Trouble Ahead? We'll see....

[acecert]

I noticed while getting gas this am that my bumper had small vertical scratches and in places a small bubbly texture on the corner. You can't see them on black in the sun but under a canopy you can see them easily (this is the first time I noticed them). They are on both sides of the corner but one is worse than the other. At any rate, I went back to the dealer today and it looks like I have to talk to the service manager who is in tomorrow. The service guy said that it was caused by the way the plastic was taken off the surrounds the car and that generally, they are careful but my car was used for the auto show in Anaheim and that "they" (whoever they is) took off the plastic, not the dealership. I don't anticipate the dealership not owning the problem (we'll see) but what they plan to do about it is the unknown.

I spoke to another Hyundai dealer who has their own collision center and asked about matching paint to see if even the meters that are used could detect the difference if a new bumper that will need to be painted be put on the vehicle. He said no since they match factory. (Of course I will want to see that if I go this route). I just don't want to be held responsible later if I resale and if a meter is used to detect if any repainting has been done (I understand they do this a most dealerships) where I will have to justify the repainting...and who would believe my story at that point?

I don't want to choose the repainting the existing bumper option because a sanding or a clay filler will need to be used and the guy in the paint shop said over time, when using filler, the plastic will shrink and expand and can reveal the scratches again once it has been cleaned and the filler then wears.

I don't entirely blame the dealer for this as they cannot be seen under bright light...sun or light. I took delivery of my car at night when it was dark...and the service guy is the one who told me the cause...so, so far, so good.

I know some of you might think that I should demand a new car. It's only a couple weeks old with 540 miles on it. I'm not sure I would win that battle if getting a new bumper would resolve that problem IF the paint matches identically like the paint shop at Hyundai said it would (which again I would have tested afterward by metering).

I did call Hyundai and file a case number. Surprisingly, they told me there's little they can/would do that it's up to the dealership what they want to do. I'll take this a step at a time and just see what the outcome is...I just really hate stuff like this! After all, I've already tinted my windows and now replaced the wings on the trunk so the car isn't exactly a swap for swap if they wanted to switch cars (which truthfully, I don't think they will want or offer).

More details to come...

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

I noticed while getting gas this am that my bumper had small vertical scratches and in places a small bubbly texture on the corner. You can't see them on black in the sun but under a canopy you can see them easily (this is the first time I noticed them). They are on both sides of the corner but one is worse than the other. At any rate, I went back to the dealer today and it looks like I have to talk to the service manager who is in tomorrow. The service guy said that it was caused by the way the plastic was taken off the surrounds the car and that generally, they are careful but my car was used for the auto show in Anaheim and that "they" (whoever they is) took off the plastic, not the dealership. I don't anticipate the dealership not owning the problem (we'll see) but what they plan to do about it is the unknown.

I spoke to another Hyundai dealer who has their own collision center and asked about matching paint to see if even the meters that are used could detect the difference if a new bumper that will need to be painted be put on the vehicle. He said no since they match factory. (Of course I will want to see that if I go this route). I just don't want to be held responsible later if I resale and if a meter is used to detect if any repainting has been done (I understand they do this a most dealerships) where I will have to justify the repainting...and who would believe my story at that point?

I don't want to choose the repainting the existing bumper option because a sanding or a clay filler will need to be used and the guy in the paint shop said over time, when using filler, the plastic will shrink and expand and can reveal the scratches again once it has been cleaned and the filler then wears.

I don't entirely blame the dealer for this as they cannot be seen under bright light...sun or light. I took delivery of my car at night when it was dark...and the service guy is the one who told me the cause...so, so far, so good.

I know some of you might think that I should demand a new car. It's only a couple weeks old with 540 miles on it. I'm not sure I would win that battle if getting a new bumper would resolve that problem IF the paint matches identically like the paint shop at Hyundai said it would (which again I would have tested afterward by metering).

I did call Hyundai and file a case number. Surprisingly, they told me there's little they can/would do that it's up to the dealership what they want to do. I'll take this a step at a time and just see what the outcome is...I just really hate stuff like this! After all, I've already tinted my windows and now replaced the wings on the trunk so the car isn't exactly a swap for swap if they wanted to switch cars (which truthfully, I don't think they will want or offer).

More details to come...

Assuming you got a "great" deal for buying an auto show car, touched/drooled on/sat in/played with by hundreds (if not thousands), would you consider it fair if they offered to split the cost of a new bumper?
And is the car bought or leased? If leased you're on record that the damage isn't yours.

 

[acecert]

The car is paid in full (cash). I wasn't informed that the car was used for the auto show until today when I discovered the issue on the bumper and was not offered any discount as a result. The car had about 40 miles on it when I bought it as I was told it was driving from Anaheim but I took that as it may have been traded.

