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I put a deposit down for a Lexus GS, when going over the car I noticed some typical very minor stuff that would be expected for a 6 year old car.
The only thing that I was adamant about was fixing a slightly sagging front right bumper, see image. The sales person said it would be fixed, there was never any doubt.
Now, the Lexus main dealer, is saying they can’t repair and would require a new bumper, which they won’t do.
Are they pulling my arm? Does it really need a new bumper?
I’m planning on pushing back. I put a deposit down with the expectation it would be fixed.
Any tips?
I was really excited about becoming a Lexus owner but this has taken any excitement out of it ;/
Did you get the promise to fix in writing? Did they dealer give you a Carfax report? I'd like to know if the truck was ever in a collision.
Not in writing, was just verbal. Which naturally in hindsight makes me feel a bit silly. Figured I could trust a Lexus dealer to look after an approved used car.
No reported collisions. I would assume that if there was a serious collision causing real damage that the bumper would show damage?
That looks like it's just missing a screw but u need to check if the car has been involved in an accident cause there's no reason for that screw to be removed unless they need to do a front end repair.
Replacing the bumper seems extreme, unless there's damage behind it that we aren't seeing. Otherwise I would have just thought it was a broken clip. I wouldn't buy it without knowing what the issue is.
@mamba - How did you make the deposit - Check, credit card, cash?
Was it your understanding that the dealership would hold your deposit for a period of time until you decided whether to complete the transaction, or not?
You should inform the dealership (salesperson, sales manager) that you are not at all happy with the broken promise and you are no longer interested in buying the car. That may make them go ahead and fix the bumper to your satisfaction!
If necessary, you should put a 'stop payment' on the check or 'dispute' the credit card charge, or verbally demand the cash back.
That looks like it's just missing a screw but u need to check if the car has been involved in an accident cause there's no reason for that screw to be removed unless they need to do a front end repair.
Originally Posted by JDR76
Replacing the bumper seems extreme, unless there's damage behind it that we aren't seeing. Otherwise I would have just thought it was a broken clip. I wouldn't buy it without knowing what the issue is.
Wicklow? As in Ireland?
Yep Wicklow, Ireland
I ran a cartel check (equivalent to carfax AFAIK) and no reported issues.
Without damage to the bumper, it doesn’t look repaired or resprayed etc then I’m struggling to think how it would have been in a serious crash requiring repairs behind the bumper cover?
Should this be a relatively cheap fix? (Assuming nothing more underneath)
Originally Posted by bclexus
@mamba - How did you make the deposit - Check, credit card, cash?
Was it your understanding that the dealership would hold your deposit for a period of time until you decided whether to complete the transaction, or not?
You should inform the dealership (salesperson, sales manager) that you are not at all happy with the broken promise and you are no longer interested in buying the car. That may make them go ahead and fix the bumper to your satisfaction!
If necessary, you should put a 'stop payment' on the check or 'dispute' the credit card charge, or verbally demand the cash back.
It was with a debit card. The intent of the deposit was to secure the car, it’s just standard practice here.
But yea thanks for the advice, I’m going to call in the morning.
The screw should only cost about $2 USD and it's a 1 minute job. 5 mins max.
The bumper looks to be in great shape. Can u pull it a bit further so we can see the tab where the screw goes? If that tab is broken then it's a different story.
I would ask why the bumper can't be repaired and obtain specifics of what the issue is (i.e. broken tab). If they can't repair then a competent body shop would be able to find a way, either through the OEM attachment point or creating another spot. I had a prior car where this was the case and I never noticed it was an aftermarket job until I pulled the bumper for the first time.
The bumper might have clipped a stop bump and the driver reversed. Check if any other tabs are broken under the bumper.
This and the picture posted above with the red circle indicates that the bumper was indeed pulled down and out. It might have been pulled up onto a flatbed tow truck and they dragged the front bumper. I almost had a tow truck do this with my car. It can probably be repaired with a plastic welder and SS mesh. Not something I would want to do when buying car. I would rather find one without any damage.
This and the picture posted above with the red circle indicates that the bumper was indeed pulled down and out. It might have been pulled up onto a flatbed tow truck and they dragged the front bumper. I almost had a tow truck do this with my car. It can probably be repaired with a plastic welder and SS mesh. Not something I would want to do when buying car. I would rather find one without any damage.
I did this with a 2010 Gs460 that I no longer own. Was in a car park and they used long bolts (incorrect length) to secure the bump stops. You can’t see it when parking, so basically had the bumper pulled out when backing out. Now I’m very careful parking sedans and would rather stick the tail out then going right up against a kerb.
The bumper might have clipped a stop bump and the driver reversed. Check if any other tabs are broken under the bumper.
Is what I think too. Got bumped hard some how. No big deal at all. Anybody should be able to readjust and tighten.
It's underneath. Who would ever know it when pulled back up fixed? If was a accident there would be way more other tell tail signs. If that inner wheel well panel is remove it will tell the whole story. I would take it and ask them to reduce the price some.
08-24-22, 01:14 PM
Sagging bumper and broken promises
