new car that appears to have been repaired

[indym79]

What is the name of your state? Indiana

I was under the car changing the oil this weekend and noticed that the front air dam is missing some clips and the bolts do not match as well as opverspray on some of them. To me it looks like they had replaced front air dam before and repainted it. If it was from the factory the bolts would match and there shouldn't be overspray on them as the plastic piece is painted before it gets put on the car.

Should I be able to take any action against the dealer for not disclosing this information to me before I purchased what was a new car?

 

[seniorjudge]

What is the name of your state? Indiana

I was under the car changing the oil this weekend and noticed that the front air dam is missing some clips and the bolts do not match as well as opverspray on some of them. To me it looks like they had replaced front air dam before and repainted it. If it was from the factory the bolts would match and there shouldn't be overspray on them as the plastic piece is painted before it gets put on the car.

Should I be able to take any action against the dealer for not disclosing this information to me before I purchased what was a new car?

When did you buy this car?

 

[indym79]

I purchased the car in Feb 04

 

[seniorjudge]

I purchased the car in Feb 04

http://autopedia.com/html/LemonLaw/IN_lemonlaw2.html

If you find a "nonconformity" the dealer is supposed to fix it.

Is what you're describing a problem or did it cause any damage?

In any event, contact the dealer in writing and then follow up...just in case there is something you can do.

 

[JETX]

I purchased the car in Feb 04

Of course you can contact the dealer and see if they will do anything.... but I seriously doubt that they will.
Reason: It has been almost two YEARS since your purchase and there are any number of reasons why the circumstances could be as you claim.... including they don't know whether you have had the car 'repaired' yourself.

Just for chuckles.... what would YOU expect them to do on a car that is almost TWO years old???

 

[indym79]

Its more a problem and not damage at this point.

I noticed this summer that the front air dam visually looks like the paint is fading very fast on one side vs the other. I have had them look at it but the dealer said that they couldn't replace it with out calling a Rep from the manufactor to come look at it. At that time I was leaving town and couldn't leave the car for that to happen. Last week I took it in as the windshield has a stress crack in it. they are ordering that in to replace it and the guy at the dealer said that he would discuss replacing the front air dam with the rep when I bring it in to get the glass replaced.

Its not causing any real problems other then visually.

 

[indym79]

Just for chuckles.... what would YOU expect them to do on a car that is almost TWO years old???

I don't really expect them to do anything. i would just like that it gets repaird properly. It doesn't appear as if there was any real damage to the car that made this change. i have talked with a certified mechanic about it and both his and my thoughts are the same in that is looks as if it were damaged in delivery either on the truck or when being taken off the truck.

I would just like it repaired properly so that it doesn't look like something that was done half a**.

I thought that maybe there were somthing I could do if they deny to fix it.

 

[seniorjudge]

...I thought that maybe there were somthing I could do if they deny to fix it....

It's going to be difficult for you to prove that the thing didn't happen in the time you have had it.

Since you change your own oil, did you not notice it before?

 

[racer72]

You would be amazed at the number of repairs new cars require before delivery. My ex BIL owned a new car dealership (Subaru) and he said each car needed about 8 hours of work before it was ready to sell. Much of it is the minor dings and such from shipping. And in the case of the spoiler, there is a very good chance it was installed by the dealer. Things that tend to get broken in transit are not installed till the dealer gets the car.

 

[indym79]

I like to change my own oil but this was the first time I was able to on this car becuase the APT complex I was living in did not allow you to work on your car in the parking lot. I just moved into a house and now can do many things on my own.

If the colors matched I wouldn't care one bit about non matching bolts a missing clip as long as it did cause a problem which that part of it is not. Just visually look bad when the colors of the car are so far off.

 

[JETX]

Just visually look bad when the colors of the car are so far off.

Can't be THAT bad since you didn't notice it for almost two YEARS!!

 

[indym79]

Can't be THAT bad since you didn't notice it for almost two YEARS!!

The stuff underneath no i didn't notice right away but the color was noted to the dealer in April of 04 when I notied that it was fading quickly.

No at that time I could not take it to the dealer as I moved more then 1000 miles away and the closet dealer that would service my specific model was more then 3 hours away.

I attempted to get it fixed a year ago when I came home to visit for an extended time but the manufactor rep was not available to make the call so they said.

Now I have moved back due to family problems, got a house and am not attempting to get it taken care of.

 

[seniorjudge]

...I attempted to get it fixed a year ago when I came home to visit for an extended time but the manufactor rep was not available to make the call so they said....

Then you are out of time.

(There could be an alligator clinging to the bottom of my car and I would never know it.)

 

[cjbrown929]

Talk to an attorney!

At a dealership a friend worked at, a customer discovered WELL after the sale (a year or more) that the car she had purchased as new had been significantly damaged, repaired, and sold without disclosing the damage.

If the dealer you bought it from has a body shop, have them search their records by the vin# or stock# (stock# should be on your paperwork. Check the service dept also. Trust me, you'll be able to trace it somehow.

Many dealers use a Reynolds and Reynolds software package to keep track of virtually every part of their business. If you can, have them pull up the deal and take note under "memo 1" or "memo 2". That is where they would typically note that the vehicle had been damaged and repaired unless they bought it at auction already repaired.

She received a nice settlement, and the dealer was fined $70,000 and placed on probation for 5 years (they had sold 3 or 4 with similar problems), so they might not be very cooperative. If that is the case, call your state dmv.

 

[cjbrown929]

When new cars are delivered to a dealership by truck, USUALLY they are inspected and any problems are noted.

Occasionally the "drop", or delivery is done after hours. The morning shift would then note any problems.

If this vehicle was damaged significantly in transit (like falling off a train), it likely would've been repaired and sold by auction. (I said LIKELY, not ALWAYS) Such a vehicle may not be sold without disclosing the repairs. The car I referred to in my previous post, the dmv determined, should've been sold as a USED car.

Under terms of the probation imposed on the dealer, they were required to place buyers guides on all used vehicles (I know, they're supposed to anyway) and park them seperately from new vehicles. For EACH used vehicle on the lot that was missing a required buyer's guide or parked next to new cars, the dealer faced a possible $10,000 fine.

There WILL be paperwork somewhere that will explain what happened. If you start having problems with the dealer, in addition to talking to an attorney, call the MANUFACTURER. They will be strongly motivated, customer satisfaction -wise, to assist you.