Some people refrain from buying a used car because of a few scratches to the paint, but if a new material invented by scientists at the University of Southern Mississippi becomes available to the public, dented cars could fix themselves.

According to research published in the journal Science, scientists at the school have invented a polyurethane coating that if applied to some surfaces, can heal scratches when exposed to ultraviolet light.

“In essence, you create a scratch and that scratch will disappear upon exposure to the sun,” Urban said in an interview on the Science website.
Researchers say the paint could be made into any color and while applications to cars is the first thought that comes to mind to many who hear about the coating, many other products could benefit from it as well.

While the findings may seem like a miracle find for used car buyers, the scientists warn that the paint can only heal the same area once. Repeated damage to one spot will not be able to be fixed – expect through traditional means.

Consumer Reports suggests that used car buyers inspect a car before making a purchase, including looking around the car to point out dents and scratches as it may point to other, more serious problems.

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The FBI is warning Americans to beware of a scam that attempts to victimize people looking to purchase cars over the internet.

According to the warning from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), cybercriminals attempt to lure in victims by advertising inexpensive cars for sale on various online classified sites. The FBI says that the ads often claim to use a protection program which the cybercriminal says will lead to a safe transaction.

However, once payment is sent, victims are out both money and a car.

The FBI says that while the scam has been around for some time, a new element of the crime has cybercriminals posing as member of the U.S. military and claiming they need to sell their car quickly and cheaply because they are being sent to Iraq or Afghanistan.

U.S. News and World Report says that when buying a used car, consumers should view and drive the car prior to purchase. The magazine also says that drivers should look at the going price of a car using the websites of the Kelley Blue Book or the National Automotive Dealers Association. If a price seems too low, it may be a sign of an underlying problem.

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With the demand for used cars rising as the economy continues to flounder and the interest in hybrids lagging as gas prices remain low, some people think it might be a good time to trade in a late model used car and buy a used hybrid.

Writing for the Freakonomics blog on the New York Times website, Daniel Hamermesh says he’s thinking about doing just that.

Hamermesh says that history has shown that when economic times are tough, people gravitate toward used cars, which could greatly benefit him by trading in his 1999 Honda Civic SI with only 64,000 miles.

He says the trade in would allow him to then make a purchase of a car that’s not in such high demand now meaning it can be had for a steal. Plus although hybrids aren’t selling well at the moment, they’re likely to become popular again in the future when oil returns to more than $100 per barrel.

“I could then buy a new Prius: there are no special price premiums today on the Prius, and I would save money on gasoline now and when gas prices spike again,” he writes.

In a report from USA Today last week, Juan Flores, director of vehicle valuation for Kelley Blue Book said sales of used hybrids are down 23.5 percent since last summer.

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