Jim Grant's Tech Tips
'02 Acura CL, Hidden Body Damage
Q:
I recently
bought a new 02 Acura and noticed that the fender is not well aligned
on both sides and the seal around the front windshield is not stretched
around the glass properly. All these things make me to believe that this
vehicle had body damage done to it on the dealer lot. I did ask them if
it was damaged and they told me NO. Again I did purchase this NEW on 5/4/02
with 125miles on the vehicle. What should I do to get a straight forward
answer?.....Richard Peche
A:
If the vehicle was
damaged and repaired before you bought it new, it could be a challenge
to get the truth. Using the Car Fax service will be of little help. Why?
If the vehicle was damaged during transport or in the dealer lot it is
unlikely it would have been reported in a manner that would show up with
that service. Basically the problem was solved in house. So, how would
you determine if youre a victim of poor factory workmanship or unaccounted
damage? Take your vehicle to a body shop and hire/pay them to inspect
your vehicle and record their findings. A professional in the auto body
repair has no problem in spotting repairs that would be missed by the
untrained eye. An hours worth of inspection will answer the question.
Was it a bad day at the Acura assembly line or were you sold damaged goods?
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