tech81

I was the proud owner of a Honda S2000 sports car that I purchased new in January. Unfortunately a few weeks ago a bus slip sided the car causing damage to all of the panels on the drivers side of the vehicle, both alloy wheels, side light and the wing mirror.

The insurance company were excellent in arranging a hire car to be available to me and for allowing the repairs to be fixed immediately. They also recommended various local approved accident repairers and gave me the choice to select one of those or get the repair work done at a garage of my choice. The insurers were concerned that as the car was nearly new I should check that any manufacturer warranties would not be invalidated by the repair work. As there is a Honda garage with a body shop that is relatively local I decided to choose them to repair the car and they gave me assurances that any warranties would not be invalidated. They also added that they are a Honda approved bodyshop.

Unfortunately the work that has been undertaken is not satisfactory. The alloys and side lights had been replaced - the badge was missing on collection but promptly fitted when pointed out. The original tyres were left on which is fine as they were good condition and undamaged. The wing mirror has not been replaced and still has scratches on it. There is overspray visible under the front wheel arch, door handle and around the drivers headlight. Looking down the driver side panels there are blotches where the colour does not exactly match with the original colour. On seeking advice from another repairer they advised that as my car is the Silverstone metallic colour and therefore a metallic paint that the panels should have been removed and the entire panel resprayed.

My friends and the other repairer say that the wing mirror should have been replaced and that at a minimum the entire set of driver side panels should have been resprayed. Currently awaiting the Honda dealers response but am very upset and disappointed that Honda dealer hasn't recommended the right repair given the cars age and excellent overall condition.

Am I being overly fussy in trying to keep my car looking in tip top A1 condition ? I'd like to hear from anyone that has had an experience like this because I'm usure of what my rights are and whether the insurance company will asist me in getting the repair I feel my car deserves.

Amuse Boy

You should reject the repair work and get them to do right. You have every right to get youir car looking A1 once again.

Chris Type R

body panels should have been removed and resprayed (I would say regardless of paint colour). IMHO, mirror could have been removed & resprayed. Overspray is unacceptable, and will affect second hand / part exchange value.

gaddafi

Tech

Sorry to hear about your mishap and the resulting aggro.

I don't think you are being fussy at all - it sounds like a very unsatisfactory piece of work to me.

I don't know who repaired your car but I wouldn't mind betting the 'approved repairer' was a sub-contractor. I have had this problem myself. Unfortunately, bodyshops who get most of their work repairiing shopping cars and repmobiles often can't grasp the standard enthusiasts demand. You have a nearly new car and a perfect right to see it repaired to as new condition.

You probably need to start with your insurer, but after telling them you are unhappy, demand that the car is inspected by their engineer with you present. I wouldn't advise trying to resolve it with the bodyshop yourself. At the end of the day the insurance company gives them more business than you ever will.............

Even if the dealer says they will resolve matters with the bodyshop I would get your insurer involved. The more people with a vested interest in getting this sorted out the better. The other thing about getting the insurer's engineer involved is that you can agree precisely what is wrong, not just agree that it is generally unsatisfactory.

I would try and get the car repaired elsewhere if I were you. The garage that carried out the original repairs are obviously not up to scratch. Be aware that the insurer will want to get the original garage to rectify the problems because it will save them money. They will definitely stress the importance of 'Honda approved' because of the need to maintain the Honda paint warranty. Fine, but that shouldn't mean a sub-standard repair.

If you get any hint of unhelpfulness start mentioning the VBRA (Vehicle Body Repairers Association) and MVRA (Motor Vehicle Repairers Association). These are the two professional bodies and it is likely that 'your' bodyshop will belong to one of them. It should be easy for you to find out which one. Last time I worked in the business, both offered an arbitration service. I wouldn't say you should go down this route, just use the mention of the appropriate body as a lever in your discussions. Don't make threats - just ask awkward questions like "who is XYZ bodyshop a member of, VBRA or MVRA?" and "how can I involve the MVRA/VBRA in assessing the standard of repair please?"

I'm sure you'll get a legal perspective from Mark T before long. Chin up in the meantime though. You are probably in for some delay and frustration but right is on your side.

ChrisJF

Agreed, you're not in any way being overly-fussy, you should demand that they return the car to you in tip-top condition. Don't accept any sub-standard work. Your insurance company is obliged to make sure that the work carried out on your car is of the highest possible standard.

tech81

Thank you to everyone who has responded to this thread so far there is some very good advice here. The s2ki forum is one of the reasons that makes me glad that I bought an S2000.

If it will benefit others I will try and update the thread with any outcome so that I may be able to advise or assist other forum members should they be placed in a similar predicament

AlyWW

I had a similar problem with a repair to an FTO about 12 years ago.
The important thing to remember is if the person hitting your car admits liability you have a legal right to be put back in exactly the same situation you were in before the accident. The car body shop I used tried to tell me I should expect a few bits of overspray and slightly mismatched paint but in the end they had to re-do most of the repair. However, if you used a body shop that was not on the insurance companies approved list you may have trouble getting the insurance companies support. If you have legal protection cover on your policy, think about using it rather than trying to sort it out yourself. A single letter from them will probably have far more effect then phone calls / letters directly from you.

Hockenheim

You guys are more than 7 years too late in responding

p800bry

My brother refused to accpet his car back from the accident repair centre 3 times due to the poor quality of their work, in the end his insurance company sent out an assesor who agreed with my brother and arranged for another repair center to do the work with the original garage having to foot the bill so stick to your guns