Illegal for a dealership to provide past records?

[bmwe30is]

I'm taking in the M3 for the subframe recall, and I asked for a pull up of the past service records. The service advisor said he can't do it and its illegal for him to give me that information here in CA. Is he being honest or full of it?

I was under the impression that some dealers would do this as courtesy...

[ZMS325i]

I don't believe it is illegal (at least in CO), there is nothing in the sales licensing manual about it. There very well could be some policy at that dealer. I know that when we have people ask for records on a car we maintain, we black out the P.O.s name and personal info and then give it to them.

[Bsaint]

I'm a service advisor at Acura and no it's not illegal atleast not here in PA,

specially if it's a recall item we have to let you know if it's been done or not.

call back and ask for the service manager

[bmwe30is]

I don't believe it is illegal (at least in CO), there is nothing in the sales licensing manual about it. There very well could be some policy at that dealer. I know that when we have people ask for records on a car we maintain, we black out the P.O.s name and personal info and then give it to them.

Yeah, he was saying they can't release info on the prior owner, so I'm not really 100% convinced. I think he was just trying to get me out faster.

[ZMS325i]

Yeah, he was saying they can't release info on the prior owner, so I'm not really 100% convinced. I think he was just trying to get me out faster.

Sounds like a dick. Go somewhere else.

[glwillia]

Yeah, he was saying they can't release info on the prior owner, so I'm not really 100% convinced. I think he was just trying to get me out faster.

I've had this happen to me, service manager at a BMW dealership refused to give me the records. I just asked him to read off the services from his computer that had been done to me (it was a 3-year-old 3-series with 31k miles, so this wasn't much).

[bmwe30is]

The car is going on the rack soon. I'm posting this while I wait LOL.

I'll check with another dealership soon. I have most of the records that the second owner gave me, going back to when the car only had 10k miles. I just want to see if I'm missing anything.

Thanks for the tips guys.

[robmpulse]

No they are not supposed to release the information. It is the policy of BMW NA.

Recalls are different. So, no... they are not "trying to get you out faster" or being dicks. I am never amazed at the wealth of misinformation and misguided attitude towards dealers and their employees.

You can call around to dealers, and luck out and get someone that either does not care or does not know they are supposed to give it out... but do not get mad at the guys that are actually doing their job properly.

In addition... I am pretty sure there is a liability for the dealer when releasing information on a car. It may not be against the law so to speak... but if the dealer gives contradicting information to a potential buyer and that causes the sale to go south, the seller may have a case against the dealer in a civil suit. I am not 100% sure about that, but it would not surprise me.

[Bsaint]

I'll check with another dealership soon.



Do this, we call other dealer to get info on cars.

Call a dealer pretend to be an advisor from a different dealer and ask them for a VIN stat, they should only need the last 6 of the vin and should be able to get the info.

[M3forJTB]

Do this, we call other dealer to get info on cars.

Call a dealer pretend to be an advisor from a different dealer and ask them for a VIN stat, they should only need the last 6 of the vin and should be able to get the info.

Last 7 of the VIN.

And ask for them to run it in DCS.

[spoonerDee]

I think the tech is confused. He can release info on the car, however he can't release info on the previous owner.

I would go back and straighten it out.

[Damacon]

No they are not supposed to release the information. It is the policy of BMW NA.

Recalls are different. So, no... they are not "trying to get you out faster" or being dicks. I am never amazed at the wealth of misinformation and misguided attitude towards dealers and their employees.

You can call around to dealers, and luck out and get someone that either does not care or does not know they are supposed to give it out... but do not get mad at the guys that are actually doing their job properly.

In addition... I am pretty sure there is a liability for the dealer when releasing information on a car. It may not be against the law so to speak... but if the dealer gives contradicting information to a potential buyer and that causes the sale to go south, the seller may have a case against the dealer in a civil suit. I am not 100% sure about that, but it would not surprise me.

This.

Also, CA privacy laws are generally much more stringent than anywhere else.

