Dealer Damage

Hidebinder · March 7, 2008

If a new vehicle was damaged by the dealer or during transit from the GM plant to the dealer before delivery to the purchaser is there anyway to obtain a record of the repairs that were accomplished? What are the legal requirements of the dealer to reveal that damage to a prospective buyer. I'm thinking it's "Buyer Beware" and it does happen.

nakedicarus · March 7, 2008

If a new vehicle was damaged by the dealer or during transit from the GM plant to the dealer before delivery to the purchaser is there anyway to obtain a record of the repairs that were accomplished? What are the legal requirements of the dealer to reveal that damage to a prospective buyer. I'm thinking it's "Buyer Beware" and it does happen.

Yep, I remember back in '97 when my brother bought his wife a Dodge Stratus (brand new), only to find out about a year later that the rear quarter panel had been repaired, most likely from damage during transit from the plant to the dealer.

Zembonez · March 7, 2008

In Texas, dealers are not required by law to disclose anything unless the vehicle has been involved in an actual collision. Incidental lot damage which happens quite often is not mentioned.

I always make sure my dealer is aware that I do not want anything that has had any paint work. I never deal with a salesman when I buy... always directly with a sales manager. I make the sales seminar flunkies take a hike. They don't like it but I am the one writing the check. Making this plain right up front gives me the legal right to come back on them if I were to discover that any had been done. (that they knew about).

Dealer trades are a whole 'nother story.

alaska511 · March 7, 2008

In Texas, dealers are not required by law to disclose anything unless the vehicle has been involved in an actual collision. Incidental lot damage which happens quite often is not mentioned.

I always make sure my dealer is aware that I do not want anything that has had any paint work. I never deal with a salesman when I buy... always directly with a sales manager. I make the sales seminar flunkies take a hike. They don't like it but I am the one writing the check. Making this plain right up front gives me the legal right to come back on them if I were to discover that any had been done. (that they knew about).

Dealer trades are a whole 'nother story.

Same here. I have bought 3 trucks in the last 2 months, another brand new dually 3500 Dmax yesterday, and always deal direct with the sales manager. I let them know I want nothing with any paint or body work. Lessons of the past have been learned, and lot/test drive damage does occur.

mini1 · March 8, 2008

Often times there are no records of repairs and it won't show up on CarFax either. This type of transit based body damage happens on a regular basis with all brands (not just GM).

Trav_13 · March 8, 2008

In Texas, dealers are not required by law to disclose anything unless the vehicle has been involved in an actual collision. Incidental lot damage which happens quite often is not mentioned.

I always make sure my dealer is aware that I do not want anything that has had any paint work. I never deal with a salesman when I buy... always directly with a sales manager. I make the sales seminar flunkies take a hike. They don't like it but I am the one writing the check. Making this plain right up front gives me the legal right to come back on them if I were to discover that any had been done. (that they knew about).

Dealer trades are a whole 'nother story.

Thats an interesting comment that you bring up....I sold these trucks until about 2 weeks ago because of the Sales Manager that we had at the dealership I worked at....he didn't care about anything except pushing the vehicles out the door....never gave a d**n about his sales people, ordered horrible inventory, tried to hold to much over invoice, which we all know you can't do......so anyway just I guess if you always by-pass the salesman, make sure you have a good relationship with the Sales Manager otherwise you could end up in a mess! I knew more about these trucks than he did, and maintained a 4.0 on GM's CSI score...but anyway...just a heads up titles in a company are worthless in my opinion....its about who gets it done and gets it done right...

And yes you are right...dealer trades a whole nother story!

jnbkosmo · March 8, 2008

You guys wouldn't believe the amount of repairs that are done in assembly plants.And I mean major stuff,not just little dings and scratches.I'll bet people would absolutely flip if they knew how dismantled their vehicles were after the original build.

PhilB · March 8, 2008

When I purchased my 03 SD, it was a dealer trade to get it from another local dealer, but the invoice on the truck was for another dealer several states away. Anyway, long story short, the mud flaps were not installed correctly by the original dealer. My dealer used the VIN and pulled up all work orders that were in the system for my truck and saw what the first dealer did while they had the truck.

I would think that if a vehicle were damaged in transit or on the lot, there would be some work order in the system to get it repaired. I guess you could take the VIN for the vehicle you are purchasing and have someone in service run a work order history against it. Just a thought...

