Need Help Vauxhall Damage

Abz2008 · 5 Aug 2020 at 04:56

Hi,

I bought a car, as I had other problems my car was looked at by the garage he noted that my card had previously been accident repaired potentially.

He stated that the thing under the bonnet (don’t know what it’s called sorry) I have attached the link and marked the bit red. Is misaligned and has been screwed back on randomly. By looking at the picture is this clear and or correct.

Can someone that knows about cars make a comment on this if it is and how you can tell so I can pass it on to the garage.

Thank you

Pic link: https://ibb.co/ZL0s3k2

Will post it again

https://ibb.co/ZL0s3k2

Abz2008 · 5 Aug 2020 at 05:01

Sorry also there is a bigger gap on one side of the bonnet which further shows that it may have been repaired. Is this noticeable I have attached another pic for that, if so can anyone comment on how and why that gap may be there if it was repaired or what can cause that.

thanks guys : https://ibb.co/ssbRMgH

garage is trying to blame me when I reported it to them stressed!

Abz2008 · 5 Aug 2020 at 12:05

That’s the only pictures I have which were for from before when the garage told me I didn’t think nothing off it.

Car was collected and inspected and then I was told I damaged it!
Stressed why didn’t I take pictures or know much about cars!

Abz2008 · 5 Aug 2020 at 12:27

I bought the car from an independent garage who I then gave it back to who claims I did the damage.

Prior to giving it back I went to another garage to change the light bulb ( this is the garage that asked me oh have u had an accident in the past, I was like no, he said it looked like it had been badly repaired) when I asked him why he says that he then told me about that panel I’m talking about the screws not being lined up and random screws holding it together.

Abz2008 · 5 Aug 2020 at 13:44

I bought it in January it had clutch issues in February and the pictures are from then.

I don’t know what inspection was done when I bought the vehicle however I’m waiting on my finance company to ask for this.

Is there anything in particular I should be asking for?

Also is there any way I can request like an engineer and can they tell when the repair was carried out because I would want them to do that without delay. I am not taking liability for something that I didn’t do. The only damage I did was to the alloy and tyre by hitting into a high kurb.

Abz2008 · 6 Aug 2020 at 03:51

Hi,

So just to clarify (sorry the posts are badly written was busy at work and was writing on breaks) I bought the car in January it is a Vauxhall Astra 16 Plate.

I had issues with the clutch, the pictures I have attached above are from the inspection carried out by an independent engineer in February. The engineer agreed that there was issues with the clutch and that they would have been present when I bought the vehicle. Due to this reason I was able to reject it.

Due to the private dealership taking ages to arrange collection and not cooperating and the delays due to covid , it was only collected last week when the finance company decided to use there own collections company to collect it and take it to the private dealership.

Now that it is back at the dealership they are claiming that I have had a front collision (is this an accident) and that it has been badly repaired. Since the inspection in February till the car being collected it has only had a 100 miles added on. This was whilst I was awaiting the engineer report which took around 2 weeks. Once I knew I was in a position to reject it I didn’t drive the car.

Before the car was collected I realised one of the headlights had gone out, due to paying a deposit of £4000 I had gone to replace the bulb.(This is were the second garage comes into the picture). As he was replacing the bulb he was the one who spotted that the panel which I highlighted in the above picture (under the bonnet) looked like it had been repaired and put together not very well). As I don’t know much about cars I didn’t check under the bonnet when I bought the vehicle. Therefore I believe that the damage / repair would have been there before I bought the vehicle.

I am now awaiting on the finance company to investigate and see who is to blame, before I could get back my money if I am. I have not been involved in an accident the only damage I have done to the vehicle is to the alloy which I scraped of the curb.

I just wanted to know by the pictures I attached if anyone agreed with what the garage who replaced the bulb said was true. But as the pictures ain’t clear this ain’t possible.

Abz2008 · 6 Aug 2020 at 04:05

I have just done a HPI check :

VAUXHALL
ASTRA SRI CDTI
Stolen: NO
Written off: NO
Exported: NO
Former Keepers: 1
Reg. Change: NO

Abz2008 · 6 Aug 2020 at 17:38

Yes thats the order of events! Apart from in February it wasn’t taken to a garage an independent engineer sent by my the finance company stated that the clutch had problems which would have been present at the time of the sale.

Also the car was bought at 48110 miles at the time of the inspection in February I had did 993 miles. After the inspection whilst awaiting on the outcome I drove it another 100 miles. After this I didn’t drive it, apart from the time I went to get a headlight as I didn’t want to use the vehicle if I was rejecting it.

Hades said:
OK I think I understand the order of events now:

January - You bought the car. The car was now in your possession and being driven.

February - Problem with clutch. Took it to a garage who confirmed the clutch was faulty. The picture is from that clutch inspection but the mechanic didn't say anything about a collision repair. --- you successfully reject the car but it isn't collected due to COVID and other issues ---

July(?) - You notice a headlight bulb has gone and arrange for a different mechanic to change it. He mentions that there are signs of previous front end damage.

July / August - The original garage (or finance company?) finally collect the car. It has been driven less than 100 miles. The finance company say there is evidence of front end damage and are saying it was caused by you.

Abz2008 · 7 Aug 2020 at 16:40

UPDATE THEY SAID THAT THE CAR WING HAS BEEN DAMGED ON THE FRONT AND PUT BACK TOGETHER NOT CORRECT.

THEY ADMITTED THERE WAS A CLEAR GAP IN THE BONNET WHICH I STATED TO THE FINANCE, AS THEY HAVE ADDMITTED THE GAP WOULDNT THAT BE CAUSED BY FEPIAR JOB ITSELF IN THAT AREA.

Abz2008 · 8 Aug 2020 at 08:36

Gosh so much grammar police here I use an iPhone so it was auto corrected to that, besides I moved here for abroad a year ago! English is a second language and it’s better then some peoples here! I think I’ve come far in 11 months!