Orange County

A common scam happens when a dealer hides a car’s accident history. They may say the vehicle is “like new” when it has serious damage from past crashes.

Accident damage can cause safety issues, lower resale value, and lead to expensive repairs later.

A salvage title means a car was once declared a total loss by an insurance company. Some dealers hide this and pretend the car has a clean title.

Buying a salvage car can lead to problems with registration, insurance, and reliability—and it’s worth much less than a clean-title vehicle.

Cars that were once rentals or used for rideshare services usually have high mileage and more wear and tear. Dealers sometimes hide this to make the car seem more valuable.

Hidden rental use can mean frequent breakdowns, safety concerns, and lower resale value.

Some dealers use false or misleading ads to bring in buyers. They might list a car at an unbeatable price, then claim it’s already sold and pressure you to buy something else.

This “bait-and-switch” tactic is illegal under California law and a common form of auto fraud.

A dishonest dealer might change or forge important paperwork—like loan agreements, titles, or odometer readings. These lies can create debt or ownership problems later.

Dealers often sell used cars as “certified pre-owned” even when the vehicles haven’t been inspected. Buyers pay more, expecting safety and quality, but end up with hidden mechanical problems.

Loan packing happens when a dealer adds extra products or fees to your loan—like warranties or insurance—without clearly explaining the costs. This raises your monthly payment without your consent.

Dealers are required to tell you if a car was returned to the manufacturer under California’s Lemon Law. If they hide this information, it’s fraud. Lemon Law buybacks often have recurring mechanical issues.

Frame damage can make a car unsafe to drive. Dealers are legally required to tell buyers if a car has had frame damage, but some hide it to make a sale.

Some dealers include false information in your contract—such as fake features, missing warranties, or the wrong vehicle condition. If a dealer lies about anything that affects your purchase, it may be fraud.

Price packing means adding unwanted extras to the total car price without explaining them. This makes the deal look better than it is, leading to higher payments than expected.

Rolling back a car’s mileage to make it seem newer is illegal. Odometer fraud tricks buyers into paying too much for a car that’s actually older and more worn out.

Some dealers falsify or hide title information—like salvage history, flood damage, or rebuilt status. This can cause major problems with registration and ownership later.

Warranty fraud happens when a dealer lies about warranty coverage, claiming a car is still under manufacturer warranty or includes an extended plan when it doesn’t. Buyers end up paying for repairs they thought were covered.

Yo-yo financing happens when you drive off the lot before your financing is final. The dealer later calls to say the loan fell through and pressures you into worse terms or higher payments. This is a common and illegal tactic in auto fraud cases.