Car Repairs - Dealer V's Non Dealer

**neovw** · 16-02-2009,10:23 AM

Hi

I have had my Passat a few weeks and someone has wrecked it.. well scraped the side .. for the full (ish) sad story see

https://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/s...358#post310358

Anyway Since that post I have been to see VW and they quoted me , £1200 , because they say they dont fill or beat our dents but I need 2 new skins for the doors etc...

So my question now is , on a 03 car .. do I go for the option where someone fills the dent in the car and sparys it or do I go for the VW apporach of new skins and new this and that ... I am not paying 1200 , but if i go to the insurance it wil be a claim against me etc

Any advise ?

**onzarob** · 16-02-2009,11:35 AM

Go for the £120 quote from your mate (seen in in other post) panel beating and light filler isn't bad, if done properly. I would not use a Dealership to spray my cars, i would always take it to a specialist body place.

**neovw** · 16-02-2009,11:42 AM

It is Smith Knight Fay body shop they say they are specialists and VW approved , so its not the dealership doing it but an approved arm of the dealership....

the 120 quid issue is the quote i got from VW was 200 quid for the paint , so how is he doing it for 120 he is only letting me off 20 quid cus of my mate. so at that price is he a bit dodgy or what

Decisions , decisions

**onzarob** · 16-02-2009,12:01 PM

Are you sure your mate isn't charging you for extra for materials?

The paint will need to be match to get it perfect, a common thing to do is take the filler flap to the paint supplier and then they match it. Even Paint codes will vary slightly in shade which is the accounted for.

The best judge of a good paint shop is have a look at the work they are doing, just finished, shop around you do have time.

**neovw** · 16-02-2009,12:16 PM

Yes i will do that, but if i go insurance route.. they got the usual stipulations of "their" body shop etc

So you reckon new door skins etc are just a way of them making money from the insurance right ?

Also any reccomendations in the Manchester area ?

**onzarob** · 16-02-2009,01:01 PM

Originally Posted by neovw

Yes i will do that, but if i go insurance route.. they got the usual stipulations of "their" body shop etc

They are not all bad, I had a wing done last year and the work was excellent.

Originally Posted by neovw

So you reckon new door skins etc are just a way of them making money from the insurance right ?

Maybe, But remember panel beating is an art to get right,easier to get top finish with replacement.

Originally Posted by neovw

Also any reccomendations in the Manchester area ?

Sorry No I live in Cornwall

**neovw** · 16-04-2009,02:50 PM

An update i got the work done from the local dealer via an ins job..

Anyway they did the work but when i got the car back i heard a whistling noise coming from the door they had fixed, i have taken the car back 3 times now and the whistling noise is now intermittent , but there is a hell of a lot of wind noise esp at high speeds

I have just been back today and it seems the dealer and bodyshop are trying to wash their hands of it , by saying there is no noise , and that it must be a seal that my insurance didn't authorise and that they need to get that done to put a new seal on but thats all they can do.

When i drive the car i hear a lot of wind noise from the top right hand corcer of the dirvers door , the senior tech tried to tell me there was no noise and that its just a windy day ..

My worry is if the seal doesnt fix the issue then what can i do ?

Can i get my car indpendantly assesed for this (i know it seems a little OTT) , and would it cost a lot of money to do so?

**zollaf** · 16-04-2009,03:06 PM

as youve ended up going through the insurance company, i would phone them up and moan at them. tell them your not happy and want it sorting out. also inspect the repair thoroughly and try to find any blemishes etc that arnt perfect, and if there is any, mention them at the same time. at the end of the day, the body shop has done the job for your insurance company, so they are the customer, not you.

**neovw** · 16-04-2009,03:09 PM

Ok good point .. the only issue is I didn't use the garage recommended by the insurance company as it wasn't VW approved i choose to use the VW one, does that make a difference...