HELP: Been In Accident & More Revealed!

[Mr Jones]

How do you know it didn't happen in that collision?

Because the damage from accident is all on the left side of the car.

The further 3 images is a dent in the centre rear of the vehicle, with obvious impact right in the middle, dinting it in. The grey plastic is the boot casing / boot door.

The bumper is completely undamaged, with the damage located under it. Would have been some side impact to cause it to crumple like that whilst everywhere else in centre-line of the car unaffected.

 

[lemonade]

Could have formed from stress load in the collision, these cars aren't exactly made of thick metal sheets. I think the problem is how your going to prove that it was like that when you bought it as the Toyota or dealer can throw things back at you and say its something under your ownership.

 

[lemonade]

Also the garage repairing the car could have done this, I wouldn't trust their words just because someone you know has used them, I did that and got mugged, the garage could have quite easily damaged it themselves and now covering their backsides.

 

[Mr Jones]

Could have formed from stress load in the collision, these cars aren't exactly made of thick metal sheets. I think the problem is how your going to prove that it was like that when you bought it as the Toyota or dealer can throw things back at you and say its something under your ownership.

I know where you're coming from, and this is also in my list of concerns.

Especially now the workshop had to open up the bodyworks to do the repairs on the left side, thus discovering this damage. The vehicle is ultimately owned by Toyota Finance, so maybe they have more ability to push for something.

Whilst we are on the case of damaged vehicle, since this incident, my car will be logged as damaged, repaired and fixed. This will ultimately devalue my car - is there anything I can do to claim for the potential loss? - I am highly likely to keep this car when finance ends though.

 

[IAmATeaf]

Have you rung up the dealership to find out? Just ring them up and ask, tell them what the bodyshop is saying, they'll no doubt ask for the pictures so send them to them and then keep on chasing.

I'd have rung the dealership up first thing rather than wait for replies on a forum?

 

[Jokester]

You would be very surprised the amount of cars the come of the transporters damaged. Not just lower end cars.

I know somebody that discovered their car was resprayed after transporter damage and ultimately got a full refund when the dealer failed to fully correct paint defects after 3 attempts.

 

[kindai]

Have you rung up the dealership to find out? Just ring them up and ask, tell them what the bodyshop is saying, they'll no doubt ask for the pictures so send them to them and then keep on chasing.

I'd have rung the dealership up first thing rather than wait for replies on a forum?

This, dont even tell them of the accident, say the garage was doing some work and found.... let them shoot themselves in the foot.

 

[snapdragon69]

The Aygo is made in a Czech Citroen factory isn't it?
I can't imagine the same standards as say Toyota in Derby.
Nevertheless, it looks like a really cheapo repair so would suspect it happened at the dealership or during a service. Was it ever in for service/warranty work that took long enough to do a quick repair?

 

[Jono8]

Buying new the car should be supplied as new without damage, the customer should not need to ask if a brand new car has damage.

You shouldnt have to but it is good practice to as they do not have to tell you. You were just lucky you bought yours from a decent place.

 

[Dogbreath]

Could have formed from stress load in the collision, these cars aren't exactly made of thick metal sheets. I think the problem is how your going to prove that it was like that when you bought it as the Toyota or dealer can throw things back at you and say its something under your ownership.

It's blatantly obvious that the car has been reversed (or rolled) into something quite 'pointy', e.g. a metal post or corner of a building etc. There is no way a side impact that only goes as far as the rear door would have buckled the rear end of the boot floor right in the middle like that, it simply wouldn't happen. If it came to it the OP could undoubtedly get an engineers report that backs this up.

The problem is going to be proving that the damage was present when the car was bought, rather than during the OPs ownership. OP, have you ever leant the car to anyone out of interest...?

 

[Marvin]

Whilst we are on the case of damaged vehicle, since this incident, my car will be logged as damaged, repaired and fixed. This will ultimately devalue my car - is there anything I can do to claim for the potential loss? - I am highly likely to keep this car when finance ends though.

Don't worry, this is not the case, only if the vehicle is written off is there a permanent record. As this appears unlikely in this case, you'll be fine.

 

[Slam62]

Sounds like an employee did it, managed to not damage the bumper so kept quiet about it,. I would still ask all parties directly if the damage was done while in their care, not sure an employee would knowingly lie at this stage. But there may be no record.

 

[xs2man]

Whilst we are on the case of damaged vehicle, since this incident, my car will be logged as damaged, repaired and fixed. This will ultimately devalue my car - is there anything I can do to claim for the potential loss? - I am highly likely to keep this car when finance ends though.

No it wont. It wont really be logged. Not on the VCAR register anyway, which would devalue your car. It only goes there if it's deemed a total loss, and your insurance pays out the full value of the car, not for the repair.

No potential loss = no claim for it.

 

[Mr Jones]

Have you rung up the dealership to find out? Just ring them up and ask, tell them what the bodyshop is saying, they'll no doubt ask for the pictures so send them to them and then keep on chasing.

I'd have rung the dealership up first thing rather than wait for replies on a forum?

I can ring them up blind or wait for some little info others have experienced, I chose to wait because the car is not at hand. Will be phoning them today when I get a break.

