The dealer dented my truck

[ckruzer]

They backed the truck into the garage door. It had dropped a few inches which then resulted in the top of the cab clipped the bottom of the door. Doesnt look like alot of major damage at all it seems. But cosmetically, to return to predamaged condition... They jumped on the issue immediately. They rented me a same trim truck (Laramie), and sent it off to the body shop (Harry's on the Hill). They said 1-2 weeks.

Its about 2 weeks. No word. So i called. I have gathered from the phone calls, that the ordeal probably caused a few mandatory safety briefs and risk management seminars. Etc. Unfortunately, when demanding an update today, come to find out they did not send it to Harry on the Hill, but rather to WNC Collison (a place that quoted them half the cost "$1500" vs Harrys "$3000").

In my experience, body and paint... Half the price means half the quality. Im gunna look for fisheyes, paint lines, etc. Based on the area location, the proper way would have been to re shoot the whole roof and cab sides? $1500 would barely cover the 4 stage paint to do this.

Any paint/body guys got any tips and advice?

Any of you War in Dealershipstan veterans have any advice on keeping them honest?

Thanks!

 

[obullfish]

Screw all other body shops in Asheville other than Harry’s body and fender not Harry’s on the hill. I’m about 99.9% sure you are getting Maccoed.

 

[WARRIORWELDING]

i think your kinda at their mercy if you did not alert Your insurance....sure they are footing the bill but it is covered under your policy per your policies perceived value...

I am not sure.

I do know because I allowed one of my past trucks to be repaired by a non certified dealer they would not pursue proper repairs after a craptastic job. The insurance response was as soon as it went outside of their umbrella of dealers the quality was on me and the cost on them...

The fuzzy part here is it was not your fault. So I really am not sure you have any leverage other then out right refusal of the end product and a civil suit should you get fully disgusted.

outside of that I am sure I screwed their, thar', and they are somewhere! Good luck with the repair.

 

[ckruzer]

@WARRIORWELDING Id rather drive a dented truck then ever contact insurance.

@obullfish all i know is that "cheap" body/paint work is ALWAYS crap. But im not an expert and dont know what to look for, per se. But i have not problem refusing a crappy job, and I certainly have no problem filing a suit and collecting a check to get it done the right way. Its just business. If they cut corners the first time, thats their own fault.

 

[obullfish]

Hopefully you get the repairs and you are satisfied the first time. I’d be pissed about it not going to the shop you were told to start with. Most body shops now days only know how to swap a bumper cover and throw a shit paint job on and on to the next one.

 

[ckruzer]

I’d be pissed about it not going to the shop you were told to start with.

Im inclined. Ill mention it - its ammo if i do bring suit. IN the end though not mad - a truck is a truck, it just needs to be made right.

I too hope its satisfactory the first go around, regardless how much they spent

 

[Ron]

I wouldn't care who they sent it to, so long as it was 100% the way I left it with them.
Who charges them what may be related to how much business they send not the quality of the work.

Local body shop does all of the local chevy dealerships work. New car wants pinstripes or gets damaged on lot or whatever it goes to these guys. In exchange when ooops happen they give them an at cost rate to keep the business flowing.
No concern of yours what they spend.

But if it isnt ight...then its your concern. Or if they file a business insurance claim and its picked up by carfax, etc then youve got loss of value

 

[ckruzer]

I wouldn't care who they sent it to, so long as it was 100% the way I left it with them.
Who charges them what may be related to how much business they send not the quality of the work.

Local body shop does all of the local chevy dealerships work. New car wants pinstripes or gets damaged on lot or whatever it goes to these guys. In exchange when ooops happen they give them an at cost rate to keep the business flowing.
No concern of yours what they spend.

But if it isnt ight...then its your concern. Or if they file a business insurance claim and its picked up by carfax, etc then youve got loss of value

Exactly my thoughts. It just needs to be made right. Thats an excellent point on the carfax. I did not think of business insurance claims showing up on a carfax. i will look into that.

 

[jeepinmatt]

I'd have asked for the money to recoupe the loss of value, and drove away happy to have more money in the bank.

 

[NC-V]

Those spots don't look too bad. I can't see with the reflections in the pic/small screen, but did the roof itself get hit or just the upper cab corners? If it didn't hit the center section of the roof and they have a decent painter that actually knows how to match/tint paint they should be able to just repair the damage and blend the color on the repairs and reclear the cab sides. The roof seam trim leaves enough gap where they should be able to get the color good without having to blend color into the roof or doors.

