deewanapaki

I just bought a car like 3 days ago, i checked carfax, autocheck, and drove it as well. Everything was nice, clean, and smooth. No accidents reported or anything. I asked the dealer if any accidents they said NO. btw it was a big nissan dealership. I took in the car to the service center to check on warranties and stuff and one of the mechanics told me that this car was wrecked from the front, hood, both fenders and possibly a door. The job is almost perfect except for 2 slight hints of repainting and the sticker thats on the hood and the fenders are missing.

What should i do? I signed the arbitrator thing from the dealership so i cant sue them, can I? Am i gonna be stuck with this car? Is this a good thing, meaning can i get something better outta this? all suggestions and all options are welcome.

Thanks

Frank Fontaine

What is the problem exactly? You state that it drove well, has that changed? Once again, common sense prevails imho. A large dealership has no clue what the situation is with every/any car that they have on their lot. As we see in your case and in many, carfax is not accurate. I know it's not in mine, and I'm the original owner. So I could care less what it says. It caters to those who don't know any better, like the people who buy insurance on airline flights, insurance on their credit cards, protection if they get laid-off, you know, su******.

Unless the vehicle is somehow not driveable and defective, I don't even understand why you're trying to get "something better outta this." Wrecked and in an accident are two different things. Your vehicle sounds like it was in an accident, not wrecked. And a repaired car is noticeable by you and me, by simply looking at the paint in direct sunlight when the vehicle is clean. There will be lots of tiny sand marks where the Bondo was sanded--a buyer of a used vehicle should look for that at minimum. my.02

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

If the damage was just cosmetic, the repair as you describe is basically perfect and carfax shows the car clean, what are you worried about? Hopefully you got a good deal on the car, and you state it runs well so drive it and enjoy it.

A can that was involved in an accident doesn't render it a lemon or a bad vehicle to purchase. You'd be suprised at how many brand new vehicles get dropped off at a body shop for repairs made during transit or even during production before that vehicle even makes it to the show room floor.

One word of advice, order the under hood stickers so the vehicle appears original. That way when you go to sell it, if carfax says the vehicle is clean, nobody will know that it was ever repaired if everything is back to OEM standards.

nupe500

iTrader: (13)

I believe these gents have answered/addressed your concerns....

me = postwhore

deewanapaki

i thought that maybe i could go after the dealership and like get the car for free or something. since they didnt tell me it was in an accident before. I thought it would go under new jersey consumer protection act or something like that you know.

nosispower

If you checked it in Carfax and it didn't say anything about an accident, I believe Carfax has a buyback guarantee.

However, I don't understand why you want a new car? Is the dealer supposed to know about every scrape and shopping cart ding that a car goes through? The car drives fine and looks fine....just be happy.

HarrisH

iTrader: (1)

You are crazy to think that you will get a car for free simply because an accident didn't show up. If there is not legal proof for ie. (police report, accident report filed with DMV or state police) then technically your car was never in an accident atleast by law. Anyone can dent, or damage your car and have it repainted and unless you file a police report an accident history will not show. As a result the dealer will not be responsible for misrepresentation.

SkoorbMax

LMFAO, what a crap attitude you have.

If I was in your position I'd be annoyed. I'd even be upset that I bought a car that was supposed to have no accident, but in fact did have one. However, let's ask for a moment of reality, before we go back to fantasy land, where cars are free.

You now have a car that drives well and has a flawless record. Its safety and reliability will not be affected. How long do you plan on keeping it? This may affect resale in the future IF the buyer finds it and IF it upsets them. Personally I bought my 00, even though carfax said it had been in an accident. The car purchase, 2.5 years later, was a good one. I'm happy. The inspector (pre-buy) couldn't even find that it had been in an accident.

Look into the carfax gaurantee, or talk to the dealership and express how upset you are, but if you think you're going to get a free car out of this that makes you not just silly, but also a ****. Is it really worth a free car? NO. You're just hoping for some quick bucks, principles of normal people be damned. I guess you have none.Considering this was likely not reported to the DMV, it looks like carfax won't give you anything.

