Hey, I bought a 2007 E350 4matic w/ AMG styling package, fully loaded (was a Mercedes salesman's car) 6 months ago with 30k miles. Upon purchasing, I immediately had to bring the car back for paint scrapes on bumper, cigarette lighter that didn't work, key with low battery, 2nd key that didn't work, chip in windshield, door handle lock/unlock that didn't work, engine ticking noise and jerky upshift/downshift with the transmission. Mercedes fixed most things, but said the engine ticking is normal and the jerking or the gears seeming to get stuck was just the computer getting hung up (they said it happens and is "normal", though hard to believe this happens in such a quality car). Anyway, service at this dealership has been lackluster. They pulled my car out for me to take home once with the back door still taken apart. They gave me a new tire but sent me out with a bent rim and never told me...you get the point. After having the car 6 months, being in and out of service 10 times and being unable to drive more than 30 miles without the check engine light going on, I decided to get out of the vehicle. It was then that I found out, while shopping around, that the car was in an accident when the salesman owned it. My bad for not checking carfax but when the dealer told me this certified pre-owned was clean, I believed them.
I recently read that Mercedes has to show the carfax on CPOs and/or they cannot CPO a car with an accident on the carfax. Any truth to these statements? Also, with the problems my car has had, should it even have passed the CPO process?
The dealership is trying to make good on what I perceive to be a scam - beautiful fully loaded car with a hidden messy history, but I am reluctant to trade in for a new car and give them more money after I feel like they made a fool of me.
Anyone have experience in taking action against them and/or is it worth it?
Thanks so much for the help!
This is my first Mercedes and have to say - bad bad way to try and create a lifetime relationship.

 

All CPO vehicles should be provided with a CPO vehicle inspection report which would capture and document the entire CPO inspection process (this includes a clean carfax report). Not all accidents are reported to Carfax. Mercedes-Benz only states that CPO vehicles cannot have had any pre-existing framework repair or framework damage. Technically, an entire vehicle could've been previously re-painted (due to a comprehensive claim or minor accident with no frame damage) and still be considered a CPO vehicle, as long as the paint job is of good quality.

Mercedes-Benz generates a CPO checklist and the dealer abides to it. Keep in mind, what the checklist specifies versus what's acceptable is open to interpretation and up to the dealer to decide. E.g., I can almost guarantee that the wheels on most CPO vehicle have some sort of scratch or gouge. However, the CPO inspection process states free of scratches/gouges, etc.