JoshRDavis.84 · March 8, 2008

I never really gave it any thought before, but there isnt a whole lot that wouldnt surprise me anymore.

Zembonez · March 8, 2008

In Texas, dealers are not required by law to disclose anything unless the vehicle has been involved in an actual collision. Incidental lot damage which happens quite often is not mentioned.

I always make sure my dealer is aware that I do not want anything that has had any paint work. I never deal with a salesman when I buy... always directly with a sales manager. I make the sales seminar flunkies take a hike. They don't like it but I am the one writing the check. Making this plain right up front gives me the legal right to come back on them if I were to discover that any had been done. (that they knew about).

Dealer trades are a whole 'nother story.

Thats an interesting comment that you bring up....I sold these trucks until about 2 weeks ago!

Travis.

I guess my comment about salespeople was a bit harsh. Nothing personal. I know there are some good ones. The problem I get at a lot of dealerships is that the salespeople want to play the 40 questions game that ends up with me gladhanding the sales manager... I hate the whole fake bulls**t game played by most seminar car salespeople... It may work for some people that don't know what they are doing but I have bought tons of new vehicles and can make my own decisions. I always got the new recruit that talked like a sales seminar....

Zembonez · March 8, 2008

When I purchased my 03 SD, it was a dealer trade to get it from another local dealer, but the invoice on the truck was for another dealer several states away. Anyway, long story short, the mud flaps were not installed correctly by the original dealer. My dealer used the VIN and pulled up all work orders that were in the system for my truck and saw what the first dealer did while they had the truck.

I would think that if a vehicle were damaged in transit or on the lot, there would be some work order in the system to get it repaired. I guess you could take the VIN for the vehicle you are purchasing and have someone in service run a work order history against it. Just a thought...

FYI - internal work orders do not show up in the history of a vehicle ANYWHERE. It's good to have a good relationship with your dealer...

Trav_13 · March 8, 2008

When I purchased my 03 SD, it was a dealer trade to get it from another local dealer, but the invoice on the truck was for another dealer several states away. Anyway, long story short, the mud flaps were not installed correctly by the original dealer. My dealer used the VIN and pulled up all work orders that were in the system for my truck and saw what the first dealer did while they had the truck.

I would think that if a vehicle were damaged in transit or on the lot, there would be some work order in the system to get it repaired. I guess you could take the VIN for the vehicle you are purchasing and have someone in service run a work order history against it. Just a thought...

FYI - internal work orders do not show up in the history of a vehicle ANYWHERE. It's good to have a good relationship with your dealer...

Zembonez...I know what you mean...we had a few come and go like that...they never do last very long...and also you are right...internal work orders will never show up...the only way anything will show up on the GM VIS (Vehicle Inquiry System) is if it was reported as warranty work. Little fender benders don't...and they do happen....also Carfax will only report if a police report was filed.

Silverado4x4 · March 8, 2008

My uncle use to work for Ford motor company and told me that they had a place at the plant just to repair vehicles damaged after being built, some would be in accidents pulling it off the line.

PhilB · March 8, 2008

When I purchased my 03 SD, it was a dealer trade to get it from another local dealer, but the invoice on the truck was for another dealer several states away. Anyway, long story short, the mud flaps were not installed correctly by the original dealer. My dealer used the VIN and pulled up all work orders that were in the system for my truck and saw what the first dealer did while they had the truck.

I would think that if a vehicle were damaged in transit or on the lot, there would be some work order in the system to get it repaired. I guess you could take the VIN for the vehicle you are purchasing and have someone in service run a work order history against it. Just a thought...

FYI - internal work orders do not show up in the history of a vehicle ANYWHERE. It's good to have a good relationship with your dealer...

Zembonez - thanks for correcting me. As Johnny Carson would say: "I did not know that".

CalixEros · March 8, 2008

In Texas, dealers are not required by law to disclose anything unless the vehicle has been involved in an actual collision. Incidental lot damage which happens quite often is not mentioned.

I always make sure my dealer is aware that I do not want anything that has had any paint work. I never deal with a salesman when I buy... always directly with a sales manager. I make the sales seminar flunkies take a hike. They don't like it but I am the one writing the check. Making this plain right up front gives me the legal right to come back on them if I were to discover that any had been done. (that they knew about).

Dealer trades are a whole 'nother story.

I skip right by the salesman and sales manager to deal directly with the owner. Of course it helps that he's been a good family friend for many years...