My CL has been damaged @ the MOT

[jibcl500]

All

My CL was booked in for the MOT today so I drove up there at 8am and left the car there. Just ahd a call from the garage telling me there has been an accident whilst on a test drive.
I went up there to have a look and they tell me the bonnet flipped open at about 60mph and hit the roof. As you can imagine the bonnet is badly bent, the hinges are both bent and the spring assist for lifting the bonnet isnt working either.

I cant see any damage to the roof or screen but there is some lines on the bonnet running from side to side which dont look consistant to the bonnet hitting the roof so Im think perhaps the damage was done in the workshop and not on the test drive.
Anyway where do I go from here, the parts alone come to £1355.00 plus they need fitting and painting, from experience the whole front end needs to come off to replace the hinges, then theres the paint work.
The owner at the MOT station told me he had spoken to the insurance company and they are sending out a chap next week.

What do I need to do from here as I wont let them take the car away to be fixed anywhere I want it to go to mercedes to be fixed. Also is it possible they might write the car off due to the repair costs.

Help please.

jib

 

[amwebby]

What on earth were they doing taking it out and driving it at 60+ mph? That's not part of the MOT test!

Call Mercedes Accident Management on 0800 0 733 377

 

[jaymanek]

Its unfortunate and as a garage owner I can say these things happen.

Not much you can do apart from wait for the insurance to sort it out.

Obviously keep record of all correspondence, pref in letters and insist on MB parts and a good insurance approved painter.

MB Bodyshops are no better than many others and infact some have had really bad reports. I would insist on MB parts though..

I assume they were doing some work for the MOT as test drives arent part of an MOT?!

 

[Blobcat]

Nightmare, I didn't think a test drive was part of the MOT???

You are entitled to be put back in the position you were prior to the accident. However depending upon costs their insurance company may try to write it off. I don't think you can specify where the repair is done, however you could get some quotations from MB & a couple of accident repair centres (or ask the garage/insurance company to).

I'm guessing that the MOT station wasn't a MB garage, I remember a post that non MB garages (or ones not used to MB's) have had trouble MOT'ing Mercedes as they don't use the correct lifts or procedures.

 

[jibcl500]

I have used this MOT station for many years as they have been firm but fair on the MOT's and very professional. OK they trashed my car but im not going to start shout at them about it as it wont fix things.

I think they will write it off personally due to the costs to fix. The car was mint and I want the same car back int he same condition it went in, I estimate about £4000-£5000 to fix which will write the car off.

The car needed to be warmed up for the emissions test !!!!. hence the test drive.


jib

 

[amwebby]

The car needed to be warmed up for the emissions test !!!!. hence the test drive.


jib

Bolleaux quite frankly. If it isn't an economic write off you can specify where it is repaired. I say again, call Mercedes Accident Management, they are more than helpful. Currently helping me with £1,500 of repairs and a replacement CL after someone backed into me.

 

[Richard Moakes]

You are remarkably calm about this.

I would be calling a solicitor right now to start a case against them for damaging my vehicle. If you didn't sign any disclaimer when you handed them the vehicle, then they are fully liable for the damage.

 

[jibcl500]

You are remarkably calm about this.

I would be calling a solicitor right now to start a case against them for damaging my vehicle. If you didn't sign any disclaimer when you handed them the vehicle, then they are fully liable for the damage.

No I didnt sign anything, Only other thing is the car was insured today on daysure just for the drive up and down to the MOT station, less than a mile.
Will that have any impact?

jib

 

[amwebby]

No, it's their liability not yours. As long as it was legally insured their insurance company will have to pay out.

 

[davidsl500]

But did it pass the MOT ?

Seriously though, I'm sorry to hear of your problems. Are you a member of any associations like the Chamber of Commerce or FSB - or any other trade associations - even the AA or RAC? Most have legal departments that you can talk to freely and get their opinion - or even get them to act for you?

