I need some advice - "hidden" accident damage!

[Scoob]

Hi all,

As you may know I recently (May 29th) picked up a year old C350 CDI Sport Estate. Car sourced directly from Mercedes Benz Retail, and it was one of their own cars from new, belonging to one of their technicians – I assume as a company car – I was told.

As planned, I popped the car in for a full "New Car Detail" today. This basically consists of applying a Glass Coat protective layer to the car - a real proper job, done by an expert detailer, none of this Star Guard crap.

Anyway, as part of this detailing process, the car first has a full inspection of the paintwork, body etc. I just found out that my car has multiple instances of accident damage and bodged repairs! Here's the short list:

- Crack in front bumper filled and painted (badly) by hand.

- All four wheels have been kerbed and had a dodgy repair, with the wheel being sanded back (1mm form edge) and simply painted – NO LACQUER USED, so wheels will not survive the winter too well. Add to that the colour is wrong.

- Repair on Rear Quarter bumper – painted, but not using MB paint and lacquer. Due to different uv properties, colour difference will become more apparent over time. True of the other painted areas too.

- Dry lacquer & pitting of aftermarket * painted bumper.

- Sanding marks from aftermarket * painting of bumper.

* Aftermarket, as in they've had some guy out in his van, rather than proper paintshop job.

When I looked at this car I explicitly asked if it'd had any repair work done and was told categorically not. When I spotted (if you remember my prior posts) that the near side chrome strip was missing, I queried this again, only to be told it had been missing from new. I now wonder if this was true.

So, I have a car, currently in with the detailer, that's far from perfect with numerous botched repairs. From what I can see, the car needs the following:

- Four new wheels, these ones have been damaged and poorly repaired
- A new front bumper, this one has a crack that was exposed when the car was cleaned. This needs to be properly painted by MB, not by some “Smart Repair” dude, using the wrong paints etc.
- Possibly a new rear bumper due to bodged repair. Not quite so bad, but colour match will be a huge issue as time goes by.

This detailing was to be the final step of getting my car ready for its time with me, yet it's uncovered these issues. I cannot see how the dealer did not know of these, as it's been their car from new, then it was mine. I'm really very angry indeed! Plus I worry that this will be a battle with the dealer to get things sorted – best case it’ll involve a lot more of my time, as it did with the simple missing chrome strip.

F.Y.I. My detailer is preparing an official report of the defects with far more detail. He’s recognised by MB as he does a lot of his work with them, doing proper repairs on customers cars.

If anybody has any thoughts/advice I’d welcome them.

Cheers,

Scoob.

 

[davidsw]

Did you not notice these bodged repairs when you bought the car ?

 

[ianstaley]

I would ask the detailer for a full written report and take the hit and get a RAC vehicle report done too, take both reports back to the dealer and make an official complaint that they misled you by telling you the can had not been in an accident at any time and you want your money back. I would also make a formal complaint against the dealer to Mercedes Benz that their dealer is a) a lier and b) selling substandard goods as perfect MB's IE fraudulently. Make no mistake in law this is fraud. Take it up with your solicitor, make a claim and when you win if they don't pay refer it to the High Court for collection by the court Sheriff. They WILL get your money back and your costs.

 

[Scoob]

Did you not notice these bodged repairs when you bought the car ?

Nope. Car looked ok at first glance. Though I did mention how poorly it'd been cleaned, with tyre black on the wheel rims and water marks from washing on much of the paint. Add to this polish marks inside and out where it'd not been buffed properly. Quite difficult to see defects without close inspection. Plus, I'd been assured that no such work had been done, so I didn't look that close - it was a nearly new Mercedes Benz Retail car after all. Maybe I had more faith in that than I should have.

Regardless, even if not obvious to a layman such as myself - that's why I paid a professional after all - this poor work will degrade very quickly, needing remedial action from MB. I.e. wheels will begin to flake and bubble as they have no lacquer, paint where it's been touched up badly will fade and the colour miss-match become more apparent.

