It is "legal" in the state of North Carolina to sell a damaged car as "new" to an unsuspecting customer paying the full new price.

My fiancee purchased a "new" Mazda 626 in 2000 at a negotiated but full price for a new vehicle. Does anyone ask to see a CarFax on a "new car" ? Well you should, if you live in NC. Where the legislators has written into law that a damaged vehicle can be sold as new and without notification to the prospective owner, if the dealership wishes to claim that the damage is "minor" and "adequately repaired".

Not until she sold the car in 2008 (and the dealership for the new car ran the CarFax) did she discover that she had bought a car that had been in a crash and been repaired at the dealership. The date of the crash and repair was shortly before it was sold to her. She had over 50 hours in lost time at work because of repeated failures of this vehicle and needed repairs during the first 2 years of ownership. It never sounded anything like a new car after the first few weeks. She incurred a lot of the cost for the repairs, as well.

"Al Smith Mazda" is still in business, but they switched ownership and believe that they are free from any responsibility because of the passing from one owner to the next. THIS NC-STYLE LEMON LAW (allowing the sale of known lemons at full price) is still on the books in the state of North Carolina. The NC Atty General was notified. The car dealerships contribute to a large number of state legislative campaigns. Good luck !