 

[jibcl500]

Yes it passed the MOT and I didnt have to pay either which was a result..................

jib

 

[jberks]

I'm with you. I can't see the point of getting stroppy with them. Yes it's unfortunate but they're being completely open with you. They're not trying to wriggle out or blame you, they've admitted liability and are doing their best to sort it out. At the end of teh day, their insurance will sort it.

The only problem is the write -off issue but assuming it is an economic write off, there's a wide gulf between insurance prices and cash prices so there will be no reason I can think of to stop you buying it back, keeping it off the register and having a good bodyshop sort it out for cash. You may well end up with a profit at the end too. I certainly have on the 2 occasions I've been through this process.

I assume you do have a car you can use in the mean time. If not, (or even if you just feel like it) his insurer is also liable to provide you with some wheels. whilst this is sorted out.

 

[jibcl500]

I'm with you. I can't see the point of getting stroppy with them. Yes it's unfortunate but they're being completely open with you. They're not trying to wriggle out or blame you, they've admitted liability and are doing their best to sort it out. At the end of teh day, their insurance will sort it.

The only problem is the write -off issue but assuming it is an economic write off, there's a wide gulf between insurance prices and cash prices so there will be no reason I can think of to stop you buying it back, keeping it off the register and having a good bodyshop sort it out for cash. You may well end up with a profit at the end too. I certainly have on the 2 occasions I've been through this process.

I assume you do have a car you can use in the mean time. If not, (or even if you just feel like it) his insurer is also liable to provide you with some wheels. whilst this is sorted out.

Yes the chap at the garage has been very good and up front about the problem.

I think the repairs will be expensive because its not as simple as just removing and replacing the bonnet, the whole front end needs to be removed so there maybe damage done to the wings in the process.

No I dont need another car we have 3 more MB's to use and my TE is my main transport so im covered and frankly its nice to have one off the drive and out of the gargare so I can tidy up in there.

Agree I want the car back, I paid £7500 for it 3 years ago which at the time was cheap but now the prices are falling hard and Ive seen the selling for 2k but im not taking 2k for it.

jib

 

[roadhog]

IIRC a road test can be part of the MOT at the discretion of the tester.
Obviously a car like yours is more likely to need a road test than something like a 1.2 Fiesta.

Sorry to hear about your troubles, hope you get it sorted! As jberks said, buy the car back and sort it yourself if they want to write it off.

 

[100%Bitch]

Make sure that you remain as calm as possible throughout as it is easier for the insurance company and the garage to deal with you. If you start getting stroppy they'll just stop talking to you.

 

[jibcl500]

Well Ive collected the car as the garage owner thought it best it be back at mine in the garage, The insurance chap should be coming round on tuesday.
Agree I wont get stroppy about this not yet anyway, Ive know the garage owner some years and hes helped me out with tools when I didnt have the right tool for a job and I get on with him so Im not going to fall out over this.

Spoken with MB cambs and they want to give me a like for like car to use until mines fixed and take mine away but the point is the insurnace hasnt agreed to this so why the hurry.
Anyway some pics of my battered CL

jib
(time for a beer or more)

 

[jibcl500]

And some more.

jib

 

[britnordic]

Hi Jib
sorry to hear the news about the CL. It used to look really good !
Hope all turns out well.

Tony

 

[outsmartsmart]

Well, we're all barrack room lawyers when it suits us but this seems relatively straight forward and it doesn't sound like the garage is trying to absolve itself of blame from what you say.

I'm with you, remain calm, give it a week for insurance to respond, etc.

I'd guess its an uneconomic repair looking at value Vs. repair costs. In which case make sure you ask to buy it back as it is certainly a still useable motor for not much cash to get it back working, if not as good as it was.

 

[jibcl500]

Now the cars back with me Iv had chance to have a good look around it, there is an inprint on the bonnet of the sunroof!!! so it certainly went a long way back.
There is also some scuffing of paint around the front edge of the sunroof, the inner wings and both damaged where the bonnet flipped back so I would expect that to be fixed.

Chris from MB popped in tonight to give me a list of the parts and the pices £1371 inclusive, labour roughly £1000 and paint at another £1000 so I suppose assuming the cars book price is still good then it should be fixed.

jib