Opinions on buying a hail damaged/ repaired car
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Originally Posted By: wag123
1. This is a FACT! New vehicles do NOT have titles, they have MSO's.
MSO = Manufacturer's Statement of Origin.
Only when a new vehicle is sold to the first owner is it issued a title in the state where it is sold. At that point it becomes a used vehicle. As long as a new car dealer retains ownership of a new vehicle and it's MSO it is still considered a new vehicle, regardless of how old it is, how many miles are on it, or if it has had any body repairs done on it. Many states DO have regulations covering at what dollar amount (or percentage of purchase price) any repairs done on a new vehicle must be disclosed to a buyer.
Unfortunately I know all about MSO's and titles due to bringing an out of state new car home and not being given the appropriate paperwork. Being out of state there may be a large chance of a dealer playing "fast and loose" with the regulations, especially on an old, damaged car that has been costing them money for a long time.
One would have to think the damage was substantial for them to actually state "hail damaged car". If there were little damage, as you stated they would not need to advertise that fact.
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4. Like I mentioned in another post, manufacturer's new vehicle warranties are "limited" and only cover manufacturer defects in materials and workmanship, NOT anything that is done to a vehicle or acts of God. Any problem specifically caused by hail damage or any other act of GOD would NOT be covered.
Yes and that's why buying a "hail damaged" car from out of state where you have no knowledge of the storm, the damage done, or anything really is extremely risky. Say the storm happened Saturday night, hail broke the moonroof and it rained in the rest of the storm. You buy the car and in 9 months have weird electrical gremlins. Nobody will pay for that and you could be out thousands ti fix it.
I'd have no issues buying a local hail damaged car as you'd have some history of the storm and maybe even the dealer's response. Happened around here - storm hit on a weekday and by the weekend the dealer was selling "hail damaged" cars.
1. This is a FACT! New vehicles do NOT have titles, they have MSO's.
MSO = Manufacturer's Statement of Origin.
Only when a new vehicle is sold to the first owner is it issued a title in the state where it is sold. At that point it becomes a used vehicle. As long as a new car dealer retains ownership of a new vehicle and it's MSO it is still considered a new vehicle, regardless of how old it is, how many miles are on it, or if it has had any body repairs done on it. Many states DO have regulations covering at what dollar amount (or percentage of purchase price) any repairs done on a new vehicle must be disclosed to a buyer.
Unfortunately I know all about MSO's and titles due to bringing an out of state new car home and not being given the appropriate paperwork. Being out of state there may be a large chance of a dealer playing "fast and loose" with the regulations, especially on an old, damaged car that has been costing them money for a long time.
One would have to think the damage was substantial for them to actually state "hail damaged car". If there were little damage, as you stated they would not need to advertise that fact.
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4. Like I mentioned in another post, manufacturer's new vehicle warranties are "limited" and only cover manufacturer defects in materials and workmanship, NOT anything that is done to a vehicle or acts of God. Any problem specifically caused by hail damage or any other act of GOD would NOT be covered.
Yes and that's why buying a "hail damaged" car from out of state where you have no knowledge of the storm, the damage done, or anything really is extremely risky. Say the storm happened Saturday night, hail broke the moonroof and it rained in the rest of the storm. You buy the car and in 9 months have weird electrical gremlins. Nobody will pay for that and you could be out thousands ti fix it.
I'd have no issues buying a local hail damaged car as you'd have some history of the storm and maybe even the dealer's response. Happened around here - storm hit on a weekday and by the weekend the dealer was selling "hail damaged" cars.
I asked about the type of repairs and the salesman assured me that no glass was broken (sunroof or otherwise) and no drilling or painting was done. All PDR by a company called Recon 1
I asked about the title and he said that the cars are all issued with a clean title and that there are no salvage or damage disclosures on the vehicles.
He is going to look to see if the one I'm interested in is still there and will take some pictures to send to me.
I asked about the title and he said that the cars are all issued with a clean title and that there are no salvage or damage disclosures on the vehicles.
He is going to look to see if the one I'm interested in is still there and will take some pictures to send to me.
You will NOT see any evidence of hail damage or marginal PDR work in a photo Blue_Goose. For the kind of money you are talking about, if you are seriously interested in buying the car, I would say that a plane ticket is definitely in order here. I would NOT purchase a car like you are describing without seeing and inspecting it IN-PERSON. Bring all of the title application paperwork that your state requires with you when you go there.
