Hi - This question is not pertaining to me directly but I am curious about it for another situation and for possibly helping a friend - I have heard that in some cases, in getting a car with bad credit, they will install a device in the car that when the owner does NOT make their payment for that month, then the car will NOT START at all, it could leave them abandoned at work, unable to get to work, abandoned at the store, wherever. Is that true or is this just a myth? How do you feel about it?
Wow! I have never heard about this and it sounds like it might be a myth. Then again, who knows with all the new technology these days? I don't have the best credit but I did manage to get a new car two years ago. If this kind of deal was offered to me, I think I would probably look elsewhere.
I did not hear about this. That wounds like something similar when someone is pulled over for a DWI or gets a DUI. Cars that won't start if someone has been drinking or is over the legal limit. It may be something that is available in certain states and not others. It is one of the options that I would find out if I may not have the money to pay my car payment.
I have heard about this, and there are legalities that go along with it. In some states it might be legal while in others it may not be. A major sticking point in this is the fact that some of these devices can stop the engine when it is running, which is a VERY bad idea for obvious reasons. In my opinion, it should be illegal. A single mother is at the store in Phoenix Az, in August, in the late afternoon with her 2 kids. She loads her groceries and kids into the car and........the car wont start. She doesn't have money left for a taxi because she doesn't have it in her budget.The food will go bad and the temperature is 112 degrees. It wont take long before this becomes a medical issue for the children and all because of.........what? A car dealer doesn't want to shell out the money it takes to hire a repo man? I could see that mother suing for damages and winning. Big time. It's a bad idea and it should be illegal in all states.
I have never heard of this and I do not like the sounds of it to be honest. All you need to do is call the creditor if you are having problems making a payment and they will generally work with you on it. I know lots of people who get car loans with bad credit, so unless it is really bad, you should be able to get a car.
I think my state (CA) does this and I'm not surprised because of the car dealership ads that run during talk shows and Lucy reruns. Dealers prey on those who are financially vulnerable by stating that they can get a newer car, even if they're on welfare, social security or work as a temp. My ex was talked into a deferred financing plan and he could've bought the same car with an extra $1-2k added to the down payment. Anyway, I've never heard of a car turning off while in motion. That would cause too many problems and l.a. traffic is bad enough.
I have not heard about this but if it is something that can be done I can see it causing some serious problems. What if somebody does not like you and uses this type of technology to control your vehicle if you purchased the vehicle from them. Big legal problems.
I've heard of this as well, and if I recall, something like this is in all new vehicles - not just used vehicles or vehicles sold to people with bad credit. For many years now, there have also been "black boxes" in vehicles as well which record your driving habits - and can be used against you in a lawsuit. I could argue for or against these things - I know they sound like a crappy thing to do when someone isn't making their car payments, but they could also be used for more beneficial purposes too, theoretically. Suppose someone stole your car, wouldn't it be nice to have the police be able to stall the vehicle and return it back to you? Or what if the police were chasing after a criminal - it would be much safer for everyone if they could simply turn off the car of the person they're chasing, instead of putting everyone else at risk as they engage in a high speed chase. I think a more logical approach would be to disable the vehicle from starting up again, rather than shut it down mid driving. It wouldn't be in the best interest of the dealership to disable it mid driving and cause an accident. They're trying to recoup their losses, the last thing they want to do is total the car, and possibly be held liable for any other damages or injuries as a result. So in other words, you might drive to the store, only to find out your car won't start again when you are ready to leave. I was supposed to get one of those breathalizer devices installed in my car several years ago after getting a DUI, though I opted to just not drive all together instead of wasting the money on "renting" one of them. From what I was told, they would randomly warn you to pull over and do a breath test, and if you didn't do so, the car would shut down. But I believe there was some sort of warning beforehand, giving you a certain amount of time to pull over.
I haven't heard of this with regard to high risk automobile loans, but I have heard of the technology to turn off the engine remotely, especially by law enforcement. I got the impression that the vehicle doesn't suddenly shut off, which would endanger anyone driving behind the person, as well as the person or persons in the vehicle. From what I understood, the engine slows down, in which case the driver usually has the sense to pull over. Of course, that may not be possible, due to heavy traffic, but the slowing down process should at least enable a person to honk the horn and/or turn on the flashers, to signal difficulties. I would imagine if this type of situation does exist for high risk loans, the company would notify the driver at least a few days ahead of time, as to when the services would end, so s/he could try to work something out, rather than have the vehicle shut off.
Possibly you could get around the situation by saving up a couple of thousand dollars and buying a used car with cash. Of course, it's not what a lot of people really want. Nonetheless, with bad credit, you're either not going to get anything or you might get things with terrible strings attached.