(sigh) So I purchased my 2004 G35x Sedan 32K (Miles) from CarMax in Feb 2008. Went for an oil change today and one of the techs asked me if the car had been in an accident. I told him, not since I'd had the vehicle. He said he was asking because when he lifted the hood it rubbed against passenger side corner near the windshield and he pointed out where the paint was rubbing off as a result. So I'm like ****! A carfax report was done at the time of purchase (I know that can't be altogether trusted) and showed no indication of any accidents or other problems with the car.

I talked to a few friends and they told me (although they are not mechanics) that hood alignments are difficult and that typically a crooked or mis-aligned hood is an indication that the vehicle has been involved in an accident. Again, ****!

Has anyone ever encountered a similar issue, the main point being that after you purchase the car you find out it has been in an accident, even though a carfax report shows no indication of any accidents or damage?

My first inclination is to talk with CarMax on Monday. I'm so hoping not to have to litigate this issue as I know it is something that probably won't be resolved relatively quick. I'm already anticipating that I'll have to get proof of frame damage, etc; which seems logical. Can anyone else advise? I'm so disappointed.

 

Carfax is simply public record. If the accident is not reported, then it won't show up on Carfax.

 

i have the same problem...if you search you will find people have had the same issue. its due to the hinge being bent. they are weak. two of my friends along with me have this issue

 

Yeah, I got that part. However, if the car was in an accident and that was not disclosed to me prior to purchase, I have an issue with that. I'm not arguing whether carfax is reliable.

 

I will do a search on this issue. Thanks.

 

Most Car Max employees are fairly knowledgeable in what to look for on cars
they buy or take in on trade. My son-in-law sold a Miata to Car Max not
knowing it's history, by the time the inspection was over they discovered it
had been in a major accident. Something about frame clamps leaving marks
on the frame railing....Ouch! Chances are you just need new hood hinges
and some touch up paint.
Gary

 

Did you have the seller sign a disclosure document that they had knowledge of an accident, airbag deployment, frame damage, etc when you bought? If no, then you don't really have any room whatsoever to litigate.

Your hood or hood hinges may be ever so slightly loose and have shifted enough that they caused the contact. Also, aligning a hood really isn't very difficult, next to bumper replacements, hoods are probably the #2 piece of the body that has to be removed or replaced on the vehicle by body shops.

 

CarFax the vin again? idk

 

There were several posts about weak hinges that are subject to bending and causing the rearmost corners of the hood to rub against the fenders, causing the paint to be rubbed off. Don't jump into conclusions about your vehicle being in an accident. Easy way to tell is look at the seams between the doors and the body, they should be even and parallel. Look at the bolts along the top of the fender for evidence of having been removed, usually double indentations on the paint by the washers. If the seams between the hood and fenders is equal at the front and rubbing on one side with a wider gap on the other, the hinges are definitely bent. They bend easy if you push the side of the hood while it is open, so be careful.

 

That's why people should get an independent inspection on ANY used car.If you want to be 100% sure that the car has never been wrecked then buy it new at the dealer.

 

before I bought my 04 g used from a small dealer I took it out to a local mechanic shop and had them check everything out on it to make sure everything was running fine. Would reccomend it to anyone before they buy a used car, just to reiterate.

 

Not true. I don't practice civil law (i do criminal law) but almost everyone I know is an attorney and your conclusion is not correct. I don't, however, want to turn this into a thread about my legal options because I already know what they are. I was just wondering if anyone else had this experience and what CarMax's response was to the issue. I do appreciate your comments though.

Based on your comment and the comments of others (and some research) I think you are correct here. Since I was not aware this was a known issue it never occurred to me that others had experienced this problem. Again, thanks to you and comments of others, I am more knowledgeable.

 

You are correct. I started this thread for information purposes and I think it worked. No threatening calls have been made to CarMax. Thanks again for your input.

 

I know you're not in California, but here, ALL used vehicles MUST have a "buyer's guide" that discloses the condition of the car, including accidents, salvage title, etc to the best of the dealer's knowledge. SOMEONE will be held accountable.

 

If the panels have not been resprayed it probably has not been in an accident. It's damn near impossible to match the factory look after a respray. Look for fish eyes, orange peel, etc. And just in general a different "sheen" from one panel to another.