Dealer might have lied?

[JCtx]

Originally Posted by MTurhee

Return the car and get a refund.

I'd return it and get the hell out of that place. You're going to pay more for a pristine example, but it'll be worth more at resale as well. Your call though.

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by MTurhee

the dealer did all the repair work including the body work however none of that was in the service history when my local dealer pulled it up, carfax had nothing on it either. The sale person said he did not know either until he asked around. Right now I have 2 options, they'll allow me to return the car or they'll give me $2000 plus $500 for the replacement of a front control arm and what my SA called a "L piece". What should I do?

$47k for a 2008 AW/extended beige coupe with 3666 miles that has been totally repainted by a certified bmw collision repair facility and every single option available on the 08 model except m-dct and park distance control. One thing that does worry me is that the left strut tower stabilizer bar seems to have been replaced. Both a private body shop and one of the best techs at my local dealer said the whoever worked on it did a very good job. Based on what the original owner told me and what the dealer I bought it from told me, the car did not have to be totally repainted.

or

Return the car and get a refund.

Return the car.

First, there's the principle of the thing--this "deal" stinks and you've got a way to gracefully exit with no long term harm to you (other than wasted time, frustration, and etc). I just wouldn't keep it on principle.

Second, 47K for a vehicle with visible damage (and potentially other damage as well--given the door fit, the suspension) is not, IMO, a good deal. Once a car sustains this type of damage it just isn't the same. What if there are other "things" such as damage you can't see, or rust in the future, etc. I recall one post here where someone had work done, then later water accumulated in some panel and shorted out the audio and caused other secondary damage. Why risk it?

Third, there's the resale/value of the car in the future.

Lastly, I don't know about you, but there's an emotional component: I would feel sour on the deal in general and the car, and I'd never have a good feeling about it.

47K is a lot of money. Find another M3 you can fall in love with and one that doesn't come with all of this baggage.

[MTurhee]

Originally Posted by Finnegan

Return the car.

First, there's the principle of the thing--this "deal" stinks and you've got a way to gracefully exit with no long term harm to you (other than wasted time, frustration, and etc). I just wouldn't keep it on principle.

Second, 47K for a vehicle with visible damage (and potentially other damage as well--given the door fit, the suspension) is not, IMO, a good deal. Once a car sustains this type of damage it just isn't the same. What if there are other "things" such as damage you can't see, or rust in the future, etc. I recall one post here where someone had work done, then later water accumulated in some panel and shorted out the audio and caused other secondary damage. Why risk it?

Third, there's the resale/value of the car in the future.

Lastly, I don't know about you, but there's an emotional component: I would feel sour on the deal in general and the car, and I'd never have a good feeling about it.

47K is a lot of money. Find another M3 you can fall in love with and one that doesn't come with all of this baggage.

what if I can get them to CPO it?

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by MTurhee

what if I can get them to CPO it?

I still wouldn't do it for all the reasons originally listed. Those still apply.

It may be a moot point as well. The dealer may not be able to offer a CPO on a car that's incurred this type of damage.

I know myself pretty well, and a CPO offer wouldn't negate the issues for me. There are too many negatives for this to be a good business deal for me.

But this isn't about me. It's about you. "You" are the key factor in this decision. Ultimately it's your call my friend. We're just a bunch of guys posting on the internet....we don't know you, your situation, options, etc.

[Angry3]

A car like this technically can't be CPOed b/c of the amount of damage it sustained, which of course doesn't mean that this dealer wouldn't try to do it .

Also, a lot of M3s at dealers aren't CPOed even though they could be. The market for them is soft and the dealer cost to CPO them is high. A lot of dealers that I see don't CPO them to keep the price down, then they can do it later if the buyer wants the warranty and is willing to pay for the reconditioning needed if there is any.

I 100% agree with the idea of returning the car and walking away. The car had significant damage and a suspect repair job, and there's a massive hit that you take on resale with a car like this. A lot of M3 buyers will cross a car that's been damaged so significantly right off the list regardless of asking price.

For the folks saying to get a warranty from the dealer, there's no way to get an extended BMW warranty on this car. It doesn't qualify as a CPO, and the OP isn't the original owner. The only option is a 3rd party warranty, and I would pass on that option and just take the cash and bank it for obvious reasons.

[JC919]

Originally Posted by MTurhee

Can a body shop tell if a body panel has been repainted?

Most definitely

[JCtx]

A BMW supposedly can't be CPOed if it has been involved in an accident; that's the main attraction of buying a CPO.

If they CPO it, I'd NEVER consider a BMW CPO. It seems to me you're now looking for our approval to keep it. YOU DON'T NEED IT. Just hope you don't regret your decision. Good luck.

[URBAN LEGEND]

Return the car and run.

[MTurhee]

I'm waiting on the insurance report and estimate from the original owner and the repair history from the dealer to get an idea of what was damaged. Both the original owner and dealer say the car did not need to be totally repainted.

