please help asap (need someone to check gap on car, mine isn't right after fix)
03-01-06, 01:58 AM
#16
Intermediate
Insurance
For what it is worth, I was told insurance companies will not authorize OEM replacement body parts for cars that are older than a year unless no aftermarket part is available or if it is no cheaper. Now I believe this applies to your insurance company if it is footing the bill to repair your car. If someone else's insurance is paying for it, you have much more leverage.
What ever the case, this repair work is not acceptable regardless of who made the part. I would not try to adjust anything myself. I would take it back and tell them to fix it right this time, and yeh, use OEM parts.
Good luck..
Neil
What ever the case, this repair work is not acceptable regardless of who made the part. I would not try to adjust anything myself. I would take it back and tell them to fix it right this time, and yeh, use OEM parts.
Good luck..
Neil
03-01-06, 02:18 AM
#17
That is correct soe insurance companies approve non-OEM parets to save money but the also the assure that the job is done right.
Take pics and get pics of what it suppose to look like. send to your adjuster or who evers insurance is taking care of it. So if the body shop says that it is adjusted the best that can be done ( because it may be an after market bumper)
Was it the light that was damaged to begin with that they repaired?
Take pics and get pics of what it suppose to look like. send to your adjuster or who evers insurance is taking care of it. So if the body shop says that it is adjusted the best that can be done ( because it may be an after market bumper)
Was it the light that was damaged to begin with that they repaired?
03-01-06, 10:06 AM
#18
Originally Posted by man8959
tell me if that looks normal
There's a rubber seal around the headlight that helps to keep water/moisture out and should be tight against the bumper.
Either the bumper is off OR also check the whole headlight assembly itself. The headlight might be pushed back hence need to tightened/pushed forward to close the gap of the bumper.
Make the repair shop fix it. If they refuse complain to the insurance company.
Good luck.
03-01-06, 10:25 AM
#19
Lexus Champion
that definitely doesnt look right. I was working on my car over the weekend, around that bumber and lights, and mine does not have a huge gap like that. the only way to be able to fit a peice of paper between the light and bumper would be to force it through...you shouldnt be able to just put something between then like that.
Take it back to the shop and tell them you are no satisfied, and get your insurance company involved if need be. good luck.
Take it back to the shop and tell them you are no satisfied, and get your insurance company involved if need be. good luck.
03-01-06, 05:36 PM
#22
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Body shop can't fix it
body shop can't fix it because they said there is nothing to adjust and the bumper just bolt in. the parts was oem from sterling mccall lexus in houston, he also told me that must be a defective bumper. ok then return it to lexus for another one, i said. then he was like who will pay me to repaint the new bumper and reinstall it. then i looked at the insurance guy was standing there and he said that state farm will not pay for another bumper because this defective. ok so this mean i have to accept it like this? he also told me that with time the plastic will expand and it'll fit better. i'm so mad now but i guess there is nothing else i can do right?
03-01-06, 10:31 PM
#23
Originally Posted by man8959
body shop can't fix it because they said there is nothing to adjust and the bumper just bolt in. the parts was oem from sterling mccall lexus in houston, he also told me that must be a defective bumper. ok then return it to lexus for another one, i said. then he was like who will pay me to repaint the new bumper and reinstall it. then i looked at the insurance guy was standing there and he said that state farm will not pay for another bumper because this defective. ok so this mean i have to accept it like this? he also told me that with time the plastic will expand and it'll fit better. i'm so mad now but i guess there is nothing else i can do right?
i would think so, but i would NOT settle for a sub-par job done by the body shop either. good luck man and let us know what happens
03-02-06, 02:07 AM
#24
Intermediate
You have recourse
Take detailed pictures of your car immediately. Make sure there is some method to detemine date such as including the front page of a newspaper, etc.. Read the back of you receipt you got from the body shop. It should explain what they are responsible for - warranty, satisfaction, manufacture specification, safety, etc. . I would tell the body shop and my insurance company that the car has not been repaired to manufacture specifications. I think that is pretty evident and the body shop should have realized the bumper is defective prior to painting it. Remember, they are the professionals you or your insurance company hired to perform the repairs. The onus is on them to perform the repairs in a competent manner.
I would return the car to the body shop based on the provisions I think you’ll find on the back of the receipt and request a rental from the insurance company. If that doesn’t work, take the car to 3 other body shops and get estimates to do the repair correctly. I would submit copies of these to the body shop and insurance company and go from there. If you can’t get any satisfaction, speak to a manager at your insurance company. If you still get nowhere, call your state’s insurance commission and file a law suit against the body shop and your insurance company.
