CPO = Accident Free?
Thread Starter
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Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Philly, NYC
E350, W140 S, C63, G55, 420SEL, Prius, Dune Buggy, Ducati
CPO = Accident Free?
I have a question in regards to the MB CPO process, do they guarantee that they are nor aware of any vehicle accident history?
I ask because I purchased a CPO MB a few years ago and now the carfax is reporting an accident before I purchased the vehicle. I am curious to see if they are required to disclose their knowledge of an accident or if a car can be CPO'd with an accident on the history. Obviously, they could only be held accountable as "knowing" of the accident if the repairs were done at that dealership.
TIA!
I ask because I purchased a CPO MB a few years ago and now the carfax is reporting an accident before I purchased the vehicle. I am curious to see if they are required to disclose their knowledge of an accident or if a car can be CPO'd with an accident on the history. Obviously, they could only be held accountable as "knowing" of the accident if the repairs were done at that dealership.
TIA!
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From: Albuquerque
'10 CL550, '12 GL550
I was told the CPO program mandates the dealer provide a Carfax report to the buyer.
Depends on what one calls "accident," of course.
I scraped a fender on my garage door and I'm positive that repair won't prevent my car passing CPO should I trade it in.
If the unibody was tweaked in an accident or factory welds broken, not so much.
CPOs can have lots of repainting, for sure.
Today's bumpers are just pieces of plastic, easily replaced. NOT a big deal and not a CPO killer. Probably also the little brackets behind them.
So what are the details of your accident?
Depends on what one calls "accident," of course.
I scraped a fender on my garage door and I'm positive that repair won't prevent my car passing CPO should I trade it in.
If the unibody was tweaked in an accident or factory welds broken, not so much.
CPOs can have lots of repainting, for sure.
Today's bumpers are just pieces of plastic, easily replaced. NOT a big deal and not a CPO killer. Probably also the little brackets behind them.
So what are the details of your accident?
Thread Starter
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Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Philly, NYC
E350, W140 S, C63, G55, 420SEL, Prius, Dune Buggy, Ducati
Carfax only started reporting the accident from the previous owner a few months ago, which was years after they owned the vehicle. Carfax doesn't catch everything in a timely fashion it seems.
My issue is that if the accident repairs were done at the MB dealer, were they able to give it a CPO certification and would they be required to disclose teh acident?
My issue is that if the accident repairs were done at the MB dealer, were they able to give it a CPO certification and would they be required to disclose teh acident?
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Joined: Jan 2010
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From: chicago
Firemist O5 CLK55 Cab Silver 05 CLK55 Coupe Tanzanite 06 CLK500 Coupe
certified really means
what it says, the car is without any doubt, 
pre-owned
i would not rely solely on the CPO inspection as there are many items not covered and the MB guidelines for CPO are really pretty lax.
pre-ownedi would not rely solely on the CPO inspection as there are many items not covered and the MB guidelines for CPO are really pretty lax.
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From: Houston, TX
18 Titan XD 13 Cayenne TT 13 BMW HP4
Yeah no doubt. The front bumper cover on my SL65 has been replaced, then damaged and repainted at some point and it is a CPO. Carfax is clear but at least the damage is on the underside. I think they parked on top of a curb and then tore it on the bottom when backing out. I've had the cover completely off and there are no signs of other damage, welding, painting on the frame, etc.
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From: California
06 C55, 09 E350
Accidents do not disqualify them from being CPO. I forget the percentage but it's something along the lines of the cost of repairs cannot be more than 10-15% of the vehicles value.
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mercedes 350
cpo/insurance
I am trying to find out what MB requirements are for CPOed cars. I was hit by someone in my brand new MB but not frame damage or even exterior paint damage. I have been told that since it was in carfax it could not be cpo,ed
Can this car be CPOed or not? What is the criteria?
Can this car be CPOed or not? What is the criteria?
Thread Starter
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Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Philly, NYC
E350, W140 S, C63, G55, 420SEL, Prius, Dune Buggy, Ducati
This was a similar situation I was in. I bought the car as CPO, then the accident appeared on the CarFax. At trade-in, the MB dealer gave me a low quite stating that they would not be able to CPO the car because of that. However, I bought the car as CPO before the accident appeared in the report, meaning that structurally and paint wise, it passed the CPO process, but not in documentation.
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From: Alexandria, VA
07 E63 AMG, 10 C63 AMG, 07 E63 Designo, 07 E350, 09 C300, 07 C230
CPO doesn't mean accident free. I COP car can have some paint work done to it, such as the front or rear bumper, but no structural damage. Some fender benders that are reported to your insurance company does get run in Carfax. So it's really a crap shoot, if you ask me. 
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The requirements for a car to meet CPO guidelines are many, but being accident/paintwork free are not among them.
The car can not have a blemished title (junk, salvage, flood, rebuilt, etc) or structural damage (frame). But tons of CPO cars have had paint or bodywork in their past. It is not promised that CPO cars are paint/body/accident free, and the dealers are not required to disclose that.
I stand next to the buyers from MB dealers, we have access to the same cars at the dealer auctions. They buy cars I would NEVER buy, because they have their own recon (body/paint/detail/wheelre finish/etc) setup so can buy them cheap, repair them cheap, and then sell them with CPO so people think they are pristine and get top-dollar for them. They buy plenty of very nice cars too, but lots of so-so cars and then fix them up.
I work on very tight margins, and do not own my own recon setups, so I can not afford to buy so-so cars and then pay wholesale rates to get them fixed up. Plus my clients do not hire me to do that, they want pristine no-paintwork/accident cars so that's what I buy.
Bruce
The car can not have a blemished title (junk, salvage, flood, rebuilt, etc) or structural damage (frame). But tons of CPO cars have had paint or bodywork in their past. It is not promised that CPO cars are paint/body/accident free, and the dealers are not required to disclose that.
I stand next to the buyers from MB dealers, we have access to the same cars at the dealer auctions. They buy cars I would NEVER buy, because they have their own recon (body/paint/detail/wheelre finish/etc) setup so can buy them cheap, repair them cheap, and then sell them with CPO so people think they are pristine and get top-dollar for them. They buy plenty of very nice cars too, but lots of so-so cars and then fix them up.
I work on very tight margins, and do not own my own recon setups, so I can not afford to buy so-so cars and then pay wholesale rates to get them fixed up. Plus my clients do not hire me to do that, they want pristine no-paintwork/accident cars so that's what I buy.
Bruce
