HELP! Undisclosed damage

[EA1205]

Hello all. So glad to have this community and this is my first post. I need help!

Bought a facelift 2016 Model S in February of this year. I asked for service history and CarFax from my sales contact and he provided a clean CarFax (except for it having been towed in January 2017), but not the service history. He said it could not be disclosed. He did tell me on the phone that the car had no record of repairs and was a previous lease. He said it received a 4.7 out of 5 rating from Tesla on its condition.

Took delivery in february and the car looked good to the average Joe. The delivery associate was not very knowledgeable, but I had educated myself plenty about the car beforehand and was not concerned. The car was also dirty when we picked it up as well. Shameful, but we still took it.

Shortly thereafter, I removed the front license plate bracket to install and aftermarket one and noticed there was a ring of clear coat around it and that the bumper had been painted. SC refused to fix this and said “we do not warranty paint.” So I left and scheduled a new appointment when I had time.

My friend is a GM of a Tesla certified body shop, and in 15 seconds, he was able to show me that the hood and left fender had been removed from the car and the bumper painted while it was on the car. Shoddy paint work, not to Tesla standards. He said that since it is aluminum construction, the front end of the car is likely damaged and needs to be measured. I have 2 kids and a wife that are in that car daily.

SC says that the “body gaps are within spec” and I need to take the car back. I refused to take it back, and requested a body shop measure the car and check for damage. They keep telling me that they won’t and that it is “good to go.” I don’t know what else to do except to get a lawyer at this point. I was sold a vehicle with undisclosed damage and now it will have diminished significantly in value. PLEASE HELP.

 

[Shateam]

Pictures would help.

There some instances when the car comes from the factory with a paint defect or damage and is sent to a certified body shop for corrections before the original owner takes delivery. Could be the case with your car. Not sure if this would show up on the carfax.

 

[Snowstorm]

Paint work doesn’t necessarily mean damage. My 2017 went to the shop to fix a factory paint defect after I took delivery. Tesla would be able to tell you from their logs if there has been a crash event. If you want, ask them to put down on paper that they know it hasn’t been in a crash.

 

[TSLA Pilot]

Life is short.

You purchased a USED car, not a NEW car, at a huge discount from new.

If this is such a big deal, then next time, buy a NEW car at much greater cost.

Tesla doesn't hire people to sit around and record every little detail on their cars, they are trying to save our planet by converting ground transport to zero-GHG emissions. They're going to pass the buck because you purchased a USED car that, had you not been told had been partially repainted, you wouldn't have ever known . . . .

Just get in and drive it; enjoy the ride.

 

[ewoodrick]

I assume that the car was sold as-is. Not much recourse. A clean CarFax doesn't guarantee a car has never been wrecked, just never reported in a wreck

 

[dk10438]

Paint work doesn’t mean an accident. In fact, even new cars are sold with paintwork repairs from damage incurred in transit. If it’s a big deal then you should invest in an elcometer. I have one an use it on every car I take delivery on, new and used....

 

[PWlakewood]

I assume that the car was sold as-is. Not much recourse. A clean CarFax doesn't guarantee a car has never been wrecked, just never reported in a wreck

Agreed. Nothing can be done at this point

 

[P85_DA]

I assume that the car was sold as-is. Not much recourse. A clean CarFax doesn't guarantee a car has never been wrecked, just never reported in a wreck

I don’t completely trust carfax either autocheck usually shows more ..but like others have said enjoy the car !

 

[PWlakewood]

I don’t completely trust carfax either autocheck usually shows more ..but like others have said enjoy the car !

As you shouldn't. Unreported damage/repair does not show up on any report. My S had a clear carfax but Tesla has record of paint repair on the front bumper.

 

[EA1205]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I had a Tesla certified body shop rep look at the car and he said it’s obvious that it has been involved in an accident due to the fender and hood having been off of the car and shifted from its original position, and the bumper being painted. He said that because the car is all aluminum construction, it doesn’t bend in an accident like a steel frame vehicle, and because the bumper was painted while it was still on the car, it very likely hasn’t been checked to see if the frame is compromised. That has to be measured at a body shop with a tram gauge. He also said that due to the location of the airbag sensor behind the bumper support, if it is shifted, it may not deploy properly.

Part of Tesla’s 70 point inspection is “no signs of structural repairs”, but come to find out, it has plenty. I understand I bought a used vehicle, but their inspection should have revealed an accident and not have been sold at a price point of a used MS that hasn’t been in one. Doesn’t seem like I should be taking the depreciation hit that they missed.

I don’t rely solely on CarFax either, but I would expect a luxury car company like Tesla to be able to see this on an inspection and not tell me during the buying process that, “we have no record of any repairs. It got a 4.7 out of 5 rating for quality.”

Aside from that, I brought the car in with the feeling that it has undisclosed damage and that I don’t feel safe putting my wife and kids in the car and they refuse to send it to the body shop to check the frame alignment. I know they don’t want to show that they missed it, but at least admit when you’ve possibly made a mistake and take it on the chin.

