I BOUGHT A 2005 DODGE MAGNUM WITH 30 MILES ON IT. UNDER FULL NEW CAR WARRENTY. TOOK IT IN FOR MY FIRST SERVICE, MY AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON AND THE STRIP OF BUTTONS, AIRBAG, FLASHERS, LOAD CONTROL, REAR WINDSHEILD WIPERS ARE ALL NOT WORKING. I WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT FIX IT UNDER WARRENTY BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDANT BODY SHOP THAT CONFIRMED, FRONT AND SIDE RIGHT BUMPER HAVE BEEN REPAIRED AND REPAINTED, AIRBAGS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED AND REPLACED, HOOD HAS BEEN TAKEN OFF AND IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. BOUGHT IT AT WESTSIDE DODGE IN JACKSONVILLE, WAS REFUSED SERVICE BY BONIFACE HIERS IN MERRITT ISLAND. AM WORKING WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE IN TALLAHASSEE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VESHICLES IS INVESTIGATING.

 

Caps lock is hard to read

Sorry to hear that you bought a dud Magnum, that really sucks. Did you buy it from a dealer or an independent person? Did they show you the title? I can't see that happening unless you didn't check it with a fine comb, even a simple test drive should have alerted you to something like the allignment and the gauges.

 

BOUGHT IT AT WESTSIDE DODGE IN JACKSONVILLE

Sorry to hear...go after them....

 

Sorry to read this, I hope all works out.

 

It seems that there should be a law!
I bought a 2005 Magnum RT on Nov 11, 2005. There was a small dent in the rear bumper that I pointed out and the dealer siad they would fix.
A couple of days later--in the daylight (I bought the car after dark) I noticed that the driver side rocker panel under the doors was damaged. I brought it to the atention of the dealer and they agreed to fix it--explaining the the part would have to be ordered and then painted after arrival. I expected some delay and I expected a phone call. I got the delay--no call.
When I called, I was told that there was no record of the part being ordered.
To make a long story short, the part was finally ordered and, on Wed of last week, installed on my car.
Meanwhile (since NOV 2005) I noticed that the clearcoat on the driver side of the front bumper was flaking off. I asked the sales man if my car had ever been in an accident. He said, "No!" I said I was asking because it seemed odd that the damaged rocker panel and the flaking clearcoat were both on the same side of the car.
On Friday of last week, I broght my car to the dealership to have the rear bumper dent and the flaking clearcoat on the front bumper repaired (Friday is the day that the contracted guys show up).
The contracted guy researched (on the dealer's computer) the history of my car since it arrived. He called me to tell me that the car was damaged when it was taken off of the trailer (delivery). The car was sent to another body shop for repair to the front bumper and, since the repair work was not holding up (flaking clearcoat and dull paint--the contracted guy pointed out exactly where the bumper had been repainted), the work would have to be redone by the original body shop.
As a result, I am without my car for the next 3-5 days.
Does anyone know if there is a way to tell if the airbags were deployed on the car?

 

[:@] That Sux big time. I have been there in 1982, so I know how you are feeling. After a month of trying to work it out I retained a lawyer who specialized in comsumer fraud and with his help within two weeks after his first contact I had a brand new car, best part is it was the end of the model year so they had to give me car that had more factory options. It eased the pain some and the dealer eventually was sued by a couple other people who had been in the same boat as I.

Good Luck with making it right...you negotiated for a new undamaged vehicle...period.

 

Let me make it abundantly clear.....

NEVER buy a car from a dealership without paying the $15-20 for a Carfax report. If you are dead set on that specific car....it is WORTH EVERY PENNY!

Carfax guarantees their reports. Now, of course if someone didnt report an accident, then there's not much they can do......however, if the car was in anyway reported as an accident or insurance...then Carfax will show it...

Sorry to hear about what happened....and I would sue them like mad crazy.....wind up with an SRT-8

 

I don't know who's frigin' worst... the dealer's or the lawyer.'s.. but it's pretty close. You have to consider how much $ to get it repaired vs how much $ a lawyer would want to represent you? The dealer probably a few on retainer. It sounds like a catch 22. Wish you the best .... Does your state have a Lemon Law like Massachusettes?

 

I don't know what our Lemon law is in your state, but in N.J., it has to go to the shop three times for the same problem and not be fixed OR be in the shop for 20 days or more. and that does not have to be consecutive days. Just add them up. And you pay nothing to the lawyers. they only get paid if they win. We have excellent ones in N.J.. they do nothing else, only lemon cases.

B. J.

 

Im not too trusting of Carfax. Ive seen cars come up as damaged that never were, and no damage on cars that are. Even seen a lot of flood cars not Carfaxed. If damage wasnt reported, it will never show up. Some people (and dealers) dont report it, they just fix it themselves. I bought a totalled car to rebuild a while back that showed a clean carfax (I got a free one). Better if you get a body shop guy to check it out for damage, and make any notes of it on the bill of sale. I dont recall, but airbags have a serial number, and should be easy to check to see if they were replaced. Some states even require a certificate decal fixed to the body somewhere stating bags have been replaced.