[Spied4US]

Thumper, ol' sport, you went to some length to advise the OP that, repaired professionally, it ought not matter that his BMW was involved in an accident. I agree. Repaired professionally, it ought not matter. But in the automobile resale market it does matter. That's a fact. The industry and the legal profession even have a term for it: diminished value. And, in the case of the OP the term has real meaning. Why? Because someone took a torch to his car and cut off the left rear quarter panel. If he's lucky, the OP got a new door. If not, someone reskinned it. Lots of welding and body-filler later, no doubt a body-repair specialist such as yourself pronounced it "good as new." Clearly you believe that's true, but in the world the rest of us live in, damn few potential buyers would agree with you. That's why the OP's automobile will always be worth less than a comparable BMW that has not -- in the very words of the OP -- been involved in a "dirty accident." Res ipsa loquitur, sir.

[ro_f30]

Originally Posted by Spied4US

Thumper, ol' sport, you went to some length to advise the OP that, repaired professionally, it ought not matter that his BMW was involved in an accident. I agree. Repaired professionally, it ought not matter. But in the automobile resale market it does matter. That's a fact. The industry and the legal profession even have a term for it: diminished value. And, in the case of the OP the term has real meaning. Why? Because someone took a torch to his car and cut off the left rear quarter panel. If he's lucky, the OP got a new door. If not, someone reskinned it. Lots of welding and body-filler later, no doubt a body-repair specialist such as yourself pronounced it "good as new." Clearly you believe that's true, but in the world the rest of us live in, damn few potential buyers would agree with you. That's why the OP's automobile will always be worth less than a comparable BMW that has not -- in the very words of the OP -- been involved in a "dirty accident." Res ipsa loquitur, sir.

I am no specialist Sir. I did say it is as good as new coz it looks so, of course, I cannot guarantee the work done inside except the fact that I got it done in a BMW authorized mechanic and the have the receipts for all the original parts ordered. But then again, there is so much I can do except trust what the experts say. So yeah there is nothing I can do about it but feel happy it's fixed and be more careful while I drive. Anyways thanks so much for the enlightenment.

[Spied4US]

Ro_f30, I am not trying to suggest that your Bimmer wasn't repaired properly, or that you will experience any further mechanical issues as a consequence of your accident. Neither is an issue here. The issue is how your automobile will be perceived by potential buyers, or by BMWUSA for that matter, because it has been hit -- pretty good lick, too -- and repaired.

Just one example will make my point. Let's assume for the sake of discussion that from now on you do everything required to maintain your automobile as prescribed by BMW, and further let's assume that when you go to sell or trade it, it has far less than the typical mileage for a 2014 BMW 3-series automobile. Let's also agree that it looks then exactly as you've described it now: i.e., pristine in all regards. You with me?

OK, here's the hook: Regardless of what you do from this point on, your Bimmer can never, ever, under any circumstances be sold by BMW as a CPO automobile. That's one of the reasons that BMW will not want to take it in trade.

Now why is that? Because it has been in an accident requiring the replacement of a body panel. Regardless of how well it has been repaired, it will always be worth less than its undamaged counterpart. This has almost nothing whatsoever to do with how well your car was repaired. It's all a matter of perception. How will your car be perceived by the next potential owner?

Is there a potential remedy here? Yes, there is. You sue, or threaten to sue, for compensation for the diminished value of your automobile. Depending on the state you live in, pursuing this can either be rather straightforward or real work. It's why people often hire lawyers to do this for them. It begins with you (or your lawyer) documenting the diminished value of your car. That requires assessments by licensed professionals. Your efforts in this regard will be opposed by persons such as Thumper333, who will be hired by the defendant's insurance company to substantiate its position that a perfectly repaired BMW is worth at least as much as an undamaged one. I hope you see the obvious flaw in that argument. If the insurance company blinks, you win. If not, you will have to actually litigate the issue. Then you will win, if for no other reason than no insurance company wants to allow a jury to decide how much money you may be owed.

Is any of this worth pursuing? That's your call. Me, I'd do it for recreation.

[fshubert]

Ahhhhh. Looks great! Like nothing ever happened. Drive (and park) safe!

[ro_f30]

Originally Posted by Spied4US

Ro_f30, I am not trying to suggest that your Bimmer wasn't repaired properly, or that you will experience any further mechanical issues as a consequence of your accident. Neither is an issue here. The issue is how your automobile will be perceived by potential buyers, or by BMWUSA for that matter, because it has been hit -- pretty good lick, too -- and repaired.

Just one example will make my point. Let's assume for the sake of discussion that from now on you do everything required to maintain your automobile as prescribed by BMW, and further let's assume that when you go to sell or trade it, it has far less than the typical mileage for a 2014 BMW 3-series automobile. Let's also agree that it looks then exactly as you've described it now: i.e., pristine in all regards. You with me?