Do not offer to pay for anything, furnish or pickup any parts. That is solely the body shop’s responsibility. I am assuming that is the way you played it – hired them do everything from A to Z?
You’ll get taken care of one way or another.
Good luck,
Neil
I would return the car to the body shop based on the provisions I think you’ll find on the back of the receipt and request a rental from the insurance company. If that doesn’t work, take the car to 3 other body shops and get estimates to do the repair correctly. I would submit copies of these to the body shop and insurance company and go from there. If you can’t get any satisfaction, speak to a manager at your insurance company. If you still get nowhere, call your state’s insurance commission and file a law suit against the body shop and your insurance company.
Do not offer to pay for anything, furnish or pickup any parts. That is solely the body shop’s responsibility. I am assuming that is the way you played it – hired them do everything from A to Z?
You’ll get taken care of one way or another.
Good luck,
Neil
03-02-06, 06:37 PM
#25
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Originally Posted by Neil64
Take detailed pictures of your car immediately. Make sure there is some method to detemine date such as including the front page of a newspaper, etc.. Read the back of you receipt you got from the body shop. It should explain what they are responsible for - warranty, satisfaction, manufacture specification, safety, etc. . I would tell the body shop and my insurance company that the car has not been repaired to manufacture specifications. I think that is pretty evident and the body shop should have realized the bumper is defective prior to painting it. Remember, they are the professionals you or your insurance company hired to perform the repairs. The onus is on them to perform the repairs in a competent manner.
I would return the car to the body shop based on the provisions I think you’ll find on the back of the receipt and request a rental from the insurance company. If that doesn’t work, take the car to 3 other body shops and get estimates to do the repair correctly. I would submit copies of these to the body shop and insurance company and go from there. If you can’t get any satisfaction, speak to a manager at your insurance company. If you still get nowhere, call your state’s insurance commission and file a law suit against the body shop and your insurance company.
Do not offer to pay for anything, furnish or pickup any parts. That is solely the body shop’s responsibility. I am assuming that is the way you played it – hired them do everything from A to Z?
You’ll get taken care of one way or another.
Good luck,
Neil
I would return the car to the body shop based on the provisions I think you’ll find on the back of the receipt and request a rental from the insurance company. If that doesn’t work, take the car to 3 other body shops and get estimates to do the repair correctly. I would submit copies of these to the body shop and insurance company and go from there. If you can’t get any satisfaction, speak to a manager at your insurance company. If you still get nowhere, call your state’s insurance commission and file a law suit against the body shop and your insurance company.
Do not offer to pay for anything, furnish or pickup any parts. That is solely the body shop’s responsibility. I am assuming that is the way you played it – hired them do everything from A to Z?
You’ll get taken care of one way or another.
Good luck,
Neil
03-03-06, 01:39 AM
#26
Intermediate
You are giving up too easy
Did your car look like this before it was damaged? Did the body shop tell you that it wouldn't be able to restore the car back to manufacture specs prior to them taking the car in? Did you check the receipt to see what warranty and guaranty they provide on their labor? Any clause in there like if the replacement part doesn't fit correctly, oh well? Did you choose the bodyshop or did your insurance company recommend it? Did you furnish the parts? To me, it sounds like you didn't get what you bargained for- that your car would be repaired back to manufacture specifications and look reasonably good.
Do yourself a favor, take pictures of your car, get 3 estiamtes to repair it correctly - preferrabley one from a Lexus dealer, and file a small claims suit against the bodyshop for the estaimated repair price plus any reasonable legal fees. I imagine it should be less that $5000.00. The whole process should cost around $100.00 including the cost of having the summons served. I can almost guaranty that the bodyshop will repair your car to your satisfaction once they are served a summons. No business in their right mind wants to potentially hire an attorney to represent them in court for a $3000.00 bill. Even if it somehow gets to court, show the judge your pictures and estimates. From what I saw you'll win unless I am missing details.
I don't understand how a reputable body shop would paint a bumper they couldn't install correctly and why your insurnace company won't help you get satisfaction.
Your choice but if it was me, I wouldn't pay twice to have the repairs done, even if my insurnace paid the first time.
