Overturn franchise laws that limit auto manufacturers from selling their vehicles dir
 

I think it's crazy that almost all car manufacturers have a configuration/pricing tool on their websites but only a very few allow you to buy that way. Check out the petition below and sign if you agree...

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/pet...umers/rlShbLzr

Look at that seriously. The petition is asking the White House to overturn state laws. Really?

Not sure if we are ready for the outlawed concept of mail order cars?

I would rather see the following law changes

1. Disband reagan era grey market laws and return the ability to register overseas car via the police walkaround and emissions test.

2. Eliminate the need to separately crash test identical cars with different transmissions or motors (if thats too extreme, place a margin of weight, like say +/-350lbs)

3. Alter emissions requirements for new cars that exceed a specific MPG level to be based on the weight of polutants (aka the amount per mile produced) not based on a percentage of exhaust.

Heh. I work at a dealer, but nowhere near sales! There's always someone willing to undercut the rest. You already can buy from anyone. Just a few years ago, there were 10 dealerships in the area that I'd be able to run to for a part. Now two of them are closed, but it's not like there isn't a lot of local competition. When I got the Bobsled in 05, I went to the factory website, told it what I wanted and clicked "get a quote." I got 9 calls that day. Only 3 were serious and I bought from the farthest of them even though the closest was the one that had it on their lot. Hell, last week we had a car in for an inspection sticker, and the guy had bought it in Texas and had it shipped here!

The franchise laws are there to prevent the factories from competing directly with the factories' own local agents. Using them to keep Tesla from selling cars directly is just plain wrong. Trying to use them to trump federal bankruptcy law (with GM & Chrysler) was just as wrong.

I like your ideas, rmay, and would add dropping requirements for supplemental restraint systems. They add cost, complexity and hazard in an effort to reduce the consequences of not wearing your seatbelt.

I don't think it will ever get any easier to import grey market vehicles. It was easy here for a while, until someone noticed a loophole: The federal inspection only checked that all the VINs on the vehicle matched the paperwork, and the Provincial inspection only checked things like brakes, suspension, etc. So in other words, no one was looking for things like side marker lights, proper crash rated bumpers etc. Once the powers that be figured that out, they made it WAY harder to import things. And I don't think you'll ever see the police wanting anything to do with the process, mainly for liability reasons. A policeman isn't going to be an expert on federal rules for 20 year old vehicles from Japan, so if he says it looks good, then someone gets hurt in an accident because the vehicle was in good condition but didn't have bumpers rated correctly for crash standards of a north American vehicle of that year, then guess who is going to be getting sued? The police won't want that possible headache.

As for bypassing the dealer and buying direct from the manufacturer? Manufacturers make cars. Dealers sell them. Manufacturers don't want / don't have the internal structure for dealing with getting your financing, dealing with your trade in, etc etc. But let's say this passes, and now everyone can buy direct from the factory. Of the 10 Toyota dealerships (for example) within a 2 hour drive of you, 9 will go under. So now, if you want warranty work done, you wait 4 weeks, or you have to drive to the next state. So people will petition that there has to be service centers opened to allow for warranty repairs. So then Toyota has to pay to open those.

I am not saying buying from the manufacturer is a bad idea, I am just saying that from what I know about the car industry I can see all sorts of issues, and can imagine that no matter how many people think it's a good idea, the manufacturers will figure out a way to keep things the way they are. Because it will cost them waaaaay more money if they don't.

I don't think they need to look for crash rated bumpers, buyer beware when buying an old car or an overseas one.

Police still need to do the walkaround on a salvage title in this state (at least if you want it on the road)

The walkaround is the same FOR ALL VEHICLES REGARDLESS OF AGE OR ORIGIN. It checks for correct lights, tires, brakes, seatbelts, airbag(if applicable) and controls and occasionally for top speed. For salvage there are other structural elements to check.

As for liability the police always were not liable for vehicles on the road nor are they now. A certificate stating they don't warrant the vehicle as crash ready should be enough.

That is the way it was through the 80's here and you didn't see absolutely tons of foreign model imports in the true sense either. I have a feeling if they re-opened the doors the number of imported cars would be high for a period of time and then die off as most people WILL NOT IMPORT FOREIGN CARS LEGAL OR NOT. And by high I mean maybe 1% of "new" car sales.

The key with gray market sales is to limit it to used cars, that was how it always was and how it always should be, that eliminates the new car competition interest problem.

Cheers
Ryan