May 13, 2011—The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) called on Congress Thursday to review implementation and enforcement of the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS).

After many U.S. waterways recently hit historic crests, thousands of motor vehicles have been submerged underwater. Flood damaged vehicles are slowly eaten away as water corrodes onboard computers and other vital components like airbags systems, according to the ARA.

NMVTIS, a national electronic system that provides consumers with information about a vehicle's condition and history, can play a crucial role in helping ensure that these flood-damaged vehicles are not sold to unsuspecting consumers in the used-car market, according to the ARA.

"After Hurricane Katrina, the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that truckloads of flooded vehicles were being taken out of Louisiana to other states where they were dried out, cleaned, and readied for sale to unsuspecting consumers in states that do not brand flood vehicles,” said Michael Wilson CEO of the ARA. "NMVTIS must be fully implemented and utilized now so that similar events are not repeated, and flood damaged motor vehicles can be efficiently tracked before unsuspecting consumers purchase these vehicles.”

NMVTIS helps prevent vehicle histories from being concealed because it serves as a national repository of vehicle brand information. If fully implemented, NMVTIS will have data from every state and will be queried before any state issues a vehicle a new title, according to the ARA.

"DOJ has limited resources to do this. Congress should intercede and permit individual state enforcement agencies to work more closely with DOJ to identify and implement efficient methods to increase participation,” said Wilson. “One way to enhance the program's success is to allow the fines collected from NMVTIS violators to be directly allocated back into the program and its law enforcement activities. Only with sufficient resources can DOJ and the appropriate state law enforcement colleagues target all individuals whom are operating under the radar and fulfill their obligations under the statute.”

The ARA is an organization dedicated to the efficient removal and reuse of automotive parts, and the proper recycling of inoperable motor vehicles. ARA represents more than 4,500 auto recycling facilities in the United States and fourteen other countries. For more information, visit a-r-a.org.