It is common knowledge that doing some research on a used automobile is necessary before making a purchase. This research includes determining the car’s worth, mileage, and title as well as whether there are any problems on the outside or below.

 

But as a recent SimpSocial article pointed out, brand-new automobiles may sustain damage before being sold, so it’s crucial to look for issues before agreeing to a deal and taking a vehicle off the lot.

 

Let’s imagine, though, that you discover the damage only after you’ve returned home with the car. Here’s what to do in this circumstance.

 

What to do in the event that your new automobile has a problem

A lot relies on the kind of damage or flaw you discover in your brand-new automobile, when you discover it, and what your warranty covers. “All car manufacturers offer buyers a factory warranty on their [new] vehicles,” according to an article in automobile and Driver. The price of the warranty is included in the vehicle’s sale price. It’s probable that the dealership will try to upsell you on an extended warranty.

 

Mike Crossen, a technician at Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center, cautions against the dealership trying to avoid taking care of the issue.

 

According to an article he wrote for Consumer Reports, “the dealership might try to have you run the work through your own insurance.”

 

Crossen emphasizes how critical it is to intervene in such circumstances as soon as you become aware of the harm. What he advises doing next is as follows:

 

Once you have images showing the damage, email them right away to the dealership.

You can email or text the photos to the salesperson you dealt with. “Even making the trip back to the dealership prior to sending the picture increases the car’s mileage and shifts more of the risk onto the customer,” adds Crossen.

 

Return the vehicle to the dealership ASAP.

 

Set up a time to return to the dealership as soon as you can after receiving the images. Make sure that the appropriate dealership personnel—such as the salesperson you collaborated with, their supervisor, etc.—see, recognize, and record the damage on their end while you are there.

 

Make careful to put everything down in paper.

Verbal assurances are not valid. Before you leave the dealership, ask to see a copy of the documentation (or “we-owe”) that details the damage and how they plan to replace it or reimburse you for it. In this manner, you can verify that they did not omit any information or misrepresent the circumstances, and if they did, they may immediately alter the documentation.

 

“If there’s no way to prove that the damage did not occur after you took the car, [the dealership] may not agree to fix the problem, but they may offer monetary compensation or a service department gift certificate in lieu of repair,” adds Crossen. Keep in mind that very little damage, such as a rock chip, could be better left unfixed because there’s a risk the freshly applied paint won’t match the original hue.

 

Crossen advises getting in touch with the manufacturer directly through their customer care line, outlining the problem with the dealership, and finding out what to do next if none of this resolves the issue.

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