I hate cars

Glad you got it fixed!

I think the Type-S rack is my next mod too. I tend to get sideways from time to time and it would make catching the tail so much easier without having to turn the wheel so far.

Just to clarify, it's just a change in gearing. If the stock rack takes 3 turns of the steering wheel to turn the front wheels all the way from the right to all the way to the left, the Type-S rack might only take 2 turns of the steering wheel to do the same thing.

I'm curious about the steering effort. Is it a lot higher? I know by changing the gearing it's going to increase the effort somewhat but that's ok as long as it's not too hard. It should give you better feedback from the road. That's another reason I want it so I can feel what the front tires are doing better.

Steve5.9

I didn't notice much change at all in the effort. You definitely won't have any trouble with it -- I think I remember reading that you used to powerlift or something? Haha! But yeah, no drastic change in effort.

It's definitely a lot more fun to drive and fairly inexpensive ($295 shipped through the acurazine vendor--but you gotta ship him yours). I definitely recommend this to everyone because overall feel is awesome.

stangs5088

looks good... gald you got it back.

Steve5.9

Well I WAS going to take pictures once this snow cleared up and after I washed my car.

But its just my effing luck that while on the interstate a rock jumped out of a dump truck that wasn't even in my lane and put a dime sized chip in the bumper! F!!!!

I got his info (company, truck number, phone number) and called them and asked what their policy was (without being a dck) and they were actually very nice about it. They said they would cover it, but my insurance would have to contact their human resource department (which I got the number for).

I called my insurance company and told them everything, from my speed, which lane I was in, mile marker on the interstate, etc.

They should get back in touch with me sometime tomorrow.


Here we go again boys.....

Aman

You and these company trucks...

I hate cars

If I had a twin out there it would be you. Sorry to hear that.

Steve5.9

Yeah well this effing ordeal is about to happen ALLLLL over again.


The company of the dump truck that had the rock that hit me called today and told me that they will pay for the damage. They just needed 3 estimates. I thought AWESOME! There ARE decent people out there.

Ok so, first estimate, around $185... pretty reasonable.

2nd, $550! haha! The guy was saying how he had to pull the grille and the headlights out to get the bumper off. HAHAHA!! I just said okay, thanks and I left.

3rd estimate: Here we go...


This guy was awesome...about 55-60 wearing a leather jacket and had a Fender Telecaster in his office. Awesome old rocker dude that's been doing body work for 40+ years.

Anyways we go outside and I show him the dent/scrape and I showed him the previous "work" done by Accurate Auto Body and showed him why I don't want to take it back to them. I showed him the gaps in between the fenders and the dremel work done on the side of the grill area so it would fit up to the light.

Right off the bat he noticed the paint work and how shitty it is. He noticed an effing HAIR UNDER THE CLEAR COAT on the driver side of the bumper! And also dirt underneath the clear coat of the hood.

It was windy out so we took the car into the actual shop to get a more in depth look, and this place is AWESOME! Brand new everything, so clean.

Ok...so we pop the hood, take the plastic covers off, and he notices that the car wasn't pulled far out enough, making EVERYTHING fit out of place. The guys at Accurate had to bend so much stuff to make everything fit. There's no telling what is underneath the fenders and bumper...

The hood sticks out farther than the bumper/grille.
There's a huge gap in between the passenger fender and the hood, much larger than the gap on the driver side.

The invoice showed that Accurate replaced my hood with a brand new one, and I showed them the pics of the accident, and they looked at my hood on the car and said that it is still the original hood. HAHA! They charged Erie Insurance 498 bucks for a hood they didn't buy! We popped a clip off and pulled a piece of the insulator back showing the original wear of an older hood. And it still had the factory warning stickers on it, granted those can get replaced with new stickers, but they were the older ones.
He also noticed that EVERYTHING on the invoice had a 4 hour labor mark on it...so there's no telling how much money they robbed from Erie.

We noticed the dents still in the hood, by the metal strip above the grille, by raising the hood and looking across it in the light.

There's clips missing underneath my Aspec front end.
There's overspray on the windshield and on the wipers. WTF?! HOW?!
The driver side hood hinge needs to be replaced and raised.
The hood is lower than the fender on the driver side by the hinge, and is HIGHER on the same side by the light.
The paint doesn't match up.

On the driver side they blended the paint by the fender and the door. They clear coated over a ding from the previous owner, by the handle, and also clear coated over some dirt or old wax or something on the plastic door protector. I took it to a car wash today to try to wash off that area with the foam brush and noticed it wasn't budging.


So...I called Erie and told them everything and an adjuster is going to contact me either tomorrow or after the holiday weekend. I'm going to tell him to meet me over at that same body shop to have this guy go over everything wrong with the car.

I wish I was the type of guy that could notice all this stuff right off the bat, but I was in Cali when the car was done with body work, and when I got back the car was right back in the shop for steering rack work.

Accurate does have a warranty on their work but I am SO OVER THEM AND NOT TAKING IT BACK TO THEM. I really wish I was the type of person to take it over there and bitch them out about it...but I'm not and it wouldn't make me feel any better and it wouldn't help the situation. I am definitely going to fight to not have to deal with these pricks again.

...I'm going to let the Insurance people handle this situation with Accurate... I do wonder who's going to pay for fixing this mess: Erie Insurance or Accurate Auto Body? All I know is that they are DONE with touching my car.

Comptechtl2367

Okay... I am not sure how other insurance companies work but as far as the one i work for, we owe the shop the chance to make corrective repairs, if after that there is more issues they should let you take it to any other shop of your choice and then they will bill the orig shop what it took to fix their screw ups. not if you STRESS that you will not go back to Accurate then they should just let you take it to this new place for the repairs. My concerns:
1. no one can tell if a car was pulled out "enough". you need to put it on a rack to see that. Guy may see some bent brackets and assume this.
2. Erie should be able to iron out all the bull shit the shop skipped or charged for like the hood, the shop will have to pay it back and may face fraud charges.
All that said, you need to tell Erie you are not gaing back to that shop period.

Secondly, i dont know a single shop that can fix a dent and chip in a cover for less then 500.00. that cover needs to be pulled off the car, grille pulled off and fully cleared after the repair for a good repair. The first shop is a hack!

Good luck all over!

Steve5.9

Check out the gaps


Hood sticks out further than the grille, sweet light/hood/fender flushness


Not lined up


Hair under clear coat under the light


Gap in Aspec


Clear coat over dirty area


Overspray


Damage from rock

Comptechtl2367

The over spray is an easy thing to happen, the shop just didnt tape off the cowl good enough. The gaps are not horrible but it could just be the pictures.
The worse part is the hood light cover gap! Yuck!

Steve5.9

Their quote is for Fill, Sand, Feather, and Blend. No idea what that means... but yeah. Seemed a little crazy of a price.

An adjuster called and said that I need to take it over to Accurate for a chance to fix their mistakes. I'd like to not go over there, meet the adjuster over at the other shop, and go from there.

Steve5.9

Yeah the photo doesn't do it justice, you gotta see it in person.

Steve5.9

How do I get Accurate to pay for the repairs while getting it fixed at the other shop? The adjuster was pretty certain that they aren't going to pay for anything which is fair because it wasn't them that F'd up my car...

Steve5.9

And by "they" I mean Erie...

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Hang in there Steve.

Steve5.9

I'm going to take it over to Accurate and speak with the manager on Monday. This work is unacceptable. If at all possible, I will get the repairs done somewhere else and bill it to Accurate. If not, oh well, they will definitely get it done right this time.

Steve5.9

Took it over there on Monday and they said that there was no way they could get it in this week. And after some ranting and bickering about I should be there first priority since they spent 60-somethin days making my car look like it does (and sorry if I seem uptight, the photos don't do it justice and you definitely have to see it in person. It looks awful), they told me I could bring it by the today.

For the front end debacle, the manager's excuse was that Erie allows for them to use aftermarket parts and being that my bumper wasn't OEM (no clue who else would have made it...) it doesn't line up. Then I told him that it maybe is just not pulled out far enough. He said it could be a possibility. Now, I understand the whole using remanufactured, aftermarket, etc parts... but come on man... at least make everything flush like it was.

Last night, I took the side moldings off (door protectors) and noticed that they clear coated over them when they were blending. I tried goo gone, clay, and even some bug tar remover...no luck. I really HOPE they fix that as well as the mess on the front end.



I turned my car in this morning and Accurate is paying for the rental.... an effing Dodge Caravan... :ghey: shits just getting better and better.

Comptechtl2367

This is BULL SHI*! Read the estimate, does it say "R&I side molding" anywhere on the estimate, if so Erie needs to made aware of this as they were paid to complete this operation and they didnt!
If that cover is aftermarket it would not say ACURA on it. it is against the law for any aftermarket company to put the brand on the bumper, it may be remanufactured. now even if it is aftermarket or reman they owe to put you in PRE LOSS CONDITION! This means if that cover does not fit then the owe you to replace it with one that does fit. This shop sounds like a hack!

Also that other shop is a hack also. to fill the dent sand and blend is a bull shi* way to fix a front cover. It needs to be taken off the car, sanded and full cleared. the way they have will not match and will peal.

If you have a copy of the estimate for the big repair and have a fax, send me a PM and ill look it over. i can let you know what they did and did not do. to bad you dont live by me i would go in there and show them everything they did wrong!

