Tell that to carmax. Or anyone who is looking at your car when you are trying to sell it.

Seller
Oh, its been in an accident, but I am charging just as much as other cars that havent been in an accident...

Prospective buyer
Wow, so I can buy your car thats been in an accident for the same price as a similar car that hasnt been in an accident.... well where do I sign!

Diminished value is not enforced by law in all states. Does not mean that you cannot sue for it.

 

technically, your right on this.. the dealer is not responsible for any damages up to a certain extent. If the damage was caused during the actual fixing or repairing of the car like a broken clip or something minor they are not responsible for it. Im sure in they will fix it or replace it but that is what they mean when they say they are not responsible. But if the damaged was caused by someone's negligence then Lexus has to pay..

It is exactly like a valet service. It says that they are not responsible for theft, fire, or damages. If they forget to lock your car and someone steals it then the valet service has to pay for whatever happens to your car.

(taking a Business Law and Ethics course this semester) hahaha

 

I see all of this bantering going around but I think what Dealer's don't take into consideration is their reputation. I had my 4Runner in to have squeaky drive belts replaced. The Dealer's shuttle hit my 4Runner. They gave me a loaner, had my vehicle fixed perfectly and didn't charge me for the drive belts nor the labor. I think a lot had to do too with me not being an a**hole which I can be! After my car was damaged, I only dealt with the service manager and the body shop manager. I think that helped because the Team Leaders don't have any decision making authority and may be hesitant to bring customer problems up to their manager's level until it's too late.

 

Somewhere between 5k and 10k miles, my CD player needed to be replaced. They told me it would only take about a half-hour, so I agreed to wait for it. It wound up taking about about 1 hour 15 min. Now mind you, I was in no big hurry, was just hanging out surfing the web, so the wait was no big deal to me that day. When my car was ready, the service rep. apologized for the wait and told me my upcoming 10k service would be free. I was not LEGALLY owed this, nor did I intend to even complain about the wait...was just going to take my car and drive home, yet I was given the free 10k service...now THAT is customer service and what Lexus is supposed to be all about.

Absorbing the $118 charge was the LEAST they should have done for New York. I find it hard to believe that you guys who disagree and say "hey, people make mistakes" and that he should "consider himself fortunate" that they even fixed his car would feel they same way if it was YOUR car that got banged up by a tech...and we are not talking about a little scratch on the bumper either.

 

To me an accident involves alot more than a scratched bumper cover and fender. Lets say you were driving down the road and a retreaded tire that flew off of a semi did the same damage to your car. You pay to fix the car, it looks as good as new, and there are no official reports filed...now has the car been in accident or did something break and you repaired it?

I do however think that the dealership should have waived the fee for the tpms service.

 

no, it's not the amount.

The service/labour before the accident should be charged. The repairs costs to fix the damage caused by the dealer should be absorbed by the dealer.

The dealer has a choice to extend goodwill by waiving the servinces performed prior to the accident, but it's not a necessity.

 

To you.... but would you pay the same price for a used car that had its bumper cover, fender and reinforcement replaced... vs the same car without the accident?

Carmax wont. And neither will many dealerships... and many consumers. When one of my coworkers mom hit my last IS350 at my office, the paint didnt match to my satisfaction. I sold the car. Carmax offered 29k because the car had been painted. It would have been 31, had the car not been hit. And all that happened to my car was the drivers side fender needed to be replaced.

Its sad, but thats what happens. It doesnt need to be a big accident to hurt the value of a car. Especially a Newer Luxury car.

 

I think you'll be singing a different tune if it was your car that was damaged. Sueing for "Loss of Use" and the $118.00 is reasonable. Heck, rental car companies do it!

 

Are you joking? He gave the keys to the Dealer, entrusted them to take care of his car, and they wrecked it.

IT IS SOMEBODY ELSES FAULT.

 

Wow. I hate to hear that people are attempting to get sue happy in this thread. True, it was wrong for the dealership to charge you for the service even though they wrecked your car and basically made you wait for it over an extended period of time. I'm with you on that one, but suing over $118? You'd waste more money on court fees, especially if you lost!

Anyway -- all you can do is complain to Lexus corporate and hopefully they will do something for you. This is what sets Lexus apart form other companies. The most important thing is to not give that dealership anymore of your business if you can help it -- if you have to go to a Toyota dealership to get regular service then do it! But, take warranty work to Lexus, naturally.

And to say the dealership is not responsible for any damage on your car is ridiculous. If you damage one of their loaners guess who is responsible? First you and then their insurance if thats how they run it. At my dealership you sign papers after an inspection of your vehicle, and with that you expect your car to be returned in the same state it was given (well if you request this service and I do . To believe the dealership is not responsible for damage outside of normal wear and tear is ridiculous.

 

To me that damage is superficial and would only be a factor if the repair were not done properly..but hey that's just me.

 

A factor?

1) SO it does carry weight on your decision?

2) SO, if you have 2 of the exact same cars, one has been in an accident and the other has never been in an accident(same options, similar condition)... you would "Probably" take the one that hasnt been in an accident, if they were the same price?

3) What would convince you to buy the one car, that has been in an accident... vs the one that has not been in a wreck, has the same options, and is in similar condition?

 

Sueing = The American Way.

If this was my car, I would make the dealership eat the $118, all parts used for repair BETTER be new, AND expect not just a 5k or 10k mile service but a 30k! I wish they would try something like that with me!

 

If I damage your car, which was worth 35K... and then I fix it so its worth 33K, is that acceptable to you?

Lets say you put 35K in a savings account. A bank error costs you 35K... the bank apologizes and gives you 33K back, is that acceptable to you?

When is it "Acceptable" to bring a lawsuit?

 

what about the loss you are going to take on your car when you turn in or trade in and the used car says your car has been in a wreck and its now worth 3k less then market value...i would expect something more from the dealer. sure it was an accident but now at your expense...