What do you think should happen... | FerrariChat

What do you think should happen...

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by MHaynes772, Sep 6, 2005.

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  1. MHaynes772

    MHaynes772 Karting

    Jul 12, 2004
    83
    Madison, Mississippi
    Full Name:
    Matthew Haynes
    As some may know, I just got a 2005 E55 about 3 weeks ago. I bought it used with 4900 miles and was in great condition from what I knew. When I bought it, I had the knowledge of it being lowered and an intake mod. That's it. A week later I met a guy who does work on cars and was like, "yeah, I cut the resonators off a car like that and welded straight pipe to the mufflers for a doctors car." Come to find out, that's MY car, and the dealer failed to mention that. Then today, I found out that it has been sprayed. I met a guy who knew the doctor and was like, so does it still have the nitrous in the spare tire compartment? I was like WHAT?! So i removed all the spare tire and stuff and found the 4 drilled out holes for mounting and 2 holes for running the lines. So, I called my dealer, and they are supposed to be calling the doctor to "get to the bottom of this" So my question is...What would you do?

    Matt
     
  2. netfreak

    netfreak Karting

    Jul 16, 2005
    135
    BC, Canada
    Full Name:
    Paul Lezica
    That sucks. I'd hate to find out that way that my new car has been given laughing gas
     
  3. bottomline

    bottomline Formula 3

    Mar 10, 2004
    1,149
    Denver, CO
    Full Name:
    Bijan
    If it's been inspected and runs fine, honestly, it wouldn't bother me THAT much. Not enough for me to do anything anyways.

    If something happened, that's anothe story.
     
  4. REMIX

    REMIX Two Time F1 World Champ

    Boy I'll betcha that thing hauled a-double-s. Whooooooo!

    I'd put the laughing gas back in personally.

    RMX
     
  5. Ike

    Ike F1 Rookie

    Nov 4, 2003
    3,543
    If it was me I would call my lawyer and get myself out of it. It sounds like it will bring headaches down the road. Warranty problems will probably come up and other problems with MB. Who knows what damage may have been done to it. One lean cylinder and stuff can be waiting to fail. If you are looking to drive this car for years and high miles its life may have been cut short. If I were you I would not keep it. Even if you aren't looking to keep it long I still would not keep it. When you go to sell it all this crap is going to come up at resale and it will become your problem in some way at that point. Even if it is just a lot of questions it is still extra stuff to deal with.
     
  6. Artherd

    Artherd F1 Veteran

    Jun 19, 2002
    6,588
    Bay Area, CA
    Full Name:
    Ben Cannon
    Eh, talk to the installer. If the nox was done right, I'd just have the sellers put it back in for free :D)

    If it was a proper wet system using quality components that never went lean, and your car passes a compression test, then you have nothing to worry about.

    I'd only be pissed about the fraud, and maybe milk them to rebate the cost of a new engine (ehheheheh) which you won't likely need. Put the money to work somewhere instead, and just enjoy the car.

    It's damn hard to damage a car in 5k miles anyway.
     
  7. judge4re

    judge4re F1 World Champ

    Apr 26, 2003
    13,477
    Never home
    Full Name:
    Dr. Dumb Ass
    I've seen issues that I can't talk about in public where there have been problems in less than 100 miles, and a few that crapped out as they were started for the first time on the assembly line. It was on one of those that I found out I could be fully fuctional at 2:30 AM surrounded by union employees after I had 5 cups of coffee in me...
     
  8. Artherd

    Artherd F1 Veteran

    Jun 19, 2002
    6,588
    Bay Area, CA
    Full Name:
    Ben Cannon
    But how many that made it the first 1k miles trouble-free had any problems? :)

    The first few miles a car undergoes I consider a shakedown and a weeding out of the bad apples. After that, should be ok.
     
  9. UroTrash

    UroTrash Three Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Jan 20, 2004
    38,860
    Purgatory
    Full Name:
    Clifford Gunboat
    Agree 10000000000000000%.
     
  10. judge4re

    judge4re F1 World Champ

    Apr 26, 2003
    13,477
    Never home
    Full Name:
    Dr. Dumb Ass
    I can't comment, but I will say that recalls are public record...
     
  11. Koby

    Koby Formula 3

    Dec 14, 2003
    2,307
    The Borough, NJ
    Full Name:
    Jason Kobies
    Funny how the sales dept "didn't notice" any of the work, you can be sure the service dept would find if there was a warranty claim.

    I'd get out of it too, the car was sold by a dealer under false pretenses. You will probably be using that warranty and I don't even want to think what the out of pocket would be if you needed any non-warranty work done to an AMG motor.
     
  12. darth550

    darth550 Six Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jul 14, 2003
    60,788
    In front of you
    Full Name:
    BCHC
    If the NOS voids the warranty then the nondisclosure of it's prior installation should be sufficient grounds to unwind the deal.
     
