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OSDOL HERE WITH THE STORY - PAUL? >> LAST WEEK WE TOLD YOU ABOUT A NEW STATE LAW THAT REQUIRES CAR DEALERS TO TELL BUYERS IF A USED CAR HAS A SAFETY RECALL. BUT THAT LAW DOES NOT APPLY TO CARS SOLD AT GOVERNMENT AUCTIONS. ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES FOUND ONE OUT OF EVERY FIVE CARS SOLD BY THE CITY HAD SOME KIND OF RECALL. SOME OF THESE CARS WERE SOLD TO POLICE AGENCIES - OTHERS TO INDIVIDUALS. >> BEN MANCINO THOUGHT HE HAD FOUND A GOOD CAR AT A REASONABLE PRICE WHEN HE BOUGHT THIS 2005 CHEVROLET IMPALA FROM THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH AT AN ONLINE AUCTION. BUT HE DID NOT KNOW THE CAR HAD AN ACTIVE RECALL FOR A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. AND NOT JUST ANY RECALL BUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST EVER - RESULTING IN AN ESTIMATED 124 DEATHS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN SETTLEMENTS AND FINES PAID BY GENERAL MOTORS. MANCINO LEARNED ABOUT THE RECALL NOT FROM THE CITY - BUT FROM ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES. IT MAY RESULT IN THE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING. >> OH WOW. INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR OCCUPANT INJURY IN CERTAIN TYPES OF CRASHES. >> I HAD NO IDEA. >> SO THEY DIDN’T TELL YOU? NO. CITY RECORDS OBTAINED BY ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES SHOW THE CITY HAS SOLD 24 CARS WITH ACTIVE RECALLS SINCE 2015 - 19 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL. NINE OF THE RECALLED CARS - INCLUDING BEN’S - INVOLVED GM VEHICLES WITH THE IGNITION PROBLEM. MAYOR PEDUTO TOLD ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES HE DID NOT KNOW THE CITY WAS SELLING CARS WITH ACTIVE RECALLS. IS A CONCERN THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE BUYING THESE VEHICLES MAY BE GETTING A VEHICLE THAT IS NOT SAFE? >> I WOULDN’T THINK SO. IN THE SENSE THAT ANY USE TO VEHICLE COMES WITH THAT AS A POSSIBILITY. >> BUT A NATIONAL CONSUMER ADVOCATE WHO HAS FOUGHT TO PREVENT THE SALE OF DANGEROUS RECALLED CARS TELLS ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES THE CITY NEEDS TO DO BETTER. PITTSBURGH NEEDS TO GET ITS ACT TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THOSE CARS ARE SAFE. >> RECORDS SHOW THE CITY SOLD A FORD TAURUS TO CONSTABLE KELLY MORRISSEY IN ALTOONA. IT HAD AN OPEN RECALL FOR A FUEL PUMP THAT COULD CAUSE IT TO "STALL WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING" WHICH WOULD "INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH." MORRISSEY TOLD ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES HE WAS "NOT AWARE" OF THE RECALL WHEN HE BOUGHT THE CAR. THE CITY ALSO SOLD A TAURUS WITH A SIMILAR OPEN RECALL TO A SHERIFF IN BUTLER COUNTY MISSOURI. >> DOES THAT RAISED THE CONCER THAT POLICE OFFICERS OR INSPECTORS ARE IN THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE FIXED? >> APPS WHAT CONCERNS ME. >> HIS CONCERNS GO BEYOND THAT OF HIS CHEVY IN POLYP. WHEN HE GOT THE TITLE, IT SAID THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN RECONSTRUCTED. AN EXPERT SAYS THAT MEANS IT WAS BASICALLY A REBUILT WRECK. RECORDS SHOW THAT IS NOT HOW THE CITY SOLD. THIS SALES AGREEMENT FROM THE CITY SAYS THE TITLE HAS NO RESTRICTION. BUT THE TITLE CLEARLY SAYS - RECONSTRUCTED. MECHANIC MIKE WEGA OWNS AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP IN SCOTT TOWNSHIP. >> RECONSTRUCTED MEANS AT SOME TIME THE CAR WAS TOTALED. IT WAS IN A FLOOD OR STOLEN OR TOTALED. SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. THE CAR WAS PUT BACK TOGETHER. >> IS THAT A CONCERN FOR YOU? >> YES. WHEN I AM BUYING AN AUTOMOBILE, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO CHECK ALL THE WAY BACK TO EVERY OIL CHANGE. >> ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES ASKED CITY CONTROLLER MICHAEL LAMB ABOUT BEN’S TITLE. >> THAT IS FRAUD. THAT IS A FRAUDULENT TRANSACTION IN MY MIND. IF THE CITY IS PARTICIPATING IN THAT, WE HAVE REAL PROBLEMS. >> DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN DECEIVED? >> ABSOLUTELY. I FEEL TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF. >> THE CONTROLLER TELLS ME IN THE WAKE OF OUR INVESTIGATION HE WILL TAKE A HARD LOOK AT RECALLS OF CITY-OWNED VEHICLES IN AN UPCOMING AUDIT. ANYONE CAN CHECK TO SEE IF A CAR THEY OWN OR THEY’D LIKE TO BUY HAS AN ACTIVE RECALL. JUST TAKE THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER AND RUN IT THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT R

