Kennedy is hardly alone in his experience. Odometers on about three million autos are rolled back, hiding wear and tear. Hundreds of thousands of cars are concealing flood damage that compromises safety features such as air bags and brakes. Their safety could be at stake. And the possibility of getting stuck with a serious lemon has grown, because the used-car market has become so seductive.
Millions more enter from fleets of company or rental cars.
As a result, there has never been a better time to find great deals. ADT Automotive, a national vehicle auction firm, estimates that the next two or three years should see a record number of used cars sold. But this bounty of used cars means consumers need to be especially wary. That's 25 million cars. It's no surprise to Greg Cody that a large number of these will end up on the road.