My car's with the dealer right now because one of my headlights went out just a month after they replaced the bulb. They are now saying it's the HID controller unit, which needs to be replaced. Also warned me that they need to remove the bumper to replace it and it may not be perfectly aligned afterwards. Uhhhh... I still love my car though...I think.

 

It's nice when they tell you up front they might screw it up... :banghead:

Does the dealer have a body shop to handle the bumper should the mechanics not line it up correctly?

 

not line up correctly??? what the hell is that? if it came aligned then it should be aligned after they replace it. might take a little more time aligning it but it can be done. its not rocket science by any means.

 

Perhaps the mechanics he deals with have more than average hairy backs..."theme of Space:2001" filtering in the ears...

 

The last time they took my bumper off to fix the HID's they must of bent the bumper too much or something but the paint cracked...now its goin in for a re paint.

 

There is NO EXCUSE to something not being AS IT WAS if it is covered under warrenty. That is B.S.

 

Hopefully, it will come back looking perfect and the whole thing ends up being a non-issue. If not, I would push the dealership to get the right level of expertise involved (body shop vs. mechanice, etc.) to resolve the issue. Long term, I would probably start looking around for another dealership that has more faith in the competency of their mechanics. I would assume that there are lots of alternatives in the SF area. Good Luck!

 

F that BS....they give you a disclaimer up front that they know they are imcompetent?WTF is that?

Just make sure you check the bumper before you sign anything - if it's not perfect, make them do it again, or send it to another dealer to get fixed.


Hell - I took the bumper off my 99 Accord a coupla times in my driveway and it ALWAYS lined back up perfectly. That's why they make the holes just big enough for the screws/pop clips to fit in to.


man...what the hell kinda dealer TELLS you that crap!?

 

An honest one.... One that does know their limitations regarding their paid labor - Bottom line as mentioned, if they have to make that disclaimer, they WOULD NOT get my warranty or other work. That's like saying your going to loose before starting the game...

Also, as mentioned, their is very little adjustment, if any besides the upper corners at the wheel well, regarding the front bumper skin....
Dealers are truly disappointing now days....


Best of luck

 

I bought the factory manual and looking at the way the covers are attached, I can see where there might be a problem reattaching them.

They use clips to hold the covers in place and unless those clips are released right the clips or the cover can probably be damaged. The manual references that a special trim tool kit is required. So if the tech isn't patient or careful they can probably f'up the cover pretty easily, and manual warns about that. But if the tech hoses it up, then that should be the dealers nickel to make it right.

 

Thanks for all the insight guys. Let me clarify what my service rep said. He said that they took off the bumper to check the HID controller unit and found it to be faulty. Replacement part won't come in until Monday, so instead of putting the bumper back on and returning the car to me he wanted to keep it off and the car at the shop. His explanation was that repeated removal of the bumper MAY result in imperfect alignment. Either way, I will make sure that it is perfect before I accept it back. I attached a pic of my car, sans front bumper, that I took with my camera phone. Looks really wierd without it.

 

damn - looks like someone punched her in the nose!

Hope for speedy recovery!

 

anyone else experience this problem? the same headlight just went out again. i'm bringing her in next week. this is getting frustrating. first i had moisture leakage, so they replaced the headlight housing. then the bulb went out, so they replaced that. then the bulb went out again, so they replaced the hid controller unit. now it's out again!

 

Wow -- third time!? Get it fixed or lemon law it! A broken headlight DEFINITELY affects safety. What dealer?

 

you must have some other electrical problem, if they cant trace it, demand a new car, that could be unsafe if your lights go out