I just picked up a "certified" 2004 NBP with ebony tsx last week with 28k miles on it for $22,500 from Sierra Acura of Alhambra, CA and Im pretty much in love with the car...BUT there have been some complications. The battery died the first day I brought it home becuase apprently it was sitting on the lot for awhile so the battery was drained, so then I had to have the car jumped and drive it back to the dealer the next day so they could check out the electrical system. Then I noticed the top of my trunk doesn't match the rest of the body....its very subtle and you can only tell in sunlight, basically everything has reflective finish but the trunk's finish looks somewhat hazy. So then the salesman does some reseach and told me the lady who leased the car before me had painted it and he was unaware of this at the time of sale. So now I have to talk to the used car manager and plead my case to him hoping they will pay to paint the trunk. Any suggestions on what I should tell the manager? I am not sure how much I have against them because the sale is over and im not sure if previous paint jobs are something that they are responsible for.

 

A painted trunk means the car was not "accident free" which totally voids the purpose of Acura's certification. You should demand a full refund and possibly settle for a big discount.

 

Hey thats weird.. I was going to go test drive that same exact car, but they told me it had just been sold..Anyway good luck with the manager..

 

Absoultely AGREE. Get a lawyer!! I would go for full refund and CAUSE some noise so you can potentially score a better car for less $$$. Its against the law to sell a wrecked car without your knowledge and IF you financed it, your BANK will NOT be happy if the car has been wrecked....

Dont lie, but use the legal system to its fullest potential. Take some photos and go see a lawyer immediately.

-chimchim

 

 

Well about the Battery dying, they are supposed to check that before you drive off the lot and give you certification papers with all the points checked and replaced!!! SO definately make some noise about the Certification not being accurate, and about the paint job!!! You just bought the car, so they are definately responsible!! It's not your problem the dealer wasn't aware that the lady had it painted. That's what they get paid for!! To research the car completely. Definately go back and bust thier chops!! Have them give you a FREE CARFAX REPORT! and if the car has been in an accident then you need to get another car with a major discount!!

 

Yeah I would definitely run a car fax report. Usually a painted trunk means that the vehicle had some kind of cosmetic damage to warrant a repaint. I would demand a huge discount from the dealer. Or just demand a refund if they refuse!

 

Doesn't California have a lemon law for used vehicles?

It's bad enough that the paint job was poorly done. It's not worth it to drive around with a car whose poorly done paint will show even more in a few years, but I would guess that the probably reason for a paint job is a collision, unless someone keyed it.

If the manager is smart, he will reverse the transaction, take the car back, and unload it to some used car dealer or auction house. Info about Lemon Law:

http://www.consumer-action.org/archi...2001_LemonLaw/

 

Here's a better link to the California DMV:

http://www.ca.gov/state/search/dmv/s...?q=lemon&c=DMV

 

well the thing is only the top part of the trunk was painted inncorrectly, the rest of it looks perfectly fine. I just replaced the battery earlier today at Sears and the dealer is going to pay me for it. I have seen the car fax for the car, and it says it has not been in any accidents. Im thinking the damage was so minor that the lady didnt go through insurance, because if she did the trunk would probably have been painted properly. Anyhow they're repainting it this week, anything else I should tell the dealer? (I appreciate the help guys)

 

Tell the car dealer that you want in writing a lifetime warranty on that paint job! Get it in writing!

I've had paint jobs for body repairs done in the past, and as careful as I was in selecting a decent body shop, any number of things can happen that screams out "paint job" a few years down the road. Sometimes the paint and the clear coat look excellent when freshly painted, but please remember that the body-shop paint really needs to cure for some time, ideally in a dust-free and contaminant-free environment--that's not really practical in practice.

A lifetime warranty in writing is your best defense!