Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Automotive
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 11-24-2011, 09:31 AM
 
2,142 posts, read 3,036,150 times
Reputation: 12193

Advertisements

So, while my Honda Pilot was at the dealer's for regular maintenance and new brakes, their guy backed it into something, cracked the tail light housing, and put a gouge in the tailgate. This was a week ago yesterday. They had their paint guy try to spot-repair the gouge and we came in to take a look at it last Thursday.

The service guy took us out to the car and said, "I'm going to let you try to find it (the repair)," in a jovial voice. Seriously? You damaged my car and this is now a game of Where's Waldo? The repaired gouge was visible from eight feet away, so we had them send it to the body shop to be repaired properly. The service guy made some noise about now they'd have to take part of the tailgate apart and paint the whole thing. Too bad. I understand mistakes and accidents happen, but my car shouldn't be in worse condition after its been at your shop.

We have a free loaner from the dealer, but it's now been over a week that I've been without my car. Questions:

1) How much longer do you think this will take? My husband called the dealer yesterday, but the service guy was out for the day.

2) I'm not trying to take anyone to the cleaners, but if this was your dealership and this happened, would you give the car owner a discount on the total repair bill for the inconvenience and annoyance factor?

Thanks
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 11-24-2011, 10:29 AM
 
Location: On the Chesapeake
44,885 posts, read 59,858,372 times
Reputation: 60427
My first question is your last sentence: are you paying for the repair to the damge they did? If so you're getting screwed from more than onme direction.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-24-2011, 10:36 AM
 
Location: Here
11,573 posts, read 13,885,731 times
Reputation: 6978
Quote:
Originally Posted by reebo View Post
2) I'm not trying to take anyone to the cleaners, but if this was your dealership and this happened, would you give the car owner a discount on the total repair bill for the inconvenience and annoyance factor?
No. They have provided you a loaner and are repairing the damage they caused at their expense. As you said, it was an accident. Stop trying to gain from it by having them deduct a portion of the regular maintenance/brake job.

As far as the body repairs, this is where you need to be a bit more demanding. DO NOT except the repairs if they look bad or not quite right. Do not drive off without thoroughly inspecting the repairs and paint match. If your not satisfied, make them paint again until it's acceptable. Depending on the color of the car, blending can be a real pain in the butt.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-24-2011, 10:43 AM
 
Location: Central Texas
13,715 posts, read 30,997,147 times
Reputation: 9270
I don't know how anyone here is supposed to know how long it should take. It is probably at the mercy of the availability of the people and the paint facility.

As for a discount - it would be a good gesture for the dealer to help you out, but it sounds like they are repairing it in good faith. It wouldn't hurt to ask for a break on the bill - since now you have a slightly repaired vehicle.

I would not accept the vehicle until it is perfect.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-24-2011, 01:25 PM
 
1,961 posts, read 6,777,357 times
Reputation: 2510
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoffdano View Post

I would not accept the vehicle until it is perfect.
That, and get everything in writing, if tomorrow you are having electrical problems or the paint fades in a year, they should fix it for you. Accidents happen, they are doing the right thing with fixing it and giving you a loaner. I would give them as much time as they want and put as many miles I can on the loaner. No gripes there. Be nice about it, but be firm. Everything goes on paper.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-24-2011, 01:40 PM
 
Location: Yucaipa, California
9,894 posts, read 21,926,680 times
Reputation: 6844
Accidents happen but the stealerships employees should of been more careful. As long as they fix the problem within a timely manner its all good.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-25-2011, 03:26 PM
 
2,142 posts, read 3,036,150 times
Reputation: 12193
Picked up the car today and it looked great. No discount, but I had printed out coupons from their website so I got 10% anyway. Thanks for weighing in.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-25-2011, 03:37 PM
 
Location: Free From The Oppressive State
30,121 posts, read 23,504,586 times
Reputation: 38360
Quote:
Originally Posted by reebo View Post
So, while my Honda Pilot was at the dealer's for regular maintenance and new brakes, their guy backed it into something, cracked the tail light housing, and put a gouge in the tailgate. This was a week ago yesterday. They had their paint guy try to spot-repair the gouge and we came in to take a look at it last Thursday.

