Used car advice

[bmwmike]

Hi

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this.

Basically I bought a 65 plate car for my wife, approx 14k miles on the clock, from a franchise dealer (not BMW not that it matters) and we've had it about a week. I've just noticed that the rear bumper has had some paint at some stage which I don't mind about but as I looked closer I can see the near side sill has also been resprayed, badly, and makes me think it's been in an accident. HpI is all clear.

Do I have any rights here?

Yes I should have looked more closely when buying. Not spoken to the supplying dealer yet. Paid cash via bank transfer no credit card involved. Approx 11k.


Thanks
Mike

[Thermobaric]

I think you're pretty much at the mercy of the dealer. I would contact them and explain and see what they say.

[mike9009]

You don't have any rights in this case unless the supplying dealer was concealing the fact the car had been written off. (Cat C or D registered)

Many new cars are damaged in transit to the supplying dealer and will have had touch-up work completed prior to sale to the first owner.

You may get lucky with the dealer you used to rectify the dodgy paint work ... but I don't think they are under any obligation to assist.


Mike

[bmwmike]

So rejecting under the 30 day rule is a no go? We had a reasonable expectation a 1 yr old NetworkQ car has not been in an accident. Their own checklist even says no evidence of previous repairs.

[Smuler]

If they've breached their own checklist , then surely you have a case.
Contact them , their customer services, that's the sort of thing I would be doing if BMW.
They talk of a 30 day exchange , maybe that's an option?

[Mexman]

Who says it has been in an accident?
Maybe the bumper had a scratch/scuff and the sill had a dent from negotiating a high kerb?

[bmwmike]

Mexman said:

Who says it has been in an accident?
Maybe the bumper had a scratch/scuff and the sill had a dent from negotiating a high kerb?

Guess it depends on definition of accident and whether you think a large amount of paint work is typical acceptable or suspicious.

The sill paint is from the B pillar to the rear arch topside and beneath the sill and extending up the inside door frame around the arch to Base of C pillar.

I've had a good look underneath and under the rear bumper and nothing looks bent.

[SBN]

So my view on this is that all cars sold have at some point had a repair to make that car seem new to its next owner...

It could be that the dealer concealed an accident of epic precautions but I would lean more towards that the car had a scrape, small dent (trolly car park) or had a long scratch like it had been keyed. The fact that you have found this means its probably the original panel so any damage was probably small and cosmetic.

I would be more suspicious if I didn't find any small paint work repairs or wear and tear use on a second hand car... e.g. I would start to think along the lines if the car had been completely sprayed with new panels etc.

I would ask the dealer if they did carry about any repairs prior to sale and find out what they were...

Also - a lot of dealers will use a smart repair company, and they can only do as good as a job as possible when working outside...

[bmwmike]

Spoken to the supplying dealer and they haven't done any repairs beyond what I already knew about (small dent repair). They've asked me to take it into their body shop Aug 9th (am away next week) to check it over and tell me what's been done.

Fair enough I think. I will want something in writing to say the paint & body corrosion warranty is not affected which I think is reasonable.