Ok, so... here's the deal

My truck has been in the shop for a week in a half now, because of the leaning problem.

Today, I find out that there is frame damage, and that the front axle has shifted. Remember, I bought this car thinking it was perfect, AFTER it was check by an independent inspector who said and wrote down that there was no damage to the frame.

Because of the frame damage, there is a noticable difference between the gaps of almost every exterior panel, and the rear bumper is shifted so there is an inch gap between the back panel to the bumper on the LEFT side, and no gap on the RIGHT side.

The right side is the side it is leaning to.

I don't know what to do. I mean, the inspector said there was no damage to the frame, but the lean was noticeable by the time I got home from the dealership (400 miles away).

............ I love my truck, but she is badly damaged.... Because the axle has shifted and all this frame damage, is it a danger to drive around?

I'm so sad.. I don't know what to do.....

Thanks


John-Robert [sm=feedback.gif]

 

Did you get any sort of guarantee from the inspector?

I would get a 2nd opinion on your truck.

 

The only thing I did get from the inspector is a report back of the 140 point inspection, and it was even written down that there was no indication of frame damage... go figure...

I am gunna get a second opinion hopefully this weekend.

thanks

John-Robert

 

Contact the inspector, let him know what you have found out and let him know you will be filing a claim against him and his insurance provider if he doesn't make this right by having a body shop make all the necessary repairs or buy it back.
Mike

 

Ditto what Mike said, there are now some liability issues on the inspectors part.

 

Did you run a carfax report on this truck?

Sometimes, minor body damage and/or accidents never find theirway to a database/carfax depending on how the owner/shop chooses to handle it. However, it would be unusual that something severe enough to cause frame damage would go unreported. If it wasn't the result of an accident, it would take some pretty serious abuse, offroading, etc. to put it that far out of whack.

I'd read through the fine print on the inspector's report to prepare yourself for the kind of "not responsible" arguments he's going to throw back at you. I'd expect you're going to hear him say "there was no noticiable damage at the time of inspection" or he'll circle back to the dealer/repair shopon the axle-related issue. Also, before you talk to the inspector, I'd get as much information from whoever's telling you about the frame damage.....if you haven't already.

Unless this guy specializes in LR inspections, I wouldn't be that surprised if he doesn't even know how to go about inspecting one. At my last state inspection, I brough my Disco to a localValvoline oil change place. I've had other cars inspectedthere and they were very thorough and crazy-strict(car on the lift, wheels off, etc., etc.). With the Disco, they basically just walked around it and slapped a sticker on. I don't think they even knew how to go about putting it on the lift, etc. Point is, this guy may not have been qualified to pass or fail that truck.

Good luck. That's a sucky situation.

 

BogdenZ: I did have a carfax report done on this truck.

Apparently, it was in a car accident, and just the exterior of the truckw as repaired. If you look, you notice differences in gaps between doors, panels and the hood (compared to the left side).

There is nothing on the report from the independent LR inspector saying anything like "at the time of inspection"... all that is written about the frame is that there is no damage.

I've already gotten a full body work report from a place the LR dealership took it to.. there is a WHOLE list of panels that are glued together, to gaps, and 2-3 inches difference between stuff.

I am hopefully gunna get a second opinion, and then we will see what happens from there..

Thanks a whole bunch on your replies!

John-Robert