I feel like I'm being jerked around on repairs - do I have any recourse?
 

I bought my 2012 G37X in Nov of 2012 with ~24k miles on it. It was certified pre-owned. I was shown a carfax that reported no accidents, and no damage to the vehicle was reported to me.

A few months back I started noticing rust spots developing on the rear trunk lid right below the trim. I mentioned it to the dealer and they rebuffed it as not a warrantied item. I didn't fight it at the time as I was busy with work and moving, but figured I would bring it up again when I brought my car in for service.

Well, I brought my car in for service today. As I was dropping it off, I noticed something odd - the finish on one of the wheels was flaking off all over the wheel. I checked over the rest of the wheels and they looked fine, only this one in particular.

I brought up the rust and flaking wheel with the service guy and was on my way. I just got a call back now and this is essentially what they said:

1) Wheel doesn't have original finish, it was repainted. They won't warranty that because of that - I did not paint the wheel, it was given to me like that.

2) There is evidence of impact on the rear of the car, so they won't fix the rust, either. I have not been in an accident and none were disclosed to me.


I'm more than a little pissed at the moment as NONE of this was told to me when I bought the car. It was sold to me as 'immaculate', no damage was reported on the vehicle, etc. Now I'm being told there are issues with the car that they won't cover because of previous issues. Is there anything I can do about this?


Got the dealer to fix the issues! :D

Just because the car fax was clean doesn't mean that the car is clean.

As for the rust spots, where they small flakes all over the rear portion?

And with the wheel, it could have been refinished where the previous owner may have curbed it or bent the wheel and had it repaired.

I wouldn't put it past the dealership to blame an accident so that they wouldn't have to fix it.

This is the rust. Old picture, it's worse now:

Attachment 186900

There are ~8 spots like that on the lid

More than likely the dealer knew the history of the car and the quality of the repairs.

Like you I'd be upset that the dealer would try to deceive me into buying the car as a pristine example when they knew otherwise (esp since CPO)

If I were you I'd first appeal to the mgmt of the dealer politely, simply explaining your expectations of the car and their customer service regarding their response.

Second, if necessary, scrutinize the paperwork, esp the CPO certification as I'd imagine it's comprehensive enough to mention paint and wheels.

One way or anther you should be able to negotiate with the dealer an opportunity to make good on their oversight (or deceit). It may not technically be their responsibility since they successfully slipped one passed you, but if the leadership at your dealer is somewhat reasonable they'd recognize that the cost of the repairs is inconsequential vs. tarnishing their shop's reputation.

Good luck!

Yes, I'll be talking with someone at the dealership, and if that doesn't work, I will utilize every god damn resource on the internet to bring attention to this. This is the direct quote of Infiniti's CPO promise:

"Infiniti Certified Pre-Owned vehicles combine true peace of mind with the exceptional experience of owning an Infiniti at a pre-owned value. Confidence is enhanced through our certified process, which begins with a vehicle that was crafted to Infiniti’s exacting standards, passed a rigorous 150+ point inspection"

My experience is flying in the face of this, currently, and I won't accept them just brushing me off.

I remember seeing that picture a while back. Something isn't right, I would definitely speak with management regarding this.

Thats normal on QAA(white) cars... it's warrantied.

Whats the wheel like?

I'll take pics when I get it back tomorrow. It's basically just paint flaking off of it.

I'm going through the same thing with my dealership:mad::mad::mad:

I had an awful experience with a CPO car too....I trusted the CPO bull crap but it's just that bull crap. My car was not inspected properly if at all and had several problems that should have been caught by a CPO inspection that never happened apparently.

To the best of my knowledge there are no rules that say a CPO car could not have been in a prior accident. With that being said on good faith the dealership should either buy the car back or make the repairs on their dime.

That's exactly what I thought. Don't have it on mine (knock on wood), but I've read about and seen pictures of that very same thing here on the forum.

Also, in addition to 4 years of bumper-2-bumper coverage and 6 years of drive-train coverage, INFINITI cars come with a 7 year, unlimited mileage, transferable corrosion warranty. Simply put, OP, your dealership is taking advantage of you. If you can, go to another INFINITI dealership.

Lastly, CPO cars require a $1000 (approx) certification process from Corporate, the cost of which is baked into the resale price of the car. It's a marketing scam that the consumer pays for, all the while duped into thinking they're getting something valuable for nothing. I thought everyone knew that. :dunno:

The corrosion warranty has a loophole though. Rust doesn't count unless there is perforation. Not only is that a pretty severe level of rust, it is also at the dealer's discretion. Also, if the dealer is claiming accident damage, that is yet another loophole to the corrosion warranty.

The CPO process in itself may be a joke, but it does tack on some extra warranty. I'd say it's fancy marketing to sell you a warranty.

Inaccurate to call CPO a scam, some dealers take certification seriously and have a reputation to offer only quality cars as CPO ... some don't. Need to do your research. There is also value in extended powertrain coverage. Also negotiation should play a role in shaing that additional cost with the dealer.

It's fine to feel otherwise but not entirely fair to put down those who recognize this.

(Not speaking from experience but was considering CPO before I bought mine ... Audi though)

CPO varies significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer. Not all CPO car programs are created equal, and yes, neither are the dealers that certify them. :biggthumpup: