[GTBrandon]

So to start off, I bought my 2014 335xi GT in November from a reputable local dealer in MD which was rated in the excellence awards by BMW NA this year. I was originally looking on Manheim for a good deal but came across this vehicle for around the same price as auction and upon inspection seemed like a clean car and good purchase. The car had a clean CarFax, and was CPO'd by BMW.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, I had my car on a lift and noticed the front bumper had been repainted in some spots. I assumed this was due to some curb scrapes and minor incidents, so I brushed it off and minuscule.

Now a week ago, I had my car dynoed and was informed of some not so great information about my car from somebody who's been around these models for the past 20 years.

1) There had been a previously cleared code from the airbag system most likely related to either the bumper being removed without the battery disconnected, or an actual airbag going off.

2) The entire front side of the car had been repainted, see pictures below for proof.


3) The accident was more severe than I thought because the body panels now have uneven gaps on each side.

4) The driver's door does not close properly upon close inspection.


So here's my dilemma, I was under the impression from the dealership that nothing was wrong with the vehicle, and that they had performed a full check up to ensure this.

I do not know if the price was so attractive because they knew of these faults and decided not to disclose them to me, or if it was simply a good deal for an unwanted vehicle (given that is was a GT).

I am wondering what the best course of action would be, and if anyone has ever experienced something like this. I am not comfortable knowing this as it will affect resale in the future, and might cause issues with the car mechanically down the road. I am wondering if it is too much to request a buy back from the dealership, considering it has only been 4months since the purchase.


Link for all images:

View post on imgur.com

[F30MGM]

Not the first time I've seen a CPO like this. Buddy of mine bought a cpo Cadillac and his whole quarter panel was repainted. Bumper was falling apart too. Best thing to do is talk to your Ca about it.

[Billfitz]

Does the CPO contract state that the car was never in an accident? If so the dealer would have to take it back. If not you're pretty much at his mercy.

[Uber Commuter]

I'm guessing the original owner had the repairs done with cash to keep it off the carfax/vehicle history. The Dealership most likely didn't know about it.

That said; a good tech should probably have caught the inconsistencies, but can't fault them for just following the checklist:

http://resource.bmwusa.com/pdf_988f0...cd9e87fc2.arox

Also, this is a little older from the looks of it, but gives a general idea of how they check the car out:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/att...hmentid=200512

My suggestion would be to take the car back to that dealer, point out your areas of concern, and discuss with the manager. Then a call to BMW USA if you feel like they aren't taking care of it?

[zcspec]

First off, I am sorry that you received such surprising information. Unfortunately, these things happen all the time. In 2015, I bought an Audi with less than 3K miles on it; killer price to boot, from a reputable Audi dealership. They showed me the CarFax and everything came up clean so I purchased.

Fast forward a year later...shortly after purchasing my wife's X3, I went to trade in my Audi and was informed by a dealership that it had an accident on it. I was speechless and felt like a fool. This quickly turned into frustration because I felt like the original dealership cheated me. I then proceeded to the Audi dealership with Carfax in hand and went directly to the lead sales manager. I explained to them that this is was completely unacceptable. The sales manager gave me reasons as to why the accident may not have showed up on the Carfax so I gave them the benefit of the doubt. After 2 hours of arguing, I made them buy back my Audi.

They agree to offer me high KBB and offered me another 5% on top of the value. Was this what I paid for the car? No, but it was substantially higher than what any dealership would give me. Yes, I lost money, but not nearly as much as I would have if it had a clean title. I ended up selling it to a broker who absorbed the bad Carfax and picked up my current F30.

I would recommend you see if the dealership will buy back the car. If they knew it had issues, it's not right that they did not disclose this to you. In essence, they are making you absorb the diminished value because it does have a bad Carfax.

[Orion4]

OP stated the car had a clean Carfax. Carfax is only as good as the information reported to them from State DMVs, Insurance companies, State Law Enforcement and repair shops. The weakest link are the independent repair shops since who knows how many report and to what degree of accuracy.
I've used Carfax a number of times and it does provide some valuable info, but always back it up with an independent inspection by a reputable shop before buying.