I wonder, how does a bodged repair such as this effect the MB paint and bodywork warranties?

Scoob.

 

[Scoob]

I would ask the detailer for a full written report and take the hit and get a RAC vehicle report done too, take both reports back to the dealer and make an official complaint that they misled you by telling you the can had not been in an accident at any time and you want your money back. I would also make a formal complaint against the dealer to Mercedes Benz that their dealer is a) a lier and b) selling substandard goods as perfect MB's IE fraudulently. Make no mistake in law this is fraud. Take it up with your solicitor, make a claim and when you win if they don't pay refer it to the High Court for collection by the court Sheriff. They WILL get your money back and your costs.

I think the report from the Detailer should be fine, as he works closely with Mercedes so his word carries weight. I'm currently waiting for a call back from the dealer, so we'll see what they say.

What I want is for things to be repaired properly and the dealer to pay for it. I've already invested time and effort into this car and want to keep it.

If their response to this is good, then I'll let them sort it. If not, then I'll be getting legal advice as this is unacceptable - especially as I explicitly asked about such things in the cars history TWICE.

Cheers,

Scoob.

 

[Frontstep]

Could be the user of the car had the car cheaply repaired to cover up their abuse before it was returned to MB for sale.
Then MB would have no official record of accidents or repairs.
Still the car needs bringing up too standard and that and its attendant costs are with MB retail.

 

[Scoob]

Could be the user of the car had the car cheaply repaired to cover up their abuse before it was returned to MB for sale.
Then MB would have no official record of accidents or repairs.
Still the car needs bringing up too standard and that and its attendant costs are with MB retail.

The car was a company car, used from new by one of the technicians working at the dealership. Why they'd not repair one of their own cars properly (and cheaply, it being an internal job) is beyond me. My detailer says that such cheap repairs are not uncommon, unfortunately, and that most makes do similar things to save money. Shocking.

Scoob.

 

[Rory]

Plus, I'd been assured that no such work had been done, so I didn't look that close - it was a nearly new Mercedes Benz Retail car after all. Maybe I had more faith in that than I should have.

It's a pity such a time has elapsed since purchase but you're entitled to put your faith in Mercedes Benz Retail and I would expect that they'll either repair the car to your 100% satisfaction, refund you or replace the car.

 

[Peter C1974]

Wow! When I collected my brand new BMW a couple of years ago I checked and double checked every wheel and panel before signing on the dotted line. The car was flawless but there was no harm in checking.

This is actually a very good post. Whenever anyone is buying a second hand car, regardless where from or what vintage, check it over carefully!

Good luck getting it sorted.

 

[Scoob]

It's a pity such a time has elapsed since purchase but you're entitled to put your faith in Mercedes Benz Retail and I would expect that they'll either repair the car to your 100% satisfaction, refund you or replace the car.

Yes. I'd normally be a little more aware of such things, as I'd have given the car a full clean, polish and detail myself right away. Obviously when you're carefully cleaning and polishing every panel (as my detailer is) you spot these things. However, my reason for buying this car was due to me injuring myself and not being able to do as much as I once could - the auto makes all the difference on long drives, well, any drive really. This means that, at the moment at least, the most I can do is a simple car wash.

Hoping that this will be resolved without too much hassle, but I already feel pretty wound up over this - the last thing I need as I'm still in recovery from my injury!

Scoob.

 

[Xtractorfan]

It was more likely a demonstrator and loaned to every tom, dick n harry who needed a car...........

 

[television]

One thing we do know that is that most MB salesmen do not have a clue about cars. They have sold many cars, and they have been up here with the same kind of damage or worse. Never buy a car in the rain, ever. we also know that MB retail mainly take the surplus cars that have not been valeted.

One thing though bumpers and wheels are not the end of the world, some folk just cannot drive very well.