OK, here's the hook: Regardless of what you do from this point on, your Bimmer can never, ever, under any circumstances be sold by BMW as a CPO automobile. That's one of the reasons that BMW will not want to take it in trade.

Now why is that? Because it has been in an accident requiring the replacement of a body panel. Regardless of how well it has been repaired, it will always be worth less than its undamaged counterpart. This has almost nothing whatsoever to do with how well your car was repaired. It's all a matter of perception. How will your car be perceived by the next potential owner?

Is there a potential remedy here? Yes, there is. You sue, or threaten to sue, for compensation for the diminished value of your automobile. Depending on the state you live in, pursuing this can either be rather straightforward or real work. It's why people often hire lawyers to do this for them. It begins with you (or your lawyer) documenting the diminished value of your car. That requires assessments by licensed professionals. Your efforts in this regard will be opposed by persons such as Thumper333, who will be hired by the defendant's insurance company to substantiate its position that a perfectly repaired BMW is worth at least as much as an undamaged one. I hope you see the obvious flaw in that argument. If the insurance company blinks, you win. If not, you will have to actually litigate the issue. Then you will win, if for no other reason than no insurance company wants to allow a jury to decide how much money you may be owed.

Is any of this worth pursuing? That's your call. Me, I'd do it for recreation.

Well thanks for the info. I will try digging deeper.

[greekcs]

Looks better than before but the finish appears hazy. It could just be the photo.

[st3v]

Originally Posted by Thumper333

I work in a body shop...(snip)

#1 - Generally, private sellers are not required to disclose previous repairs. Obviously, the moral thing to do is to advise a buyer of previous work and present them with an invoice for said work. Even if the original warranty for the work performed does not transfer, the information on what was done can help with diagnostic and trouble shooting of any issues if they arise. The caveat to this is point #2.

#2 - People are dicks. Everyone now is out for a "deal", they think that the goal is to not pay a fair price, but pay as little as possible by any means necessary. This has resulted in every little thing being exploited to try to badger a seller into reducing a price just to secure a sale at that moment. This is why people don't disclose things. Tell someone that the bumper cover had a scratch and was repainted (even though they can't see anything, wouldn't have known if you didn't tell them, and car looks perfect) and they will demand $500 off the price. In simpler times when society was civil this was seen as a negative trait, now it is celebrated and encouraged.

#3 - Carfax. Yeah, it's not the magic wonder service it's billed as. Of course if they advertised it for what it is, people probably wouldn't demand it on every purchase and they wouldn't be rolling in money. Carfax pulls data from state DMVs on what's called 'title events'. Now, these can vary from state to state with most states only branding the title when it is deemed a total loss by an insurance company or when it is sold to a scrap yard/recycler. There are a couple states I believe that require the title be branded for other minor issues like any frame damage, damage to a specific part (cowl panel/firewall, etc) but that is rare. Dealerships sometimes report on service records as well, but most indie shops do not. That's it.

The service was originally designed to stop people from buying destroyed cars, doing minor repairs to make them LOOK good without actually doing the expensive structural repairs and then selling them as perfectly good cars. It had and has nothing to do with reporting on every fender bender and repair that happens to a car.

Cars do not drop out of plastic eggs fully built. They are assembled by the factory from millions of pieces.

To even get the car to that point already hundreds of parts have been fitted and welded together.

I challenge people to explain why it's ok for the factory to stamp out pieces and weld them together and they never blink an eye, but if I unbolt a fender and put a new one on....somehow the car is trash and a death trap. If I have to cut off a roof and re-attach it USING FACTORY PROCEDURES.......why that suddenly is no good anymore? You drove it off the lot brand new with a roof that someone welded onto it.......

Please, let's put a stop to the hysteria and the mindless fear. Let's be the first ones to use logic and reality instead of mob rules.
(snip)

I have to say, people are not dicks for wanting to get a proper deal. Dealerships, big or small, have justly earned the reputation to not be trusted. After getting shafted so many times, we get fed up with their dishonesty. I've been lied to by countless dealers. I buy from dealers that I deem honest, even if the price is slightly higher than I wanted. In simpler times (your words), people were more trusting, but if you rip people off enough times, people get bitter next time. I wait for the day for dealerships to be extinct, so we can order cars a la Tesla.

I'm sure you do quality work, but that is not the case of other body shops and mechanics. I would always be wary to purchase a vehicle that had been through an accident. It would be scary to purchase a higher end MB, BMW, etc. that has been through an accident, due to the exorbitant mechanical repair costs of the higher end models. Yes, unfortunately, Carfax and other services do not report the extent of the accident. So you have to inspect the car.

[Sephanite]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

That's the LEFT side. ;-)