Report: Dealership Issued Falsified CarFax Report

A car shopper in New York purchased a used Mercedes and she immediately started having problems with the vehicle. None of which were noted in what is believed to be a fake Carfax report.

Ana Hua bought a 2010 Mercedes SLK300 from Bayside Imports in Queens, New York. As soon as she began driving her new car, she heard noises coming from the front of the vehicle and returned to the dealership looking for a CarFax report. She got a report, which indicated that nothing was wrong with the SLK300. Her mechanical issues didn’t go away and lacking trust for one dealership, she visited another store looking for a CarFax on the vehicle.

This time the report noted the Mercedes had been in a major accident and had potentially hazardous structural damage. The allegation is that the dealer who sold her the car falsified the CarFax report.

Hua called the local news, which showed up at the local dealership and demanded answers. The dealer principal called some of the CarFax info an opinion and then assigned blame for the error to a salesperson. In the end, the store has proposed a $2,000 settlement without any admission of guilt. PIX 11 reports that negotiations are ongoing.

This incident occurred at a small used vehicle dealership, however, could something similar occur at a franchise store? The Internet is littered with examples of car shoppers who feel that they were duped with a false vehicle history report adding to dissatisfaction and distrust for retail automotive. What steps does your store take to help your customers feel you’re being transparent and they can trust the information and documents you give to them?