Accident damaged car

[ArtyLoop]

At the same time people should also stop freaking out about vehicles having been in accidents.

Even buying a brand new car you wouldn’t know if it fell off the truck or not.

Sorry but I don't agree with you, and please don't take it personally because I think you're quite an awesome forum member. But I do not agree here.

Other forms of purchase have recourse against this sort of thing, so, just because its a car doesn't mean its something special. I do agree that cars are seen as disposable items.

The kinds of damage that can be safely not disclosed to the customer is a small list.
Usually software fixes
Dents and scratches
Broken accessories

But when it comes to structual damage, I am not sure the manufacturer will allow such a vehicle to go out to the dealership.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Sorry but I don't agree with you, and please don't take it personally because I think you're quite an awesome forum member. But I do not agree here.

Other forms of purchase have recourse against this sort of thing, so, just because its a car doesn't mean its something special. I do agree that cars are seen as disposable items.

The kinds of damage that can be safely not disclosed to the customer is a small list.
Usually software fixes
Dents and scratches
Broken accessories

But when it comes to structual damage, I am not sure the manufacturer will allow such a vehicle to go out to the dealership.

Again nowhere in the OP was that made evident.

I fully agree that if the car was in a serious accident then customer's should be made aware of it. In fact it shouldn't be repaired at all and just scrapped never to be sold again.

But if dealerships had to declare every little minor bumper bash then they would never be able to sell any second hand cars.

Also a car that was in such a serious accident will be quite easy to figure out if you just did basic due diligence upon purchase.

My objection is not against people not wanting to drive/buy SERIOUSLY accident damaged cars. My objection is that people hear the word "accident" and then lose their minds without looking any deeper.

I would warrant the majority of cars sold second hand (and quite a few even new) have had repairs done to them. An "accident" would have involved a third party which is also quite possibly why nobody bothers to declare such things if there was no such thing.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Actually, AFAIK it's illegal to withhold accident info, so even if it was a R2k bumper bash on a Suzuki Alto, it has to be mentioned (if the dealers knows about it).

On the car, I agree. I actually have a sneaky suspicion it's a BMW 235i, so while it's not a write-off value, it's still a relatively lekker boop.

Then we have to define "accident". Also where is this wording exactly? Not saying it doesn't exist but I would like to have a good look at it because it might define very specific criteria like a "serious accident" and even then that is left wide open to interpretation.

So if the dealer bumped the car inside their own garage against say a pillar and no third party was involved and therefore there was no police case and no insurance claim...was the car ever really in an accident that could/should be declared?

 

[SauRoNZA]

The issue here is not the value of repairs and damages, the issue is not disclosing such information to me as a buyer which is a requirement by law, the vehicle was repaired at a BMW approved panelbeater, I was lied to by the dealer who sold me the car, who knew it was repaired because they bought, repaired and sold me the vehicle.

Show me the law please.

 

[Gaz{M}]

The issue here is not the value of repairs and damages, the issue is not disclosing such information to me as a buyer which is a requirement by law, the vehicle was repaired at a BMW approved panelbeater, I was lied to by the dealer who sold me the car, who knew it was repaired because they bought, repaired and sold me the vehicle.

Ok, so it was a BMW. Now we are getting somewhere. Now what was repaired? My wife had her slightly dented door replaced at R26 000 in 2012. My one plastic bumper cost R17 000. They are stupidly expensive to repair.

 

[Toxxyc]

It's a 235i, isn't it?

 

[FiestaST]

Lol

Why is the oke so vague?

 

[ToxicBunny]

The issue here is not the value of repairs and damages, the issue is not disclosing such information to me as a buyer which is a requirement by law, the vehicle was repaired at a BMW approved panelbeater, I was lied to by the dealer who sold me the car, who knew it was repaired because they bought, repaired and sold me the vehicle.

Actually I am not 100% sure there is a requirement in law for them to disclose that fact.

Its more about not disclosing patent defects etc.. so if the job was merely cosmetic, there shouldn't be any defects in the car itself.