Advice on potential garage issue after accident repair
Discussion
Firstly I drive a W204 2010 C350 CDI.
I had an accident at the end of July where by another vehicle pulled out from a junction onto a roundabout (which I was on), hitting straight into the side of my car. Speed of impact was around 25-30mph. The damage was quite extensive, as the other vehicle hit my car straight in middle of the pillar which joins the two passenger doors together. This caused both passenger side doors unable to open or close properly and noticed that there was a dent in the pillar along the foot panel on the actual chassis. I stress there was no damage to either the wheels.
I pick up my hire car whilst mine is being addressed which is a 2012 C180 Coupe.
Yesterday, I picked up my car up and driving out of the garage (after nearly 5 weeks of waiting), the car was pulling considerably to the left. I carried on 10 miles down the road thinking it was me and not having driven the car for a while etc etc. However as I got further, it got worse and worse and decided to turn around and go back to the garage. They informed me that nobody had taken it out for a test drive and it wasn't part of their checks and recommended I got in touch with the insurers. On my way back home again, I check tyre pressures and they are all fine. I ring insurance company that afternoon and they advise that it wasn't part of the repairs and I should go to a garage of my own choice and get them to prove if it was anything to do with the repairs or accident itself.
This morning I had a 120 mile round trip and thought I'd test it out, but it just seems worse. As I was driving back, I get the "Check Tyre Pressures" warning light on the dash, which I've never had before in my 8 months of ownership as I check pressures every other week and did so yesterday. This got me thinking that has the accident caused something along the passenger to make the car steer to the left? As the impact of the accident occurred on that side, is it possible that damage has happened to maybe the chassis on that side which is making it pull hard to the left? Given I had a C Class as a replacement vehicle and experienced no pull at all.
Also, I had the wheel alignments done at the start of July so could they go off within 7 weeks?
If you have made it this far, grateful for your opinions or suggestions.
I had an accident at the end of July where by another vehicle pulled out from a junction onto a roundabout (which I was on), hitting straight into the side of my car. Speed of impact was around 25-30mph. The damage was quite extensive, as the other vehicle hit my car straight in middle of the pillar which joins the two passenger doors together. This caused both passenger side doors unable to open or close properly and noticed that there was a dent in the pillar along the foot panel on the actual chassis. I stress there was no damage to either the wheels.
I pick up my hire car whilst mine is being addressed which is a 2012 C180 Coupe.
Yesterday, I picked up my car up and driving out of the garage (after nearly 5 weeks of waiting), the car was pulling considerably to the left. I carried on 10 miles down the road thinking it was me and not having driven the car for a while etc etc. However as I got further, it got worse and worse and decided to turn around and go back to the garage. They informed me that nobody had taken it out for a test drive and it wasn't part of their checks and recommended I got in touch with the insurers. On my way back home again, I check tyre pressures and they are all fine. I ring insurance company that afternoon and they advise that it wasn't part of the repairs and I should go to a garage of my own choice and get them to prove if it was anything to do with the repairs or accident itself.
This morning I had a 120 mile round trip and thought I'd test it out, but it just seems worse. As I was driving back, I get the "Check Tyre Pressures" warning light on the dash, which I've never had before in my 8 months of ownership as I check pressures every other week and did so yesterday. This got me thinking that has the accident caused something along the passenger to make the car steer to the left? As the impact of the accident occurred on that side, is it possible that damage has happened to maybe the chassis on that side which is making it pull hard to the left? Given I had a C Class as a replacement vehicle and experienced no pull at all.
Also, I had the wheel alignments done at the start of July so could they go off within 7 weeks?
If you have made it this far, grateful for your opinions or suggestions.
Sounds like it. Are they going to refund you the hunter alignment check cost? Probably not.
If youre certain this didnt exist befoee the accieent then I think I'd be going back to the insurers saying my trusted mechanic took a look and tells me chassis is warped.
You can do a quick test - measure from wheel centre to wheel centre on both sides. It should be identical.
If youre certain this didnt exist befoee the accieent then I think I'd be going back to the insurers saying my trusted mechanic took a look and tells me chassis is warped.
You can do a quick test - measure from wheel centre to wheel centre on both sides. It should be identical.
Call your insurance company in the morning. Tell them the car has not been repaired properly and you need it collected and the very obvious issues addressed.
Don't let them fob you off.
If a car has had a significant impact to one side and it is not repaired properly, it will easily exhibit the symptoms you are describing. A 4 wheel alignment would likely be required after the repair to ensure everything was correctly aligned.
If the insurance company isn't interested, tell them you will report them to the insurance ombudsman as it sounds like a pretty clear case to me.
Don't let them fob you off.
If a car has had a significant impact to one side and it is not repaired properly, it will easily exhibit the symptoms you are describing. A 4 wheel alignment would likely be required after the repair to ensure everything was correctly aligned.
If the insurance company isn't interested, tell them you will report them to the insurance ombudsman as it sounds like a pretty clear case to me.
Just from the damage you described, the likelihood of a bent chassis is very high. I'm surprised it wasn't checked as this would play a large part in the cost and decision as to whether to repair it.
Do not be fobbed off whatsoever. Start making notes of who you have spoken to, what time and date and what was said.
Do not be fobbed off whatsoever. Start making notes of who you have spoken to, what time and date and what was said.
Thanks for the messages and feedback. I wanted to make sure it wasn't me and that there was definitely something wrong.
I didn't have a choice in what garage it went to for repairs but I didn't have the best of dealings with them during the process, having received 4 different completion dates, for them all to be delayed due to 'backlog'.
