Crash damage from new!!!

Crash damage from new!!!

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Plastic Sith

Original Poster:

15 posts

102 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
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Thoughts and advice sought!

I’ve had an FK8 Civic Type R from new (bought August 2018) today took it into my local dealership (let’s call them dealership ‘y’) for a recall and also sensor replacement under warranty.

This afternoon I took a call from the service department querying if I’d ever had a crash as they’d found crash damage on the front crash bar when trying to fit the sensor. Indeed the mounting point was so deformed it was impossible for them to fit the sensor. Looking at the damage it appears as though someone found a post that wouldn’t move out of the way.

I should say at this point I’m the sole driver of the vehicle and it’s fair to say I’m a bit precious with my car so I’d certainly remember if I’d had frontal incident. The deformation of the crash bar would certainly suggest the impact force would’ve made a mess of the front bumper.

So if I didn’t do it then who did and how do I prove it?

The only time the car has been under the custodianship of someone else would’ve been the first service at a main dealer ‘x’ (which is where I bought the car from) and then 3 visits to dealership ‘y’, 2 separate visits for an oil warning light problem (more of that later) and once more for second service.

So back to the oil light warning. I initially took the car to dealership ‘y’ in July to investigate an oil warning light that kept coming on and going off. The first visit they just checked the oil levels, said there was plenty and sent me on my way. Sufficed to say about 3 days later the warning light came on again so back we went to dealership ‘y’ for a more in depth investigation. This time they had the car overnight and after consultation with Honda, drained the oil, replaced the oil filter and again sent me on my way. This time the oil warning light stayed off but uh-oh, was almost immediately replaced with a new warning light which related to the pop up bonnet safety system!

Knowing the car was due for service I held off going back but of course asked them to take a look at this in September when I took the car back to dealership ‘y’. They said it needed a replacement sensor and ordered the part for a fix under warranty.

Which brings us back to present day. Bumper removed and obvious deformation of the crash bar.

I’m probably on a hiding to nothing making any claim against dealership ‘x’ or dealership ‘y’ with cock all evidence at this stage sufficed to say someone looks like they’ve whacked a post with my car and that someone wasn’t me.

Pictures included for your delectation...


magpie215

4,369 posts

188 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
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Someone has probably reversed into it at some point......the outer bumper cover probabably just popped back into shape

gmasterfunk

451 posts

147 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
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Someone bumped you in a car park and drove off. It didn't make a mark.


2 sMoKiN bArReLs

30,230 posts

234 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
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Messy. I can't think how you'd ever prove anything?

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

30,230 posts

234 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
gmasterfunk said:
Someone bumped you in a car park and drove off. It didn't make a mark.
Could even have happened on the transporter from new

The Rotrex Kid

30,191 posts

159 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
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Yes, unfortunately you will never be able to pin anything on anyone with this one.

Julian Thompson

2,489 posts

237 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
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magpie215 said:
Someone has probably reversed into it at some point......the outer bumper cover probabably just popped back into shape
I don’t buy that - there would be tell tales on the paint.

I reckon that’s been either repainted, smart repaired or - Just maybe - polished out. Go to the dealer and inspect the bumper really carefully in good workshop light with it on a bench at working height before they refit it. It’ll tell you the story.

Trevor555

4,404 posts

83 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
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Plastic Sith said:
This time the oil warning light stayed off but uh-oh, was almost immediately replaced with a new warning light which related to the pop up bonnet safety system!
That's certainly going to be related?

How long did the garage have the car in on that visit?

I'm not sure you'll ever prove it though.

Plastic Sith

Original Poster:

15 posts

102 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
Trevor555 said:
That's certainly going to be related?

How long did the garage have the car in on that visit?

I'm not sure you'll ever prove it though.
It was the sensor mounted to the deformed bracket that was kicking out the error and thus needed replacing.

On that visit the dealership had it overnight......coincidence??