Originally Posted By: dareo
If you want a big cheap zero miles car that HAS A HEMI for the lowest possible price it sounds like a great deal. If your idea of a new car involves perfect paint, body, ect then it wouldn't be satisfactory long term.
x2
If you want a big cheap zero miles car that HAS A HEMI for the lowest possible price it sounds like a great deal. If your idea of a new car involves perfect paint, body, ect then it wouldn't be satisfactory long term.
x2
Originally Posted By: wag123
You will NOT see any evidence of hail damage or marginal PDR work in a photo Blue_Goose. For the kind of money you are talking about, if you are seriously interested in buying the car, I would say that a plane ticket is definitely in order here. I would NOT purchase a car like you are describing without seeing and inspecting it IN-PERSON. Bring all of the title application paperwork that your state requires with you when you go there.
I agree, you can’t really see hail damage that is there in a picture sometimes so you won’t see what you need to in a picture. Go there and look it over with a fine tooth comb. Look for holes or rubber plugs in odd or asymmetrical places. Look for distorted holes in the underside of the hood and deck or scratches.Look for rough areas on the panels. Try to get it under UNFILTERED florescent light if you can.
I’ve never encountered that particular company so can’t say anything about them.
You will NOT see any evidence of hail damage or marginal PDR work in a photo Blue_Goose. For the kind of money you are talking about, if you are seriously interested in buying the car, I would say that a plane ticket is definitely in order here. I would NOT purchase a car like you are describing without seeing and inspecting it IN-PERSON. Bring all of the title application paperwork that your state requires with you when you go there.
I agree, you can’t really see hail damage that is there in a picture sometimes so you won’t see what you need to in a picture. Go there and look it over with a fine tooth comb. Look for holes or rubber plugs in odd or asymmetrical places. Look for distorted holes in the underside of the hood and deck or scratches.Look for rough areas on the panels. Try to get it under UNFILTERED florescent light if you can.
I’ve never encountered that particular company so can’t say anything about them.
Thanks for the words guys...I do have a set of eyes on the ground that has visited the dealership a couple of times for me and has reported back both times saying that he cannot see any damage etc that stands out to him. He said that the cars look to be in excellent shape. He even went as far to say that he noticed on a couple of the cars that there seemed to be a little bit wider gap of the hood on how it lines up with the right and left fenders but that the one I'm interested in looks perfect. Having opened Dodge products in the past I'm well aware of misaligned panels lol
I'm going to be stopping by a local dealer today to look at a Charger that has a sunroof. I'm not tall at 5'11 but I do like to sit in a more upright position than most people while driving so I will have to see if this is going to be a deal breaker or if it is something I can adjust to and live with
I think all title paperwork is handled in New Hampshire once I go to register the car.
I'm going to be stopping by a local dealer today to look at a Charger that has a sunroof. I'm not tall at 5'11 but I do like to sit in a more upright position than most people while driving so I will have to see if this is going to be a deal breaker or if it is something I can adjust to and live with
I think all title paperwork is handled in New Hampshire once I go to register the car.
Originally Posted By: Blue_Goose
He even went as far to say that he noticed on a couple of the cars that there seemed to be a little bit wider gap of the hood on how it lines up with the right and left fenders but that the one I'm interested in looks perfect. Having opened Dodge products in the past I'm well aware of misaligned panels lol
The car has an aluminum hood which can't be repaired by PDR work and must be replaced. Even some steel hoods can't be PDR'd because of the internal bracing.
He even went as far to say that he noticed on a couple of the cars that there seemed to be a little bit wider gap of the hood on how it lines up with the right and left fenders but that the one I'm interested in looks perfect. Having opened Dodge products in the past I'm well aware of misaligned panels lol
The car has an aluminum hood which can't be repaired by PDR work and must be replaced. Even some steel hoods can't be PDR'd because of the internal bracing.
I guess either there was no damage to the hood or replaced perhaps. I can always ask I suppose
No issues here my wife is driving g a hail damaged BMW x3 that waas fixed and I saved my self 17k on.
Looks like you are getting a clean title since warranty is still intact. Probably does not even show up on car fax. Go ch3eck them out and if they look good enjoy the savings.
Looks like you are getting a clean title since warranty is still intact. Probably does not even show up on car fax. Go ch3eck them out and if they look good enjoy the savings.
