citizenvlad

'03 A4 1.8T

Aside from the fact that I overpaid for the vehicle if it was involved in an accident, it is now causing me more issues and costing me more money. I just had a headlight igniter fail and the dealer refused to cover it under warranty because it had corrosion on it and therefore not covered. The corrosion could only be a result of the headlight being replaced and the igniter being exposed for a long time to outside elements (like if the car was in an accident and allowed to sit for a while before the headlight was replaced). The carfax report I obtained before I bought the car showed no record of any kind of accident. Is there anything I can do to at least recoup the cost of replacing the igniter? ($750) It seems pretty obvious the car was in an accident since the front quarter panel is a different shade of black from the rest of the car. I don't really care about the color as it is really not noticeable but it is costing me money and making me wonder what else could be wrong with the vehicle.

a4tis™[Bye Turbo]

search the forum for "psuaudi" - he went through a similar situation

scoobycarolan

my heart goes out to you. no audi record of the work, no warranty.used car laws may help?

citizenvlad

I guess I should take my car to a reputable body shop and have them assess the extent of the body work.

miroseven

My experience has been that the majority of accidents are not shown...including on my previous vehicle where over $12k worth of damage never showed on Carfax. Not really sure how reliable or useful Carfax is in these cases.

a4tis™[Bye Turbo]

no problem, hope things work out for you

psuaudi

1) what state was the car purchased?
2) did they inform you of an accident?
3) did the carfax have any indication of any issues?

I didn't really read your post, but the issue is whether or not they told you about the damage. CPO cars, I believe, can still have repair work done on them.

I ended up contacting the dealer after letting them know that I had indications that the car had been in an accident and that I had not been informed. I had the car evaluated at an Audi certified body shop, who coincidently was the body shop that had done the work.

I ended up getting $2150 back from the dealership from whom I purchased my Audi.

good luck...email me for questions!

Be firm, but fair!

citizenvlad

I purchased the car in Illinois

When I asked about any damage or accident the salesperson told me no, and showed me service records and carfax to back his statement.

Of course I realize these are rarely entirely accurate, but the point is I was told the car was never in an accident and purchased the vehicle under the same assumption.

I have since contacted the dealer I bought the car from and told him the story. He politely told me he would "not participate" in my situation since so much time had passed since the time I bought the car until the time this issue arose.

I almost wonder if I am being unreasonable. It has been two years and I can't prove that they knew it was in an accident before they sold it to me. Nor can I really prove (short of displaying my financial records for the past two years) that this damage did not occur while I was the owner.

Anyway, I am filing a complaint with the Illinois Attorny General's office. It's all I can do at this point I think.

psuaudi

Selling a car to you that has been in an accident while telling you that it is not is immoral and unethical. You should remind them that you would NOT have purchased the car had you known that it was in an accident, and certainly not at the price you paid. In effect, since they did not tell you (oh and dealerships know very easily), they lied to you and did not act in a professional manner, which suggests that they 'stole' from you.

In Pennsylvania, it is illegal for a dealership to sell a car that has been in an accident without disclosing that it has been in one. You should remind them that when you sell the car, you have to disclose that it was in an accident or suffer the possibility of legal action towards you once it leaves your hands.

Let them know that this was not a private sale, but a transaction that took place at a professional place of business. If they are unwilling to help out in the situation, then calmly let them know that you will be informing everyone that you know of their unscrupulous principles, their unethical business practices, and that you will be filing complaints with the Better Business Bereau and the Attorney's General Office.

Talk to them again and make sure that you speak with the General Manager. At all times, be calm and understanding, and let them know that this is purely about money.

If they are still rude, tell them that you will be consulting a lawyer, and see how they react...you don't necessarily have to do so because what you get back will likely not even cover the expenses, but it is still a threat...

Good luck.

by the way:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/02/il_used_car_data.html

psuaudi

in addition, you can contact carfax as well.