The Motor Vehicle Sales Authority of British Columbia

The VSA's glossary of terms

All A B C D E F G H I L M N O P R S T U V W

Term	Definition
Safety Inspection	An inspection done by a motor dealer or mechanic indicating their opinion that a vehicle does or does not meet minimum safety requirements. Not all safety inspections meet the same standards or test the same things as the Private Vehicle Inspection or PVI. A vehicle that passes a safety inspection may or may not pass a Private Vehicle Inspection.
Sales Agreement	A legal document prepared by a seller (dealer) to a buyer (consumer), reporting that on a specific date, at a specific locality, and for a particular sum of money and/or trade, the seller sold to the buyer a specific vehicle of which he had lawful possession. It is a written instrument which evidences the transfer of title to personal property from the seller to the buyer.
Salesperson Advertisement	An advertisement placed by a salesperson regardless of who pays for the advertisement.
Salvage	A vehicle that has been written off as a "total loss" by an insurance company, is unsafe to drive, but is repairable and can be driven after re-inspection.
Security Deposit	Money collected at delivery for security on a lease. It is usually refunded at the end of the lease or applied against the buy-out amount.
Serial Number	Usually the Vehicle Identification Number or VIN, but for some vehicles, such as recreational vehicles, there may be an additional unique number for identification purposes.
Stock number	A unique number assigned to an individual vehicle in a dealer inventory.
Structural Integrity Assessment	A structural integrity assessment (SIA) is the second of two tests required for a rebuilt vehicle to pass in order to be deemed roadworthy and insurable in British Columbia. A rebuilt vehicle must also pass the Private Vehicle Inspection (PVI). The SIA tests a vehicle’s frame, alignment and other structural safety components (ie. doors and welds) to ensure its structure meets the performance requirements originally set by the manufacturer. A rebuilt vehicle’s rust protection is also assessed to ensure it meets the manufacture’s specifications.
Structural Integrity Assessment Report	The report of a designated Structural Integrity Assessment (SIA) inspection facility indicating a vehicle has or has not passed an SIA.