Brand new NX450H dented before delivery. Repair question.
08-11-22, 08:55 AM
#76
I agree that this sucks, but I'd be willing to take the car only if they pay the expenses to have it properly repaired at a reputable body shop of your choosing. While this can be difficult to repair it can be done.
08-11-22, 09:00 AM
#77
Rookie
Thread Starter
There's no way they'd do that. They feel it was done well with a new bumper. They'll sell the car within 5 minutes after I pass on it
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dklanecky1 (08-11-22)
08-11-22, 09:10 AM
#78
Rookie
Thread Starter
When bumpers are attached to vehicles, multiple parts/connection points are involved. First, there are bumper brackets that attach to the unibody of the vehicle. Then, there are bumper clips that connect the bumper cover to the bumper brackets. Those bumper clips are designed to break easily upon impact, which is what minimizes damage to the sheet metal in the quarter panels if the bumper is impacted.
If the bumper clips are damaged, they can be replaced easily and inexpensively, but there can be slight and not easily noticed damage/enlargement of the connection points on the bumper brackets. If that happens, the fit of the new bumper cover can be just a bit off and, yes, over time, the connection between the bumper bracket and the clips can loosen, and the fit can get worse. From your video, it appears that there was damage to either the bumper clips or the bumper bracket that was not completely/properly repaired.
There is no question that getting a perfect alignment of the tailgate and bumper is especially difficult because, not only do the tailgate and bumper have to be aligned with each other, but they both also need to be aligned with the quarter panels on both sides of the vehicle, and trying to correct a slight misalignment at one spot can make the alignment in another spot worse.
For the OP, I think you are likely making the best decision if you decide not to buy the car. The dealer will have no trouble selling that NX, and the buyer likely will never notice that work was done on the vehicle, and he/she likely will be happy with the purchase. On the other hand, there is a good chance that, if you bought the car, because you know about the repair work that was done on it, it would always bother you. I know it would always bother me, but I do admit that I'm more than a bit OCD about things like that. In this case, though, the imperfect repairs are ones that I would not find acceptable even if I didn't have those OCD tendencies.
Considering that you have been inconvenienced by this entire experience, you might want to see if the dealer might, as a good-will gesture, make an extra effort to find and get you another NX450h as quickly as possible.
If the bumper clips are damaged, they can be replaced easily and inexpensively, but there can be slight and not easily noticed damage/enlargement of the connection points on the bumper brackets. If that happens, the fit of the new bumper cover can be just a bit off and, yes, over time, the connection between the bumper bracket and the clips can loosen, and the fit can get worse. From your video, it appears that there was damage to either the bumper clips or the bumper bracket that was not completely/properly repaired.
There is no question that getting a perfect alignment of the tailgate and bumper is especially difficult because, not only do the tailgate and bumper have to be aligned with each other, but they both also need to be aligned with the quarter panels on both sides of the vehicle, and trying to correct a slight misalignment at one spot can make the alignment in another spot worse.
For the OP, I think you are likely making the best decision if you decide not to buy the car. The dealer will have no trouble selling that NX, and the buyer likely will never notice that work was done on the vehicle, and he/she likely will be happy with the purchase. On the other hand, there is a good chance that, if you bought the car, because you know about the repair work that was done on it, it would always bother you. I know it would always bother me, but I do admit that I'm more than a bit OCD about things like that. In this case, though, the imperfect repairs are ones that I would not find acceptable even if I didn't have those OCD tendencies.
Considering that you have been inconvenienced by this entire experience, you might want to see if the dealer might, as a good-will gesture, make an extra effort to find and get you another NX450h as quickly as possible.
08-11-22, 09:52 AM
#79
Lead Lap
But that isn't the only issue. The way that the bumper is loose on the right side is an indication that there is damage either to one of bumper clips or to the bumper bracket. Yes, there is the potential for having that repaired, but, especially when bumper brackets are replaced, there is the possibility that trying another repair could make things worse, not better. And, we don't know what the initial damage was. There is also the possibility that the reason why the new bumper is not aligning perfectly and why it is loose is that, when the initial damage was created, the unibody was slightly bent, and that could be the reason why the new bumper isn't attaching properly.