I wouldn't offer to split the new bumper cost since I don't believe I should have had the scratches from the plastic being removed (not sure how that would happen?) in the first place.

 

[Ernie3647]

The car is paid in full (cash). I wasn't informed that the car was used for the auto show until today when I discovered the issue on the bumper and was not offered any discount as a result. The car had about 40 miles on it when I bought it as I was told it was driving from Anaheim but I took that as it may have been traded.

I wouldn't offer to split the new bumper cost since I don't believe I should have had the scratches from the plastic being removed (not sure how that would happen?) in the first place.

I can do one month or better for a car made for me that won’t be test driven by anybody especially on and off curbs as was stated by one of our forum test drive reviewers.

Things like this are my justification for waiting for a car that’s not in stock. From what I’ve read on this forum and seeing what happens on test drives not to mention an experience like yours I’m secure in my decision.

 

[Motegi]

We got ours fresh off the transporter. Still had some plastic wrap on it.

Even so they processed it through their "prep"/"detailing" department before they handed us the keys.

 

[acecert]

I just received clarification on what the "car show" comment was and discovered that Hyundai had sent about 200 cars to LA to be distributed to the surrounding dealers. All of them were black, I'm told. The car I have was what the guy told me was one of those 200 cars used to show the General Managers the new model and be their first dealer car for each to take back to their dealership. It appears then it wasn't a car where a lot of people then sat in it, drove it around, etc. but rather one of the first 200 cars used to provide to the surrounding dealerships and show to the General Managers (not mine specifically but all 200 of them)

 

[John Baxter]

The car I have was what the guy told me was one of those 200 cars used to be their first dealer car for each to take back to their dealership.

Very good chance those live mules get thrashed by all dealership staff to 'test out' the new model. Really put them through their paces so they can accurately report to customers what they are like. With digital odometers today, resetting the mileage is a pretty easy job.

Given it was one of the first in the dealership, I'd suggest a very high chance that many people have been in and out of it, as it would have generated much excitement by staff, and would have been very keen to get people in it to look at it first hand.






.

 

[ksoze]

With digital odometers today, resetting the mileage is a quick 5 min job.

I'm not sure that is true anymore. We have come a long way since Ferris with Cameron's dads Ferrari.

 

[deise17311]

This really sucks and I'm sorry for this added stress..hopefully this dealer will do the right thing...let them know you are posting online and if they screw you over, post it everywhere!!!

 

[John Baxter]

I'm not sure that is true anymore.

Any one of 100 devices bought online from China will have your odo reset to whatever your desired number in minutes.

Computers in cars make it an absolute dream to easily change settings, simply by a quick coding adjustment.

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[Mark_888]

I spoke to another Hyundai dealer who has their own collision center and asked about matching paint to see if even the meters that are used could detect the difference if a new bumper that will need to be painted be put on the vehicle. He said no since they match factory. (Of course I will want to see that if I go this route). I just don't want to be held responsible later if I resale and if a meter is used to detect if any repainting has been done (I understand they do this a most dealerships) where I will have to justify the repainting...and who would believe my story at that point?

Meter to detect if any painting has been done? Are you talking about if you trade the car in several years from now? I am not sure why they would ask, but if they did, just tell them you scratched your bumper and had the cover replaced and painted. That is not unusual for a car that is several years old. I assume that if they use a meter they are mainly looking for major body work that has been done on the car that would be an indication of major structural repairs underneath, and not worried about scratch repair. I have had my Platinum Silver bumper cover replaced and repainted due to scratches, and I don't think anyone can tell the difference unless they are an expert.

 

[Mark_888]

I'm not sure that is true anymore. We have come a long way since Ferris with Cameron's dads Ferrari.

Actually, it may be easier to spot setbacks on old mechanical odometer designs. We used to be able to look for misalignment of the numbers, scratches on the numbers, etc. If a digital odometer can easily be changed (and I don't know if it can), then there probably will not be any signs that it happed.

 

[John Baxter]

If a digital odometer can easily be changed (and I don't know if it can)

Im surprised this news is coming as a surprise to people?

There's hundreds of suppliers, with hundreds of different tools, all designed to reset, recode, reimagine any number of features on a digital/computerised car.

They have been around for years.

Here's one example (of hundreds available) to show you what i mean...

http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/digital-odometer-reset-tool.html

 

[Mark_888]

Im surprised this news is coming as a surprise to people?

There's hundreds of suppliers, with hundreds of different tools, all designed to reset, recode, reimagine any number of features on a digital/computerised car.

They have been around for years.

Here's one example (of hundreds available) to show you what i mean...

http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/digital-odometer-reset-tool.html

I am not denying it, I just have no personal knowledge of it. Also, people buy all kinds of things on the internet that don't actually work. Or maybe it works on some cars, but not all cars. But since the odometer info is stored in a computer memory somewhere, I assume it is possible to change it, just not sure how "easy" it is.