A very important question here is how severe was the accident? If it's a little bit of work here and ther,e that is not big. If the frame was crushed and the car rebuilt from a small cube of compressed metal, then that's bigger.

TXT-1

iTrader: (1)

Yikes! A little harsh aren't we? But I have to agree with you on this. I sold cars for awhile and we included a Carfax report with every used car on the lot. If someone came back to us (never happened to me) and said this car was in an accident that wasn't listed on Carfax, we definitely would not give them the car for free.

The other thing I am wondering is that a mechanic at the dealership told you it was in an accident? He should be fired for starting crap.

Dave B

I'm currently involved in the same situation right now. I bought a used 03 G35 from a local Chevy/Nissan dealership. I consider myself very automotive savvy and can spot major repair work. I put my car on the lift and inspected it before I bought it. I was provided with both a Car Fax and some other name brand car report stating no minor or major wrecks had been reported. That doesn't mean the car hadn't been in a wreck. I asked the dealership 3 times if the car has been involved in a wreck and had body work and they said no. I looked over the car and found nothing wrong with it. I even went so far as to run a magnet over the panels to look for bondo. A few weeks later when looking at the rear bumper in low horizon (8am or 4pm) direct sunlight, it was clear the paint on the rear bumper didn't match. It was clearly a shade or two lighter. In any other light, you couldn't tell. 95% of the public wouldn't even be able to tell unless I pointed it out to them.

I contacted the dealership owner to let him know I was disappointed and that I felt mislead and was considering on sending a letter to the BBB and telling friends/family not to do business with the dealership. I was very calm and told him I understood that buying a used car is a buyer beware situation, but I still felt mislead and that their supposed 120 point inspection should have caught this. He agreed on all accounts and asked me what I wanted so I'd feel better about the deal. I told him I wanted the bumper repainted. He said no problem. When I dropped my car off at the collision center on Monday, he had ordered me a rental car and the body shop director moved my car to the front of the repair line.

Just because your car may have had paint work doesn't mean it was in a significant wreck. Look under the car for new underbody coating that doesn't match, metal (bolt, nuts, components) that look new that don't match the older parts, and wavvy bends in the metal that look odd, a brand new radiator, doors that don't close well, inconsistent panel gaps, etc. Those are signs of major body work and damage. Repainted fenders, hood, and bumper could simply mean a very small fender bender with no mechanical damage. I'd venture to say 60% of the 1995+ cars on the road have had some sort of body work done to them.

Does the paint match? Does the car drive good? Track straight? If the answer is yes, then I wouldn't worry about it.

Dan

iTrader: (2)

That's good customer service. Glad to hear it worked out.

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

um, lemon means the car is unrepairable. how can the dealer and carfax be liable for an accident not reported? if they check it thoroughly and it runs as warranted, then quit complaining.

nothing in life is free. you have no case. only, maybe if you could prove it was in an accident and convinced dealer, they may buy it back. then you need to find another car that may not run as well.

C MAX

iTrader: (4)

can i throw my 2 cents in. if the previous owner is anything like me there probably wasnt an accident invovled. some people just like to keep there car sharp. how many times have you come out and see a ding here and a ding there. one time even a truck backed up into my car denting my hood. did that qualify to be put in carfax no cause it wasnt reported. when you drive a car you can tell if its been in a serious accident or just repaired for minor problems. if anything like some said i would tell the dealer and maybe get a free tune up or two but i wouldnt worry.

SkoorbMax

DaveB has had the luxury of dealing with Infiniti. Their reputation for customer service is good. Nissan's is not. Still though, dealership by dealership is more important than the brand; maybe you have a good one!

Frank Fontaine

I purchased my car brand-new. It is white--I noticed orange rust under the rear bumper and also under the front-left wheel arch the paint was not smooth. The dealer offered to repaint the front fender and blend the rear 1/4's and under the bumper. I said no way, that makes things even worse. I looked at other new Maximas on the lot and they were all rusted under the bumper, only you can see it on a white car much more easily.

When a repaired car is totally clean i.e. detailed, the ordinary person can notice if they look. Most people aren't looking. Also, most people don't care if they lease. When's the last time you repaired an apt. that you rented?