicle Performance Record’ to purchasers, but 73.4% (80 purchasers) did not received the record since the system enacted.

In this survey, 86% of consumers insisted that the car accident recorded in insurance companies should be opened in used car transaction. Additionally 88.1% of consumers agreed that the maintenance record kept by the mechanic shops operated by automotive manufacturer should be opened also.

Consumer Protection Board advised when a consumer purchases a used vehicle △ to require performance inspection record △ to compare the record with the car at the spot △ to use the agreement form used by Car Trading Association.

Sohn Young-ho, team leader of products transaction of Consumer Protection Board said, “The record and agreement are advantageous proves for consumer when a dispute happens.” And he added “The system to open information on used cars is indispensable.”

For further inquiry, call 02-3460-3000.

Heon-Jin Lee mungchii@donga.com