Comptechtl2367

You need to tell Erie that you do not want to take your car back to this hack shop and that you want to take it to your shop of choice. You dont trust Accurate anymore and they owe to have your corrective repairs covered by them and then they should go after Accurate for the amount of corrective repairs.

Steve5.9

^ I agree with everything you're saying. And that first body shop I went to for that lowball estimate was pretty shady. Haha!

The manager of the shop called me and told me that they aren't using after market sheet metal parts anymore and they are replacing the hood, fender, and bumper cover with all OEM parts. And when they paint and blend they should fix their f up of the side moldings then. We'll see though... I'm not having any high expectations on this one.

Steve5.9

^^ I guess I don't have to worry about the rock chip anymore! Haha!

I talked to Erie a few days ago and I was basically doing everything without being a dick to say I didn't want to go back to Accurate. But the guy said they need the chance to fix their mistakes. I just had to give up on that fight.

rkan121

after reading this entire threade, im really sorry to hear all of these issues. as much as you wanted to avoid a totaled car it would have been a mucher better route. after reading this thread it truely makes me wanna slow down and drive as defensive as possible. im glad you fought as hard as you did and kudos to the aziners that chimed in. i totaled my 02 TL-S last year (my fault) and know how you feel. i was devestated at first but got over it ( enter TSX ). ill be coming back soon though ( TL ). good luck with everything!!!

vuuha05

iTrader: (5)

basing it off the initial pictures of the accident, i'm just glad no one got hurt. that's actually pretty interesting though how the state of Tennessee would have paid for you car if it were classified as "totaled"

DuoDSG

Dear God, this story is flat-out ridiculous with the kind of flaming hoops you're having to jump through just to get your car taken care of. It's almost as ridiculous as I hate car's ordeal.

Hang in there, and good luck. I just hope that when my TL bites it, it is totaled so I don't have to go through all of this. Without any injuries, of course.

Comptechtl2367

Well i am glad to hear they are switching your parts for you. I understand where the shop is coming from, we enforce the use of aftermarket and used parts, if they dont fit we will pay for OEM, what whats makes this shop shady is they tried to pass it off to you! They should have realized it looked like crap and fixed it on their own, its not like they would be out the money insurance would pay it. Its a quality issue with the shop and believe me Erie will be reviewing their Direct Repair status most likely.
Keep us posted on how it looks the... um... 3-5th time around! :-)

Majofo

I see some of the misaligned gaps, the other stuff is too hard to discern in your pictures, other than that tiny rock chip..

If you looked at my TL, you'd count your blessings. Definitely hope it all gets worked out. It's difficult to find a reputable shop these days.

MR1

Who chose the repair shop in the first place?

Steve5.9

Yeah I am so lucky to have people out there helping me out. I'm very young (23) and this is my first wreck, and living away from my parents for a couple of years now makes it really difficult to deal with all this bs on my own. So thanks a lot to everyone out there helping me out!
I know. I thought that was kinda strange. Makes me think that the insurance companies would be quick to write something off as a total loss so they wouldn't have to pay for it. Hmm...
Thanks. Yeah it's freakin absurd. This wouldn't be so bad if they didn't have my car the first time for so damn long. 60+ days!
I understand that too, and you're right! I just can't believe they tried to pass it off and give it to me the way it was. I mean it is really bad, and if you're trying to uphold a reputation, don't do crap work! I'll keep yall updated!
The insurance company . I called them and told them that they are the ones that recommended me to Accurate and that they need to take this company off of their list because of all the bs that has happened.
Yeah the dirt in the clear coat of the hood, the 2 inch long hair in clear coat of the bumper cover, the dremel work they had to do on the bumper cover by the pass. side headlight to make it fit, and the dents in the front of the hood are very hard to see in the photos. My bad on the camera quality. I tried! But trust me... it's brutal. The only thing you can actually see is the gap on the left side of the hood, the awful headlight flushness, and the minuscule rock chip.


I should get an update either sometime this afternoon or friday. I'll let you guys know. And seriously, everybody, I can't thank you enough for helping me out and for the encouragement.

Comptechtl2367

Most insurance companies will tell you the shops they have on their program and explain how you will get a lifetime warrenty and bla bla bla. but as long as they say the word "choice" they are in the clear. They may push you to one shop or another but its your CHOICE where you take it even if you dont feel like it. People need to realize and insurance company cant make you take your car anywhere!

Steve5.9

Exactly. I meant they recommended the shop. I was the one that ultimately chose it in the end. It is in a good part of town, they get a lot of business, they have other franchises around middle TN, and they have good reviews online. It is so bizarre that all of this happened to me because you would expect it from a low income, shady body shop. Here's their webpage.

