Plastic weld repair query?

[PaulG40]

The missus had another car hit her Smart Roadster from behind and they shunted the rear drivers bumper arch in which scuffed and more importantly cracked it. The crack length is 3" from the wheel arch rearwards.

Smarts have plastic bodywork.

Now the bodyshop have told her insurance who have ok'd the repair, that all the body shop are going to do is do a plastic weld repair, filler it and repaint.

Now we are slightly miffed by this as surely it is alot more cost effective to simply replace the panel? Not to mention we want our car returned in the condition it was before the accident, I.e. a complete panel, not a welded up jobbie. This stinks to me of a Bodge it and leg it kinda job!

So do we have a right to insist that the panel arch be replaced as oppose to repaired, since this accident isn't even our fault and as far as I'm concerned has now devalued our car! Who's gonna pay top dollar for a car that has a filler'd up repair job?

Is plastic welding common practice in plastic bumper repairs on cars?

Edited by PaulG40 on Wednesday 9th November 22:51

[snuffle]

PaulG40 said:

The missus had another car hit her Smart Roadster from behind and they shunted the rear drivers bumper arch in which scuffed and more importantly cracked it. The crack length is 3" from the wheel arch rearwards.

Smarts have plastic bodywork.


Is plastic welding common practice in plastic bumper repairs on cars?

Edited by PaulG40 on Wednesday 9th November 22:51

Yes

[PaulG40]

Well just to close this thread, we got on to the insurer saying we were not happy with the repair. The reasoning the bodyshop gave for it was that the insurer's engineer had seen the car and reckoned that wasn't cost effective to replace the panel as it would write off the car so sanctioned the plastic weld repair.

I don't quite understand how they reckon a replacement panel (and I know that is all that is knackered) worth £100 from MB, plus paint and labour can cost in excess of £3000 (65% of value of car). They seem to reckon they have to replace alot more panels and the under tray as its all connected together. Trouble is I know they are not broke, and easy to remove. I don't think they have a clue about smart cars!

So we complained and they have agreed to carry out the replacement of the panels as we want the car returned to us as it was before it got hit. So all well in the end.

[moribund]

Nice one. Probably too late for you, but Smart Parts Direct do seperate panels pre-painted with fittings for not too much money - £200 for a rear quarter, in the right colour!

http://www.smart-parts-direct.com/acatalog/452_Bod...

Probably cheaper to replace all the panels than re-paint the stone chips on my car!

[7even]

When you get it back run your hand up the back of the panel that was cracked, you never know.