Purchased car from Dealer, find out it’s been in a crash.
Discussion
Hi hopefully someone will be able to help.
I purchased a secondhand vehicle 10k+ from a reputable dealer 12 months ago. It was Hpi clear etc and purchased the vehicle in good faith.
We were told it was not in any accidents and they knew the previous owner.
Fast forward too now, a panel on the car has started to bubble (moisture in filler), we took it to a main BMW dealer to get it checked. Panel has been repaired poorly and vehicle has been in a accident.
What can I do? I’ve owned the car for 12 months now? Do I have any consumer rights on the matter?
Thanks in advance.
Lizzy
I purchased a secondhand vehicle 10k+ from a reputable dealer 12 months ago. It was Hpi clear etc and purchased the vehicle in good faith.
We were told it was not in any accidents and they knew the previous owner.
Fast forward too now, a panel on the car has started to bubble (moisture in filler), we took it to a main BMW dealer to get it checked. Panel has been repaired poorly and vehicle has been in a accident.
What can I do? I’ve owned the car for 12 months now? Do I have any consumer rights on the matter?
Thanks in advance.
Lizzy
The majority of second hand cars have had paint at some stage in their life, it is a bit unrealistic to believe otherwise. This car has not been written off, so the damage must have been minor enough for the insurance company to repair.
Are we talking a panel that has been blown over due to some minor car park damage, or are we talking about panels being replaced or straightened due to an accident?
Either way, I don't think you have a leg to stand on. If you want an immaculate car, buy a new one, but even then there is a chance it got damaged in delivery and has been repaired.
Years ago my dad worked at Land Rover and reversed a brand new, unregistered car into a post, smashing the bumper. Now obviously they don't just throw these cars away, it was repaired and delivered to it's owner as a brand new car.
Are we talking a panel that has been blown over due to some minor car park damage, or are we talking about panels being replaced or straightened due to an accident?
Either way, I don't think you have a leg to stand on. If you want an immaculate car, buy a new one, but even then there is a chance it got damaged in delivery and has been repaired.
Years ago my dad worked at Land Rover and reversed a brand new, unregistered car into a post, smashing the bumper. Now obviously they don't just throw these cars away, it was repaired and delivered to it's owner as a brand new car.
A new enough car can have a fairly big shunt and still be economical to repair. The only way to avoid such a car is to have a very thorough inspection done by someone who knows what they're looking for as, technically, the car is legit, so you won't have a leg to stand on. You have to dodge it in the first place.
I think you are confusing a 'recorded' accident, i.e. a Category car with a car which has just been in a small bump and been repaired.
Many cars have been in crashes and simply repaired, how could a dealer know this unless they were told by the previous owner.
We had a Z4 that my wife smashed into the neighbours car while parking and then had the rear bumped smashed in by someone reversing off a drive. Both times we paid for it to be repaired at a body shop and there would be no record of this.
We currently have a 330D that was involved in a front end collision a few months back, I would guess £5k worth of damage and the insurance company repaired it. Its had a new bumper, wing, bonnet and host of other things. I am sure some people could tell but 99% of buyers would not have a clue and I am certainly not offering up that information when I sell it on.
If a car has been involved in a crash which caused damage to the structural integrity of the car, it will likely have been written off or recorded categorised at best.
A car which has had a bump and the owner had it repaired, par for the course with used cars I am afraid!
Many cars have been in crashes and simply repaired, how could a dealer know this unless they were told by the previous owner.
We had a Z4 that my wife smashed into the neighbours car while parking and then had the rear bumped smashed in by someone reversing off a drive. Both times we paid for it to be repaired at a body shop and there would be no record of this.
We currently have a 330D that was involved in a front end collision a few months back, I would guess £5k worth of damage and the insurance company repaired it. Its had a new bumper, wing, bonnet and host of other things. I am sure some people could tell but 99% of buyers would not have a clue and I am certainly not offering up that information when I sell it on.
If a car has been involved in a crash which caused damage to the structural integrity of the car, it will likely have been written off or recorded categorised at best.