MR1

Sorry, recommended is what I was after. Because they recommended the shop as one of their preferred places that gives some strength to your case.

I know it is difficult but slow down on rushing to pick up the car. The shop just wants it out of there so that they can get paid and move on. If you accept crap work good for them. As you learned, no one knows what you consider acceptable except you for your stuff. As you see, once they get paid your complaints are less important. Being inconvenienced for a while longer up front is better than multiple repeat trips.

If you get other repair places involved in making repairs there will be others to blame for the condition for the insurance company and the original shop. You need to get them to agree up front to repairs before having them done. Stay professional but stay on them to get it correct. Only look at the car when you have time to check everything out. You are the customer and the final decision maker.

In the future, evaluate a business based on your inspection of the location inside and out. Look at the quality of their work and how they take care of the facility. Ask questions and see how they treat you before you agree to do business with them. If possible, get recommendations from friends and check the BBB for complaints. Successful crooks can pay rent in good neighborhoods.

BG74

Sorry to hear about this, Steve. I'm an auto adjuster myself. At least here in CT, if Accurate is one of Erie's "preferred" shops, then Erie is ultimately liable for fixing your car the right way. It's not your fault they chose a ghetto outfit to work with.

At my company, we can authorize the use of non-OEM or used parts, but the workmanship is guaranteed as long as you own your car. I know that the shop does usually deserve a chance to "fix" their mistakes, but the insurance company is the one offering the guarantee in the first place.

If you find that they haven't fixed everything after this next round, you really have to push Erie to get the car out of there and take it somewhere competent. Believe me, Accurate will be off their preferred list immediately.

Comptechtl2367

Its nice to have another insurance adjuster on here to back up what i have been saying! Thanks!
This is how my company works also and we have had a few cases of this happen.
OP: Sent you a PM back, keep us posted on how these corrective reairs work out!

mmade22

This is a sad thread and I know all to well just how you feel. I too had a big issue with my body shop and had to bring the car back to have the paint matched and the right rear seal put in on the rear window, etc, etc. I sold the car a few months later and I just got a messeage from the new owner saying he had a leak in the trunk due to the rear window seal. That didn't surprise me since all the other work they did was garbage. And this was the body shop who works on all the cars from my local Acura dealer. It's sad to see how many horrible shops we have in the US. That's why the car is never the same....because the assholes who work on them can't do the job right the first time. The accident part isn't the problem....its the BS you have to deal with to get the car fixed. I feel your pain man! Good Luck!!

Steve5.9

The manager called me and said that the car will be done tomorrow. All of the parts are painted and back on the car. We'll see how it looks. I really wish I had more experience in paint and body work so I'll know what I'm looking at when I pick it up.

For those of you with this experience:
-What do I look for in a good paint job?

Comptechtl2367

Just look down the side of the car or hood, look for nibs (dirt under the clear will cause a small bump). Its not a huge deal at all, it can be sanded down and buffed out. Also look at the jambs for sharp paint lines, these can often start to peal. Look at where the hood hinges bolt to the body and hood, also the bolts that hold the fenders on to make sure the shop didnt round out the holes to make the part fit. Look for a texture in the clear, mostly on vertical panels, this is called orange peal and looks like crap! That too can be sanded and buffed flatter. Lastly make sure there are no tape lines around your door handle and moldings, they will peal if all they did was tape them off.
You covered all the mistakes very well last time, i would say 80% of people think if its shinny its a good paint job. Good Luck hopefully this will be all over for you!

Deep n TX

We're all pulling for you Steve. Hopefully when you get it back today all the paint and lines will be smoother than a babys' ass. Good luck!

SmileyOr

Good sams can cost lives. It's nice if YOU have time and want to wait for an oncoming car to turn in front of YOU. But what about all the other traffic on the road out of YOUR control?

I try to be a good sam when it doesn't interfere with the flow of other traffic. I feel personally responsible (even though I am not) if someone else could bypass my caution.

Glad there were no serious injuries

Steve5.9

Cliffnote version: I'm so frustrated....

Went to the shop, there was random specks of blue and red and black paint on the fender, hood, and bumper cover. They said to "keep in mind that the paint is a metallic, so it will have blue in it...". They said they would have to reschedule for me to come back to they could buff it. And today was the last day for my rental. I said no, I'm keeping the car, fix this now and call me when its done... And conveniently the manager isn't in today so I'm back to talking to Jim.

Steve5.9

^ and the drops of black, blue, and red are in random spots.. Not all over, making it look like drops from a dirty paint gun.

Jim just called me and said to keep the car til they call me. Must not be good.


They must have not clayed and cleaned the door panels after removing the moldings to blend and clear, because there is a strip of darker silver on the car, under the clear coat, where the moldings were. They said I must have damaged it when I removed them. Total bs