They go by the NIADA or the National Independent Auto Dealers Association and they are essentially a big lobbying group that works to defend the rights and business interests of auto dealers that are not tied directly to a particular manufacturer. They are also a group that apparently has no regard for the safety of your grandmother, your sister, you, or anyone else for that matter judging by their triumphant press release that touts the defeat of the so-called “Blumenthal Amendment” to the recent transportation funding bill in Congress.
What exactly was the Blumenthal Amendment? Essentially it was a piece of legislation in the transportation bill that would have stopped used car dealers from selling vehicles that had recalls on them before the recall work was fixed. You know, stuff like the bad tie rods on the Dodge trucks, or the air bags that can blow up and cut you to ribbons, ignition switch issues, and on and on and on. The reasoning for their opposition? This comes straight from their press release:
“…it would cause severe logistical problems for independent dealers and would raise consumers’ costs and lower the value of their vehicles, all without increasing the number of recalled vehicles being repaired.”
Forgive us for being in bizarro world but HOW IN THE NAME OF ALL THINGS HOLY DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE?! Yes, the dealers would have to go the extra mile and drive cars to dealers to have recall work done FOR FREE and then put them back on the lot. After that, how would the value of the vehicle be lowered after the recall repairs were done. Wouldn’t that raise the value of the junk pile you are buying since it has been fixed and relived of whatever issue it was being recalled for? What are we missing here? Also the logic that it would not help the number of recalled vehicles being fixed is insane as well. How is that true? If the thousands of cars on dealer lots that currently need to be repaired were forced to be fixed how would that NOT increase the number of recalled vehicles being repaired?!
Here’s the bottom line. These guys are celebrating the fact that they have “defeated” some sort of legislation that could have actually helped a buyer walking on the lot. Again, your grandmother may be buying a used car tomorrow. She may be buying one with recalls for various things and not only do these guys not want to repair it, they’ll also NEVER MENTION to her that the car is being recalled for different items.
We don’t get on the tire too often for stuff but this is horrid. This is horrid and it is even worse that these tone deaf jerks had the balls to trumpet their big win. We know there are likely BangShifters in the used car business and we’re not trying to throw the net over everyone but damn it this makes us mad.
READ THE FULL RELEASE BELOW….AND TRY NOT TO PUKE IN YOUR MOUTH
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NIADA Effort Helps Defeat Blumenthal Amendment
Arlington, Texas (Aug. 5, 2015) — Last week, the United States Senate passed a bill to fund American transportation programs that includes $350 billion for highways, railroads, transit systems and more.
But thanks in part to members of the National Independent Auto Dealers Association, there’s one thing it does not include: the so-called Blumenthal Amendment.
The amendment, proposed by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), would have prohibited the sale or lease of used cars subject to a recall until the defect or noncompliance has been remedied. But it was voted down 13-11 by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and was not included in the bill that won the approval of the full Senate.
A big reason for that was a large-scale effort by NIADA and other industry stakeholders, including the National Auto Auction Association and the National Automobile Dealers Association, using not only lobbyists in Washington but NIADA’s 16,000 members throughout the United States as well.
NIADA put out a call for dealers to contact their senators and express their opposition to the amendment.
NIADA members responded with phone calls and emails urging their senators to defeat the amendment, pointing out that it would cause severe logistical problems for independent dealers and would raise consumers’ costs and lower the value of their vehicles, all without increasing the number of recalled vehicles being repaired.
“The response by our dealers to this call speaks to their commitment to our industry, and the result of their action speaks to what we can accomplish as an association and as an industry when we speak with a united voice,” NIADA executive vice president Steve Jordan said.
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About NIADA The National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA), is among the nation’s largest trade associations representing the used motor vehicle industry comprised of more than 38,000 licensed used car dealers. Since 1946, NIADA has represented the voice and interests of used car dealers at the federal level in Washington, D.C. Coupled with the state association network across the country, our grass-roots framework provides a dual layer of advocacy unmatched in the used motor vehicle industry. |
I have bought a couple of cars at used car lots but always check out inherent problems, TSB, or recalls with that model.
It’s still amazing how you call buy off a politician.
Oh please – do a bit of a search on the Senator Blumenthal before you support anything that snake says.
And really, is the next blog post going to be about saving the children? WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN? OMG the children and grandma are going to DIE because… oh yeah, grandmas and children are too stupid to buy safe cars and they need some moron for some itty-bitty state to protect them from themselves.
For shame.