What is the paint color? Even if a 3 stage (ford ruby red, GM crystal red tintcoat, etc) the cost of materials will not be too bad, would only need about a half pint each of base coat and mid coat in decent quality paint to blend those spots. Then add clear coat, primer, fillers, studs and masking supplies, I would say around $300 materials retail, half that being the color coats. Without seeing better shots and/or larger pics to see body lines on the truck, I would probably say that I could do that job for a "friend" for under $1500. Insurance would be a different story, a shop doing it for an insurance job would write it to blend the roof, remove the rear glass, blend the rear doors and bloat the cost wayyyyy up.

My .02 would be if you intend to sell the truck, don't push for insurance, you don't want it reported. If you can't tell it was ever done and they do what they can to keep you happy, then what it costs them shouldn't matter. If they don't absolutely have to remove the rear glass (they should be able to pull back and mask the rubber seal), then I wouldn't have it pulled. The masking line will be under the rubber and that way you don't need to worry about the glass sealing up after. A lot of insurance type body shops with fluff the shit out of estimates because insurance will pay it without questions, then they do a shit job and don't do half the stuff on the estimate.

I own a custom paint/body shop. We do mostly medium-high end paint jobs, but still do some insurance work for our existing customers. We also do repairs for some of the local dealerships on their more expensive vehicles that get damaged on the lot or cases similar to this. I have been told by them that we provide a much better product, and are less expensive. For us, that stuff is cake work. Point is just because it is more expensive, doesn't ALWAYS mean better. Bottom line, if you are happy with the end product then don't worry about how much, but if it is not a factory equivalent finish then I would raise hell, just be careful if you plan to sell the truck so this minor damage doesn't get turned into something more than it needs to be on a carfax

 

[frankenyoter]

Let them buy it and go get into a Toyota!

I hope it works out for you. Crap like this can be a real PITA

 

[obullfish]

Don’t forget pain and suffering @ckruzer

 

[ckruzer]

did the roof itself get hit or just the upper cab corners?

Roof has some scrapage as well. The center as well

should be able to just repair the damage and blend the color on the repairs and reclear the cab sides. The roof seam trim leaves enough gap where they should be able to get the color good without having to blend color into the roof or doors.

The only people ive known who could blend and it not be noticeable were owners of high end paint shops. But correct me if im wrong, even blending, you still have to have proper tape lines set, which means running out to the nearest body lines that support a tapeline, namely inside of doors?

What is the paint color?

Its a laramie, so had the Inferno Red Crystal Pearl. From what i understand, thats a base, color, pearl, clear.

what it costs them shouldn't matter.

I only mentioned cost as it was a baseline. If their number 1 go to is Shop A and their price is X, but for some reason they pushed to a non usual Shop B to get a "half the cost" price? The guy relayed it in a very "justified" way, like he was trying to convince himself it was a "good" thing. It was very fishy. I honestly could not care less how much they spend or dont spend. Just fixed right is all I care about. For that matter, in another decade I would have asked them if they were interested in "settling" and me living with the dents. Haha.

If they don't absolutely have to remove the rear glass (they should be able to pull back and mask the rubber seal), then I wouldn't have it pulled. The masking line will be under the rubber and that way you don't need to worry about the glass sealing up after.

Would have the tape line under a peeled back seal rather than all the way down into the seal (when removed) have any risk of leaks? Especially a larger than usual tape line for a 4 stage? paint job?

I own a custom paint/body shop. We do mostly medium-high end paint jobs, but still do some insurance work for our existing customers. We also do repairs for some of the local dealerships on their more expensive vehicles that get damaged on the lot or cases similar to this.

I really appreciate the 2 cents!

Bottom line, if you are happy with the end product then don't worry about how much, but if it is not a factory equivalent finish then I would raise hell, just be careful if you plan to sell the truck so this minor damage doesn't get turned into something more than it needs to be on a carfax

On one hand I dont care about what it reports because I do not intend to sell. But who knows what the future holds. ive learned not to make decisions this way. I just plan to have them make it right - Right is Right. We will get there eventually!

