Found damage from previous owner

So I purchased a 2020 tundra with 5400 miles on it imported from Canada. It was certified inspected. We'll it hasn't rained in 4 or 5 months here and on the first rain my son told me there was water o the head liner by the back window. Well after inpecting I noticed the intenna was lose. Well I took it in expecting a manufacturer defect, so it would be fixed. Well the lady said there is a dent on the roof and that's why it's leaking so it won't be covered under warranty. Well there is a foam strip in the bed with indicates the previous owner was hauling a camper. Well the lady at toyota and I were talking. And it "looks" like the previous owner didn't secure the camper down properly so the part that hangs over the top of the crew cap put pressure on it witch dented the hood. I want out of this deal to purchase a new truck. Im going to talk to the dealer tomorrow to see what they say. And from my experience so far I'm probably going to contact an attorney. Has anyone bee through this? Need some guidance. Thanks guys

 

If it is/was a certified used vehicle the dealership should fix it for free.

 

Yes it's a certified used vehicle

 

Than talk to someone who should care more...they will need to fix it or give Toyota Corp a call...give them a chance to fix it tho...

 

Those antennae can be a little loose. Mine moves a bit.

If after pressuring the dealer some more and say they don't budge, I'd bet a good paint less dent repair shop could get that dent out so water doesn't channel towards the antennae.

Makes me wonder what kind of grommet they use for the antennae wiring pass through.

 

I'm of the mind that they certified the truck, they should cover the repairs. There's no real proof it was caused by a camper, just a best guess. Either way, its a red herring, they assume that risk when they certify a truck and charge a little extra for that reassurance.

 

What damage is there here?

Sorry, I must be missing it, not being critical. Just trying to understand.

 

That foam strip is normally installed to match the surface of the bed side rail caps to prevent water intrusion for canopies and tonneau covers. Was there paint missing on the top of the sharkfin and is there an obvious dent in the roof?

 

That’s why I asked, the foam strip is distorted in shape but that’s normal.

Didn’t see any clear damage but I could be blind.

 

What is certified? If you read the agreement then I think you will find that only certain parts and systems are covered. However, if the dealer that sold it to you did not disclose then I would think they would be willing to fix or rescind the sale.
In short - buyer beware. No one is looking out for you but yourself. The good buddy sales person is only trying to collect a commission.

 

Damage caused by leaks due to physical damage would not be covered under any warranty, “certified” or not.

 

Step one: pull dent
Step two: move on with your life

Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. You’ll accomplish nothing positive for yourself.

 

Possible alternative thesis...

Can't tell from the pics. Is the top of the shark fin beat up? Like from a camper? I have seen more than one shark fin fall victim to frequent carwash rotating brushes.

All the tri fold bed covers come with that same sealing strip to prevent whistles between bed and cab. You might check bed rails for signs of clamps about a foot back.

 

That foam could be from a leer or ARE type cap. Usually tundras don’t have full campers because they don’t have the payload for it, but some people do still get them. That damage could be from driving in a parking garage where the antenna barely hit the roof or a tree branch or something. Any other scratches on top? Unless they are really nice, I don’t think the dealer will cover any damage that appears to be from the user. Have you checked your comprehensive insurance policy?

 

A good paintless dent removal company can get rid of that dentfor a few hundred bucks. That and some clear RTV sealant you should be fine.
About it being a certified car, I doubt that this dent would been caught by most inspections. And certified preowned does not mean perfect. You can hire an attorney of you want it's your money. However, what you pay the lawyer as a retainer will probably cover the repair.

 

There are no scratches on the fin at all.

 

Also, so you live in the states and are driving a Canadian-spec truck?

 

I'm paying for a really expensive truck under the 3 year factory warrenty. It's pre certified checked and owned. There shouldn't be a dent I the top of the truck. I know 100% I didn't do it. So it was toyota that didn't inspect it properly or they did and didn't fix it. One way or another things will work out in my favor. I am posting to see if anyone else has been through this, and if so what has happened with there ordeal.

