Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Any mechanics in the house?
![[Deleted User]](https://wb.vanillicon.com/b32acb1a298ce6c84f07910b80f14e1b_100.png)
Ok,
So in February, an ISIS recovery truck reversed into my car whilst it was parked outside work (yeah, I know, the irony) and smashed all the front in.
I've got the repairs done (exterior only) but now the car is making this terrible growling noise and I don't feel safe driving it.
I've got back to the repairers who said it might be the drive shaft ('MIGHT') but they're not entirely sure.
I've also got back to my insurance who have told me (without even looking at the vehicle) that the accident and this damage are not connected. They won't give me another hire car and have referred me to a complaints department who will call me back in '2 to 3 working days' (can't see this happening)
Does anyone here have any knowledge/experience in the automotive industry or any experiences similar to this matter?
The car was not making this noise prior to the accident yet now that the exterior is all looking pretty again, no one seems to give a damn about the safety of the car and the fact that it's a bloody death trap.
It's a Nissan Figaro if that's any help at all.
Thanks
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
when the initial repairs were done the drivetrain would have been checked out at the same time to ensure the extent of the damage was assessed and repairs authorised.
wait until you talk to complaints before deciding any next steps
and calling it a death trap is a bit extreme imho - noise does not mean deathly
I don't know the Figaro but in over 30 years of driving a huge variety of vehicles I don't think I've ever driven a death trap although many have been decidedly ropey if not downright flawed!!
My car was involved in an accident a few years back, the insurance company chose a Ford dealership to carry out the work (despite me not owning a Ford) . When I picked it up, I didn't make it past the first roundabout before bringing it back because it wasn't right, they sorted it out then & there.
Had to return it again after a few weeks as something else wasn't right, they had my car for a week & gave me a hire car. I never got the insurance company involved. With the dealership I got a guarantee for the work carried out.
It depends on what sort of place carried out the repairs. If they're a big place then I would get them to sort it out. The dealership that did mine got a lot of business from insurance repairs so good feedback was essential for them & they did what was needed to keep the customer happy.
A more independent place may not be so keen so would argue that the accident & growling noise aren't connected.
so did you forget about that email when you started the thread, then?
I should have said on my previous post, the 2 problems I had to return my car for were an obvious result of the repairs carried out.
So you took it back to the repairer who checked it over, said it might be the drive shaft but they made no offers of fixing it & have told you to take it to specialist garage?
were the repairs carried out under insurers instructions and with their approval at the local garage??
Yes, I'm surprised at the choice of garage; as FB says, the insurers will usually nominate a garage which they send all of their business to and it's in the interests of the garage to do any work which is a result of the claim as they know they will get paid through the insurance (if it's damage which is likely to be a result of the accident, they are unlikely to quibble about it).
So, it sounds rather like the email of 'other' problems they sent you was simply items they noticed during the course of doing the work, which couldn't be attributed to the accident.
But did they say that all these things that were wrong were due to the truck reversing into you or were they just faults they'd found? Surely the insurance company had the damage assessed before authorising repairs?
The insurance company will have their own list of approved repairers for a reason.
Like I said my car isn't a Ford but it was repaired at a Ford garage. They got all the 'official' parts in from my car's manufacturer.
when they gave you the list of things needed doing I assume that in their opinion they were not connected with the accident..you must have discusssed them with them at the time..........
otherwise they would have done it....garages like doing insurance work as its good money for them.............
you are lucky that your insurance car have agreed to £3000 for an exterior paint job............you went to that garage because you trusted them..........but now you do not because they do not agree with you..
Have you noticed that you seem to have major problems with so many purchases D2D from shoes to shorts to car repairs........i'm beginning to think you are either really jinxed or extremely hard to please
When did you last have the car serviced? And was that done by this same garage?
If so, you should be asking them why they didn't tell you about all these faults at the last service (assuming you've had one fairly recently).
If the service was done by another garage, I'd be asking THEM why they didn't point out all these faults.
When they gave you the list of faults, did you question them about whether it was safe to drive? If it is not safe, they should have told you.
That they didn't say it was unsafe (again assuming) leads me to think it's probably OK to drive.
What!!
You need to drive 1.5 miles!
A 10 min jog or 5 min bike ride
Good point, Wilkie.... regardless of what was or wasn't caused by the accident, the garage would most certainly tell you if they'd found anything which made the car unsafe to drive - for one, they'd hope you would put the work their way and for two, they have a process of due dilligence and definitely make it clear that they recommend you don't drive the car if they believe it to be unsafe (and it's then your choice if you do).
So, I'd be fairly confident that anything they had pointed out would not make the car unsafe to drive.
sorry D2D misunderstood...............
I think that as you didn't query it at the time you will not get a cat in hells chance of getting them to do anything about it now..............
I would think the onus will be on you to prove that those things were as a result oif the acident and as the garage that repaired it didn't think so i think you will have a hard job to prove it,.....especially as you are not sure yourself that it was the cause.
This independent garage are rubbing their hands together with happiness. They've got £3k for an insurance job & they don't have to worry about the feedback. You'd be hard pushed to get them to sort this out FOC.
The only way you're going to stand a chance is if you can prove that the accident was a direct cause of it. You're going up against professional mechanics who will spin you round in circles. Good luck though, sometimes determination alone pays off.
Knowing what kind of garage it is now, I'll be surprised if you get a guarantee for the work though.
It's only a sodding Micra.....
Picking a different garage to the one your insurance company picks is always going to cause trouble.
The insurance company wont be happy, cos it screws up the little deal they have got going, and the garage you take it to wont care cos they don't owe you or the garage anything
and at 3 grand you got ripped off, The back of my Audi only cost 2 grand last summer, for a new poly carb bumper and one back wing straightened and resprayed (in metallic)