 

[acecert]

Meter to detect if any painting has been done? Are you talking about if you trade the car in several years from now? I am not sure why they would ask, but if they did, just tell them you scratched your bumper and had the cover replaced and painted. That is not unusual for a car that is several years old. I assume that if they use a meter they are mainly looking for major body work that has been done on the car that would be an indication of major structural repairs underneath, and not worried about scratch repair. I have had my Platinum Silver bumper cover replaced and repainted due to scratches, and I don't think anyone can tell the difference unless they are an expert.

Yes, the meter can detect differences in the paint and are used for determining if there may have been pasts issues. According to the dealer, once a repaint has been done, it's required to disclose to prospective buyers which can raise suspicion and make it more difficult to resale. You can repair it due to a scratch or a major bumper ding. Not many admit to the latter so to avoid speculation, I'd prefer the paint to match.

 

[Mark_888]

Yes, the meter can detect differences in the paint and are used for determining if there may have been pasts issues. According to the dealer, once a repaint has been done, it's required to disclose to prospective buyers which can raise suspicion and make it more difficult to resale. You can repair it due to a scratch or a major bumper ding. Not many admit to the latter so to avoid speculation, I'd prefer the paint to match.

Maybe that is state law where you live about disclosing repainted surfaces, but I don't think it applies to all states. Also, I have a suspicion that a dealer told you that in an attempt to disclose a lowball offer on a trade-in. So long as they fix the problem so you can't really tell the difference, I would not worry about it. Also, if the replace the whole bumper cover or repaint the whole bumper cover, not sure how the meter can detect it.

I think people would be surprised how many cars get cosmetic damage during shipping or at a dealer. The vast majority of the time they just fix it before the customer even sees the car.

 

[acecert]

Maybe that is state law where you live about disclosing repainted surfaces, but I don't think it applies to all states. Also, I have a suspicion that a dealer told you that in an attempt to disclose a lowball offer on a trade-in. So long as they fix the problem so you can't really tell the difference, I would not worry about it. Also, if the replace the whole bumper cover or repaint the whole bumper cover, not sure how the meter can detect it.

I think people would be surprised how many cars get cosmetic damage during shipping or at a dealer. The vast majority of the time they just fix it before the customer even sees the car.

I've seen the meter...they actually just walk it around and it registers if there is different content/color in the paint. So for the bumper if it was painted the paint would not match the body. It is state law here in CA (where we have a lot of laws!). I didn't trade my vehicle to them but actually to CarMax with unbelievable offered me a really good price (based on my low mileage and car condition). We'll see how tomorrow goes. I don't blame the dealer for not noticing it but I am hoping they will take reasonable steps to correct the issue.

 

[Mark_888]

I found this information regarding California Vehicle Code at this site:
http://dealerfraud.org/previous-damage/

Every dealer shall disclose in writing to the purchaser of a new or previously unregistered motor vehicle, prior to entering into a contract for the vehicle or, if unknown at that time, prior to delivery of the vehicle, any material damage known by the dealer to have been sustained by the vehicle and subsequently repaired.

Every dealer shall disclose in writing to the purchaser of a new or previously unregistered motor vehicle, prior to entering into a contract for the vehicle or, if unknown at that time, prior to delivery of the vehicle, any damage, including, but not limited to, material damage, known by the dealer to have been sustained by the vehicle and not repaired.​

This is not an official CA government website, and there may be other laws that apply besides the ones above, but just looking at the information above, minor paint damage is not considered to be material, and since if is repaired, does not need to be disclosed.

 

[Mark_888]

I've seen the meter...they actually just walk it around and it registers if there is different content/color in the paint. So for the bumper if it was painted the paint would not match the body. It is state law here in CA (where we have a lot of laws!). I didn't trade my vehicle to them but actually to CarMax with unbelievable offered me a really good price (based on my low mileage and car condition). We'll see how tomorrow goes. I don't blame the dealer for not noticing it but I am hoping they will take reasonable steps to correct the issue.

Yes, I could see that a repainted surface has slightly difference reflective characteristics than the original paint, even if not noticeable to the eye. I wonder if a car with some parts waxed, and other parts not waxed (or different wax), might also register as a difference.

Regarding state laws, I would have to see it to believe it, that minor touch up of a new car has to be disclosed. Car salesman have been to known to bend the truth in order to pay a low-ball price on a trade-in (and I am biting my tongue right now instead of telling you what I really think about car salesman).

 

[John Baxter]

.....minor paint damage is not considered to be material, and since if is repaired, does not need to be disclosed.

Absolutely right..

The more I read about this dealer, the more Im convinced he is shonky.