BRANDON, Fla. — Earlier this month, we reported how a young mother died after a counterfeit replacement airbag in her car exploded in a crash.
That vehicle was a former rental car that was in an accident, causing the car’s original airbag to deploy before the car was repaired with a substandard part before she bought it.
Now, I-Team Investigator Adam Walser is looking into another case involving a Manatee County man who discovered serious problems with seatbelts and an airbag in two different used cars he bought from the same dealer.
Ron Egert said he loves his Hyundai Sonata.
The disabled Ellenton, FL, resident bought it last year from the HGreg used car dealership in Brandon, FL.
The Sonata was a one-owner trade-in, had never been in a crash, and was equipped with the latest safety features.
“I buy cars for the ride. As I've had numerous back surgeries, I've got to have certain cars,” Egert said.
The Sonata wasn’t the car Egert initially purchased from HGreg.
“Everything looked great on the car”
The first car Egert bought was a red 2021 Volvo S60.
“The good deals on the cars was what brought me to it. That and the fact that it was low mileage,” Egert said.
A police report shows that the Volvo was a former rental car that crashed into a concrete barrier a year earlier, and its front airbag was deployed.
A photo taken before the car was auctioned also shows its front airbag deployed in the crash.
Egert says HGreg gave him a Carfax report indicating it had been in a crash and the airbag deployed.
He signed it after he said he was told it passed a multi-point inspection.
HGreg says it offers those on all cars on its website.
“Everything looked great on the car,” Egert said.
But he said he soon learned there was a problem.
“The airbag light came on, and it says, 'Do not drive car. Go to dealership immediately,'” Egert said.
Egret took the car to Volvo Cars Sarasota to have it checked out.
“They told me that the safety systems were subverted,” Egert said.
The technician's report, accompanied by photos, said the restraint module had been tampered with.
The report also said a connector was not plugged in, and a resistor was shoved into connector pins.
Volvo Cars Sarasota, which prepared the report, declined an interview.
Chris Wallin, the chief technician at Brazzeal Automotive in Tampa, reviewed and interpreted the report for us.
“They actually went into the restraint control module, which is the computer for the restraints, and messed with that. Put resistors into that to trick it,” Wallin said. “Somebody did that on purpose. “
Wallin said that could have serious consequences.
“When you’re in a collision, what it does is actually tension that seatbelt and pull you back in the seat. So that you’re not flying forward into the dashboard or the steering wheel,” Wallin said.
None of the records we’ve seen could say when or where this work might have been done.
Second Volvo had junkyard airbag
Egert took the car back to HGreg.
“I showed them the pictures. And I said you’re taking this car back. I go... this car is unsafe to drive. No one should be driving this car,” Egert said.
HGreg replaced it with a white 2022 Volvo S60.
An accident report obtained by the I-Team shows that the car previously sustained disabling damage, causing a combination of airbags to deploy.
A photo taken before the car was auctioned shows the driver’s front airbag deployed.
HGreg told us there were no indications in the auction’s report that the airbag had been previously deployed.
“Three weeks later, the airbag light comes on after I buy the car,” Egert said. “Two Volvos. Same dealership. Same exact problems. “
Egert took the second car to the Volvo dealer, where a technician discovered the driver’s airbag was rusted and had markings from a junkyard.
“Any used part that comes out of a junkyard, there’s always going to be marking like that on it,” Wallin said. “It may have sat out in the rain. Maybe the car was wrecked and lost its windshield or something like that. “
Wallin said that could affect safety equipment.
“Anytime you get water and erosion inside electrical connectors, it creates excessive resistance,” he said.
The report says wires had also been tampered with, and the resistor for the seat belt pre-tensioner was not even plugged in.
“They're putting a resistor in place to try to trick the car into thinking that the airbag’s ok and it’s functioning correctly,” Wallin said. “In the event of an accident, they’re not gonna work. They're not gonna come out. They're not gonna do what they’re supposed to do. “
HGreg declined an on-camera interview but provided us with the two Carfax reports Egert signed, showing he was aware both Volvos had been in crashes.
A spokesperson said at any given point in time, less than 0.5 percent of the inventory at HGreg would have had airbags deployed...about one in every two hundred vehicles.
39 vehicles with airbag deployment
We went on HGreg’s website and searched for used 2020-2024 vehicles listed in Tampa.
We then examined each individual vehicle and its Carfax report to determine whether an airbag had deployed.
We found 39 vehicles had one or more airbags that had previously been deployed.
That’s nearly five times the rate HGreg claimed for its total annual inventory.
66 other vehicles had structural damage, severe damage or were considered a total loss on Carfax reports.
HGreg Statement
HGreg’s spokesperson provided the following statement about Egert’s two Volvos:
General info
On average, HGreg sells more than 50,000 vehicles per year. The company does everything it can to eliminate friction from the customer’s journey and to make the process of shopping for (and buying) a car smooth and positive. This philosophy was the north star that guided HGreg Tampa’s service level with Mr. Egert and it’s the same that has guided the dealership with all its customers. The dealership, which opened in the spring of 2021, is now among the leaders in the region. We believe Mr. Egert can attest to this commitment.