 

Certified means it gets a warranty.

It does not mean the dealer selling certifies it was never misused, there is no undisclosed damage from the prior owner or that it will never be a problem - only if a covered claim arises - warranty will pay.

Hire an attorney - why ? So you find an ambulance chaser willing to take your money and they send dealer a letter - all this does is entrench the dealer in their position that you are a pain in the ass who every time something goes wrong will be at their door with their “certified” truck demanding a free fix.

Better course of action - get a quote on proper repair and take it to the dealer GM - tell them you understand it wasn’t disclosed by the prior owner and how it slipped by - but you shouldn’t be responsible either. See what they will do - and if they continue to refuse to do squat - file it in small claims for the cost of repair.

Reality - it’s “buyer beware” - but dealers hate having their name out there in a small claims filing and the standard for proof is in your favor. It may prompt the dealer to just agree to resolve to keep things on a positive note and worst case you lose $75 and a half day of your time. Any attorney taking this case would want a grand and honestly be wasting your time….the repair should be less than that here.

Oh - and wanting to return for a full refund after the fact - zero chance that happens. You own it - you can sell it on your own right now certainly and if you didn’t make a lousy deal likely won’t lose much on trade towards new…but expecting a dealer to give you all your $$ back is simple wishful thinking.

 

I'm not going tobfix the damn thing I didn't dent it. Plain and simple. If toyota will fix it greatvif not others routs are available

 

Looking at photos again:

a. It’s certainly obvious to inspection- but this goes both ways…you say their inspection should have caught it - they can say your ore purchase review should have alerted you to this issue if it was a concern. You have a duty to be aware of “obvious” defects - inspection or not.

b. It could well be your word vs there’s this didn’t happen after purchase. If so - may be worth filing under your insurance for an unknown cause:vandalism claim of cost exceeds deductible

 

Toyota corporate won’t. It’s a used truck.

Keep chasing windmills - let us know when you beat one finally.

 

“Pre-certified” is not certified until you purchase the warranty from the dealer or somehow negotiate the cost of the warranty in to the purchase. You then receive paperwork outlining the terms of the warranty. I have a certified truck and dent repair is not covered.
You’re going to have a real hard time proving it was damaged prior to your acceptance unless there are some photos from advertising the truck that indicate the damage was present prior to your accepting the truck.To have any legal remedy you’re going to prove the damage was present prior to your acceptance.
I think you should seek legal counsel so you can hear it from an attorney that this isn’t a matter worth pursuing, although you can probably find an attorney that will take your money knowing full well it’s a fruitless matter.
As another poster mentioned, spend your money on a dent repair guy and some silicone.

 

Good luck proving how a dent you didn’t see happen occurred.

 

If you'd come back the same day or something it would be bad enough, but coming back to the dealer 5 months later with a dent in the roof? They aren't even going to remember the details of any inspection they did from back then.

It isn't going to be a warranty issue if it is the result of external physical damage, in any case.
As said above... the easiest course of action is going to be to remove the dent and reinstall the antenna with a new gasket or whatever is under there, and move on with life. If the quote on that is high enough I guess you could file an insurance claim, but probably not worth it once you pay the deductible and any increase in rates that could happen.
You could have bought the truck brand new, and showing up with a dent on it 5 months later would leave the same situation and get the same results...

 

I've had it less then a month. I tried to return the truck 3 days after purches

 

I know 100% I didn't dent the truck. Enough said. If it was my fault or there was a chance of it. I would use my insurance

 

In that case maybe they will work with you on good faith even if they are (likely) not legally obligated to.. good luck!

 

I had a CPO Honda a few years ago. The clips that held in the front fender liner failed. Dealer said it was a cosmetic issue and not covered. $19 for 4 plastic clips really pissed me off...but probably a better route than spending a couple more hours arguing.