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I will never understand getting the independent buyer's check done AFTER purchase! Can someone explain this to me?
Carfax or Auto Check or any other such service can only report what is reported to them. There are a great many circumstances where a wreck will not be reported.
It does not sound like this car has a salvage title.
Don in Austin
The only time I can think this would be appropriate is if the dealership has a 5 day (or similar) no questions asked return policy.
For instance, I bought a used Subaru Forester a few years back. It was right at 100K miles and the dealership told me it had both head gaskets replaced (which is routine maintenance for that year Forester). I bough the car in cash and promptly took it to a mechanic. I did this because I got it in writing that they had a 3 day no questions asked return policy. Well, come to find out the work was not done and it was indeed leaking coolant. On the 3rd day, I took it back to the dealership, got my money back and ripped them a new one. If there is no such return policy, then yes, the vehicle should be inspected BEFORE money changes hands.
You're definitely not going to win this one. If the autocheck/carfax doesn't show an accident, and you couldn't tell from your own inspection, the court isn't going to hold the seller liable for something that is essentially the opinion of your mechanic.
Automobile purchases aren't like home purchases- the seller is under no duty to disclose known defects. Even if he were, if this damage isn't visible to the naked eye and required a mechanic to find, then he can easily say that he wasn't aware.
If the title is clean, then there's not really anything you can do.
Anyone out there purchased a used car and had an Auto Check report printed for them and indicated no accident but has structural damage? There was an obvious small repaired and repainted section above the right front tire. The seller told us that the car had a little fender bender but was not involved in an accident. Well, we took the car a day after purchase to a licensed mechanic for inspection and was told that the car was involved in a major accident; frame bent and air bags were faulty with several sensors dealing with air bag had over 7 error codes (issues).
Is this car considered a salvage in which the dealer in writing has to disclose Salvage, by law
I signed off on contract that I was aware of the structural damage as I was verbally explained that it referred to the minor dent that was fixed on right side of car.
Anyone out there purchased a used car and had an Auto Check report printed for them and indicated no accident but has structural damage? There was an obvious small repaired and repainted section above the right front tire. The seller told us that the car had a little fender bender but was not involved in an accident. Well, we took the car a day after purchase to a licensed mechanic for inspection and was told that the car was involved in a major accident; frame bent and air bags were faulty with several sensors dealing with air bag had over 7 error codes (issues).
Is this car considered a salvage in which the dealer in writing has to disclose Salvage, by law
I signed off on contract that I was aware of the structural damage as I was verbally explained that it referred to the minor dent that was fixed on right side of car.
Any advise??
Sorry for your loss.
Probably should have taken the car to your mechanic BEFORE buying it.
When I buy a vehicle, I ALWAYS run title check myself. Never trust one printed up by the seller. It is easy to fake a CarFax report. Well, "easy" depends on the skillset, but I can do it, so I know that most of the sledlots can find someone to do it for them.
If you have the autocheck report from the dealer, and run your own report and compare the two, perhaps you have some legal recourse.
You need to find a lawyer who specializes in Tort.
Perhaps the dealer will take the car back and cancel the contract, but you may be SoL
I hope the OP answers back. I'm curious to find out a bit more about this situation.
I want to piggyback off of this thread. Assuming this was a private seller, how do you go about asking the private seller if you can take the car to your mechanic to get it checked out. How should both the buyer and seller handle this?
Anyone out there purchased a used car and had an Auto Check report printed for them and indicated no accident but has structural damage? There was an obvious small repaired and repainted section above the right front tire. The seller told us that the car had a little fender bender but was not involved in an accident. Well, we took the car a day after purchase to a licensed mechanic for inspection and was told that the car was involved in a major accident; frame bent and air bags were faulty with several sensors dealing with air bag had over 7 error codes (issues).
Is this car considered a salvage in which the dealer in writing has to disclose Salvage, by law
I signed off on contract that I was aware of the structural damage as I was verbally explained that it referred to the minor dent that was fixed on right side of car.
Any advise??
You knew. You signed for it. Your problem now. Used car sales are ASIS.
The only time I can think this would be appropriate is if the dealership has a 5 day (or similar) no questions asked return policy.
In that case I would say the purchase had not really be finalized.
Don in Austin
Quote:
Originally Posted by headingtoDenver
For instance, I bought a used Subaru Forester a few years back. It was right at 100K miles and the dealership told me it had both head gaskets replaced (which is routine maintenance for that year Forester). I bough the car in cash and promptly took it to a mechanic. I did this because I got it in writing that they had a 3 day no questions asked return policy. Well, come to find out the work was not done and it was indeed leaking coolant. On the 3rd day, I took it back to the dealership, got my money back and ripped them a new one. If there is no such return policy, then yes, the vehicle should be inspected BEFORE money changes hands.
I want to piggyback off of this thread. Assuming this was a private seller, how do you go about asking the private seller if you can take the car to your mechanic to get it checked out. How should both the buyer and seller handle this?
From a sellers perspective, I'd take the car to a mechanic, but I wouldn't let some yahoo drive off in the car I'm selling without paying for it, even if they are saying they are just taking it to their mechanic. I'd have no problem letting a mechanic look at the car, but I'm going to be the one taking the car there. Not letting a potential thief take the car.
From a sellers perspective, I'd take the car to a mechanic, but I wouldn't let some yahoo drive off in the car I'm selling without paying for it, even if they are saying they are just taking it to their mechanic. I'd have no problem letting a mechanic look at the car, but I'm going to be the one taking the car there. Not letting a potential thief take the car.
I had a seller take a car to a mechanic for me. It was in another state. Mechanic said it was fine. It wasn't. Mechanic was not a mechanic at all, just a fake work order. Sure I could have sued the seller if I wanted to travel 1200 miles to do so and then hope the seller actually had some asset I could grab if I won. However it cost about $4,000 to repair the car, so I would likely spend that chasing it.
My solution that time was to stand in front of a mirror for fifty seconds yelling "You dumb s$%t!" repeatedly. That worked. I got over it and moved on. (Except the car has been sitting in my garage for years waiting for me to get to it.)
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