County Board Member Vince Logan is pushing for a new state law to protect car buyers by making it mandatory that anyone selling a vehicle to another unrelated party must provide the potential buyer with a current, complete, and accurate vehicle history using one of several bonafide providers. Logan said, “I buy cars for a dealership here in Joliet. Too many times, I have to be the bearer of bad news and tell the customer that their vehicle has frame damage or a rollback issue. All of them have no idea and bought it that way and it is clearly listed on a vehicle history report.” Here is an example of a history report.
Frame damage on a car refers to any damage to the structural integrity of the vehicle’s frame, which forms the backbone of the vehicle. This frame supports the vehicle’s body, engine, and other major components. The frame also absorbs and distributes the energy from impacts, providing protection to passengers in the event of a collision. Frame damage is often costly to repair and can significantly reduce the car’s value. It can also make the car unsafe to drive, which is why it’s essential to get it checked by a professional if you suspect frame damage. The main cause of this is an accident or flooding. Poor quality repairs, manufacturing defects and hitting a road hazard can also damage the frame.
Rollback refers to the illegal practice of tampering with a vehicle’s odometer to reduce the recorded mileage, making it appear as though the car has been driven less than it actually has. This deception is typically used by unscrupulous sellers to inflate the resale value of the vehicle, since lower mileage generally indicates less wear and tear and can fetch a higher price.
Logan believes that if potential buyers are given the history, the amount of fraud will cease. Since the county has a unique form of government, the board is not allowed to create laws for the county, so Logan is addressing this with the general assembly in Springfield.
