Opinions please from Mechanics that work in Dealerships

[scraggy55]

Story goes. Took my car to main dealers after an argument with a high kerb. Creased the back wing (obviously visible damage). The work was to be carried out under my Insurance. The Dealership gave the car to a body repair man, who fixed the bodywork and then did the tracking. However, the Dealership at no point lifted the car up to look underneath to see if there was any damage. Two years later, first MOT, tyres on back are worn, on the inside they were bald. Car has only done 11,000 miles. Take the car to get new tyres and have them put it on a fancy machine to check the toe in/toe out. The guy couldn't do it and said it would have to go back to main Dealers. Took it back to main Dealers who have now told me that the Car needs a new rear axle! Now I feel that they should have checked the underneath of the vehicle at the time of the accident, and whilst it was being carried out by my insurers - but Dealership are being really obstructive and unhelpful? The damage to the axle can only have been caused by hitting the high kerb when the bodywork was damaged. Any advice please? Suggestions?

[boxtops]

It's two years after the event, it would be difficult to prove that the axle was damaged as a result of the initial accident.

[EDDIE51]

It almost certainly was damaged in the first accident , but as you have been told 2 years on it is going to be impossible to prove. It is pretty much certain that hitting a kerb so hard it damaged the body work was going to cause damage to the suspension and drive train as well and it should have been checked. Again after 2 years it is going to be very hard to prove.

[harley_Husky]

Having rebuilt some accident damaged cars ( kerb collision etc ) the first, no FIRST thing you do is look for signs of stress damage. If you know what you're doing you'll spot it - and i think that they simply bimbled along repairing what they could see and not for a second thinking that an impact of enough force to damage the bodywork could/would have caused suspension / chassis / mount damage... this i'm afraid is typical - make a fast buck on the paint and get it out of the door...

Clearly an oversight.

I had a Vauxhall Astra C through my workshop as a frontal collision. Always i tell the customer that there is a possibility that it could not be repairable. If you can, strap on the Teclamet laser alignment at the very least. If it's too badly damaged there are other ways, but it they haven't got the kit they shouldn't be dealing with damaged vehicles. I'm suprised it wasn't written off .....

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

Contact the insurance company and lodge an official complaint.
I worked in a crash repair centre a long time ago, about 15 years, but they could always tell if the damage was new or old.

[harley_Husky]

Mojo for top answer i think .

[chas2008]

i assume you are talking about 4 wheel alignment when you say tracking, when this is done it generates a report showing up any problems which are then acted on, basically everything has to be in tolerance if not whatever item of the suspension is causing the problem is replaced.(its not done visually until this report throws an issue up)
This report should still be on the PC of the alignment machine and a hard copy filed with the original repairer this is done to cover their a**e for exactly this situation.
If the report had indicated the axle wanted replacing im sure they would of done it as they are paid to do it by the insurance company (we all want work)
As said contact your insurers they should have access to the relevant paperwork..
Out of interest what vehicle is it ???

[chas2008]

just to add-
if the geo reports throws up a problem ( tolerances which are out indicated by red) there should be a before and after (all tolerances in green) report generated to show the work was carried out..
like i said this should all be on file...

[scraggy55]

Thanks all, its a Fiat 500 Sport

[scraggy55]

Chas2008, the only time a report was produced was when I took it in to have it done after we discovered there was a problem with bald tyres after 11,000 miles.

[chas2008]

the report by the body repairer isnt usually available or given to the vehicle owner unless requested, under normal circumstances they have no need to view it.
Out of interest did it have a wheel fitted on this axle? in theory you cant damage the axle without damaging the wheel/tyre.
The other thing that crossed my mind was i bet you told them it had been in a collision when they couldnt get the adjustments/tolerances correct at the tyre company.It then becomes easy for them to pass the buck when they have a problem, seen it happen before.
If the body repairer had done there job properly it shouldnt have gone out the door without the measurements being spot on even if it didnt have an axle fitted they would of made sure it was all in tolerance using the same adjstments as the tyre company.

[scraggy55]

Thanks for all the contributions. I took the car to Fiat Parkside Hounslow last monday for them to look underneath. Someone put it up in the air, took a 10 minute look and said yes it needs a new rear axle. I asked for a quote, I received an 'e mail' just saying it would be 850.00. I asked them for a 'proper' quotation showing parts and labour costs, still have not received it. They don't give a s**t basically. I have booked in with another local garage for next week to get it up in the air and have a proper look - see what they say! I feel a call to Fiat Head Office coming on. Oh, and if anyone is thinking of buying a Fiat 500 - please do - nice car - but DO NOT BUY IT FROM FIAT PARKSIDE HOUNSLOW - be warned!!!!