The service guy took us out to the car and said, "I'm going to let you try to find it (the repair)," in a jovial voice. Seriously? You damaged my car and this is now a game of Where's Waldo? The repaired gouge was visible from eight feet away, so we had them send it to the body shop to be repaired properly. The service guy made some noise about now they'd have to take part of the tailgate apart and paint the whole thing. Too bad. I understand mistakes and accidents happen, but my car shouldn't be in worse condition after its been at your shop.

We have a free loaner from the dealer, but it's now been over a week that I've been without my car. Questions:

1) How much longer do you think this will take? My husband called the dealer yesterday, but the service guy was out for the day.

2) I'm not trying to take anyone to the cleaners, but if this was your dealership and this happened, would you give the car owner a discount on the total repair bill for the inconvenience and annoyance factor?

Thanks
While this sucks that it happened, I agree with 01snake that they are making it right by you by giving you the loaner, (should be at no charge to you), and are making the repairs, (should be at no charge to you).

It was an accident and they are trying to fix it and make right by you. They are doing that.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-30-2012, 04:21 PM
 
1 posts, read 35,135 times
Reputation: 10
Default Car Damaged at Dealership

I had the same experience, had faulty transmission replaced in 2012 Camry, when I return to pick-up my car it was scratched so much that dealership repainted hood and front bumper. And to make matters worse now the steering is loose in the car, from what I believe is due to poor workmanship. I have been advised by Toyota Customer Care that I must return to this dealership and have them fix the steering. After I contacted the GM he advised me that he would not assist me and since I opened a complaint that I should deal directly with Toyota Customer Care and he abruptly ended the phone conversation. I have gotten no where. I have a brand new car that has been repainted and now loose steering and no solution from Toyota to fix.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-30-2012, 04:46 PM
 
Location: Grosse Ile Michigan
30,701 posts, read 79,339,648 times
Reputation: 39409
We had this happen with a brand new van we had only had for one day. We bourght it back fo rhtem to add something they promised and they returned it with a big gouge in the rear fender.

First they said it must have happened the night we had it at home. We argued about that for a while until I went in spent an hour examining their area until I found our pain on part of the wall. (I knew where to look becuase when I dropped it off I commented on how tight that particular area was).

Then they "fixed" it by simply rubbing some crappy non-matching paint ovr it and leaving the dent. "No"

Then they filled the dent with bondo and slapped some better matching paint over it. They did nto replace the paint striping they had rmeoved/covered. "No bondo. I would not buy a brnad new car with bonod and I am not accepting a one day old car with bondo" They complained that it was too hard to remove the dent/gouge and they woudl have to repalce the fender. "Then why not just give me a new van?"

Then they claimed the pinstriping was done by the van conversion company and they woudl have to ship the van back to them to get it fixed. "Not my problem"


They had it for three weeks claming they had not gotten it back from the conversion place yet. Finally I went to the dealership and found it sittig in their yard looking exacatly the same. They had not even sent it ot the converson place yet. They gave me the same sob story about the cost of doing that and I again suggested they just give me another new van. I would even accept a different color if they did not have one the sme color, but they had three of the same conversion sitting in the dealership. They did not want to do that. Then a manager came out and got all hostile and said they were nto obligated to repair the van at all and they were nto going to do it. After some hostile words I left before I got too angry. Came back with picket signs, a permit and three kids. I told a differnet manager I was giving them a final chance before we started picketing and showed him the signs. He pmoised they woudl have it reparied immiedatley - and they did in about three days. (Picketing always works with dealers).

However . . .

To get the dent out, they took apart the inside so they could tap on it from behind. After we got it back, we had problems with things that were not reinstalled correctly (rear AC unit, rear bench/bed, something to do with the tail lights that I cannot remember).

Evntually we got that all fixed (then the transmission pan nearly fell off because all the bolts came loose, then a window latch fell off while we were dirving down the street, then. . . . .

I was so glad my wife insisted on a new van so we would not have all the little problems you get when you buy a van that is a few years old (and save $10 K).

Funny thing is when the van was about a year to year and a half old, we got rear ended and it did $8000 in damage. The repair was never a good repair, we had endless problems with it until we encountered an unmarked low beam in a parking garage and totalled it when it was about 4-5 years old. I was almost glad to see that van go, excet the insurance money was not enough to buy one as nice.

Kinda made me sour on Dodge for a while.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Automotive
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top