Trevor555

4,404 posts

83 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
Plastic Sith said:
Trevor555 said:
That's certainly going to be related?

How long did the garage have the car in on that visit?

I'm not sure you'll ever prove it though.
It was the sensor mounted to the deformed bracket that was kicking out the error and thus needed replacing.

On that visit the dealership had it overnight......coincidence??
That's quite a bend in that bar so I'd have thought there'd be damage to the bumper cover.

Very unlikely they'd have been able to repaint a bumper overnight so it's a mystery.

I wouldn't worry too much about it though. Once the faulty sensor has been replaced, and the bumper's been refitted, you'll never know.

Plastic Sith

Original Poster:

15 posts

102 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
Just the £330 odd quid I’m out of pocket for a new crash bar. Frustrating.

Haltamer

2,453 posts

79 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
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Julian Thompson said:
magpie215 said:
Someone has probably reversed into it at some point......the outer bumper cover probabably just popped back into shape
I don’t buy that - there would be tell tales on the paint.

I reckon that’s been either repainted, smart repaired or - Just maybe - polished out. Go to the dealer and inspect the bumper really carefully in good workshop light with it on a bench at working height before they refit it. It’ll tell you the story.
Ditto; For an impact that actually deformed the crash bar there would be a great deal of noticable damage on the front bumper; Especially where that is - The front splitter, upper grille, number plate holder would most likely be cracked or at least noticably damaged (Even if just visibly loose / unclipped)

Impossible to say where it came from though. How long did the garages have it for? Being main dealerships, I would like to think they wouldn't just bin it and whack a new bumper on. - You'd surely notice that the front bumper was suddenly immaculate and new, too.

rjfp1962

7,607 posts

72 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
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That's such a difficult one, and like you, my car is precious to me..

There was a few opportunities for this to have happened from the initial transportation, through to dealership visits. I can't imagine someone not knowing what happened and got it "covered up" Sorry I can't offer anything positive, but don't know where you can go with this...

quinny100

920 posts

185 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
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That looks more like a lightweight bumper support bracket - the crash bar is the much more substantial beam you can see further back. I suspect it would bend far easier than you might think - it may even be designed to be sacrificial.

A paint depth gauge will tell you if the bumper has ever been painted.

Trevor555

4,404 posts

83 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
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Plastic Sith said:
Just the £330 odd quid I’m out of pocket for a new crash bar. Frustrating.
Oh, yes, very frustrating for a car you've had from new.


J6542

1,574 posts

43 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
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Maybe the dealership demo was the same colour and they just swapped the bumpers off them after they bumped it.

rjfp1962

7,607 posts

72 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
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Plastic Sith said:
Just the £330 odd quid I’m out of pocket for a new crash bar. Frustrating.
It's frustrating for sure - All I can say is when they've repaired it and your happy..... will be time to forget and enjoy your wonderful car!

Plastic Sith

Original Poster:

15 posts

102 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
J6542 said:
Maybe the dealership demo was the same colour and they just swapped the bumpers off them after they bumped it.
It was. That’s what sold me on the colour rolleyes

Glenn63

2,732 posts

83 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
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Did they have any other type r’s in stock when they had your car overnight? Same colour by chance? I don’t know how much force it takes to bend that but surly it would have left some noticeable mark on the bumper.

Edit: some one beat me to it.

Edited by Glenn63 on Friday 23 October 21:25

riskyj

272 posts

79 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
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How did you take delivery of the car?

I had a new Pug 206 back in the day and there was a rattle from the boot/hatch immediately. Over the next few days I started finding bits of broken safety glass in the boot. As I investigated I found more and more broken glass.

Rang the suppling dealer who denied any knowledge, but advised the car had initially been delivered to another dealership approx 30miles away in error. They rang them to find out if they knew what had happened and the story that came back was that a tree branch had fallen and smashed the back window. This dealership had then replaced the window without telling anyone (and obviously done a crap job of covering it up). Needless to say I was not pleased.