Taz
Journeyman Pro
Had the car detailed today and the valeter noticed that it had been in an accident, which wasn't disclosed at the time of purchase.
Should I have been informed ?
Should I have been informed ?
Used car question
- Thread starter Taz
- Start date
Ethan
Money List Winner
Private sale or dealer?
drdel
Tour Rookie
Not necessarily. If you had asked they should be honest.if you didn’t ask they do not have to volunteer the info.
GreiginFife
Money List Winner
I think if its been categorised as a write off (repairable) then they need to as it affects insurance.
If it was a wing or door skin replacement then I don't think they need to as, as long as the repair was carried out correctly, it makes no difference.
If it was a wing or door skin replacement then I don't think they need to as, as long as the repair was carried out correctly, it makes no difference.
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
I consider myself an honest car salesman.
If you asked if it had had paintwork done, and I knew it had, I would tell you.
If you didn't ask I wouldn't.
How does your detailer know it was an accident?
A lot of cars have paintwork done but have never been involved in one...
If you asked if it had had paintwork done, and I knew it had, I would tell you.
If you didn't ask I wouldn't.
How does your detailer know it was an accident?
A lot of cars have paintwork done but have never been involved in one...
Taz
Journeyman Pro
The two driver side doors have a matt finish on the inside panel, the two passenger side doors are the same finish as the exterior door panel ( metallic gloss)
There's also a soft seam at the back of the rear door recess, driver side again.
Looks like both driver side doors have been replaced.
I've emailed the dealer to ask for clarification.
There's also a soft seam at the back of the rear door recess, driver side again.
Looks like both driver side doors have been replaced.
I've emailed the dealer to ask for clarification.
Taz
Journeyman Pro
Dealer, same Honda dealer we had the warranty issue with.
Beedee
Assistant Pro
Whenever I've traded in a car the dealer has always made me sign a form asking if the vehicle has been written off. They've never asked, and I've never volunteered, if the vehicle has been in an accident. I assume the approach is "if they don't know they can't lie".
GreiginFife
Money List Winner
Sounds like the door skins were replaced. Not uncommon if someone has dinged it (maybe scraped down a bollard or the like). No need to declare this at all as long as the repair work is sealed and watertight (so it can't rust from inside).
I wouldn't go as far as to boldly claim it's been "in an accident" though. He has no idea why the panels have been replaced.
Taz
Journeyman Pro
Looks like the doors were replaced but the inside frame not sprayed to match the exterior and inner door frame
SaintHacker
Journeyman Pro
I did a few months of temporary work in the docks a few years ago preparing new cars that have come in straight off the boat. You would not believe the amount that are accident damaged/repaired before they get anywhere near a dealer
Blue in Munich
Crocked Professional Yeti Impersonator
Had the same issue with a tyre dealer who was doing the tracking on a Cavalier I had bought. Exclaimed in front of a startled Mrs. BiM that it must have been a write off because he was struggling to get it right. What he couldn't work out was that the adjustment on those was in the middle of the rod & both ends were threaded, so one turn on that was the equivalent of 2 turns on a conventional adjuster.
Didn't rush back.
GreiginFife
Money List Winner
Possibly done as a cheaper and quicker alternative to skinning. Like I, and many above, have said there are lots of reasons for painting panels, not necessarily an accident and, IMO, your valeter was incorrect in proclaiming without evidence. And possibly outside of his field of expertise.
I am a qualified mechanic and I would never assert to someone that their car had been in an accident based on looking at a panel.
Taz
Journeyman Pro
Maybe just the way I'm trying to explain it, I'll take some pictures to.try and clarify
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
I used to work next to a body shop, and prior to the new registrations there was always a rush to 'fix' supposedly new cars that had been damaged in transit. I was good mates with the manager, and I had to laugh when he called me over to show me a car that had fallen off a transporter onto it's roof. He had been asked to fix it so it could go out as a new car.
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
Signing a used car purchase invoice it's part of the declaration to state whether it's been subject to a total loss.
The rest is down to the salesman and his appraisal.
An experienced salesman will spot repaired panels and ask the relevant questions and will then pass his findings on to the sales manager, who will adjust the offer price accordingly.
A new, inexperienced salesman can miss things.
jim8flog
Journeyman Pro
If it is a car that is still under manufacturers warranty normally any repairs need to be signed of by an official dealer to retain any corrosion warranty and this could have been seen in the service book.
My last car was accident repaired but the salesman doing the trade in never asked but I knew it was in their records.
My last but one purchase ws clearly accident repaired but nothing was mentioned.
In 40+ years of buying second hand I have always believed it was up to me to either have the vehicle checked or to spot it for myself. Part of a one day trip to Thatcham was being shown how to spot repairs but even then I have got it wrong in the past.
My last car was accident repaired but the salesman doing the trade in never asked but I knew it was in their records.
My last but one purchase ws clearly accident repaired but nothing was mentioned.
In 40+ years of buying second hand I have always believed it was up to me to either have the vehicle checked or to spot it for myself. Part of a one day trip to Thatcham was being shown how to spot repairs but even then I have got it wrong in the past.
Bunkermagnet
Journeyman Pro
I can normally see when a car has had bodywork, and often when I spot it it's a downer to the owner
Ive learnt to keep it to myself unless asked now.
Ive learnt to keep it to myself unless asked now.
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
I can normally see when a car has had bodywork, and often when I spot it it's a downer to the owner
Years ago, I had a couple come into the showroom looking at changing their 2 year old Volvo.
They asked me to give a valuation on their car, so I duly went out to carry out an appraisal. They came out with me, and the husband was waxing lyrical on how well he'd looked after it etc.
The car was in very nice condition but I noticed that the front passenger door had been painted at some stage.
When I queried them about it, the husband got quite annoyed, saying that they had never had any paintwork carried out on it, and they had purchased it new.
I was adamant that the door had been repaired, he was arguing that it hadn't, and I was beginning to sense I was losing them. The only other scenario was that the car had been repaired by the dealer prior to delivery to them in the first place and he said that he was going to go back to them and give them a right roasting......
After a bit more questioning, his wife owned up to the fact that while he had been away on business she had scraped the door against a bollard in Eastbourne's multi story carpark and got it repaired before he returned.
Oooops!!
He told her to get in the car, and they drove off, never to be seen again.
SteveW86
Head Pro
Years ago, I had a couple come into the showroom looking at changing their 2 year old Volvo.
They asked me to give a valuation on their car, so I duly went out to carry out an appraisal. They came out with me, and the husband was waxing lyrical on how well he'd looked after it etc.
The car was in very nice condition but I noticed that the front passenger door had been painted at some stage.
When I queried them about it, the husband got quite annoyed, saying that they had never had any paintwork carried out on it, and they had purchased it new.
I was adamant that the door had been repaired, he was arguing that it hadn't, and I was beginning to sense I was losing them. The only other scenario was that the car had been repaired by the dealer prior to delivery to them in the first place and he said that he was going to go back to them and give them a right roasting......
After a bit more questioning, his wife owned up to the fact that while he had been away on business she had scraped the door against a bollard in Eastbourne's multi story carpark and got it repaired before he returned.
Oooops!!
He told her to get in the car, and they drove off, never to be seen again.
I bet she thought she’d got away with it too
