Help! ML 270 badly repaired bumper

[greenfingers]

Haven't posted on here for ages because I've been enjoying trouble free happy motoring. The ML has been excellent for hauling round the family, and it was great pulling our caravan around the UK last year.

However, while it was parked outside the shops a few weeks ago, someone parking behind managed to run into the back. The result was a 5p peice sized chip in the middle of the bumper and a few scratches and scuffs a little lower down.I took down the offenders details and a few days later decided that I couldn't ignore the damage any longer. His insurers agreed to have it fixed, but it would have to be done by their chosen bodyshop.

So it went in last Monday morning (supposedly for three days). Four days later (Today) I was told it was ready.

I arrived in eagerness to find my ML reversed close up to a wall. The bodyshop guy was ready to do the paperwork, but I asked to see the results first. I had to ask him to drive the car forward so that I could inspect the bumper. He obliged, and as soon as he did my heart sank.

The whole bumper was clearly a lighter shade of dark metallic green than the rest of the car. It also had much more metallic flake in the paint than the rest of the bodywork. I went on to check if it was properly alligned and discovered that the bumper would move about 20mm rearward if pushed from either side. When I looked underneath, I could see a screw in each front side of the bumper which located in clean air.

I wish I had never bothered to take it in now, but the can of worms has been opened!

Can anyone explain how the bumper is supposed to be located/supported, and if there should be anything fitted between the plastic inner wheelarch and bumper? The way it is now, is the bumper moulding itself with no visible trims or cappings attached anywhere. Is there a standard way to deal with this kind of issue? The guy seemed to be implying that he would have to get the insurers to OK any further work. I suspect he wants to scare me into accepting their bodge by threatening to keep our much needed family car for an unacceptably long time.

Needless to say I have left the car there (VW dealership), and am awaiting a phone call Tomorrow, so any prompt advice would be much appreciated.

 

[television]

So sorry to hear your news, this is all I have


http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...GM=716.644&CT=F&cat=06H&SID=88&SGR=075&SGN=03

 

[stumpy]

Leave the car there and notify the insurers that you are unhappy with the result. Take photos to back up your reasons.

 

[greenfingers]

Thanks for the quick replies and advice.

Malcolm, you were predictably and instantly on the button - that diagram is exactly what I needed, although my ML is the facelift model (2001). It looks very similar, in which case parts 83 seem to be missing - and heaven knows what else??

 

[television]

Try this one young man

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...GM=716.644&CT=F&cat=04S&SID=88&SGR=075&SGN=03

 

[greenfingers]

Subject to the garage agreeing to fix it, should I be entitled to take the car away tomorrow until they have the necessary parts and are ready to do the work?

Initially they had said that they could give me a car to use while they had mine, but it would delay the job because it took time to source one. I told them that we could manage without for three days, but now it will become a problem if we don't have the family car over the weekend and beyond.

 

[stumpy]

Contact the insurers and get them to apply some pressure. Don't take your car back as then you can't be blamed for any damage whilst in your care.

 

[ernieh]

Bodged Repairs

At the end of the day, hopefully, they won't get paid until you sign the insurance acceptance note and it is up to them to get the job to your satisfaction. Unfortunately you are caught in the middle without a car.

In a recent case, a family friend was bumped in the rear in a nose to tail bump and the 3rd party insurer was quite happy to have the car repaired by the Dealer's bodyshop (Skoda) and offered a like-for-like courtesy car without any quibble. In this case, the repair was excellent.

Unfortunately it is becoming common practice for the third party's insurer's to insist on using their authorised repairers, who, depending on the insurer, can be reputable or otherwise. Having said all that, I would have thought that a VW bodyshop would have done a decent job.......or maybe your job was done to a price.

Sorry if I've rambled on, but I hope you get the car sorted to your satisfaction and not to a standard that somebody else thinks you should accept.

As regards a courtesy car.....when did a VW Dealership not have a spare courtesy car or at least a car they could hire for you? Again that would cost money, wouldn't it?

All the best,


Ernie

 

[greenfingers]

I take your point about them accepting liability, Stumpy.
It seems they will accept liability and the guy today implied it would be sorted out, but I would like to be able to use the car once they have agreed to fix it properly. It might take ages to get the correct parts in and then do the work.

I guess it is really a legal question whether they can insist they keep the car until it is fixed. I signed the small-printed form (which I was told was an agreement to let them do the work) without reading it, and was not given a copy.

 

[greenfingers]

Unfortunately it is becoming common practice for the third party's insurer's to insist on using their authorised repairers, who, depending on the insurer, can be reputable or otherwise. Having said all that, I would have thought that a VW bodyshop would have done a decent job.......or maybe your job was done to a price. ........................................................................................As regards a courtesy car.....when did a VW Dealership not have a spare courtesy car or at least a car they could hire for you? Again that would cost money, wouldn't it?