Originally Posted By: Blue_Goose
I guess either there was no damage to the hood or replaced perhaps. I can always ask I suppose
It is HIGHLY unlikely that the aluminum hoods on any of the hail damaged cars escaped unscathed. Aluminum hoods are FAR more fragile than steel hoods. Based on the observation of your friend that some of the cars had miss-aligned hood gaps, I strongly suspect that the hoods on all of the hail damaged cars were replaced. Either marginal quality aftermarket hoods were used and/or the installation/alignment of the hoods was not done properly on some of the cars. The dealer probably had a lot of cars to repair as quickly as possible and the repairs were likely very rushed. I would put a paint meter on the hood of the car I was interested in purchasing to see if enough paint was applied properly and evenly.
If you are expecting the dealer/salesman to be 100% accurate and/or honest about what has actually been done to that car, you are delusional. They just want to sell it to you. If you are not willing to invest in a plane ticket and actually go to see the car before you purchase it, my advice to you is to forget about it.
I guess either there was no damage to the hood or replaced perhaps. I can always ask I suppose
It is HIGHLY unlikely that the aluminum hoods on any of the hail damaged cars escaped unscathed. Aluminum hoods are FAR more fragile than steel hoods. Based on the observation of your friend that some of the cars had miss-aligned hood gaps, I strongly suspect that the hoods on all of the hail damaged cars were replaced. Either marginal quality aftermarket hoods were used and/or the installation/alignment of the hoods was not done properly on some of the cars. The dealer probably had a lot of cars to repair as quickly as possible and the repairs were likely very rushed. I would put a paint meter on the hood of the car I was interested in purchasing to see if enough paint was applied properly and evenly.
If you are expecting the dealer/salesman to be 100% accurate and/or honest about what has actually been done to that car, you are delusional. They just want to sell it to you. If you are not willing to invest in a plane ticket and actually go to see the car before you purchase it, my advice to you is to forget about it.
Originally Posted By: wag123
Originally Posted By: Blue_Goose
He even went as far to say that he noticed on a couple of the cars that there seemed to be a little bit wider gap of the hood on how it lines up with the right and left fenders but that the one I'm interested in looks perfect. Having opened Dodge products in the past I'm well aware of misaligned panels lol
The car has an aluminum hood which can't be repaired by PDR work and must be replaced. Even some steel hoods can't be PDR'd because of the internal bracing.
Aluminum hoods (and decks - in fact entirely aluminum trucks) are PDRed ALL THE TIME.
They used to tell you they couldn’t when most of the AL hoods were “egg crate” on the underside which is to say double walled with zero access. Even those can now be repaired via PDR/Glue Pull.
The gaps are probably off because the R&Ied them to repair, most vendors will do that and mount them on a frame to facilitate cross checking and access on other than very minor damage.
Originally Posted By: Blue_Goose
He even went as far to say that he noticed on a couple of the cars that there seemed to be a little bit wider gap of the hood on how it lines up with the right and left fenders but that the one I'm interested in looks perfect. Having opened Dodge products in the past I'm well aware of misaligned panels lol
The car has an aluminum hood which can't be repaired by PDR work and must be replaced. Even some steel hoods can't be PDR'd because of the internal bracing.
Aluminum hoods (and decks - in fact entirely aluminum trucks) are PDRed ALL THE TIME.
They used to tell you they couldn’t when most of the AL hoods were “egg crate” on the underside which is to say double walled with zero access. Even those can now be repaired via PDR/Glue Pull.
The gaps are probably off because the R&Ied them to repair, most vendors will do that and mount them on a frame to facilitate cross checking and access on other than very minor damage.
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I agree with DuckRyder. Aluminum panels can be PDR'd, they are just a little tougher to work with. I bet that you won't see any evidence of repairs looking at it outside. If done well, you likely won't notice it indoors either.
I sat in a local Charger with a sunroof and ehhhhh...even at 5'11 I still felt a little cramped......if no sunroof I'd probably do the deal after putting eyes physically on one........
Seems like they've slowed down on moving them out the door so I'll mull it over a bit
Seems like they've slowed down on moving them out the door so I'll mull it over a bit
if you're concerned about looks and repairs to the roof,
try vinyl wrap or 1970's style vinyl roofs.
paint meters out of china are cheap.
try vinyl wrap or 1970's style vinyl roofs.
paint meters out of china are cheap.
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