(PLEASE READ AND OFFER INPUT) I recently purchased a 2007 997.1 C4S with 22000 miles. My dealer (local Porsche dealer in Austin TX) gave me a copy of the Car Fax showing "no accidents". Turns out it was in a rear end collision that resulted in an additional front impact. All repairs were preformed by the dealers collision center. This was discovered after I owned the vehicle (All owners were in Austin) and on a "gut" instinct, I called and VIN checked with the Porsche body shop. The body shop refused to provide the details of the accident (S.O.P.) but the dealer was willing to provide with the threat of a lawsuit. After washing and viewing in full sun, I noticed debris in the paint, adhesive on the bumper and the "tree sap" wasn't washing off, I took it to the dealer collision center to have them fix these items...they informed me that those repairs were not made at their shop. Another trip back to the dealer and the manager revealed the vehicle sustained a dent in the rear QP and they had it repaired at another NON PORSCHE body shop. He assured me he would have these imperfection resolved but now in light of all these repairs, they will beat me up upon trade in...MY QUESTION IS can anyone help me determine a value or the "depreciation" value that could occur for these damages/repairs. Thanks in advance.

 

No idea, it would have been wise to ask why it wasn't a CPO.

 

Seems the dealer knew the Car Fax didn't reveal true extent of damage history. IMHO that alone is grounds for legal action; the car was misrepresented as being free of damage when that was not the case. A court would probably require the dealer to refund your money.

 

This reminds me when i bought my 997.1 from a Porsche dealer. The car was CPO certified and I was assured that the car had no paintwork or accidents by the salesman. Well once I got picked up the car I had my detailer do his magic to the car. It was that day he explained that 3/4 of the car had been painted. He said it was a good job (GT silver)but nonetheless it had been painted. I called the dealer and they were not willing to do anything (1 day after the purchase) and PCNA was absolutely unhelpful. My worst porsche experience. What did I learn from that horrible transaction:

1. Never take the word of the dealership-have the car inspected by an independent 3rd party.
2. Don't ever rely on that crappy CARFAX garbage-have the car visually inspected.
3. Buy new if you can.So difficult to truly get the true history on a used car.

My last porsche I bought new because of the disgusting transaction I went through with the used Porsche.

 

This. They are definitely in the wrong here and a court will recognize that I would think. He lied to your face basically then because even if it was paid out of pocket and not on the CarFax, the dealer has records of the repair but told you it was never repaired or painted.

Good luck. I wish you the best in this crappy situation.

 

CarFax and all of these other "vehicle history" vendors are self-sustaining entities that provide little if any utility to the consumer. They successfully created the need for their services by making the "vehicle history" accessible to the public. Yet oftentimes the information is incomplete. Mostly, it serves as marketing tool for the sellers. At its worst, however, it’s a tool that can be manipulated by the seller in furtherance of a fraud. Ultimately, a PPO is necessary when purchasing any used vehicle. A mechanic would have caught that immediately. I can assure you any competent appraiser including the one who worked for the dealership in Austin would have observed that the car had been repainted and/or repaired. Your recourse is to determine the diminished value and ask that the dealer make you whole. That's not going to be easy. First, if you’ve owned the car for a while (i.e. this is not an immediate discovery and contemporaneous complaint) they could claim that the damage was sustained during your ownership. Second, the purchase agreement probably contains language that indicates the sale was "as is" and that you cannot rely on any other written or verbal negotiations that preceded its execution. Nonetheless, if you have some documentation evidencing your inquiry concerning prior damage and a response that there was none as evidenced by the attached CarFax, you might be able to allege fraud. Reach out to them and present your case. Politely explain the reputational risk that exists if you were to become more vocal through web forums and other media. If they’re not persuaded, find out what the small claims limits are in your local municipality and consider going after them for that limit or explore a regular civil suit. Might be wise to get an attorney involved; however, that obviously costs money. Hope it works out.

 

"Might be wise to get an attorney involved; however, that obviously costs money"
Thanks for the input guys, but I do have an attorney and with Texas DTPA its a slam dunk. It is also a CPO. My issue at hand is determining the depreciated value. Has anyone traded in a their vehicle, post accident, and experienced the dealers "pitch" on the subject?

 

two words come to mind, paint meter. beat stuka to it

 

My two words. BUYER BEWARE!!!!

 

Good points NYC_Z06 but I believe the evidence of damage and the fact that the seller had this information in their possession PRIOR to the sale would mitigate the "as is" basis of the sale. That is assuming your first statement about the length of ownership does not apply.