Crash damage from new!!!

[Plastic Sith]

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...

[Plastic Sith]

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??

[Plastic Sith]

Just the £330 odd quid I’m out of pocket for a new crash bar. Frustrating.

[Plastic Sith]

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