If my daughter purchases a used car from a dealership, but is unable to obtain or cannot afford the insurance for the vehicle (due to a really bad driving record), can she step away from the deal? She signed the papers this Friday.
I know that there is no “buyer’s remorse” law that pertains to used cars, but would a dealership allow the sale/financing of a car with no insurance forthcoming?
Thanks for any advice.
Sure they’d allow it. For all they know, you are going to hire someone to drive the car to Mexico tomorrow and sell it. There’s plenty of insurers though. Try your state’s insurance website. Here in California there is a “pool” for the worst drivers and each company has to take their share of the highest risk. The site has a list of agents. Other general agents advertise late at night all the time. Those guys will find you something.
Eastwood Insurance works with many insurers in many areas and if they can’t help in your area will guide you to other sites. Esurance.com also claims to help anyone, although I’ve never checked.
She can get insurance, but the cost is way out of her budget.
The budget for a car includes the payment, the insurance, the fuel, and the repairs. If she can’t afford all 4, she can’t afford the car, maybe not any car.
Operating a car she can’t insure is both illegal & stupid. Buying a car she can’t insure is equally stupid since it leads directly to operating it wthout insurance.
Hoping somehow that a used car dealer will somehow prevent her from doing this is silly.
Or did I misunderstand your question’s intent and you’re actually hoping they won’t / can’t check and so she’ll get away with buying a car she intends not to insure?
She has no intention of driving uninsured or doing anything illegal. What she did was stupid and she realizes it now - she didn’t ask me for advice first.
I’m hoping that the dealer will let her out of the deal, and also hoping that a car salesman would chime in here. It must happen at major dealerships from time to time. I’m trying to get a sense of what she’ll have to do.
Google “state mandated auto insurance” for your state.
Your state may set a ceiling for which an insurance company may charge for the state required insurance.
I’m afraid what she’ll have to do is make payments on a car that sits in the driveway. 
When you say she signed papers, what papers did she sign? Any time I’ve signed papers at a dealership, I’ve left with the vehicle, so I’m a little confused.
I’m assuming that she took out a loan, which means that she has to maintain a policy with certain amounts and deductibles. Depending on where she got the loan, lack of insurance may be a dealbreaker, which means she may be in luck in terms of getting out of the contract. This may have repercussions for her credit, but it’s worth an ask to get details.
I sold cars (very briefly) years ago, and deals “busted” all the time. I worked for a reputable dealer that had a 48-hour return policy, but I don’t think that was even the issue. The way I understood it was that while the sales contract is legally binding, it just isn’t worthwhile to sue someone to enforce it. It was pretty much understood that a car wasn’t sold until the customer drove it off the lot.
OK, I get it. Sorry if I sounded hostile the first time.
Get what legal advice yo can from your state consumer protection agency,whatever that is.
And then go to the dealer and tell 'em she’s backing out, period. They won’t be happy, they will threaten, they may even plead. But at the end of the day, there’s not much that they can really do, especially if she’s never taken possession.
No problem at all.
I’m happy to report that she did obtain insurance at a somewhat reasonable price (considering her driving record), so she’ll be able to keep the car. Hopefully, she’ll learn a lesson from this.
Thanks to all for the advice.
In the future, finance a car through your credit union, even if you have the money. When you sign the sales contract, add this clause “subject to approval from the XXX Credit Union credit committee,” or similar words to that effect. Most car dealers won’t bat an eye at the addition. Then if you develop buyer’s remorse, and before you take possession, go to the credit union’s credit committee and ask them to deny your loan. They will deny deny it, your clause will be exercised and no more contract.
IANAL but a lifetime credit union member.