air bag disclosure

I purchased an automobile in California about three months ago, trading in my paid-off 1991 auto for a new car. When trading in my vehicle, the salesman asked about an accident that my old car had been in previously. (It was obvious that there had been an accident as my air bag was still exposed). I told him what had happened and said that I did not replace the airbag since it was too expensive for me to afford. (I paid for the repairs, not an insurance company.) Two days ago, as I was placing papers in my filing cabinet, I realized that I had signed a document that included a statement saying that the airbag in my car had never been deployed before. I am so upset now because I obviously didn't read the form that I was signinig thoroughly. What's worse, I feel that the salesman purposely left that part out when he was going over what each paper in a stack of documents meant as I signed them. Unfortunately, I was so preocuppied with making sure my new car loan went through that I didn't pay much attention to the trade in paperwork. I am sick inside knowing that I unwittingly lied on a statement.What can be done to rectify this?

--Feeling stupid and worried

I am a law school graduate. What I offer is mere information, not to be construed as forming an attorney client relationship.


Not a whole lot. Go to the dealer and tell them, if that is what you want to do. But they will undoubtedly replace the bag before they resell.