4B Viper
Enthusiast
Used car dealer didn\'t disclose accident- NEED ADVICE!
Just got my 01 ACR w/ 6100 miles on Sat. and took it to Dan Cragin at DC Performance today for a check up. To my dismay, he let me know that my Viper had been in an accident.
When I had purchased the Viper from the dealer, I asked if there was anything about the history that I should know of. He basically told me that the car was pretty much brand new and that there was only one owner (I later found out there was actually two- the second owner getting the car at 1300 miles). To my untrained eyes, the car looked beautiful so I took his word for it since it had so few miles.
After checking out the Viper, here's what Dan found:
1) Front and rear fascias and the rear quarter panel had been repainted.
2) Headlights out of alignment
3) Front fascia out of adjustment causing an excessive gap between the hood and the fascia.
4) Hood out of alignment, hitting the headlights in one corner.
5) Rear tail light body panel surround loose.
6) Noticed there was a slight curve in the frame, but it was not bent.
Other than that, he recommended that the brake and clutch fluid and the cooling system be flushed.
Taking the Viper to the body shop, the estimate was $7,500 to fix #3-5.
What protection do I have as a consumer since the dealer didn't disclose that the Viper had been in an accident? Also, what if the used car dealer himself was not aware that it had been in an accident? I'm planning on visiting the dealer in person on Sunday after the South Coast Slither to talk to him in person. What should my demands be or how should this be handled? Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Just got my 01 ACR w/ 6100 miles on Sat. and took it to Dan Cragin at DC Performance today for a check up. To my dismay, he let me know that my Viper had been in an accident.
When I had purchased the Viper from the dealer, I asked if there was anything about the history that I should know of. He basically told me that the car was pretty much brand new and that there was only one owner (I later found out there was actually two- the second owner getting the car at 1300 miles). To my untrained eyes, the car looked beautiful so I took his word for it since it had so few miles.
After checking out the Viper, here's what Dan found:
1) Front and rear fascias and the rear quarter panel had been repainted.
2) Headlights out of alignment
3) Front fascia out of adjustment causing an excessive gap between the hood and the fascia.
4) Hood out of alignment, hitting the headlights in one corner.
5) Rear tail light body panel surround loose.
6) Noticed there was a slight curve in the frame, but it was not bent.
Other than that, he recommended that the brake and clutch fluid and the cooling system be flushed.
Taking the Viper to the body shop, the estimate was $7,500 to fix #3-5.
What protection do I have as a consumer since the dealer didn't disclose that the Viper had been in an accident? Also, what if the used car dealer himself was not aware that it had been in an accident? I'm planning on visiting the dealer in person on Sunday after the South Coast Slither to talk to him in person. What should my demands be or how should this be handled? Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