  13. Ashman

    Ashman Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Sep 5, 2002
    31,629
    MA
    Full Name:
    John
    I would lean toward getting out of the deal or at least getting a substantial rebate for the issues that were discovered. And what is the story about the respray? Was it a part of the car or the whole thing? Accident damage or damaged paint during shipping or what????

    Trouble is the car could be absolutely A-OK or it could have big non-warranty problems down the road. You just don't know, so why take the risk?

    Even E55s aren't so rare that you can't pay the same money you did and get a true "no-stories" car, or did you pay a "too good to be true" price?

    I take it that the dealer is not a Mercedes dealer and that the car is not Starmarked?

    John
     
  14. darth550

    darth550 Six Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jul 14, 2003
    60,788
    In front of you
    Full Name:
    BCHC
    A friend of mine bought a C55 for his wife. After just three weeks the motor had to be replaced due to a recurring oil pressure problem. After some wrangling, the dealer gave him a new car and R&R'ed the motor in the old one.

    The dealer billed the factory $45,000!
     
  15. Koby

    Koby Formula 3

    Dec 14, 2003
    2,307
    The Borough, NJ
    Full Name:
    Jason Kobies
    You could amost pick up a C55 for that! LOL
     
  16. darth550

    darth550 Six Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jul 14, 2003
    60,788
    In front of you
    Full Name:
    BCHC
    I know....

    I think he paid ~60K for the car! I guess that dealer has a "Friend" at the factory? ;)
     
  17. MHaynes772

    MHaynes772 Karting

    Jul 12, 2004
    83
    Madison, Mississippi
    Full Name:
    Matthew Haynes
    Ashman- I got the car for $74,000. I got the car from a Mercedes-Benz/Porsche dealership and this wasthe same dealership that the prior owner bought the car from too. Also, what is Starmarked?

    Koby- I figured that would have ATLEAST seen the exhaust thing. The holes might have been hard to notice.

    Also, they were saying that the prior owner was going to bring all stock parts back to the dealership for me, but that still doesn't answer my nitrous question. And the prior owner didn't mention that either. I mean, I wouldn't either, cause he KNOWS if would void the warranty. And the dealer was saying, "well, I don't think any of the modifications he had would void the warranty." SOO...basically, I could go home, slap a 200 shot on, blow the motor, and get a new one under warranty from what they are saying...lol
     
  18. Ashman

    Ashman Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Sep 5, 2002
    31,629
    MA
    Full Name:
    John
    Starmarked was the earlier (I guess) tradename that Mercedes uses for what they now call the "Certified Pre-Owned" program. It is to certify that the vehicle has passed a rigorous inspection and qualifies, depending on the age and mileage, for extended warranty coverage.

    MSRP on the new E55 AMG with a premium package and navigation DVD is just over $89K, so you have a pretty good discount for 4,500 miles if you paid $74K.

    If you can get Mercedes to confirm the warranty in writing for the car as it is now and it has passed a good PPI, I would say that you should be okay.

    BTW, I drove a friend's E55 a couple of years ago and it was a blast. I used to own a 300E but the E55 was an incredible rocketship! I took it along the road to NHIS in New Hampshire and was pushing 120 practically before I could blink an eye. It was rock solid, quiet except for a nice engine exhaust note and the brakes hauled me back down to sanity level speeds real quickly. If you need to be able to carry 4 people and still have some exciting performance, the E55 AMG is a great choice.

    John
     
  19. MHaynes772

    MHaynes772 Karting

    Jul 12, 2004
    83
    Madison, Mississippi
    Full Name:
    Matthew Haynes
    I not as concerned with warranty as I am resale value. Because when I sell the car probably in the next 6+ months, I don't want to imagine the hit I would take when disclosing the car has had nitrous. I got the car, I thought, for a good enough deal, that I wouldn't take that bad of a hit later down the road, but now, I don't even want to know.
     
  20. Ashman

    Ashman Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Sep 5, 2002
    31,629
    MA
    Full Name:
    John
    There's your answer then. You need either to get out of the deal based on the misrepresentation or get a rebate for the lower value that the NO addition caused.

    John
     
  21. Sfumato

    Sfumato F1 World Champ

    Nov 1, 2003
    10,194
    Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey, Wales
    Full Name:
    Angus Podgorney
    Get out, NOW. Dealer focked you, as they knew it was a grenade waiting to happen. You CANNOT certify/Starmark a car that has been modded, hit, or repainted. Period.
    Unwind it, or if they're nasty, invoke DTPA deceptive trade practices act. Get pix and affadavits form all parties who worked on it. You'll have them by the balls. If the dealer didn't know, they should have when they cert'ed it.
    NOS will put incredible stresses on a crank.
    Tell them to pound sand with it. If they *****, call MBUSA as well. A55hats.
    Good luck, you'll need it.
     

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