I will be ringing the insurance company today and the garage to get a full diagnosis on what happened during the repairs.
I didn't have a choice in what garage it went to for repairs but I didn't have the best of dealings with them during the process, having received 4 different completion dates, for them all to be delayed due to 'backlog'.
I will be ringing the insurance company today and the garage to get a full diagnosis on what happened during the repairs.
"Check tyre pressures" might just be that the sensors need a reset after the wheels have been off. If it's like a W212 it's just a reset from the dashboard.
However the rest of the issues do give cause for concern.
I'm not sure what the insurance company meant by saying that they need to determine whether the issues are from the accident or from the repair. I'm pretty sure the repairer hasn't bent your car - what they may have done is failed to spot or repair damage resulting from the accident.
Either way they haven't completed the job.
However the rest of the issues do give cause for concern.
I'm not sure what the insurance company meant by saying that they need to determine whether the issues are from the accident or from the repair. I'm pretty sure the repairer hasn't bent your car - what they may have done is failed to spot or repair damage resulting from the accident.
Either way they haven't completed the job.
Update on the situation.
I rang the insurance company this morning and spoke to a different lady who said "That's very strange as most or all accident repairs need a test drive and wheel alignment". She couldn't do much and said the Review Team will call me back.
Not stopping there, the Mrs had her car repaired by another garage locally through the same insurance company and thought I'd take it to them and get their view and what they would have done. The chap in the garage was really friendly and took the car out for a test drive. He said there is defiantly a pull and much stronger than you would normally expect. He steered the car to the right, expecting the camber to take it to the right, but instead kept pulling left.
Came back and had a look at the tyres and there are nearly at point of replacement. He said to get those changed (2 front) and then see if that does anything. He said if you've had the alignment done 2 months ago and replaced both front tyres (which will get done today, 2 new Falkens) and it still pulls to the left, he said you have every case to call the insurance company and tell them what you've done and provide his name to verify the case and he said it'll go straight back.
He said that either the original garage or his can do a geometry test and go from there. What does this show?
Before you guys say it's my fault because of the tyres, they literally have enough tread in them to last me the next 2-3 months comfortably. We are simply trying to eradicate any potential comebacks so I have an even clearer case.
I rang the insurance company this morning and spoke to a different lady who said "That's very strange as most or all accident repairs need a test drive and wheel alignment". She couldn't do much and said the Review Team will call me back.
Not stopping there, the Mrs had her car repaired by another garage locally through the same insurance company and thought I'd take it to them and get their view and what they would have done. The chap in the garage was really friendly and took the car out for a test drive. He said there is defiantly a pull and much stronger than you would normally expect. He steered the car to the right, expecting the camber to take it to the right, but instead kept pulling left.
Came back and had a look at the tyres and there are nearly at point of replacement. He said to get those changed (2 front) and then see if that does anything. He said if you've had the alignment done 2 months ago and replaced both front tyres (which will get done today, 2 new Falkens) and it still pulls to the left, he said you have every case to call the insurance company and tell them what you've done and provide his name to verify the case and he said it'll go straight back.
He said that either the original garage or his can do a geometry test and go from there. What does this show?
Before you guys say it's my fault because of the tyres, they literally have enough tread in them to last me the next 2-3 months comfortably. We are simply trying to eradicate any potential comebacks so I have an even clearer case.
mwstewart said:
Do you know what type of work was carried out? Did the repairer put the car on a jig? It sounds very much like it would require it, and hence a wheel alignment afterwards and a test drive at the very least.
On the face of it the repairer sounds like a very unprofesional outfit.
I don't as yet but will be when the insurers call me back. The outfit seems to a monopoly around the Berkshire/Hampshire region.On the face of it the repairer sounds like a very unprofesional outfit.
hammerrr7 said:
Thanks for the messages and feedback. I wanted to make sure it wasn't me and that there was definitely something wrong.
I didn't have a choice in what garage it went to for repairs but I didn't have the best of dealings with them during the process, having received 4 different completion dates, for them all to be delayed due to 'backlog'.
I will be ringing the insurance company today and the garage to get a full diagnosis on what happened during the repairs.
Just so you know for future...you can insist on where you want your car to be repaired. They will try and make it difficult but its your legal right.I didn't have a choice in what garage it went to for repairs but I didn't have the best of dealings with them during the process, having received 4 different completion dates, for them all to be delayed due to 'backlog'.
I will be ringing the insurance company today and the garage to get a full diagnosis on what happened during the repairs.
Insurance companies just have preferred repairers with preferential rates.
Surely if it were down to worn tyres then this would have been present prior to the accident?
Also tyres with low tread wont cause pulling like what you are describing. Plus, if they are evenly worn then it won't make a difference to the geometry and the way it drives.
You have got bump steer and it needs correcting - pissing about with tyres is just wasting time and money
Also tyres with low tread wont cause pulling like what you are describing. Plus, if they are evenly worn then it won't make a difference to the geometry and the way it drives.
You have got bump steer and it needs correcting - pissing about with tyres is just wasting time and money
Well this could be the answer.
Not wasting time, I took the car in today to get a 4 wheel alignment done to prove to the insurers and most importantly the repair company, the alignment can go off when an accident has happened.
The findings were astonishing. First picture is how it was, second shows the different once alignment has been made.
This has left me, thinking what else could they have missed that I haven't as yet come across?
Not wasting time, I took the car in today to get a 4 wheel alignment done to prove to the insurers and most importantly the repair company, the alignment can go off when an accident has happened.
The findings were astonishing. First picture is how it was, second shows the different once alignment has been made.
This has left me, thinking what else could they have missed that I haven't as yet come across?
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