When you add that in with the orange peel on the new bumper not matching the orange peel on the rest of the car (which, by itself, would be minor), there is no way that I would consider accepting that vehicle.
08-11-22, 09:57 AM
#80
Buy it! I posted earlier and would be disappointed as well.
My friend checked your pictures ( 30 years auto body owner)
He thinks they just put it on and something didn't catch properly. Thought the paint look good.
" It's just a bumper cover" He said he replaces them regularly for much more expensive brand new vehicles, and dealers don't tell the customer.
I think you are getting a great car, great rebate and will always be treated well at the dealer.
Take the 500 and get someone else to check out the alignment of the bumper cover.
Good luck and best wishes
My friend checked your pictures ( 30 years auto body owner)
He thinks they just put it on and something didn't catch properly. Thought the paint look good.
" It's just a bumper cover" He said he replaces them regularly for much more expensive brand new vehicles, and dealers don't tell the customer.
I think you are getting a great car, great rebate and will always be treated well at the dealer.
Take the 500 and get someone else to check out the alignment of the bumper cover.
Good luck and best wishes
08-11-22, 10:18 AM
#81
Rookie
Thread Starter
Buy it! I posted earlier and would be disappointed as well.
My friend checked your pictures ( 30 years auto body owner)
He thinks they just put it on and something didn't catch properly. Thought the paint look good.
" It's just a bumper cover" He said he replaces them regularly for much more expensive brand new vehicles, and dealers don't tell the customer.
I think you are getting a great car, great rebate and will always be treated well at the dealer.
Take the 500 and get someone else to check out the alignment of the bumper cover.
Good luck and best wishes
My friend checked your pictures ( 30 years auto body owner)
He thinks they just put it on and something didn't catch properly. Thought the paint look good.
" It's just a bumper cover" He said he replaces them regularly for much more expensive brand new vehicles, and dealers don't tell the customer.
I think you are getting a great car, great rebate and will always be treated well at the dealer.
Take the 500 and get someone else to check out the alignment of the bumper cover.
Good luck and best wishes
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harper7 (08-11-22)
08-11-22, 01:25 PM
#82
Lead Lap
I passed on it. I just didn't feel comfortable with the repair job they did. Plus, if you read earlier in the thread, the invoice the service director gave me mentions damage to the license plate area. Service director told me that was just the the license plate frame that was attached to the bumper and "dent wizard" was the company that repainted it, but I know they use a body shop nearby with a different name. They could be telling the truth, but something just seemed off plus the mentioning of the bumper brackets, I didn't want to take it and have to rely on the Lexus warranty to take care of it later on if something happened or there to possible additional hidden issues. Chances are, if I didn't know about it, everything would have worked out, but alas it didn't end up that way.
As I said in an earlier post, without removing the bumper cover again, there is no way to know what is the reason why the bumper is not properly aligned or why it is loose on the right side.
It could be something as simple as a broken bumper clip, and, if that is the case, it would be easy to fix that.
However, if the problem is a damaged bumper bracket and, especially, if there was any damage to the unibody at the location where the bumper bracket is attached to the unibody, doing a proper repair could be more complicated, and it could even be the case that getting the bumper to be aligned correctly and for it to be properly secured is impossible.
If you were just talking about a bumper cover that had been scratched in transport or on the dealer's lot, it might well make sense to accept the bumper needing to be (properly) refinished, but, when you add in questions about the damage and repairs to the license plate area and the differences in the orange peel, all of that is more than what seems reasonable to accept on what is supposed to be a brand new car and one whose MSRP was, I'm guessing, well over $60,000.
I'm sure that you have been eagerly anticipating getting delivery of your new NX450h, that you are disappointed in the outcome of the situation, and that deciding not to accept delivery of the car was difficult, but it was, I think, the right decision.
Good luck with getting another vehicle and getting it in a way that allows you to get the tax credit.
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harper7 (08-11-22),
oldtripper (08-11-22)
08-11-22, 02:14 PM
#83
Good for you!! Awesome, you won't have that hidden burden haunting you. I get it! Congratulations and sorry all at the same time!
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oldtripper (08-11-22)
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