Cars with dangerous recalls are being sold at city-run auctions to the highest bidder.
The city is taking advantage of the used car loophole which doesn’t require used car sellers to disclose if a car has a recall.
In May, we went to a city run auction and found 7 cars with dangerous recalls.
After our initial investigation, the department of finance who runs these auctions claimed they would post recall information on their website.
We went to their website and found this list, no recalls.
On a sprawling lot in Gravesend, Brooklyn, car after car had outstanding recalls but no notices saying if they might be dangerous.
We didn’t just stop at one auction; we went undercover at another.
The auctioneer said all phones had to be put away.
We kept ours on and the camera rolling to document what was going on. When tan auction employee told NY1 to leave a knocked a reporter's cell phone on the ground.
"It’s unacceptable behavior," said Council member Ritchie Torres, chairman of the City Council’s oversight and investigations committee.
"I found it shocking. It’s a betrayal of vision zero, when the City of New York is actively selling vehicles with recalls that will lead to greater injuries and fatalities on the road," he added.
Officials from the Department of Finance refused to go on camera, but a spokesperson said the department now requires that buyers sign a form that says they understand they’re purchasing a vehicle that has not yet been inspected.
It's a document they don’t get to see until after they’ve won the auction.
"It's not enough to disclose those recalls, we should prohibit the sale of those recalls altogether," Torres said.
In response to our investigation, council member Torres says he is introducing a bill that would stop the city from selling vehicles with active recalls.
"There's no excuse, the City of New York is supposed to set a standard for public safety. Instead of being part of the solution. We are part of the problem," Torres said.