 

[Some guy on the internet]

When did MB dealerships start giving their technicians new C350 CDI Sport Estates to use?

 

[lwbnick]

When did MB dealerships start giving their technicians new C350 CDI Sport Estates to use?

On the scheme - ultra cheap lease cars for MB UK employees.

That's why painters at Brentford drive around in new CLs...

 

[grober]

Sorta depends on what you call " accident damage" Some might define what you have as "cosmetic damage" as a result minor bumps and scrapes with "objects" not other vehicles. So no "accidents" in common parlance. It sounds like you got a " gofor" car. A dealership car that doubled as a demonstrator/courtesy/ delivery/ general purpose car run perhaps by some dealers workshop. Normally these cars are very low spec but the dealer may have registered this one with one of their staff to achieve sales figures in a quarter. Mercedes dealers often use independent dent/paint repair guys to fettle their forecourt stock because its cheaper than taking up their own bodyshop time. The type of damage you describe fits a car that has had multiple drivers or an owner that didn't look after it. The minor damage wouldn't worry me so much as any mechanical abuse it may have suffered. Enough warning signs for me to move it on ASAP.

 

[Peter C1974]

The type of damage you describe fits a car that has had multiple drivers or an owner that didn't look after it. The minor damage wouldn't worry me so much as any mechanical abuse it may have suffered. Enough warning signs for me to move it on ASAP.

100% agree!

 

[Scoob]

Hey guys,

I wouldn't be surprised if it was a loaner or pool car for anyone to use, though I was told it was this technicians car.

From speaking to the Detailer, he said that the bumper damage - front and back - looks like standard parking scuffs. He mentioned that the front bumper had been damaged, repaired (badly) then damaged yet again before a further repair. How all four wheels got scuffed though...that's some poor driving.

Wheels and bumpers are indeed not the end of the world, however, these issues need to be sorted else the car will simply not last. The wheels will degrade quickly, as they are entirely unprotected, plus the bumpers bodged repairs will become more apparrent over time.

Just had a call back from MB Retail - while typing this - a fairly positive response thus far, very apologetic & seemingly keen to get to the bottom of it.

Scoob.

 

[Bolide]

1 year old car. Bumper repairs & wheel refurb. That's exactly what I'd expect. What did you expect taking a newly-purchased car to a detailer?

If you don't want a car with repairs visible to a detailer I'd buy new or buy secondhand and budget to get the work done to your standards

All this stuff about suspecting mechanical abuse based on the condition of the bumpers is absurd. It's a secondhand car and won't be perfect

Nick Froome

 

[Gary Hanson]

Granted it's not a brand new car, but given the brand and it's supposed providence, I think you're entitled to expect it to be pretty good.

Another idea could be to get a couple of independent quotes for the remedial work, in case you have to get the work done elsewhere and invoice the retailer.

 

[Scoob]

1 year old car. Bumper repairs & wheel refurb. That's exactly what I'd expect. What did you expect taking a newly-purchased car to a detailer?

If you don't want a car with repairs visible to a detailer I'd buy new or buy secondhand and budget to get the work done to your standards

All this stuff about suspecting mechanical abuse based on the condition of the bumpers is absurd. It's a secondhand car and won't be perfect

Nick Froome

Hi Nick,

This is a Mercedes Benz approved used car, that's had non-approved botched repairs performed on it. If the car had been repaired and painted in a proper MB workshop using their own materials, and if the wheels had been replaced then there would be no issue. I've had plenty of nearly new cars with NO botched repairs and the wheels have been pristine. I've also had new cars, that I've run for years, that haven't needed repairs, let alone botched ones.

Note: body was not repaired, it was bodged / covered up, the wheels were not refurbed they were sanded and painted = botched. Non-approved paints and lacquer were used = botched. Not what you'd expect for a car that's supposedly gone through 100's of checks in order to be approved.

I'm very disappointed & really wonder how the hell this car got approved at all.

Scoob.