Airbags
At any given point in time, less than .5 percent of the inventory at HGreg would have had airbags deployed (in an accident, for example). When HGreg encounters pre-owned vehicles that have had an airbag deployed, HGreg makes sure to buy only those for which the auctioneer confirms (with full documentation/reports) that the issue has been resolved and that, upon a multi-point inspection, all signals indicate the proper function of the airbags. This is what happened with Mr. Egert’s first vehicle. Before the vehicle comes into HGreg’s retail inventory, the HGreg team carefully reviews the auction’s reports and conducts a multi-point inspection that adheres to the most rigorous industry best practices. These checks include a review of diagnostic (light) indicators and other industry-accepted inspection efforts. If, for whatever reason, HGreg believes the vehicle airbags would not operate as intended, it would not be retailed by HGreg.
Once the reports are reviewed and the inspection completed, HGreg makes it a point to share all documentation and declarations with its customers. The company prides itself on having one of the most – if not most – transparent process in the industry.
This protocol for airbags is the very same one that HGreg follows for any vehicle that has been involved in an accident.
With respect to Mr. Egert’s second Volvo, there were no indications in any of the auction’s reports that the airbags had been previously deployed. (Please know that HGreg only purchases vehicles through the most reputable auction companies in the country. These companies play a critical role in the automotive industry and have duly earned strong reputations.) Our multi-point inspection also cleared the airbags as appearing in working order. There were no indications that the airbags had a fault. As we did with his previous purchase, we reviewed all of the reports with Mr. Egert and, once again, made a clear and unequivocal recommendation that he have the vehicle inspected by his own third-party mechanic/garage. We signed all of the necessary documents together, in full transparency.
When Mr. Egert’s deeper inspection (with Volvo) revealed alleged issues with the airbags, we proceeded to trade in these vehicles for a new one.
Throughout these events, HGreg staff worked hard to listen and respond to Mr. Egert’s needs and concerns. HGreg exchanged the two Volvo vehicles without any cost to the customer. HGreg has a deep commitment to customer satisfaction and believes that this promise was made manifest in the experience of Mr. Egert.
We followed up with additional questions regarding the number of vehicles we found in our search which had previous airbag deployment in crashes.
Here are their responses:
1. Did HGreg buy both cars on online auctions?
Response: Yes.
2. Re: Online listings for Volvos show front airbag deployment in both cars (even though one does not show up in the CarFax report)
Response: HGreg cannot speak to what you’ve found (online), but it reiterates that it only purchases vehicles from reputable auctions and uses industry specialists like Carfax and AutoCheck for vehicle history reporting, alongside the auction’s condition report. HGreg shares the information it obtains on the condition and history of a vehicle with its customers – without fail.
3. Re: percentage of inventory that has had an airbag deployment incident: 0.5% (over a year) versus 2.4 per cent
Your spot check of 1,600 vehicles revealed 2.38% had previously deployed airbags. HGreg currently has an inventory of more than 3,900 vehicles. The company reiterates that approx. 0.5% (half of a percent) of its inventory, on an annualized basis, would have had airbags previously deployed.
4. Re: his ad-hoc (casual) survey (of 1,600 cars), 6.25 % falls into one of these categories: structural damage or severe damage
The vast majority of the tens of thousands of vehicles that HGreg sells annually have not had this sort of damage that you’re citing (structural or severe damage).
Adam, a few final comments from HGreg:
Firstly, the company does not tamper with airbags – it does not repair nor replace them, nor does it oversee or commission repairs or replacement by any third parties. It relies on its auction partners and our own inspection process (i.e. review of vehicle’s own internal reporting systems and signals) to confirm that repairs have been confirmed and/or airbag is operational.
Secondly, if the vehicle has a history of prior damaged, HGreg personnel strongly advise their customers to go and get them inspected at a dealership or their own preferred garage. HGreg personnel make their customers sign documents that confirm that they have advised the customer of such – with the complete disclosure of all reports obtained on the vehicle in question. When we know that a vehicle has had previous damage, this process/protocols is heightened even further: HGreg asks customers to sign two additional damage disclosure documents advising them of the damage and making further recommendation (in writing and in person/verbally) that they get the vehicle inspected by their own third-party.
Finally, if and when there is any issue or the customer is not happy (for whatever reason, based on disclosed previous damage or not), the company takes the vehicle back* and does everything it can to find a more suitable one, as it did with Mr. Egert on two occasions. *If HGreg customers cannot have their vehicles inspected before taking them home, the company offers a 5-day/500-mile exchange policy so they can do so after.
Nearly 2 million vehicles on the road had previous airbag deployments
Carfax says nearly 2 million vehicles with airbag deployment over the past two years are back on the road, including 106,000 in Florida.
Carfax spokesperson Patrick Olsen says it’s important to check for airbag deployment before buying a used car.
“It shouldn’t be, 'don’t buy this car because it’s had an airbag deployment.' It should be ...now, do your homework. Get a mechanic to check it out. Make sure that it’s legit,” Olsen said.
“I'd plug into it and see what trouble codes are in there and start my diagnosis from there,” Wallin said, describing pre-purchase inspections he’s often hired to do for customers considering buying used cars.
“Maybe you never, ever need it, but when you do need it, you need it,” Wallin said.
Ron Egert counts himself lucky he’s finally in a car he knows is safe.
“If you get two in a row, how many out there are they not catching?” Egert said.
If you have discovered an airbag, seatbelt restraint system, or other safety equipment was tampered with in a previously crashed used car that was repaired before you purchased it, email the I-Team.
“You threw my son under the bus. You didn't take care of him.”
The State of Florida and the VA are under scrutiny after the Baker Act was used incorrectly on a young veteran who went to a Florida VA hospital for help.
