Two vehicles were crushed Tuesday afternoon, in order to prevent them from putting the public at risk, police say.
Police stopped a driver in March 2010, for a minor Highway Traffic Act infraction and found that the Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, had been altered.
They launched a larger investigation, during which they recovered an unspecified number of vehicles with a value of approximately $250,000. All of them had been "re-vinned."
Police said the vehicles were structurally and mechanically unsafe, but had been privately sold to unsuspecting buyers as used cars free of problems.
Two of the vehicles discovered by police were crushed at Bodyline Auto Recyclers in Hamilton at 1 p.m.
Police warn that, without an original, unaltered VIN, customers cannot obtain accurate information on:
- Vehicle registration
- Frame or structural damage
- Collision history
- Past odometer readings
- Vehicle usage as taxi, rental, or lease
- Recall information
Toronto police warn people in the market for a used car to ask for maintenance records, confirm the seller's identity, and order a vehicle history report before purchasing.