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Action News Investigates has learned the city of Pittsburgh sold used cars to the public that had open safety recalls, some of them for critical safety issues.In at least two cases, the city never disclosed the recall. (Watch the investigative report by @VanOsdol_WTAE in the video player above.)Ben Mancino, of Fairmont, West Virginia, thought he had found a good car at a reasonable price when he bought a 2005 Chevrolet Impala from the city of Pittsburgh at an online auction.But he did not know the car had an active recall for a faulty ignition switch. And not just any recall but one of the biggest ever, for an issue that resulted in an estimated 124 deaths and millions of dollars in settlements and fines paid by General Motors.Mancino learned about the recall not from the city, but from Action News Investigates."If somebody doesn't call me and let me know or notify me that it needs to be done, it puts me and my family at risk," he said.City records obtained by Action News Investigates show the city has sold 24 cars with active recalls since 2015 -- 19% of the total.Nine of the recalled cars, including Mancino's, involved GM vehicles with the ignition problem.Mayor Bill Peduto told Action News Investigates he did not know the city was selling cars with active recalls.Asked if he was concerned about buyers getting an unsafe vehicle, Peduto said, “I wouldn't think so, in the sense that any used vehicle comes with that as a possibility."A national consumer advocate who has fought to prevent the sale of dangerous recalled cars told Action News Investigates the city needs to do better."Pittsburgh needs to get its act together and make sure those cars are safe," said Rosemary Shahan, of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety.Records show the city sold a Ford Taurus to Constable Kelly Morrissey in Altoona. It had an open recall for a fuel pump that could cause it to "stall while driving without warning," which would "increase the risk of a crash."Morrissey said he was not aware of the recall when he bought the car.The city also sold a Taurus with a similar open recall to a sheriff in Butler County, Missouri.Peduto said he was concerned that police officers may be using unsafe vehicles.Mancino's concerns go beyond the recall of his Impala. When he got the title, it said the vehicle had been reconstructed. An expert said that means it was basically a rebuilt wreck. But records show that's not how the city sold it.This sales agreement from the city said the title had no restriction.But the title document said it was “reconstructed.""Reconstructed means, at some point in time, the car was totaled," said Mike Wega, a mechanic who owns an auto repair shop in Scott Township. "It was either in a flood, it was stolen, it was totaled, something of that nature, and it was put back together."Peduto said he was troubled to hear that."When I'm buying an automobile, and I've bought a number of used automobiles, I want to be able to check back to every oil change," he said.Action News Investigates asked city Controller Michael Lamb about Mancino's title."That's fraud. That's a fraudulent transaction in my mind," Lamb said. "And if the city is participating in that then we've got real problems.""I feel taken advantage of," Mancino said.Lamb said he will take a close look at recalls of city-owned vehicles in an upcoming audit.Anyone can check to see if a car has an active recall. Just take the vehicle identification number and run it through the government recall website at https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls.