Dealer selling car w/o cat?

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
A buddy of mine in Maryland just bought a GT500 from a dealer in NC, it sounds like he had it delivered. Loves the car, runs great, but when he got the MD Inspection he learned there's no cat converters on it, which of course means he can't pass inspection (everything else was great), so he's looking at the expense of having to add them in order to tag it (whether it is temporary or permanent is for the future to hold....)

It makes me wonder - given that cats are required in NC, is it legal for a dealer to sell a car this way? He wants to go back to them and ask for $$ back or return it (there's other reasons he might need to not keep it), I told him they'd probably tell him to pound sand.

In other related news he's wondering how its doesn't have a CEL on or any OBDII codes with no cats. Presuming this means a custom tune and ECU flash? If a person were to add them back in would it require reflashing?
 
RatLabGuy said:
A buddy of mine in Maryland just bought a GT500 from a dealer in NC, it sounds like he had it delivered. Loves the car, runs great, but when he got the MD Inspection he learned there's no cat converters on it, which of course means he can't pass inspection (everything else was great), so he's looking at the expense of having to add them in order to tag it (whether it is temporary or permanent is for the future to hold....)

It makes me wonder - given that cats are required in NC, is it legal for a dealer to sell a car this way? He wants to go back to them and ask for $$ back or return it (there's other reasons he might need to not keep it), I told him they'd probably tell him to pound sand.

In other related news he's wondering how its doesn't have a CEL on or any OBDII codes with no cats. Presuming this means a custom tune and ECU flash? If a person were to add them back in would it require reflashing?
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Highly illegal here.
 
RatLabGuy said:
A buddy of mine in Maryland just bought a GT500 from a dealer in NC, it sounds like he had it delivered. Loves the car, runs great, but when he got the MD Inspection he learned there's no cat converters on it, which of course means he can't pass inspection (everything else was great), so he's looking at the expense of having to add them in order to tag it (whether it is temporary or permanent is for the future to hold....)

It makes me wonder - given that cats are required in NC, is it legal for a dealer to sell a car this way? He wants to go back to them and ask for $$ back or return it (there's other reasons he might need to not keep it), I told him they'd probably tell him to pound sand.

In other related news he's wondering how its doesn't have a CEL on or any OBDII codes with no cats. Presuming this means a custom tune and ECU flash? If a person were to add them back in would it require reflashing?
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But many ways around them. As mentioned tune them out, space the o2s out and it will usually work. If they tell him to pound sand, a quick call to the Nc dmv inspector would get the ball rolling.
 
Noel said:
But many ways around them. As mentioned tune them out, space the o2s out and it will usually work. If they tell him to pound sand, a quick call to the Nc dmv inspector would get the ball rolling.
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Yeah I did a quick Google search, txted buddy and he's already having his lawyer draft up a letter.
 
Should be as simple as taking it back to them and saying they either take it back or he calls the state. They should take care of it real fast because it’s a big deal if they get caught selling a vehicle missing federally mandated equipment that was sold as in place but was falsified.
 
How old is the car?

Only reason I ask is because if it's 20 years or older, it's not required to pass anything other than a visual safety inspection in North Carolina (most counties)
 
CasterTroy said:
How old is the car?

Only reason I ask is because if it's 20 years or older, it's not required to pass anything other than a visual safety inspection in North Carolina (most counties)
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Even a safety has check boxes for the emissions components. Just like people fail diesels for egr deletes and such. Either way it’s federal like @jeepinmatt said. Supposed to be there for life…
 
Noel said:
Even a safety has check boxes for the emissions components. Just like people fail diesels for egr deletes and such. Either way it’s federal like @jeepinmatt said. Supposed to be there for life…
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Understood, and not excusing. I just wondered if the owner of the car took them off knowing it only had to pass safety or "had a guy" , and sold the car and dealership never bothered to look or inspected
 
In order for any car dealer to sell a car in NC, it has to pass a state inspection. Even if it goes to the auction. However, I do not know if it has to have a state inspection, if it is being sold out of state. My guess would be yes, because in order for it to be on a car lot for sale, it is supposed to be inspected first.

Sounds like a shady dealer and possibly inspector, IMO.
 
BLarkin said:
In order for any car dealer to sell a car in NC, it has to pass a state inspection. Even if it goes to the auction. However, I do not know if it has to have a state inspection, if it is being sold out of state. My guess would be yes, because in order for it to be on a car lot for sale, it is supposed to be inspected first.

Sounds like a shady dealer and possibly inspector, IMO.
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Doesn't have to pass inspection if it goes to dealer auction. At least when I had my license it didn't. I bought a lot of cars at auction because it would take too much for them to get it to pass. But to sell to a customer, yes, had to pass inspection. He's got a good leg to stand on, that dealer won't want to get tagged for that with the DMV.
 
BLarkin said:
In order for any car dealer to sell a car in NC, it has to pass a state inspection. Even if it goes to the auction. However, I do not know if it has to have a state inspection, if it is being sold out of state. My guess would be yes, because in order for it to be on a car lot for sale, it is supposed to be inspected first.

Sounds like a shady dealer and possibly inspector, IMO.
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It is in Maryland, but since we’re on NC4x4 @RatLabGuy is inthe wrong :D
 
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Also, since it’s a mustang, everyone is in the wrong. 🤷‍♂️
 
I've always heard it is suppose to be inspected & marked "passed'', if dealer sells it. But I see far too many new 20 paper tags, on POS cars that have a light out or brake lights don't work. And some smoke like crazy. Smoke doesn't always mean it fails, but what's the odd of "The lights worked when it left the lot"?
 
custom tune, no CEL, ECU is 'ready' for NC inspection computers

local/friendly/shady shop passed it (same shops that pass all these altima/chargers/challengers/malibus/crosstours/mitsubishis with spray painted black windows)

the dealer will not return the phone calls

sold as is i assume?
 
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