Can dealers check each other's maintenance records"

[Lee M. Levitt]

Robbin Carlson <robbin.carlson at iname.com> asks:
>
> I'd like to buy a '99 Quatro A6 Avant.  I'd like to know what
> happened to it before I got it so I want to see the maintenance record.
It was purchased
> at a different dealership than I'm buying it from.
>
> The salesman says that there is no way to get it.  I think the maintenance
> records are accessable by computer.  How else does one switch dealerships?
>
> I have to decide by Monday.  I like the car, but I don't want a
> lemon.  ('99 quatro wagon, fully loaded, 49k miles, $26K).
>

Robbin,

First, run the VIN by carfax.com. It will give you some indication if nasty
things happened to this car (totalled, salvage title, 4 owners, etc).

Second, call up the original dealer and ask to talk with the service
manager. Explain to him or her that you're considering buying this car, and
you'd like to know its history. Have the VIN and the previous owner's name
handy when you do this.

If you can, do this in person, rather than over the phone. You'll get more
detail this way.

I went through exactly this process before I bought my S6. The service
manager spent 20 minutes on the phone with me detailing the car's history...

And if you don't know the previous owner's name, you can probably find it.
Take a good long look through the owner's manual, you'll probably find
something there...or at least the original servicing dealer's name. That
plus the VIN is sufficient.

This particular car was probably traded in or came in off a 2 year lease,
and due to the high mileage was traded out to another dealer. May not be a
bad deal... :)

HTH,

Lee
'95.5 S6 avant
'96 A6 quattro avant