MSMLexIS

Heres the story. April 3rd 2007 i purchased a 2002 Lexus IS300 from a local Lexus dealer(wont say the name for theres and my security im now in the market for a new car go to the Benz dealer to look at new car they appraise my car and it comes back that my car has been in an accident. When i bout the car in 2007 i was told that the car was not involved in any car accidents also the dates on the carfax dont match the service dates and it looks like im the 3rd owner of this car and not the second owner as i was told. Do you think i should notify the dealer or call Lexus customer service. Do i have a valid complaint or am i stuck. This is causing me to not get a fair trade in for my car.

LexFather

I would first notify the dealer they sold a car that basically was NOWHERE the one you thought you were buying. So it was involved in an accident and you are the 3rd owner?

More than likely a lawyer might need to be involved here if they do not comply, that was shady selling.

SilverBull

That thread is confusing to read.

RON430

You are sixteen months after your purchase. Unless we are talking about tens of thousands of dollars here (and we know we aren't) I wouldn't think about getting a lawyer involved. And you will have to prove that the Lexus dealer knew that the car had been damaged, might be tough. Going to be difficult to get anywhere IMO. Don't know about VA but in Cali there are some state agencies for consumer protection that might be able to do something, but I even doubt that as we are over a year after the transaction date. Caveat emptor.

MSMLexIS

I dont know if i have a leg to stand on guys like everyone is saying its been over a year since ive had the car. Ive only put 11,000 since i bought it. On the car fax the date of the accident is Feb 2003 and it says carfax bean reporting this info on 5/06/2005. Im calling Lexus customer service to see what they say.

Faymester

that was confusing but i think i get it:

you bought an IS300 and they gave you false info on the car (which you didn't know at the time). you are now trading the IS for a Benz and and find out the proper info on the IS.

there are 2 options here: the Lexus dealer shafted you before or the Benz dealer is shafting you now.

either way, I think you're screwed because unless you want to get a lawyer envolved (which is a lot of hassle & waste of time ... and as RON430 said: not worth it unless we're talking about big money, which we aren't) you must now deal with the situation as it is.

JiBBeL

iTrader: (2)

Unfortunately, you ain't got a leg to stand on. I've been thru this crap before with a Toyota dealership when buying a used RX. Basically, the attorney/court fees are going to end up being more than it is worth. Consider it an expensive lesson in car buying. Do your own background check on a car next time and assume that everything out of a dealer's mouth is a lie.

mmarshall

What kind of accident does the M-B dealership say the car was involved in? An "accident" can be anything from a bumper scratch to serious damage costing many thousands of dollars. Also, did you look the car over thoroughly at the Lexus dealership when you bought it? Accident repair often leaves tell-tale signs.

MSMLexIS

mmarshall im so glad that you responded to this post. You are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to car buying a dealers. Also you ak the right questions before making a statement. I really appreciate that. Heres what happened. On the carfax it says the car was inspected after an accident damage to left front an inspection is reccomended. The MB dealer rep said that the fender on the car was repainted and they did a really bad job on it the car is black so its hard to see. Also the rear bumper was replaced and the tailights dont match one is black and one is chrome which makes me think the car may have had a more serious accident. I think i was sold a car for a price its not worth and im having a problem now getting rid of the car i feel like im stuck.

mmarshall

Thanks. You don't have to wait for a formal response. You can PM me anytime with a question....that is what the PM's are for.


Black, because of its tendency to accentuate almost any kind of imperfection in paint texture or glossiness, is quite difficult to match perfectly on a repaint, especially the standard jet-black color, which differs from black metallic or black "Pearl" tones. Often, a jet-black repaint, especially a cheaper or poor-quality job, will show small ripples, "orange-peel texture" and slightly less gloss than a factory-original job.

Check for any differences in the two front tires and wheels. If the left-front of the car was accident-damaged, as they say, and the damage was bad enough to have affected the tire/wheel, the left-front wheel may have been replaced and be newer-looking than the right-front one, with less dirt, dust, scratches, etc...on it, as will the tire (unless, of course, the tires have been rotated in the meantime with routine maintenance). Also, check under the left-front wheel for new-looking suspension parts, steering arm, etc... that may have been replaced as well.

If you say the taillights don't match, I'm not sure I follow you....you say one is black and one chrome? I can't imagine a body shop that would put two different taillights on the back of the same car. But if you suspect that is the case, then look at other rear-end parts too....especially the two rear fenders, and see if the black paint textures and finish match on both. If they don't, then you may have something. The bozos who repainted the rear (if that was the case) may not have masked off the taillight chrome like they should have before spraying the black paint. That could (?) explain the difference in the taillights.

RON430

I'm curious about this tail light issue as well. If there were some significant difference in the taillights when you picked the car up over a year ago, what made you think it didn't have some sort of damage or repair done? And not by the world's greatest repair shop at that.

If you are pursuing the type of damage/repair to go back to Lexus, good luck. If you are now pursuing the damage level to get the MB dealer to reconsider his price for it, I wish you even more good luck because I don't think you stand any chance there at all. You might find another MB dealer to give you more, although I doubt it, or you can start looking at selling it yourself. You will want to disclose what you know and you won't get top dollar but you should do better than what the dealer will give you. It is just going to take some work on your part.

pbm317

Add another person that's confused with the taillight comment...

I don't think you'll have a claim. I'm surprised it seems you didn't do a lot of research, carfax, etc on the used IS when you bought it. Most of the regulars on the forums are fairly knowledgeable about what steps to take when looking into used cars.

Unless it's in writing somewhere that the car was not in an accident and you're the 2nd owner, I would think it's a done deal.

Just my two cents

2002GGPIS3

No the tailights make sense. On the 2001 IS300 the tailights are chrome almost white, then on some 2002's the tailights are darker, then 2003 onwards all IS300's have darker tailights. I think someone replaced one tailight with a 2001"chrome" one, and the other with a 2002-05 "black" one. Both tailights fit the exact same way.

RON430

What doesn't make sense to us is such an obvious sign of repair being done and him not realizing the car had been in an accident. And a repair being done by a shop that misses such an obvious issue is not a way to slide this past Mercedes, or anyone, as an undamaged car. Unless of course there is some modder out there convincing people that taillights that don't match is the next big craze.

UberNoob

is the sales man that sold u the car still working there?