A car which has had a bump and the owner had it repaired, par for the course with used cars I am afraid!
Wagonwheel555 said:
Many cars have been in crashes and simply repaired, how could a dealer know this unless they were told by the previous owner.
That's fair enough. However, if that's the case, the dealer should state that he doesn't know, if asked about any accident history. If a dealer is going to state that a car hasn't been involved in any accidents, then it's up to him to do his due diligence before making such a claim.QJumper said:
That's fair enough. However, if that's the case, the dealer should state that he doesn't know, if asked about any accident history. If a dealer is going to state that a car hasn't been involved in any accidents, then it's up to him to do his due diligence before making such a claim.
Ok, sure.If the OP has it in writing from the selling dealer that "this car AB12 DEF has never been involved in any collisions", and a report from the current garage stating that a panel has been poorly repaired following collision damage, then the original dealer's written statement is provably false, and the OP has an avenue to claim against them.
If however any such assurance was verbal, it'll be very easy for the dealer to say 'no, we said it hasn't been in any recorded accidents', or similar, and claim the OP simply mis-heard them.
Lizzy1947 said:
Hi hopefully someone will be able to help.
I purchased a secondhand vehicle 10k+ from a reputable dealer 12 months ago. It was Hpi clear etc and purchased the vehicle in good faith.
We were told it was not in any accidents and they knew the previous owner.
Fast forward too now, a panel on the car has started to bubble (moisture in filler), we took it to a main BMW dealer to get it checked. Panel has been repaired poorly and vehicle has been in a accident.
What can I do? I’ve owned the car for 12 months now? Do I have any consumer rights on the matter?
Thanks in advance.
Lizzy
I'd say that when they said no accidents they meant no recorded accidents, the car being repaired isn't the issue the poor repair is unfortunately I'd say you'll just have to get it repaired properly.I purchased a secondhand vehicle 10k+ from a reputable dealer 12 months ago. It was Hpi clear etc and purchased the vehicle in good faith.
We were told it was not in any accidents and they knew the previous owner.
Fast forward too now, a panel on the car has started to bubble (moisture in filler), we took it to a main BMW dealer to get it checked. Panel has been repaired poorly and vehicle has been in a accident.
What can I do? I’ve owned the car for 12 months now? Do I have any consumer rights on the matter?
Thanks in advance.
Lizzy
samoht said:
If however any such assurance was verbal, it'll be very easy for the dealer to say 'no, we said it hasn't been in any recorded accidents', or similar, and claim the OP simply mis-heard them.
Regardless of that, this is all 12 months ago. Very difficult for the OP to prove now that the accident and repair was there at the time of purchase. Lizzy1947 said:
Hi hopefully someone will be able to help.
I purchased a secondhand vehicle 10k+ from a reputable dealer 12 months ago. It was Hpi clear etc and purchased the vehicle in good faith.
We were told it was not in any accidents and they knew the previous owner.
Fast forward too now, a panel on the car has started to bubble (moisture in filler), we took it to a main BMW dealer to get it checked. Panel has been repaired poorly and vehicle has been in a accident.
What can I do? I’ve owned the car for 12 months now? Do I have any consumer rights on the matter?
Thanks in advance.
Lizzy
Consumer rights in what sense ?I purchased a secondhand vehicle 10k+ from a reputable dealer 12 months ago. It was Hpi clear etc and purchased the vehicle in good faith.
We were told it was not in any accidents and they knew the previous owner.
Fast forward too now, a panel on the car has started to bubble (moisture in filler), we took it to a main BMW dealer to get it checked. Panel has been repaired poorly and vehicle has been in a accident.
What can I do? I’ve owned the car for 12 months now? Do I have any consumer rights on the matter?
Thanks in advance.
Lizzy
what are you wanting to happen
jonwm said:
You wouldn't believe the amount of brand new cars that have new panels fitted as soon as they come off the boat, I was at a site last week that had a "brand new car" awaiting 2 doors from shipping damage.
The last two brand new cars I've bought both had body repairs.Ford garage tried to deny it until I peeled off some masking tape from under the bumper and gave it to him lol.
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