[foosh]

Originally Posted by Angry3

A car like this technically can't be CPOed b/c of the amount of damage it sustained, which of course doesn't mean that this dealer wouldn't try to do it .

Also, a lot of M3s at dealers aren't CPOed even though they could be. The market for them is soft and the dealer cost to CPO them is high. A lot of dealers that I see don't CPO them to keep the price down, then they can do it later if the buyer wants the warranty and is willing to pay for the reconditioning needed if there is any.

Correct on both counts. Before I found a new left-over '08 last March, which was exactly what I was looking for at the right price, I was looking at BMW "executive cars." I found several I was interested in and inquired about CPO status. I was informed by the dealer that if I wanted one of those cars "CPO'ed" it would add $1500 or so to the price because BMW charges them for that status. It's basically the cost of buying an extended warranty and is a money-maker for BMWNA--not the dealer.

It is also my understanding that any car with accident damage over a certain threshold (basically minor paint, touch-up only), can't acquire CPO status. I'm not sure I believe that system is completely fool-proof, but that is the policy.

[xtremecruiser]

Originally Posted by MTurhee

what if I can get them to CPO it?

Get a lawyer asap, BMW NA will be no help
Read my links in my blog to see how useless BMW's customer service is.

[ideliver]

You know what the answer is...return the car...and get out from this deal...you will not be happy with "damaged goods"

[MTurhee]

I am returning the car however the dealer is saying they won't reimburse me the amount I paid to transport the car to me...I think its only right that they reimburse that cost to me because none of this wouldn't have happened if I was defrauded by them. What do you guys think?

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by MTurhee

I am returning the car however the dealer is saying they won't reimburse me the amount I paid to transport the car to me...I think its only right that they reimburse that cost to me because none of this wouldn't have happened if I was defrauded by them. What do you guys think?

Are they asking you to pay the cost both ways (original cost to ship to you and to ship back)? How much are we talking about?

If it's small, and if it's just one way, consider that you haven't had to fight them (court or otherwise) to get them to take the car back.

I'd just let it go and move on to the hunt for your new M3 and put this behind you. The sooner the better.

[BMWM.D.]

Originally Posted by elp_jc

The dealer is to blame either way IMO. Now that you mention the CPO issue, if dealer didn't CPO the car it was because it didn't qualify. Dealers ALWAYS inspect year-old cars to make them CPOs if possible, no? They make more money that way. They should have a paper somewhere saying why they couldn't CPO that car, and they should have disclosed it if it was something that bad IMO. I'm sure an attorney could sub-poena those records. Good luck OP.

Yeah, even newer cars are usually enrolled in the CPO program. Even if it adds a bit of $$$ to the price of the car, it is a very good sales tool (and peace of mind) to have that 6 year/100k warranty. The cost of adding an extended warranty to an '08 M3 these days just went up significantly. It might add $1500 to the price of the car to CPO it, but that same warranty would likely set you back $3k later down the road.

My guess is that they did not CPO the car due to the known body repairs that were apparently done at that very dealership. When I find signs of major body repair on a car that the dealership wants to CPO, I stop the CPO process and the car is either sold "as is" (or with the remainder of factory 4/50 warranty), or the car is sold at auction. Minor repairs are okay, but when doors and fenders have been off, that is major, IMO.


Edit: I see the OP is returning the car; good choice in my opinion. These cars are never the same after an accident, and it sounds like there was structural damage to the shock tower area. These are major repairs, and ones that you do not want on a 1 year old car.

[BMWM.D.]

Originally Posted by elp_jc

A BMW supposedly can't be CPOed if it has been involved in an accident; that's the main attraction of buying a CPO.

If they CPO it, I'd NEVER consider a BMW CPO. It seems to me you're now looking for our approval to keep it. YOU DON'T NEED IT. Just hope you don't regret your decision. Good luck.

Don't worry, they wouldn't be able to CPO that car. They could offer him the ESC 72/100 warranty if they wanted. That is the warranty that any owner can purchase, and it has all of the same benefits as the CPO warranty.

[majin ssj eric]

I don't buy this " its never the same" argument. If the car drives good and qualified people say the repairs are good, there is no reason to believe the car is any different than it was pre-accident. You said there was no frame damage which is the biggest determining factor in whether or not a car drives like its supposed to. Of course if the psychological aspect is bothering you, turn it in. But I doubt there is any difference at all in the way this car drives compared to any other one...

[Koroush]

Car Dealers are the worst human beings in the world. They always lie, cheat, steal, kill, etc..


No offence to the car dealers on this forum

[Alex D]

I have the same situation with two of our cars. They were bought new and both had paint work done before they arrived at the dealer. Often in overseas transport they get knicked and then repaired. On our Saab you can just see the little overspray on a door seal, on our G35 the entire left rear quarter up to the door jamb was repainted and the bumper cover doesn't even line up perfectly with the sheetmetal like on the other side. Leased cars ... what the #ell they'll go back in three anyway ...