All the best,


Ernie

Thanks Ernie, I think that is spot on.

I took the car in with all the goodwill in the world, and felt grateful that the damage was going to be sorted. I didn't want to make life difficult for anyone by requesting a courtesy car, and I was quite happy to walk two miles home at 8am. How quickly the milk turned sour!

 

[Cosworth]

Demand a like for like courtsey car and don't sign any paper work until you are happy. If you pick you car from them, then you will have a less likely chance to get it sorted.

I had a similar experience but I chose my car to go to Mercedes, even they messed up. The bumper was full of orange peel. They tried to flaten the paint and they couldn't because was there wasn't enough paint to flaten.

So they ended up doing a repaint. Now it looks better than new.

 

[panason1c]

Though insurance companies will try to send you to a repairer that's on its own repairer list you do not actually have to use one of them. As long as the repair estimate is broadly in line with one or two others you have got then you can choose your own repairer regardless of where the insurance company try to send you. You may, as a result, lose any courtesy car benefits but the repairer you choose may provide their own.

The rear bumper is held on by 6 small bolts (10mm) that are located behind three small panels (at the rear of the bumper) the panels are held in place by spring clips, the bumper is removed by sliding it backwards off the plastic runners on the sides.

Bumper removal takes a maximum of 5 minutes!, that's how easy it is.

 

[greenfingers]

Thanks again folks.
They should be calling me Today to sort it out.

I will post an update later.

 

[Xtractorfan]

Just to follow up on panasonics point ..If you own the vehicle no one can tell you where to have your vehicle repaired, you have the right to choose your own repairer.. can you imagine your employer paying you your wages and insisting you have to spend it where he tells you to,,second point in any third part accident..where someone else is the cause of the accident or damage, you are entitled to a courtesy vehicle of a similar standard to your own vehicle... you should always make this fact clear to the insurance company. One point I would always make, try and find a good bodyshop near to your work or home, firstly so that you arent inconvenienced, secondly if you have issues then you wont have to drive half way across the country to have them sorted and always check the repairs and even canvass other peoples opinions.. and never allow the garage to change your insurance from your car to the courtesy car..if you do that your car is now uninsured..if they insist opt to hire a vehicle yourself.

 

[jberks]

I too have been told by an insurer to use their 'approved' repairer. This was 'Audi' insurance who couldn't see the irony of asking an Audi owner to use a non Audi approved bodyshop. When they agreed to let the dealer sort it, they told us it was for the dealer to provide a loan car. I then pointed out that the loan car was a stipulation on the policy and the fact that I refused to use their repairer (who, presumably as part of their deal would provide a car) was irrelevant. After a few choise words with one of their supervisors, we were called by Europcar and given a nice little astra to run around in.
Moiral - don't take any crap from insurance companies.

 

[greenfingers]

Well, the response I got Today was that the car was ready for me to collect. I emailed the garage explaining why I was unhappy, and attached some before and after pictures.

When I got there it was evident that the new paintwork had been polished a little better, but the colour still looked wrong to me. The guy tried to convince me that plastic bumpers never match steel bodywork exactly. He said that he would have to get an engineers report done before any further work could be done, but I could take the car for the time being and contact him next week if this was to be pursued.

I started inspecting the job in more detail and wasn't too bothered to find a few specs and blobs. I wasn't even that concerned about the bumper movement after checking another ML earlier Today. However, I did notice the towbar cover plate was sitting slightly proud of the bumper on one side and when I removed it one of the top locating lugs was missing. Apparently the technician responsible had 30 years experience! The bloke agreed it would need a new part, but again the engineer would have to do a report first.

I did some research last night to discover that VW and the other manufacturers in its group (which does not include Mercedes) all use one brand of paint. I beleive the paint colour is not an accurate match, so they will never be able to do the job properley. I took the car home after getting 'colour query' and 'broken panel' listed on the job sheet.

Now I must decide whether to live with it or endure more hell!

 

[Cosworth]

Post some pics on the thread lets see the difference.

 

[hmang]

don't accept the repair until you're happy with it.

leave the car there.

 

[greenfingers]

I tried to post some pics last night but they were too big, so here goes:-

Can you tell which are before and after?







I can post more if necessary.

 

[philharve]

Paint colour match

I have seen brand new Mercedes cars sitting in the showroom and the paint match between chassis and bumpers is far from being 100 percent. The particular examples were all silver-coloured. Other colours are presumably easier to match.

My green-black (looks dark blue) C230K has had various body panels resprayed and the colour & texture match is perfect. As for metallics, a blemish-free finish following a re-spray should be the norm if professionally refinished.

REGARDS

Phil