This, dont even tell them of the accident, say the garage was doing some work and found.... let them shoot themselves in the foot.

Good idea.

Don't worry, this is not the case, only if the vehicle is written off is there a permanent record. As this appears unlikely in this case, you'll be fine.

No it wont. It wont really be logged. Not on the VCAR register anyway, which would devalue your car. It only goes there if it's deemed a total loss, and your insurance pays out the full value of the car, not for the repair.

No potential loss = no claim for it.

Thanks for that, as long as I don't lose out, I am fine

 

[Semple]

Sounds like an employee did it, managed to not damage the bumper so kept quiet about it,. I would still ask all parties directly if the damage was done while in their care, not sure an employee would knowingly lie at this stage. But there may be no record.

I'd be amazed if you could cause that much internal damage without so much as a scratch on the rear bumper!

I suspect someone at the dealership accidentally reversed it into something, then had the rear bumper replaced so everything looked as good as new.

 

[DRZ]

I don't know about Toyota, but when I worked in a VW dealership for a while the number of cars that arrived damaged from transport was pretty staggering - loads of broken lights, dented panels, scratches etc. It would all get logged and repaired as part of the PDI process. One time, a customer's brand new Golf was delivered upright on its tailgate (it fell off the transporter somehow). Written off before it had ever been used on the roads!

In any case, there will be a paperwork trail buried somewhere to track the cost of the part and the labour to get it done, the work instruction to the bodyshop etc etc. If it happened pre-delivery there will be some proof of it buried somewhere.

 

[IAmATeaf]

I think the worrying thing is is that if that damage had been caused whilst with Toyota then I'd like to think they would have repaired it properly not simply hide the damage. So I think the damage may well have been caused elsewhere and a back street repair job done to hide the damage.

Back in 2004 I went to look at a Jag X-Type at a Jaguar dealership in Slough. The car belonged to a long Jaguar customer who regularly traded cars in and purchased another so when he traded his X-Type in nobody at the dealership even gave the car a second look and put it straight up for sale. I went to look at it and something didn't look right as the front of the car was a differing silver to the rear. Opening the bonnet there was overspray all over the place, both front wings were loose and wires with overspray either had broken clips or hadn't been clipped. The car was a right royal mess and when I showed this to the Sales Manager the look on his face was total shock and he immediately removed the car from sale. The Sales Manager was adamant that the car hadn't been repaired by Jaguar, couldn't have been done as part on an insurance job as the work was terrible so must have been done by some back street bodyshop. I never did get full confirmation but I later heard that somebody in the family had pranged the car, panicked and got it repaired on the cheap so that the owner would never know.

 

[SS-89]

I think the worrying thing is is that if that damage had been caused whilst with Toyota then I'd like to think they would have repaired it properly not simply hide the damage. So I think the damage may well have been caused elsewhere and a back street repair job done to hide the damage.

Back in 2004 I went to look at a Jag X-Type at a Jaguar dealership in Slough. The car belonged to a long Jaguar customer who regularly traded cars in and purchased another so when he traded his X-Type in nobody at the dealership even gave the car a second look and put it straight up for sale. I went to look at it and something didn't look right as the front of the car was a differing silver to the rear. Opening the bonnet there was overspray all over the place, both front wings were loose and wires with overspray either had broken clips or hadn't been clipped. The car was a right royal mess and when I showed this to the Sales Manager the look on his face was total shock and he immediately removed the car from sale. The Sales Manager was adamant that the car hadn't been repaired by Jaguar, couldn't have been done as part on an insurance job as the work was terrible so must have been done by some back street bodyshop. I never did get full confirmation but I later heard that somebody in the family had pranged the car, panicked and got it repaired on the cheap so that the owner would never know.

So it's either Toyota or a guilty family member...get on the case OP.

 

[lemonade]

It's blatantly obvious that the car has been reversed (or rolled) into something quite 'pointy', e.g. a metal post or corner of a building etc. There is no way a side impact that only goes as far as the rear door would have buckled the rear end of the boot floor right in the middle like that, it simply wouldn't happen. If it came to it the OP could undoubtedly get an engineers report that backs this up.

The problem is going to be proving that the damage was present when the car was bought, rather than during the OPs ownership. OP, have you ever leant the car to anyone out of interest...?

I know, just putting some thoughts out there. I don't think this would have come out of the factory like this at all, it simply would not pass inspection stage, and I would also like to think that the dealer wouldn't let it past if they damaged it, but then again there are some really shoddy franchises out there so its completely plausible. could have quite easily happened at the repair garage, i've seen how some just place trolley jack anywhere and lift the car up, they could have done that or lifted it up whilst inspecting forgot and reverse with it on and did that damage etc.

 

[Fr0dders]

out of all the scenarios floated so far damaged in transit seems the most likely. It could either have been damaged entering the country after leaving the factory (google says they are made in the Czech Republic) or its been damaged between entering the country and making its way to the dealer.

I suspect if it had been damaged entering the country it would not simply have had a new bumper stuck on to hide the damage. This would more likely have occurred at the dealer after being damaged on the transporter by the transport company for me.

Transport company gets billed full amount, dealer repairs car on the cheap. Job done. This seems the most likely case to me, let us know what the dealer says.