Adventures in car shopping

Kinja'd!!! "Future next gen S2000 owner" (future-next-gen-s2000-owner)
08/19/2020 at 16:08 • Filed to: car shopping

Kinja'd!!!0 Kinja'd!!! 8

I’ve run into this a few times and I’m not sure why, but why does a dealership require my insurance prior to test driving a vehicle?

If I buy it, sure, I need insurance to drive off the lot but why for the test drive.

Edit: I read a number of articles and its all, if this may that legal crap that uses a lot of words but doesn’t say much . Nothing is clear. The dealership has insurance but if I walked in without a car nor auto insurance , would they let me test drive? I’d bet that’s a hell yeah.

F or your time

Kinja'd!!!

DISCUSSION (8)


Kinja'd!!! E90M3 > Future next gen S2000 owner
08/19/2020 at 16:17

Kinja'd!!!0

What state are you in? 


Kinja'd!!! Future next gen S2000 owner > E90M3
08/19/2020 at 16:20

Kinja'd!!!0

Colorado. I’ve updated the post a bit for more clarification but its still damn murky to me.


Kinja'd!!! E90M3 > Future next gen S2000 owner
08/19/2020 at 16:23

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If it’s happened at multiple dealers then maybe there is some law that says they can require you to insure yourself. If it doesn’t happen every time, then that would be my guess.

I’ve never been asked for insurance when I’ve test driven a car, just my license.  At least not that I can remember.


Kinja'd!!! facw > Future next gen S2000 owner
08/19/2020 at 16:42

Kinja'd!!!1

I’ve never seen that, but I’d guess they just want to make sure your insurance is on the hook if you crash the car on a test drive rather than theirs.


Kinja'd!!! Future next gen S2000 owner > facw
08/19/2020 at 17:10

Kinja'd!!!1

That seems to be the case from what I’ve read online but those articles had caveats about at fault, amount of damage, personal injury.....


Kinja'd!!! CB > Future next gen S2000 owner
08/19/2020 at 17:57

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I’ve only ever seen the driver’s license be scanned. 


Kinja'd!!! ranwhenparked > Future next gen S2000 owner
08/19/2020 at 18:26

Kinja'd!!!0

Hell, why does the Philadelphia Parking Authority need to see valid insurance before they release a car from impound? They’re not the police, their job is to enforce parking regulations, that’s it. If the car’s uninsured, oh well, collect the relevant fine, let the customer drive off, and what happens happens if he gets pulled over later.


Kinja'd!!! onlytwowheels > Future next gen S2000 owner
08/19/2020 at 20:24

Kinja'd!!!0

I haven’t been car shopping in nearly 7 years, but this is news to me. I don’t remem ber having to show my license either.

I have heard several stories of cars being crashed on test drives, so the dealers probably have to do this in order to keep their rates from skyrocketing.