 

[ckruzer]

Don’t forget pain and suffering @ckruzer

#igotstogetpaid

 

[NC-V]

Roof has some scrapage as well. The center as well

Ok roof adds a different element. A lot more surface area to cover, not much for base and mid coat if it is just scratches and small repair area, but a lot more clear coat. Also a more prep and spray time. $1500 seams low now with the new info.


The only people ive known who could blend and it not be noticeable were owners of high end paint shops. But correct me if im wrong, even blending, you still have to have proper tape lines set, which means running out to the nearest body lines that support a tapeline, namely inside of doors?

The whole purpose of a blend is to trick the eye from seeing slight color differences. Typically you are only "blending" the color coats so you still need to clear coat the entire panel to a seam line or panel break. The only other options are a hard tape line which will be noticeable, a rolled tape line which you can sometimes get away with on a small hard body line. Lastly a clear "burn" where you only clear part of the panel then use the over reduced clear mixture to blend the fresh clear into the old clear, then buff the blend to get rid of the haze. This is only used on cheap, lot repair type work as the haze of the burn will often return over time especially on darker colors. None of these other methods should be used in your case, blend the color and clear the entire panel.


Its a laramie, so had the Inferno Red Crystal Pearl. From what i understand, thats a base, color, pearl, clear.

I have never worked with that color personally, but it is most likely a 3 stage which is base coat/mid coat/clear (color/pearl/clear)


I only mentioned cost as it was a baseline. If their number 1 go to is Shop A and their price is X, but for some reason they pushed to a non usual Shop B to get a "half the cost" price? The guy relayed it in a very "justified" way, like he was trying to convince himself it was a "good" thing. It was very fishy. I honestly could not care less how much they spend or dont spend. Just fixed right is all I care about. For that matter, in another decade I would have asked them if they were interested in "settling" and me living with the dents. Haha.

If it got the center roof panel $1500 is sounding on the low side, but again just inspect it thoroughly before accepting it. If you are not satisfied, do not leave with the truck. If you accept the truck, go home and see something you don't like you will have a much harder time dealing with it. If you don't like it, hop back in the rental and leave it there until they fix it right.


Would have the tape line under a peeled back seal rather than all the way down into the seal (when removed) have any risk of leaks? Especially a larger than usual tape line for a 4 stage? paint job?

No, the seal you see and what they are peeling back to tape is just a rubber debri seal. The glass is "glued" in with a urethane adhesive. To remove they would have to cut the rear glass out and urethane it back in. A tape line under that rubber lip will have no bearing on the sealing ability and you will never see it. If they cut the glass out there is a good chance they will actually scrape up the paint under the glass, damage the molded rubber seal around the glass, etc etc. Can be a lot more trouble than it is worth.


I really appreciate the 2 cents!



On one hand I dont care about what it reports because I do not intend to sell. But who knows what the future holds. ive learned not to make decisions this way. I just plan to have them make it right - Right is Right. We will get there eventually!

 

[GubNi]

My experience with a cheap paint job is often it will look as good as new when you get it. The difference is 5 years later when the clear coat starts flaking off and it needs to be repainted a second time.

 

[ckruzer]

Picked it up. Not horrible. Not right either. Definitely not a $3k job done the right way. Not noticeable unless youre feeling with fingers or looking with a flashlight up close. One inside door trim has the only visible tape line being evident. Im guessing they did do a blend job as @NC-V mentioned, and then did a full clear coat on roof and rear to front pillars. There is overspray in the door trim and no clear coat coverage there, so has a matte appearance and feel. Dont know what happened there but its not how it was left with them. Some oem clear can be seen on the mid pillar under door jam/hinge areas. Original clear can be seen on the door sides and bottom. Clear coat was not waxed, so i guesss that is left up to me. Unwaxed clear doesnt last long. Commercial remedy isnt supposed to leave the injured party with stuff left to do. I wasnt even going to make an issue. I am blessed way too much in my life. However, the manager ive been dealing with must be an ex or failed salesman. It was ready on friday and got no calls, so on Monday I was assured it was being cleaned on the interior all weekend, and that they were detailing the exterior for me. When i arrive the "clean interior" consisted of some sprayed scent, and maybe a half ass wipe down of major surfaces. There is leaves, and debree, and sand piled up on the driver mat, and sand and debree on the carpet areas around it. Meaning it was not even vacuumed or truly cleaned. The exterior is the extent of maybe a drive thru car wash... there is tire shine on it. It definitely did not get a genuine wash. I was wiping off tape line gum myself. It means the guy lied to fluff it up to get me in "receiving mood", or he was informed completion by a very lazy worker. The ship captain is sitting on a professional letter. We shall see what the response is.