I uploaded some pictures to show the hood has been shifted and the fender bolts stripped of paint. Also the clear coat sprayed up to the license plate bracket that is no longer there. Can’t imagine any other explanation than an accident that these panels have been moved and painted.

 

[ahkahn]

How can you be so sure that Tesla even knew it had been in an accident and didn't just take it on trade-in, refurbish it, and then put it up for resale? I agree with all above - there is a legal term for this implied possibility when buying a used vehicle - caveat emptor.

By law they should have let you take the used vehicle for an independent inspection... but you never asked for that.

My assumption is that even though the vehicle has [allegedly] been repaired, that it is fine. Keep in mind that unlike an ICE car there is no engine that can get jacked up. Tesla has run their diagnostics on the battery and motors, so if there was a residual problem they would know and fix. Plus, used Teslas come with an extended warranty, so if any of that has problems they will fix them.

You're good... enjoy your new car!

 

[PWlakewood]

Those bolts are meant to be adjusted by whoever whether it's a shop or an individual and does not solely indicate that the car has been involved in an accident. Those gaps are also not a sign of any repair work done as many new teslas off the line came with gaps same or worse than that. There is no depreciation to the value as long as it was repaired to factory specs and or like conditon prior to any damage. Having a bumper repainted is very very very common if there are rock chips and other issues that can be addressed with new paint or clear coat.

 

[P85_DA]

at. There is no depreciation to the value as long as it was repaired

Also there is no carfax record

 

[PWlakewood]

@OP

If there is any damage to the frame or other structural parts then any reputable shop would be able to spot it and tell you if it's been repaired at all. I would suggest a Tesla certified shop or other high end body shop. As far as the clearcoat under the plate that should be an easy fix for a body shop to sand and buff the clear coat to match the newer clear coat.

 

[SDRick]

I think you are fine but if you are still nervous about it and Tesla won't measure for damage pay an independent shop to measure it for you. If there is frame damage you may have recourse with the prior owner.

 

[Super_Popular]

carfax is a joke, always has been always will be

truth about carfax - Google Search

 

[swegman]

Since you are concerned about the car being in an accident and Tesla won’t send it to a body shop to be measured, ask your friend who is a GM at a Tesla certified shop to measure it and pay his shop for the work, requesting a written report of their findings. If it turns out everything is fine, attribute the cost for the review to the cost of looking for a used car to buy. If they give you a written report indicating the car was in an accident, present the written report to Tesla and request an adjustment to the purchase price (or, perhaps, something like an extended warranty or extra tires and rims, etc).

 

[mswlogo]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I had a Tesla certified body shop rep look at the car and he said it’s obvious that it has been involved in an accident due to the fender and hood having been off of the car and shifted from its original position, and the bumper being painted. He said that because the car is all aluminum construction, it doesn’t bend in an accident like a steel frame vehicle, and because the bumper was painted while it was still on the car, it very likely hasn’t been checked to see if the frame is compromised. That has to be measured at a body shop with a tram gauge. He also said that due to the location of the airbag sensor behind the bumper support, if it is shifted, it may not deploy properly.

Part of Tesla’s 70 point inspection is “no signs of structural repairs”, but come to find out, it has plenty. I understand I bought a used vehicle, but their inspection should have revealed an accident and not have been sold at a price point of a used MS that hasn’t been in one. Doesn’t seem like I should be taking the depreciation hit that they missed.

I don’t rely solely on CarFax either, but I would expect a luxury car company like Tesla to be able to see this on an inspection and not tell me during the buying process that, “we have no record of any repairs. It got a 4.7 out of 5 rating for quality.”

Aside from that, I brought the car in with the feeling that it has undisclosed damage and that I don’t feel safe putting my wife and kids in the car and they refuse to send it to the body shop to check the frame alignment. I know they don’t want to show that they missed it, but at least admit when you’ve possibly made a mistake and take it on the chin.

I uploaded some pictures to show the hood has been shifted and the fender bolts stripped of paint. Also the clear coat sprayed up to the license plate bracket that is no longer there. Can’t imagine any other explanation than an accident that these panels have been moved and painted.

If you don’t feel safe with the family in the car because you see evidence of repaint, then like others said, you should not be buying used, all bets are off on used. Even a demo with a 100 miles is suspect and why I only buy new. It’s not worth the savings to me.

Even Tesla might not know some work was done. I never make claims on insurance unless it’s over $5k to keep history on the car clean.

It’s unlikely there was a major accident. Possibly a fender bender fixed off the books.

 

[PWlakewood]

I think you are fine but if you are still nervous about it and Tesla won't measure for damage pay an independent shop to measure it for you. If there is frame damage you may have recourse with the prior owner.

No recourse to the prior owner unless you mean Tesla if that's where he purchased it from.

 

[SDRick]

No recourse to the prior owner unless you mean Tesla if that's where he purchased it from.

Every time I have returned a car after lease I had to attest that there were no accidents. I would imagine that there would be recourse if someone knowingly withheld that type of information.