How Long To Repair Car After Rear Ending?

[Forest Ford]

Hi guys,

Wondered if anyone here had any experience of reasonable timescales for car body repairs...

My beloved Focus estate, less than a year old, was rear ended on 30th April. Third party accepted responsibility and I expressed my preference for my local Ford main dealers' recommended body shop firm to carry out the repair.

It took a week for agreement to be reached on that and another few days for the body shop to collect car. Then a few more days for the assessors to agree costs, etc. Then a couple of weeks for all the Ford parts/panels etc to arrive at the body shop.

So earlier this week, (a month on, and nothing done to the car), the car was being dismantled for full assessment, regardless of which the firm is quoting a minimum of 25 working days (ie FIVE weeks) for the job. Ok, all the rear panels and tailgate need replacing and the back end will need pulling back into shape before re painting, but will that really take five weeks' work?

I still don't have an estimated completion date, and I wonder if the company is dragging things out. Anyone had experience of this type of repair?

[jeebowhite]

sounds like cack to me! I chose my own dealer after I was rear ended. the CMAX was out of my hands for 2 weeks. they replaced the full back end, crossmember, boot floor was pulled and shaped, as well as the bodywork being replaced.

Sounds to me like they are either short staffed and blaming the delay on the insurer, or they are just playing you?

[SeanW]

If you don't mind me asking, which company has the car?

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[Stoney871]

I had front quarter damage and it took 2 weeks from collection to road ready.

I would have thought no more than 3 weeks even if the frame needed re-jigging.

Two weeks for parts? I've never found Ford taking more than 5 days from order to delivery.

They are stringing out the labour costs and depriving you of your car for longer than necessary.

[DieselPig]

Without seeing the extent of the damage I can only go on past experience but 8 working days sounds reasonable if the roof is straight and the boot floor is being replaced.

Did you get a courtesy car on a credit agreement?

[Forest Ford]

Many thanks for replies. Seems they are stringing me along which is annoying because I specifically gave them the business as the only recommended body shop of my local Ford main dealer. They are also recommended locally by BMW and Porsche and have an impressive website offering all the best equipment, expertise and service, etc, etc...

Problem now is, do I get heavy with them on the basis of your comments and risk getting half a job done!! I think maybe I'll try and visit and discuss with a manager...

Presumably, the insurance company have been advised of the costs (so far estimated at £6,000) and the timescale. I would have thought they would have had something to say, particularly as they are paying for my hire car.

Repair will involve replacement of all the lower plastic rear panels and bumper, etc, the tailgate, and realigning the body Shell which has creased behind the rear side windows. The boot floor/spare wheel housing was damaged as was the bumper surround/tailgate fastening. (The electrics, however, were undamaged, including lights, indicators and parking sensors). Then, of course, there is the paint job, but all in all it's hard to see how they can want to take so long...

And all this from a bump that only gave us a severe jolt. Can't imagine what happens to a car in a really bad crash...?!

[jeebowhite]

Always worth contacting them and asking for an explanation. Worst case scenario, they come out and tell you straight that they are stuffed under which will at least explain why the delay is as it is, but I would take your complaint to the insurer.

[SeanW]

Also depends how busy they are and how they prioritise work. Some will do it based on how often the customer rings up and nags.

When my Focus was in, the first 2 weeks was "waiting for the ramps to be free to inspect it"

Yeah...that went down well. I spoke to them at least once a week and basically said that I wanted my car back.

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[Invisible Man]

I had this sort of problem, but mine was a front left corner damage. First they blamed the Insurance Companies, then they blamed Christmas, then they blamed Ford for sending the wrong parts. All in all 6 weeks they had my car for

[SeanW]

Wasn't Nationwide Accident Repair was it? The delay was never their fault!

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[Invisible Man]

Wasn't Nationwide Accident Repair was it? The delay was never their fault!

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Haha, sounds familiar, but no, it was Walton Accident Repair in Manchester.

Nice guys, great work, poor customer communication and lack of understanding of how much i wanted my car back

[jeebowhite]

clearly all customers who have a car dont care that they dont have their car, I mean, they do give everyone lambo's and ferraris for courtesy cars, so who would want their silly little ford back in a reasonable time... oh... wait....

It does my head in though when they do that sort of thing, I have to say, I have been reasonably lucky, 2 weeks to do a full repair on the CMAX, and I was only without the focus a few years back for about a week if I remember right, and I had the 1.25 Fez to run me around, I was grateful for getting my own motor back though! I suppose it depends on the insurer and the repairer. Supposedly using my own designated repair cetre would delay the repair of my car significantly, I personally didnt notice any delay! I had them telling me it would be 2 weeks with their approved dealer and Ford matched that!

I suppose if you get a good one and a bad of the other, then its going to be slow, but if you get a bad of both, then your stuffed, perhaps you fell into this unfortunate catagory. If you are dissatisfied with the delays, you can contact your insurer and rearrange hte repair for elsewhere. They may have authorised that garage to do the repairs, but if they have done sweet nothing with the car, then they can authorise someone else the same price to do the job.

[SeanW]

Think I'd rather a Ford over a Ferrari or Lambo lol

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[jeebowhite]

haha, me too, but if someone gave me one as a courtesy car, it would only be proper etiquette to road test that machine to the max!

Although I would first call the police, report it stolen, do my hammering (on the autobahn of course) :p then get it home and call the police telling them its been strangely returned to my care :p

[Forest Ford]

Well I decided to drop in on the Bodyshop manager today and I now have a promise they will do all they can to bring completion date forward by two weeks. Still a long time, considering what you guys say, but an improvement. Comment was that they were really quiet when the car went in, but "suddenly we're inundated". Funny that!? Thanks all for your helpful posts...

[Forest Ford]

There is a further unfortunate aspect in all this. As luck would have it, the bash happened a few days before the car was due in for its first service. Because the car will be over 13 months old when it is back on the road, the servicing condition of the warranty will not have been met, so in theory the warranty will have been invalidated. My Ford dealer says that as there is proof the car was laid up, any future claim should be honoured, but I wonder if I can share their confidence?

[jeebowhite]

Hi Bill, yeah its a good result that they have brought it down to less.

With regards the service, get them to write a letter of confirmation and also speak with Ford Head Office Customer service, advise them the circumstances and they will most likely agree and confirm that the warranty can be upheld. Request a letter of confirmation and I am sure that keeping it with your service book in the event that the car is in need of warranty, that will clarify it.