You read right. On my trip to Miami, my dads gf daughter got in her moms X5 and backed right into my G which was directly behind her. So Im getting estimates today and one of the guys was like "Has this car been painted?" I was like.. by Infiniti obviously, but other than that.. NO!

I've known to dog Infiniti on here for the poor quality of QA, fit and finish, and paint. Well is turns our the entire drivers side of my car from front, side, rear quarter, rear bumper, and side skirt had been painted by the dealer....which explains the poor QA. I bought the car with 14 miles on it and it was sold as a BRAND NEW car. It was NEVER disclosed that half the car had been painted.

My question is, other than pay another body shop to fix the orange peel and poor fitting panels, what else should I ask for. According to KBB (Kellys Blue Book), a car that had ANY paint work is considered good condition. My car will NEVER be in excellent condition and thats a price difference of several thousand dollars.

Should I:

1) ask for a new car?
2) ask for my monthly payment be reduced my 10%?
3) make em for the paint imperfections and call that good?

I really dont know how to handle this. Infiniti customer affairs will def be involved, maybe a lawyer representing me too.

Thanks guys!!

 

Best case scenario is that they will repaint it. There is no way you are getting a new car or your price renegotiated ex post facto. How long have you had the car?

How certain is your body shop that it's be repainted? Before proceeding with anything let the dealership know and have them take a look at it before you get anybody to do any of the work. That sounds Über shady on your dealer's part - if they knew about it.

 

I bought the car 25 Nov 08.

They had to know about it. We verified like all paint shops can, with a magnetic paint gauge. Those machines dont lie, so with 100% certainty. Factory sealer, paint and clear range from 3.5-~4.5 mils. Half my car is in this spec, the other side ranges from 7.2-10.0!!!! Thats almost 3 times the OEM thickness. We gauged it from top to bottom and it appears the car was keyed from front to back. It only has clear near the bottom, but up higher (like where you would run a key down the side) it has base coat and clear coat on top of OEM finish.

If you have a good eys and know very much about paint, you know what factory finish looks like, and what any other paint looks like. NO ONE can finish a car as flawlessly as the factory.... NO ONE!!!

It doesnt need to be repainted, only a good color sanding and polishing by someone who knows what they're doing, as well as fix the poor fitment When we find out the details next week, they'll be on the losing end of a fraudulant car sale. Dealers HAVE TO DISCLOSE something like this... state law and no exceptions (in Indiana and most all states). Had I known the car was painted I WOULD NOT have bought it.

Any ideas, suggestions, or comments?

 

Fraud.........ask for new car for sure as this was not a NEW car as sold to you...

 

Didn't Mini do this to a few customers? There was whole law suit I believe.

 

Is it possible that the state-side factory peeps repainted parts of the car that may have been damage during shipping over the ocean? In that case, it would have happened prior to the dealer, and unless I heard wrong (forget where), such cases of repaint are considered factory jobs, because the state-side paint shops are supposed to be factory quality....ish.

For what it's worth, I think my hood has been repainted, I may get it checked. But, I doubt that just because I can see a difference in the metallic paint lay, that I'll push to have something done about it. Prob not worth the trouble and becoming "one of those" customers with the dealer.

 

The legal definition of a "NEW" car is one that has not been registered.

That being said, it is pretty common for a dealer to repaint cars that have the paint damaged. If there was THAT MUCH painting done, then.... I'd look into physical damage. If there is physical damage, you have a pretty strong case against the dealer and I would pursue legal action.

 

I don't know what the laws are, & they vary from state to state, but I remember reading something that below $3,000 in damage, they don't have to disclose to you & can repair it & sell it as a new car, assuming of course the car had never been registered/sold to anyone.

 

You are going to have to pretty much eat it. They will not do anything for you.

 

I recall this question came up several years ago on a similar forum regarding body or other repairs being done to cars before delivery to the new car buyer, and whether the dealer had to disclose. Apparently if the repair is below a certain amount the dealer does not have to disclose that anything was done. Now whether they should is another story. No one wants to buy a new car that's been repaired or repainted even if it's done right.

 

^Yep. I assume the dealer thought this would sale under the radar and not be detected until much further down the road. Speak to them about your problem and see what they may offer you. I had a bad clear coat on a Mercedes a few years back and they repainted the whole car for free.

 

I'd like to find how this turns out, keep us posted and good luck.

 

That's why I inspect "new" cars just like I would inspect "used" cars. Things can happen to them just as well as a used one. If you notice something is off you can refuse delivery. If you accept delivery the car is yours unless there was something major that was required to be disclosed that wasn't.
However you could set a precedent for case law if you take it to court. But it could be 50/50 and may not even be worth the hassle.

 

Thanks for the advise everyone. The GM at the dealer wasnt in when I called last night, but I talked to another manager who knew I was furious, so I dont think they'll sit on it. I'll def keep this thread posted of the progress.

 

that's real shady! Good luck on the good fight!