Used car dealers would have to tell a potential buyer about any safety recall that a previous owner ignored if a bill advancing in New Jersey's legislature becomes law.
Assemblyman Paul Moriarty says his bill would require dealers to gather information from the car manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to check for any recalls
and notify a potential purchaser before a sale is finalized.
"At that point the consumer has several options. They can say forget it, I don't want it. They could say you fix it and then I'll buy it. They could buy it as is. Or maybe even negotiate a lower price."
Moriarty says defects that have not been repaired are a safety risk.
"Sometimes when you go and you buy these cars at a dealership, they've gone through a hundred point inspection and everything is supposed to be in perfect shape. It might only be a two-year-old car with low mileage, and they think I'm in a good safe car. But it might not be, and they should know that before they drive off the lot."