We ordered a new Subaru Outback (2.5 Limited/Eyesight/Trailer Hitch) a few weeks back and it came in last week...that' the good news.
The bad news is we have run into a number of issues pre-delivery:
The vehicle was backed into another vehicle during inspection causing paint damage to the rear bumper. The sales manager assures me it was only a scratch and he made the decision that rather than "buff it out" he had them install a new bumper and paint it. He has pictures of the damage but I have not seen the pictures to assess his version of "how bad is it". I told him I would not take delivery until I have seen the pictures and he said he was fine with that.
The body shop guy was fired and my sales guy was either fired or let go (not sure which or whether any of this had to do with my incident). Due to that, getting information has been slow going since the incident. At this point, I do trust the sales manager, he seems like a good guy and is honestly trying to help. For instance, he could have come up with a "delayed delivery due to transport" excuse and hidden the whole incident...we never would have known. He has also offered 2 to 3 free oil changes to make up for the delay in delivery.
My question:
How should we proceed with delivery with regard to their body work. I don't want to get 2 years down the road and have a bumper with peeling paint and/or clear coat. I'm going to go over the job with a fine tooth comb at delivery looking at the job for irregularities (over spray) and WILL NOT TAKE delivery if the car does not appear 100%. How can we protect ourselves going forward in terms of documentation to insure the work they did is warranted?
You are right to make sure the repair is 100% to your satisfaction. I would ask for a warranty in writing that they will fix if it ever goes bad.
I just checked our 2015 OB and I could not find any VIN stickers on the bumper skin or any body panel like our Hondas and Acuras have had. This is good as a future buyer will not know that the panel has been replaced causing diminished sale or trade in value. However, ask if this incident will be reported to Carfax (I suspect not). If it will, you could claim diminished value and negotiate something more than oil changes as compensation.
I recently removed and reinstalled the bumper skin on my Acura and I plan on removing the bumper skin on the 15 OB to install an aftermarket hitch. Trust me, I am no body man but there isn't much to them. My concern would be if there is any metal damage underneath. The picture should show if that is a possibility. If they haven't repaired it yet, ask to see it with the bumper off.
If the pictures look like it was just a minor hit then I would probably take the car as long as they put in writing that the painted bumper is covered against fading or any other paint malfunction. I'm not sure exactly what needs to be put in writing regarding the warranty but I would ask someone with some legal contract expertise.....you might even find some good info with a search on the internet.
Over 13 years ago, someone ran into my brand new Acura and damaged the rear bumper cover requiring a new one and it was repainted by a good body shop. Today, the bumper looks no different than the rest of the car and the whole car looks great - and it has only been waxed and polished twice in its whole life. Even after spending a lot of its life outside there is no fading or pealing and the repair paint has held up perfectly. I would expect your painted bumper to do just as well but I'd insist on a written warranty that is legally binding.
Why dont you order another one , let them keep the one they damaged. I would not want to get a new vehicle that has had body repairs done to it. I dont care how good they paint the new bumper, it still is not exactly like the factory finish. Just my feeling on this.
adrift: Good points on the car fax. We have the VIN and will run a Carfax on it.
Onid: That what we're assuming so far...minor damage. It happened while moving cars around so it should be < 1mph.
Roscoe: That is still on the table if this one is not 100%. We want to have them put the car on a lift or let us take it somewhere else to be inspected. We've waited 8 weeks for this one and sold our car the week before it was to be delivered.
It's the replacement bumper that is hinging on all of this. Either the sales manager went above and beyond for a scratch or the damage is more extensive. Which is it? I won't know until I see pictures and will not sign anything until seeing the pictures. If we don'ttak it, someone else will be picking up a 2015 Venetian Red Subaru Outback Limited WITH ORIGINAL BUMPER! Guaranteed!
I just got a call from the dealers customer service asking how my sale was going...I don't think she expected my answers and quickly ended the call. I wasn't angry, just politely explained the car was damaged, we have not received it while the dealer makes repair, the salesman was fired and unreachable during that time until I heard from his boss.
Same here, we are planning to pick it up during the day. My father owned a black Lexus SC400...it got some bird crap embedded in the paint (hot SC weather) and had Lexus try to buff it out. Well, they burned the paint and paid to reshoot the fender. That fender looked better than the rest of the car after 8+ years of ownership.
Do not accept delivery, as others have said order another one or get back your deposit and deal with another stealership and last if you really want the car, tell them to deduct $1500-$2000 off the negotiated price.
I have been in and around the car business for all my life. Worked for Mercedes Benz as a salesman for a while. MB will repaint body panels at the port if damaged during shipping and we never knew about it.
If the work looks ok I and it's just a bumper I would say go ahead and take the car.
Odds are that the dealer just payed for the fix out if their pocket. No insurance claims cause that's how Carfax would find out. Don't think you have anything to worry about there.
However I do think you have new bargaining power. It should be worth at least an extra $500 or so but if you like the car just enjoy it.
Thanks! I'm going to ride over to the body shop and have a look today. The bumper is back on the vehicle but not painted yet. It's supposed to be ready on Tuesday (just like the Enterprise B if you remember the movie).
I went by the body shop. The car was still covered in plastic and only missing the rear bumper. I looked all around it and under the rear, all the plastic areas (would be under the bumper on the sides) are intact. The lower hangers are all there and not damaged or bent. There were some plastic electronic boxes on either side, completely undamaged. Interior was still draped in plastic.
The body shop is large and has a really good reputation in the area. We're supposed to pick it up on Tuesday.
So your choices are
a.) Order another one and wait 8-12 weeks. (Not a great option with a sold car)
b.) Pick another one. (They are hard to find and probably not equipped the way you would order it. You have to live with the "other equipment" for as along as you own it.)
c.) Accept the repair and get a warranty. (Sucks your new car has to be fixed, but a painted bumper isn't huge. and it's the car you wanted as you ordered it.)
I would go with "pick another". But since you sold your last car, need this car, and ordered it to your specs, I would take it if I were in your shoes.
The paint repair should be minor and not noticeable, and it will be "equipped your way" for as long as you own it. It's a bit of bad luck, but in the long-run it's not that major of a problem, right?
The repair looks great. I went by yesterday afternoon and spoke with the body shop, their work has a lifetime warranty which would be transferred to me. The body shop guy described the original issue which mirrored the dealer story. Slight scratch to the paint but the black plastic trim was scratched which required a complete replacement. We went to the dealer later that night and completed the purchase on the vehicle.
The sales manager was great, best buying experience I have experienced. I used the VIP program through Leave No Trace, which gave us 2% under invoice. For the trouble, the SM through in a 2 year maintenance program for free (and two matchbox cars for the kids!).
You couldn't ask for anything more out of the dealer. I found out 2 years after the fact that my brand new car had had body work done by my dealer (with no disclosure prior to delivery). I only found out when I took the car in to CarMax for an appraisal. Enjoy your new Outback!