Returning a used car to a dealer 10 days after purchase?

Question

I bought a 2005 Yukon XL from a Chev dealer. Clean car fax, but after washing it for the first time found it had been in a wreck and fixed. I could see the paint and where they reattached the bumpers. I want to return the car, what should I do?

Answer 1

So far the ony answer here that has any accuracy at all is the Bostonian guy. And if you go to his profile page & take a look at his credentials & expertise ....as opposed to all the other 'expert advice' I think you'll see what I mean.

But I have to add to his legit answer.

Just because you see that a bumper has been reattached &/or painted on a used vehicle doesn't mean its been in some mind boggeling wreck
U.S. federal law requires that a bumper needs to be able to withstand a 2 1/2 mile per hour impact. Most manufacturers exceed that requirement.

If the previous owner backed into a garbage can & scraped the bumper, they may have repaired it befor trading it in & therefor the dealer would have no knowledge of it.

More than likely though, the dealer noticed some minor damage on a trade in , & repaired or replaced parts so the can sell the good looking vehicle that you bought..

There are often minor dings & scratches & scuffs on a used vehicle .....after all, IT WAS USED!.

Dealers do all the reconditioning & replacing parts or tires or brakes or whatever else a vehicle needs , BEFORE you buy it so YOU wont have to.

(I think you may have over reacted to the bumper)

I might also add that no dealer is ever obligated to run a car-fax report , but most reputable dealers will.

Car-fax reports dont show minor damage only MAJOR .

I hope this eases your jitters a little.

Answer 2

A Carfax report will only reveal if the car had a salvage title issued after being totalled. If you can prove that, Carfax will buy the car back from you IF you paid Carfax directly for the report. (They won't cover it if you got a free report from the dealer.)

Unless you can prove that the dealer "washed" the title, you have no claim against the dealer and won't be able to return the car.

Some overspray on the bumper mounts does not prove that the car was seriously wrecked. A pre-purchase inspection by a qualified mechanic may have revealed the extent of the damage. You should have done that before buying it.

BTW, that is NOT covered by any Lemon Law statute. Lemon Laws ONLY apply to manufacturing defects that cannot be repaired after so many tries. They have nothing to do with accident damage repairs.

Answer 3

Car fax guarantees that if the report is clean the car is also clean. Contact both the dealer and car fax, the dealer should have to take back the car if they guranteed it was never wrecked and car fax might give you extra money.

(You may want to get a second opinion from mechanic on if work has actually been done to the car and car fax, I think, won't catch minor damages)

Answer 4

Some states have "lemon laws" and allow you to return used cars within a certain number of days. Research lemon law *your state* tonight on Google and take action first thing tomorrow. You probably have a really quick time limit.

Answer 5

Most dealers have a warranty on their cars, and since you have only had it for 10 days they should have no problem with you returning it. Also, ask them why they failed/avoided to tell you the full history of the vehicle.

Answer 6

Call a lawyer in your area and ask them what they recommend. Different states have vastly different laws. Most stated have a lemon law that would allow you to return it but there might be certain restrictions or rules for making the law eligible in your situation. Good luck.

Answer 7

Just straight go back to the dealer and tell him that he had not told you about its accident and return it to him.You should not feel apologetic ,it was his moral duty to inform you about it.Even if you have to loose some money but return it.

Answer 8

there is a lemon law in Illinois,what you can do,though ,if they won't take the car back,and refund your money,is call the free legal services,and they will help you take them to small claims,which most dealers don't want to go.

Answer 9

Take it back and see what they say.More than likely they will tell you that you cant return it.You may have to get a lawyer

Answer 10

return it and dont take no for an answer . be a jerk because they jerked you around. threaten to call their headquarters. talk to a manager. destroy!