{"id":1142,"date":"2022-12-20T18:51:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-20T18:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/?p=1142"},"modified":"2025-01-17T17:02:03","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T17:02:03","slug":"new-car-may-not-be-as-new-as-you-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/auto\/auto-tips\/new-car-may-not-be-as-new-as-you-think\/","title":{"rendered":"Brand New Car Issues: Your New Car May Not Be as New as You Think"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re forking over $30,000 for a new car, it’s important to consider matters related to auto insurance<\/a>. Also, you expect it to be as fresh as it was when it first rolled off the factory line. After all, that\u2019s your hard-earned money. Not to burst your bubble, but that may be wishful thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While manufacturers make every attempt to get their new cars to potential buyers in perfect condition, there are far too many unpredictable opportunities along the way to promise perfection, including the delivery route from ship containers to auto carriers. The fact is your new car may have been damaged in transit or on the dealer lot and, as is often the case, the dealership is under no obligation to provide you with information of any fixes that were performed on your new ride. If it was their fault, they should repair it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does Damage on a New Car Look Like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Common problems include scratches, dings, and sometimes more extensive damage can describe brand new car issues. Cars are usually shipped by over-the-road transport trailers if sold within the U.S., but if they arrive from overseas, they travel by transport vessel to reach their destination. Once the vehicle arrives, it can be moved along the port to a waiting truck to be taken to a dealership several hundred miles away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more times the vehicle is loaded and unloaded, the more vulnerable it is to damage. If minor visible damage is noticed, the vehicle is often pulled aside and fixed before being sent on to the dealership. But, the risk of additional damage doesn\u2019t stop there. After the dealer takes delivery, it can face further damage by simply moving it around the lot or from other vehicles being moved or test driven around it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the vehicle sustains damage on the dealer lot, it will likely be fixed and can be sold as new, unbeknownst to the buyer, which could be you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wait. A Dealership Can Sell Me a Damaged Vehicle Without Telling Me?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If the amount of the vehicle\u2019s problems fall below a certain threshold, the dealership you purchase the car from is not required to disclose this information to you. California, known for being a consumer-friendly state, sets the threshold at only three percent, while most other states have set their thresholds from three to six percent of the vehicle\u2019s MSRP as the amount requiring disclosure to the purchaser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

North Carolina state law requires car dealers to disclose damage on new cars that exceeds five percent of the MSRP, but are not obligated to report damage to glass, tires or bumpers, if the items are replaced with original-equipment parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, a vehicle with an MSRP of $28,138 can have up to $1,400 in corrections done to it and the dealer doesn\u2019t have to disclose it to you. While reputable dealers are more likely to disclose damage that may be serious, many others will not and will simply sell the vehicle without any warning whatsoever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Can I Make Sure My New Car Was Not Damaged?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Expectations aside, you need to protect yourself by carefully inspecting your new car from top to bottom. Check the paint for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n