[liquidtiger720]

When I was shopping for mine, I just told the dealer I was going to purchase it and wanted to know the history - over the phone. One SA gave me a full read out, another wouldn't give it to me unless I came in with the car and some ID.

I say try another dealer.

[G///ME]

Last 7 of the VIN.

And ask for them to run it in DCS.


I think the tech is confused. He can release info on the car, however he can't release info on the previous owner.

I would go back and straighten it out.

both of this.

i had the same issue with getting info on my e34...dude told me i can't have previous owner info...and asked him again because i knew of a report that showed service history and origin of import...he didn't know exactly how to pull the info...but he ended up asking a tech who told him exactly what to do...lol. amazing how techs know more than the customer reps.

[GunnerNell]

I had one dealer salesman in FL say he wasn't supposed to give me the read-out, but then he gave it to me anyway. Another dealer salesman just handed the read-out on another car, just saying "here's the repair/service history" on the car. :dunno

[02325]

In AL it doesn't matter.

If it is illegal for a customer to get history on a car, than why in the he!! do the Sa give it to the techs when I get my RO. That makes no since. I understand we need it incase the car was just in for serivce and its a come-back, but they are still giving out personal info.

[samger2]

THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE USED OR RELIED UPON FOR IMPORT OR EXPORT PURPOSES
AND IS NOT TO BE DISTRIBUTED OR SHARED WITH THIRD PARTIES *
*EXCEPT FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION THAT MAY BE REQUIRED BY LAW The above is exact wording from the page that comes up when you run a VIN number. If you are not the original owner of the car, you are considered a "3rd party", therefore the service advisor cannot give you the information you request. No one is trying to get you out of there faster or screw you because it's a dealer. It's simply policy

[Broox]

Sounds like a dick. Go somewhere else.

If this is enough to make you leave a dealer, you're gonna have a hard time getting your car serviced anywhere...

[bhess16]

I know here in Mass they can SHOW the service history to you (so you can make mental notes), but they can't provide an actual copy. Service adviser even showed me the fine print saying so

[Ty Vil]

THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE USED OR RELIED UPON FOR IMPORT OR EXPORT PURPOSES
AND IS NOT TO BE DISTRIBUTED OR SHARED WITH THIRD PARTIES *
*EXCEPT FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION THAT MAY BE REQUIRED BY LAW The above is exact wording from the page that comes up when you run a VIN number. If you are not the original owner of the car, you are considered a "3rd party", therefore the service advisor cannot give you the information you request. No one is trying to get you out of there faster or screw you because it's a dealer. It's simply policy
That's exactly what every inquiry to BMW's computers says.

I'm not losing my job/getting a stern talk from one of my bosses for copying service records to a client.

[pcoaew]

Sounds like a dick. Go somewhere else.

+1 what he said :shifty

[bmwe30is]

No they are not supposed to release the information. It is the policy of BMW NA.

Recalls are different. So, no... they are not "trying to get you out faster" or being dicks. I am never amazed at the wealth of misinformation and misguided attitude towards dealers and their employees.

You can call around to dealers, and luck out and get someone that either does not care or does not know they are supposed to give it out... but do not get mad at the guys that are actually doing their job properly.

In addition... I am pretty sure there is a liability for the dealer when releasing information on a car. It may not be against the law so to speak... but if the dealer gives contradicting information to a potential buyer and that causes the sale to go south, the seller may have a case against the dealer in a civil suit. I am not 100% sure about that, but it would not surprise me.

There is a lot of misinformation and misguided attitude because dealers too often take advantage of people and the information received by customers is rarely consistent. I never said the dealership were being dicks or jerks. When I asked him for the information, the line for service was lining up and I felt like I was being rushed. Simple as that. I was always polite and undemanding when I asked the SA for the information.

If he had shown me the policy stating that it is illegal, I would have left it at that. I came here asking whether it was actually policy or not! I never said I was mad at anyone for doing their job.


THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE USED OR RELIED UPON FOR IMPORT OR EXPORT PURPOSES
AND IS NOT TO BE DISTRIBUTED OR SHARED WITH THIRD PARTIES *
*EXCEPT FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION THAT MAY BE REQUIRED BY LAW The above is exact wording from the page that comes up when you run a VIN number. If you are not the original owner of the car, you are considered a "3rd party", therefore the service advisor cannot give you the information you request. No one is trying to get you out of there faster or screw you because it's a dealer. It's simply policy

Thanks Samger!


That's exactly what every inquiry to BMW's computers says.

I'm not losing my job/getting a stern talk from one of my bosses for copying service records to a client.

That's fine, but sometimes, I want proof that it's policy or law. :)

Quick story: A hotel we stayed at during Bimmerfest attempted to charge us $400 for noise complaints/disturbances. The manager at the hotel apparently called the police to come quiet us down. But we were all sleeping when the police were called.

That morning, we go to check out and the manager starts accusing us of being noisy, making other patrons leave, and says he's charging us $400 (for a $120 room) because of the lost business. I tell him to print out a receipt with that exact wording, and show me in the hotel customer policy agreement, where this can be done. I wanted the same policy that tells me I will be charged for damages to the room, room service, etc..

He refuses to show this to me and even denies the policy book exists. I tell him I won't leave without a receipt, so I have to call the local police to force him to print a receipt out with the solicited charge. I also talk to the police operator and confirm the time the unit was sent out to the hotel during the night. It was for a completely different room for domestic disturbance!!

Anyways, a week later we call the bank to dispute the charge, and the bank tells us the $400 charge had been reversed. There was no grounds for the hotel to charge that to us, as it was indeed illegal - the billing agreement between us and the hotel never includes anything about noise complaints or lost business.

It pays to know where these facts or rules come from, one day they will save your ass and prevent you from getting in trouble when you obviously haven't done any wrong and are well within your right to be a well educated customer.

That all said, the service advisor was friendly and the car was well taken care of at the dealership, I'm a happy camper! :D

[KBH22102]

I bought a used M coupe from California and had it shipped east. I was at my local dealership today to purchase some small parts. I did not drive my BMW but brought full evidence of ownership. I wanted to know if the S54 con rod bearing recall work had been done. The SA said she could not tell me but if I had brought my key they could have read the data off the chip in the key. I asked why she couldn't just type in my VIN and she gave me the number to BMW NA to take it up with them

[jwoods]

I got a CPO 335i a little over a week ago, and I wanted the service records (carfax only showed one service around 15,xxx down in FL). I drove to the dealer during my lunch today, asked for the service records (all of them, not just what they had done to CPO it and the couple things I took it back for), and got everything I asked for. It's just a printout of what has been done and at what mileage, no personal information of the previous owner. It's a basic courtesy, if a dealer wouldn't provide this info, I would look for another dealer as others have mentioned.

[KBH22102]

That just sounds like common sense. I have been to four local dealerships and my experience has been similar at all of them. Very evasive, not wanting to give specific answers to anything. I never leave there with more knowledge than when I went in. I only go there to get parts that would not make economic sense to ship (like 4 x 25 cent washers today). I have never bought a new BMW but the attitude I have generally received at the these locations makes me never want to buy one.

EDIT: Well I just did as the SA told me and registered my car with BMW NA over the phone. I'm shaking my head a little at this process - they just took my name, address , and VIN over the phone. I was not asked to provide any evidence of ownership. I wasn't given any records but I was told there are no open recalls. Now I wait 24 hours and call the dealership back and I'm supposed to get my records.

[pcoaew]

Do this, we call other dealer to get info on cars.

Call a dealer pretend to be an advisor from a different dealer and ask them for a VIN stat, they should only need the last 6 of the vin and should be able to get the info.

Good suggestion..

[robmpulse]

Do this, we call other dealer to get info on cars.

Call a dealer pretend to be an advisor from a different dealer and ask them for a VIN stat, they should only need the last 6 of the vin and should be able to get the info.

It's 7.