[Spiderm0n]

That sucks.

Three lessons: don't trust carfax, don't believe the CPO hype, get the car inspected before buying.

[MuffinMan910]

That sucks OP. Like others have said I wouldnt always trust carfax. When I got my car I went around the entire car with a paint depth meter... the only way of seeing what's been repainted

I would have thought the dealer should have caught these though as some are fairly noticeable. Especially to someone who looks at f30s all day long. Hopefully your dealer takes care of this somehow

[Beek]

I've never bought a CPO before so I'm not exactly sure what they are certifying but I would be talking to an Attorney at the first hint of resistance from the selling Dealer or BMW NA, this is totally unacceptable!

[NitroLX]

Just out of curiosity, doesn't car fax have something like this where if you buy a car with something that was not reported they help you or something?

[GoodNewsEveryOne]

Originally Posted by Orion4

OP stated the car had a clean Carfax. Carfax is only as good as the information reported to them from State DMVs, Insurance companies, State Law Enforcement and repair shops. The weakest link are the independent repair shops since who knows how many report and to what degree of accuracy.
I've used Carfax a number of times and it does provide some valuable info, but always back it up with an independent inspection by a reputable shop before buying.

Yup. They only report information they've received. I was in a low speed accident with my old Subaru but required replacement of hood, bumper, and grill so not terribly cheap. I ran a CarFax on it before I traded it in and it said it had never been in an accident.

[GTBrandon]

Originally Posted by NitroLX

Just out of curiosity, doesn't car fax have something like this where if you buy a car with something that was not reported they help you or something?

Interesting thought! Doubt they would cover anything because as others have posted, it is easy to get the car repaired without being on carfax. But worth a shot!

[Uber Commuter]

Carfax guarantees any car it reports as clean against defects, but not against unreported damages.

go to the dealer

[MUFCbmwbear]

More Shady CPO stuff.
Always have Third party Vehicle Inspection when buying used.

[Y0tsuya]

Dealers don't know many things about the used vehicles they sell. Last year I went to a VW dealer to see a used Fiat 500 I plan to use to teach my wife MT. As I attempted to back out from the parking space for a test drive I found out the gearbox is shot and the car won't move.

[50shadesofhockenheim]

Sounds like my last situation..

Bought a 135i back in September and sold it the next month..

Lol at you people thinking a 3rd party inspection will guarantee everything as well. I had one done and they didn't see the damage and problems.

I don't trust any inspections or dealers anymore

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by Spiderm0n

That sucks.

Three lessons: don't trust carfax, don't believe the CPO hype, get the car inspected before buying.

+1

I know that advice is too late now though. From here, approach the dealer and see what they say.

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by Spiderm0n

That sucks.

Three lessons: don't trust carfax, don't believe the CPO hype, get the car inspected before buying.

+1

I know that advice is too late now though. From here, approach the dealer and see what they say.

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by Spiderm0n

That sucks.

Three lessons: don't trust carfax, don't believe the CPO hype, get the car inspected before buying.

+1

I know that advice is too late now though. From here, approach the dealer and see what they say.

[Buzzo]

So a car gets inspected for CPO by someone who stands to gain from passing said inspection and selling the car for as much as possible. Of course a third party inspection doesn't guarantee existing problems will be found, but at least there is no or less of an incentive to not disclose any such problems. In a way the OP is lucky to have found out, because my guess is the vast majority of these shenanigans are never found out.

[Orion4]

Originally Posted by Uber Commuter

Carfax guarantees any car it reports as clean against defects, but not against unreported damages.

go to the dealer

CARFAX Guarantee is ONLY for DMV related data, nothing else!

Here's the quoted statement from Carfax.com:

"Plus, the exclusive CARFAX Buyback Guarantee reduces the risk involved in buying a used car. If the CARFAX Report fails to include a DMV-issued branded title (such as salvage, fire or flood damage, and odometer problems), CARFAX may buy the vehicle back for the full purchase price*. You can also use the free CARFAX Lemon Check to help avoid cars with problems".

[Gearhog]

I know for a fact that a certain level of accident is acceptable for CPO. However I don't know the exact policy.