 

[ckruzer]

The first two inside door show weird bubbling grated like. Another door, third door pic, you may be able to see clear coat paint line. More noticeable in person. Another pic shows a forgotten dent from the event. The last pic shows there is weird white spackle like stuff all over. Its hard and stuck to the clear. Picking with fingernail does not come off.

 

[jeepinmatt]

I'm no expert, but pic 2 looks like poor prep and adhesion. Pic 5 looks like slung wax or polishing compound. Only the best of the best have pride of workmanship anymore. Those poor details are reflective of such.

 

[Ron]

All I am saying is when you make the point, just paid XXXX to have the beige fender flares painted body match, thats how particular I am about my truck...someone is going to shit their pants.

 

[49willys]

From my experience working in a shop, mistakes are made, it's how you deal with them. One I was working on the other day, I made a mistake that caused body damage, doing everything right now with the body shop to correct the mistake. The body shop we use "was" very good at one point. Recent work is? A good body and paint man is hard to find! Most of the time scooped up by who ever pays them the most!

 

[ckruzer]

All I am saying is when you make the point, just paid XXXX to have the beige fender flares painted body match, thats how particular I am about my truck...someone is going to shit their pants.

Lol pretty close to the value. $1200 to paint match the two tone and the bumpers. I painted the flares black myself. I’ll consider paint matched ones in the future if I have it that long.

You think they would?

 

[obullfish]

Well ya ended up with the shit job we all thought ya would. Now it’s time to take it to where you decide and let them foot the bill for fixing their mistakes.

 

[NC-V]

What you are seeing in the door jamb is the spray that blows in the door seam. The rubbers generally get masked off but the objective is to let the paint taper off into the jam area on hard to spot area, not really sure what they did there because it is normally quite difficult to notice or with a little polishing can disappear completely. That is really heavy so I am betting the painter is not very experienced and just hammered the clear on then buffed the shit out of it. The white specs are dried up compound and should come off with a good wash or if really stubborn a quick clay. Not that you should have to worry about any of that.

You mentioned no wax. Don't wax it, no wax or sealants for at least 30 days. If it is not shiny, it is not because of lack of wax, it is either raw base coat with no clear coverage, "dry" clear (not enough applied to area), or it was wet sanded and never buffed.

This is all speculation without looking at it in person.

 

[ckruzer]

What you are seeing in the door jamb is the spray that blows in the door seam. The rubbers generally get masked off but the objective is to let the paint taper off into the jam area on hard to spot area, not really sure what they did there because it is normally quite difficult to notice or with a little polishing can disappear completely. That is really heavy so I am betting the painter is not very experienced and just hammered the clear on then buffed the shit out of it. The white specs are dried up compound and should come off with a good wash or if really stubborn a quick clay. Not that you should have to worry about any of that.

You mentioned no wax. Don't wax it, no wax or sealants for at least 30 days. If it is not shiny, it is not because of lack of wax, it is either raw base coat with no clear coverage, "dry" clear (not enough applied to area), or it was wet sanded and never buffed.

This is all speculation without looking at it in person.

Thanks for these insights

Good to know on the sealants. The matte finish on all the inside jams baffle me. It’s very noticeable. It’s a powdery feel full coverage coating liken to rattle can paint jobs. You’re saying this is because they only taped off rubber and atomized spray just colllected inside the doors? Wouldn’t the right way be to remove the doors and literally used the thimble sized extra bit of paint and just done the inside too? A seamless job?

Speaking of which ive now noticed the entire vehicle has a powder like film roughness to it. Ive felt dirty cars before that needed clay. This feels like someone spray painted next to the truck and the rattle can cloud settled all over it. Is this typical? Would this happen it was in the booth still and coverings were removed too soon?

The compound is good to know. But it’s not coming off with picks of a fingernail. Meaning it’s hard. If i scrub it that no doubt if comes loose it’s leaving a scraping trail?

Right now it feels like a half ass job for half the cost