Vehicle Dealer Disclosure Rules

When you buy from a licensed dealer, they must disclose important facts about the vehicle you are looking at. If a vehicle has been in a crash, or was damaged in shipping, you deserve to know before you make such a significant purchase.

This is known as “disclosure of material facts.” Material facts are the information the dealer knows or should reasonably be expected to know. The facts about the vehicle may influence your decision to buy, and they include, but are not limited to:

 

• For new vehicles
• For used vehicles
• Repair facilities
• VIN search
• Failure to disclose

 

For new vehicles

• If the vehicle suffered damage requiring repairs costing more than 20 per cent of the asking price for the vehicle;

 

For used vehicles

• a current printed VIN search result from Saskatchewan Government Insurance;
• whether the vehicle has been used as a taxi, police or emergency vehicle, or in organized racing;
• if the vehicle has been owned by a vehicle rental company within the previous 24 months;
• if the vehicle was previously registered in a jurisdiction other than a jurisdiction in Canada within the previous 36 months;
• whether the vehicle has been brought into Canada specifically for the purpose of resale;
• whether the odometer of the vehicle:
  • does not accurately record the true distance travelled by the vehicle; or
  • has been replaced or altered.

 

Repair facilities

In the case of a new or used vehicle, the dealer must tell you where a repair facility is available if the nearest facility is more than 80 kilometres from the dealer’s premises.

 

The VIN search

Dealers must provide you with an SGI VIN search for Saskatchewan. They can also give you information from VIN searches of other jurisdictions, including jurisdictions outside Canada, for vehicle damage and other types of information.

Buyers are encouraged to check additional resources to find information before buying. Some additional sources include:

• SGI – VIN Search:
  • In Saskatchewan
  • Cross-Canada
• RCMP VIN Search
• CARFAX Canada

 

Failure to disclose

If the dealer fails to disclose all the required facts, you may be able to recover money for any losses you suffer - expensive repairs, for example - or to trade-in or return the vehicle to the dealer. A person who buys a vehicle privately is NOT protected by a disclosure requirement.

If you have questions about the disclosure requirements or wish to file a complaint, contact FCAA toll free at 1-877-880-5550 or by email: consumerprotection@gov.sk.ca.