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I made a rookie mistake with my purchase.
bought a 2019 corvette gs. I flew from Boston to Washington to buy what should’ve been my dream car.
it was raining and dark when I got to the dealer .They did disclose it was in a minor accident from moving cars around the lot but it was fixed (low speeds 5mph max) the car was in what looked like mint condition drove beautifully and nothing seemed off.
after a few days I notice there is some vibration take the car to get an alignment Chevy tells me the steering column is bad from possible accident. I called the dealer they say they can’t do anything about it so I take my loss and pay for it everything is fine.
looking in the engine bay I noticed there is a crack on the frame or where there was a connection. Get under the car the crack on that connection goes all the way around on both sides of the frame in the front of the car.
i’m currently in the process of getting the dealership to fix all these problems also have a lawyer involved. But I wanna know if this is fixable I will attach pictures. All the body panels are straight the The bolts that connect the fenders and everything else do align with the holes on the frame everything seems pretty tight and solid besides the driver side front wheel is sticking out more than the passenger side and it is a line to factory specked at the moment.
the way it’s going , the dealer is calling me back with a “settlement” if it’s not enough me and my lawyer are taking it to court
the car wasent a steal of a price either , I was saving maybe a few grand and a plane ticket at most
Wow, I’m sorry. The only advice I can say is no money can make you whole on this. If some how you can return the mess then that is what would be ideal. There is no correctly fixing that to where you won’t have issues at some point down the road. Just not worth it.
Those front sections of the frame are repairable and also replaceable. However, one picture (#5) seems to show one of the fiberglass panels that hold the fender to the frame is cracked just above the frame. That panel should be replaced as well.
Here is a link to a YouTube channel where a couple of brothers rebuilt a wrecked Z06 about 4 years ago. They talk about the front frame rails being cracked at about the 11-minute mark and in a later video they show how they fixed the problem.
As you can see fixing those problems isn't a big deal as GM designed the frame to be repaired and an experienced body person shouldn't have too much of a challenge doing the repairs.
Wow, I’m sorry. The only advice I can say is no money can make you whole on this. If some how you can return the mess then that is what would be ideal. There is no correctly fixing that to where you won’t have issues at some point down the road. Just not worth it.
Ditto this, man I'm so sorry. What a way to destroy a dream. I hope you are able to get a return, the pictures show clearly unrepaired frame and other accident damage. If they represented the car as "repaired" they clearly misrepresented it. It is still badly damaged.
I'm not a big fan of the "I'll sue you" mentality that's so pervasive in our society today, but I agree with you totally in this case....the selling dealer either intentionally or mistakenly sold you a damaged car & they need to make you whole again
II know nothing about repairing that sort of damage, so it looks pretty bad to me. I agree the repair should be handled by the dealer (whether or not you'll still want the car after learning of the damage is another story).
Was the dealer a GM or other major brand dealer; or a used car dealer?
Since the front rails can be replaced, as Mr. Dearborn stated, the settlement you seek should cover legal fees and the full replacement of that front rail. If that is not possible, send back the car and find another one. There are many to choose from during these C8 days.
the front of the frame rails are frame horns. they are designed to break so the actual frame doesn't get damaged in a hard collision. heres a few pics of the frame horns being replaced and welded back in. once they are tacked into place its put on a frame jig of square then welded and rechecked for square
Did you not check the Carfax? It usually indicates, minor, moderate, severe, salvage, etc.
I’d try and get back all the money I can.
This is like a mail order bride and you find she has had a boob job and buttlift…..and not the natural virgin she claimed to be..
I bought a ZO6 from a dealership in Columbus Oh w a clean carfax. Two months later my detailer showed me how 3/4 car was repainted , the bodywork by the rear window and rear fender and the front bumper that was replaced
That dealer is either incompetent with inspection of vehicle or that was purposely not disclosed in oder to unload the car. BTW- that's very sloppy repair work and welding.
Hope it works out for you.
I own a body shop. With my on track experience let’s say we have become expert at repairing the C7. Your frame is not broken. It simply broke a weld at a place it is designed to do that. It probably doesn’t need any more than that. Much of what is shown is a broken inner fender which is not structural. This is an easy repair and will be good as new. The seller should pay for it but there is likely nothing malicious. The car will be just fine when this is done.
I bought a ZO6 from a dealership in Columbus Oh w a clean carfax. Two months later my detailer showed me how 3/4 car was repainted , the bodywork by the rear window and rear fender and the front bumper that was replaced
Was it a Chevy dealer?
Without giving away the name of the dealer (you may or may not want to), can you say what part of town it was in?
Wow did not notice all the reply’s , thank you
so right now I’m still working with a lawyer , attorney general and my insurance.
dealer keeps telling me they sold me a complete fixed and safe car. and will not play ball. A return doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen , so the plan is to keep the car and get it fixed and sue for damages (would be nice to get what I paid for back. I’ve inspected the car and the only damage is on those front pieces the cast section of the front frame and back is solid , suspension is in working order. No engine ticks leaks not bent parts etc
i have an appointment at a corvette auto body to have it looked at and repaired. I’ve taken the bumper fender hood etc off and as shitty as this is the only damage is what is in those photos.
sadly I didn’t look at the carfax(I know stupid) too excited too tired too late and thinking how nice it looked how nice it drove etc. I was shown a paper that mentioned a accident and state inspection to be “road worthy” after looking at the carfax it states a medium scale front accident
on the plus side the car did come with about 5 grand in aftermarket parts full header back exhaust. CAI new set of wheels and intake manifold so I guess I make out there.
Wow did not notice all the reply’s , thank you
so right now I’m still working with a lawyer , attorney general and my insurance.
dealer keeps telling me they sold me a complete fixed and safe car. and will not play ball. A return doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen , so the plan is to keep the car and get it fixed and sue for damages (would be nice to get what I paid for back. I’ve inspected the car and the only damage is on those front pieces the cast section of the front frame and back is solid , suspension is in working order. No engine ticks leaks not bent parts etc
i have an appointment at a corvette auto body to have it looked at and repaired. I’ve taken the bumper fender hood etc off and as shitty as this is the only damage is what is in those photos.
sadly I didn’t look at the carfax(I know stupid) too excited too tired too late and thinking how nice it looked how nice it drove etc. I was shown a paper that mentioned a accident and state inspection to be “road worthy” after looking at the carfax it states a medium scale front accident
on the plus side the car did come with about 5 grand in aftermarket parts full header back exhaust. CAI new set of wheels and intake manifold so I guess I make out there.
Good luck to you and your case.
that seems more than “medium” given that we arent even seeing the full damage
Frame damage
