carfax question/car issue

So just over a year ago, I bought my first nice car out of college (2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Limited). The sticker price on the car was 19995, but online was listed as 17995, so I bought it for that much. Numerous times I asked for a carfax, and they told me that I'd get one, but after the 2nd test drive and when it came time to sign the papers, I was just happy to be getting a car that was still under factory warranty and finally have all the bells and whistles that I could ask for and forgot to ask for it again. Namely, because the salesman told me twice that he's seen the carfax and told me that I was only the 2nd owner, and there were no accidents. Fast forward to today, I'm trading in the car today. Saturday I took it to the local subaru dealer to trade it in and they told me that there is an accident on the car from the first owner, cost me about 3k on my trade in value. Here's my question, is there any way that the used dealer that I bought the car from can be held liable? Should I go there expecting them to at least meet me half way in terms of the 3k? I know part of it's my fault for not demanding the carfax, but come on, I was excited and it slipped my mind. Plus, the dealer shouldn't be taking advantage of the consumer like that when it says it's seen the carfax and that it's clean. Any advice would be helpful. If no headway is made, should I complain to the BBB and Attorney General?

 

Thanks

That sucks,

 

I don't think you have a case. They didn't force you to buy the car...You bought it with what resources you saw at the time.

 

How did they arrive at a $3k price deduction on the trade in?

Well. they said that they could've offered me 16k for the trade-in, but because of the accident, they'd only be able to market it at a certain price because they have to give full disclosure to whoever they sell the car to, which is why they initially offered me 12, but I ended up working them to 14500. So not exactly 3k, but close enough.

You did ask them for it and they shouldn't have withheld it. But I can see that they did it for just that reason.

 

You may start to complain to them that they had withheld essential information, and if they still duck you may take it to a new level.

"Not written = Not said"

 

Verbal promises of no accidents are almost impossible to enforce unless he admits to saying it. And he won't.

 

When I bought my LGT the dealer pulled the carfax while we were talking. It's not a difficult or time consuming thing to do. Refusal or delaying tactics should be viewed with suspicion.

"Not written = Not said"

 

Verbal promises of no accidents are almost impossible to enforce unless he admits to saying it. And he won't.

 

When I bought my LGT the dealer pulled the carfax while we were talking. It's not a difficult or time consuming thing to do. Refusal or delaying tactics should be viewed with suspicion.

 

Yep, that right there sent up a big RED FLAG.

 

Chalk this one up to a "lesson learned".