Buying a used car? Double-check safety recalls first

cars at dealership — Cars are parked in an Illinois dealership parking lot. There’s no federal law banning car dealers from selling used vehicles with open recalls.

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Buying a used car? Double-check safety recalls first

Federal law doesn’t require sellers to fix recalled vehicles before putting them up for sale.

Cars are parked in an Illinois dealership parking lot. There’s no federal law banning car dealers from selling used vehicles with open recalls.

Nam Y. Huh/AP

By Brenda Ruiz

Millions of cars across the country face recalls over various safety issues, most of which can be fixed for free at any manufacturer-authorized dealer. But sellers of used vehicles aren’t required to repair cars before selling them to consumers. And recall notices aren’t so easy to spot.

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GUEST: Stephanie Zimmermann, Chicago Sun-Times consumer investigations reporter