Airbag fraud is widespread. There is a way to detect if the car you intend to purchase has an airbag. When the lights on the dashboard go on when you start the car the light comes on showing AIRBAG. Of course, this can also be disconnected so the airbag light doesn’t come on at all. That should be an alert for the consumer. You can have a certified airbag mechanic check to see if the airbag is new. You can find such a mechanic by Googling :ASE Blue Seal Recognition Program. If the cover on the steering wheel or dashboard looks newer than the rest of the dashboard chances are the car has a salvaged airbag. A word of caution: Don’t open the airbag compartment yourself as you could be injured or damage the airbag system.

Lawmakers are are trying to pass legislation to require that totalled, flood damaged and stolen cars be permanently recorded in vehicle history databases. Insurance companies will be required to update reports constantly for any cases where airbags were deployed. The bill was to have been discussed in the Congress in Spring of 2008. People need to be aware of this as too many as dying needlessly when airbags do not deploy when there is an accident.

1) Determine what type of repair garage you need to go to. Full service repair facilities can do most of the work, but sometimes you need a special type of service and need to go to a specific garage, such as having your transmission repaired.

2) You need to find a repair garage you can trust. As friends, relatives, co-workers, and neighbors who they take their cars or trucks to for repairs. Word of mouth works best when the garage personnel are trustworthy.

3) Make an appointment, describe the problem as you see or hear it, then read the repair orders carefully. “Fix the engine” could result in a large bill. Never sign a repair order that is blank or tell the technician to just fix it or do what is necessary. You may end up paying a lot more than bargained for. Most garages charge a certain fee for each job, but it’s the time spent working on your car that can really add up. Make sure you get a clearly written estimate before you approve work to be done.

4) Have the garage call if the repair is going to cost more than the estimate was for. Sometimes things happen while repairs are being made and more work is necessary or other parts are needed. Get a second opinion if necessary. Ask for replaced parts so you can see the damage that needed to be repaired. After the work is done take a test drive. Then get a detailed copy of any work that was done. Keep this information in your glove compartment or a file at home. You may need this copy later if the workmanship turns out to be shoddy and your car breaks down in a few days after the service was done.

5) One more thing…this might sound chauvinistic, but I have to say it. Being a woman, I have been ripped off before, so i have a man either go with me or check with someone I know who knows about repairs to make sure the garage isn’t pulling a fast one with me. There’s no sense in going back to a garage that won’t treat you like a customer instead of a certain sex. If they do, don’t go back and tell them why you won’t return to have your car repaired. It’s discrimination, but some people tend to forget.