Do yourself a favor, take pictures of your car, get 3 estiamtes to repair it correctly - preferrabley one from a Lexus dealer, and file a small claims suit against the bodyshop for the estaimated repair price plus any reasonable legal fees. I imagine it should be less that $5000.00. The whole process should cost around $100.00 including the cost of having the summons served. I can almost guaranty that the bodyshop will repair your car to your satisfaction once they are served a summons. No business in their right mind wants to potentially hire an attorney to represent them in court for a $3000.00 bill. Even if it somehow gets to court, show the judge your pictures and estimates. From what I saw you'll win unless I am missing details.
I don't understand how a reputable body shop would paint a bumper they couldn't install correctly and why your insurnace company won't help you get satisfaction.
Your choice but if it was me, I wouldn't pay twice to have the repairs done, even if my insurnace paid the first time.
03-03-06, 04:29 AM
#27
I can almost understand the body shop being reluctant to fix the problem being that many times they will try to get away with doing as little as possible. I can't understand why your isurance company is bick such **** about it though. I too have State Farm and so far that have done a great job for me when it comes to getting my car fixed right. State Farm should be forcing this body shop to fix the problem. If the body shop doesn't want to fix it, State Farm can then threaten to have this body shop removed from its approved list pr repair shops. That could mean a lot of lost business for this body shop so more than likey with will fix it. This case shouldn't be this hard. If State Farm doesn't want to step up to the plate to get your car fixed to the condition that it was before the accident (Which is what they supppsed to do) then I would drop them as your insurance carrier. In fact, at the body shop when the State Farm adjuster told you they wouldn't pay anymore money to get your car fixed correctly I would have told him right then that I would be changing insurance companies as of right now.
03-03-06, 12:39 PM
#28
Racer
There could be minor structural damage behind the bumper cover that's now affecting how the bumper fits.
State Farm should be better than this. You deserve your ride restored to its prior state.
Did you verify that it is in fact a Lexus bumper?
State Farm should be better than this. You deserve your ride restored to its prior state.
Did you verify that it is in fact a Lexus bumper?
03-03-06, 01:26 PM
#29
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what you need to do is take your car to another body shop or call your lexus dealership and ask them where they take there car for body repaires. Take you car there and let them inspect the car but you will have to pay for the cost first. And if they find out that the first body shop didn't do the repairs right then go ahead and talk to the state farm manager and also let the first body shop and state farm that you are going to report them to the BAR
Also did you take the car to a state farm's bodyshop? or is it one that you pick out yourself. From what i know is if you go and have your repairs done at a shop that works with state farm or is part of their network then state offer's a life time on the repairs.
Also did you take the car to a state farm's bodyshop? or is it one that you pick out yourself. From what i know is if you go and have your repairs done at a shop that works with state farm or is part of their network then state offer's a life time on the repairs.
Last edited by newgs3; 03-03-06 at 01:30 PM.
03-03-06, 01:56 PM
#30
Lexus Test Driver
Originally Posted by jonathancl
There could be minor structural damage behind the bumper cover that's now affecting how the bumper fits.
State Farm should be better than this. You deserve your ride restored to its prior state.
Did you verify that it is in fact a Lexus bumper?
State Farm should be better than this. You deserve your ride restored to its prior state.
Did you verify that it is in fact a Lexus bumper?
I'm 100% sure there is damage behind bumper.........
BODY SHOP MUST: MAKE SURE THAT ALL PARTS FITS PERFECTLY BEFORE PAINTING THEM AND INSTALING THEM BACK ON CAR AFTER
Look at order it should be done:
1. Fix any damage
2. Install new parts, check for fitting, if it doesn't fit properly, take it apart, do whatever it takes to make parts fit properly, reinstall parts, check for fitting again, if everything looks fine
3. Take everything apart
4. Paint it
5. Reassembly
People are lazy and don't give **** about your car.......
Your insurance agent is an ignorant, call state farm main office and find person responsible for that region, say what you're problem and don't be affraid to tell that your agent is (d***head) means won't take care of you........
You might have to let your agent know that you're going to call corporate office and place complaint on him, it will make him think alot, trust me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have to realize that agents have side bussines going on with body shops, so don't be suprised that BODY SHOP AND AGENT ARE B's you, why? This is definition of existance:
COVER MY BUSS. I'LL COVER YOURS
If you don't know what is it about ? IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! question WHO'S MONEY, don't let them f*** you over...............
And i wish you luck, be tough, man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!