New York Automotive Intel

New York State's new DMV regulations took effect on Feb. 16, increasing points for dangerous driving, lowering the threshold for license suspension, and reducing the number of alcohol/drug-related incidents required for permanent license revocation.

The NYS Department of Motor Vehicles is urging drivers to check for open safety recalls during Vehicle Safety Recalls Week.

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is increasing point values for the most serious traffic violations to better identify and remove persistently dangerous drivers from the road.

Floor-plan lenders perform unannounced inventory audits to verify that every financed vehicle is on the lot, in the condition reported, and not sold-out-of-trust. The audit cycle is typically monthly. Discrepancies — a vehicle not present without proof of sale and payoff — trigger acceleration of the entire credit line in many agreements.

A dealer may pull a credit report only with the consumer's authorization or for a specific permissible purpose under FCRA — typically completion of a credit transaction initiated by the consumer. Pulling a credit report based on a sales-floor walk-in without explicit authorization is a violation, even with intent to "save the customer time.".

Federal law prohibits the sale of new vehicles under an open recall; the rules vary for used vehicles by state. Several states now require dealers to disclose open recalls to used-car buyers and to repair recalled vehicles before sale. Compliance varies widely across regions.