rdywlngable

So I picked up a 2013 Audi A6 Quattro premium plus last Friday from an Audi Dealer, and it's CPO. When they brought it out it was dirty so I didn't give much attention to the paint....car drove well so I bought it. After 7 hours at the dealership, as I sat on the ground in the parking lot waiting for them to finish this 5 hour detail...I finally got in the car and drove home. The next day I took it for window tinting and the guy asked me why all the lousy paintwork was done...I was shocked, but there it was....like someone had scratched the car down the side, and tried to paint over it with testers model paint..you could see the brush marks even! ( it couldn't have been the tinter as he only had the car 30 min tops and I was there the whole time). I called the dealer...and the were astounded, shockingly. The offered to repaint it...but then I have a repainted car....how much diminished value will I experience if the car has to have new paint? Does anyone have an idea? Shold I force the to take it back and provide me with a new car? Is there a number that is reasonable that I should take in consideration?

Thanks for anyone's help! ( the paintwork seems to be limited from about half way down the drivers door, just under the window, down through the back door and onto the rear quarter panel)

irenesbob

If you paid the price associated with a car of that make/model/year/mileage, etc. with clean paint, then I would try to make them buy it back. If the car was discounted because of the paint, then I would likely jump at their offer to repaint it and make sure they do a perfect job.

oceanengineer

Good body shops can work wonders with paint and you will not notice the difference. On a previous car I have owned the paintwork was indistinguishable from the original after 9 years.

I'm not sure anyone would notice that the car was painted and not sure if that would diminish the value as it seems like the car may have been keyed rather than in an accident.

snagitseven

Last summer I was forced into a guard rail and the whole right side of my A6 was damaged to the tune of $9600. After the repairs by sn Audi Certified Collision Center, the right side and hood was repainted. I can't tell anything was done to the car.
You can read all about my experience here (long thread with photos):

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a6-...me-up-2886074/

rdywlngable

I'm sure the paint job will look fine, but it's going to defintely be worth less when I go to sell it or trade it in...that's the diminished value. No matter how good the paint job, they always can tell.

radarguy

Even if it's a good repaint job they can tell with a spectrometer. However my experience in just trading a five year old car is that the dealers don't bother. If it looks good they're happy. I went to three dealers - no one even drove it. They do look at a Carfax or equivalent. It is unlikely that your repaint will appear on a Carfax since there is no insurance claim.

KnappAttack

I'd get my money back so fast it would make your head spin. No way I'd want a car that's been re-painted and never a fender bender or accident, but that's just me. If you are fussy at all, it will haunt you forever, been there done that and never again. I don't like anything out of place or messed up on my vehicles at all, even door dings. No one can fix or paint a vehicle properly without me or a good body man finding it, I don't care who does it, they are never the same and will certainly have problems down the road if you put enough time and/or miles on.

snagitseven

Just curious...what happens if one of your cars gets a body ding or scrape that requires some repainting? Do you then dispose of it?

irenesbob

Great, you listened to me lol
Seriously, when you get a new-ish higher end car from a reputable brand dealership that costs more than a few grand, it should not be what you describe. If you do get a ding later on in your ownership of the car I am sure you will deal with it. In my case, I forgive myself if I do something, but I never forgive anyone else.

KnappAttack

If the ding can't be repaired with paint-less dent removal, then it'd be down the road for me. I always make sure to park where no damage can come and so far I have been successful keeping my Audis dent and accident free. My Wife has not been as lucky, she hit a dear with my old 05 Audi and it was totaled thank goodness. Myself, I don't want a high end car that has been painted or repaired. If one of mine was damaged and repaired, it would get traded for sure. I want them perfect, yes.


I would never want any brand vehicle that has been re-painted myself unless you knew what you were getting at drastically reduced pricing. Re-paint or bodied out will not stand up over the test of time. They always cut corners and nothing is as good as factory untouched sheet metal and paint, especially Audi's awesome factory finish and sheet metal.