Got my BRZ back from the shop
 

I was in an accident in the beginning of October (thread here) and I just got my car back from the shop. I'm not entirely happy with the results. Though, I don't know if I'm just being picky or if my concerns are legitimate.

My main concern is that when I'm going faster than about 60mph, the hood on the drivers side (where the damage was) comes up maybe a quarter to a half inch. It's a little difficult to explain, but it's because the hood isn't quite flush with the quarter panel and it lets air get under the hood and lift it up.

Also, the gaps running the length of the car on either side of the hood (between the hood and the quarter panel) are wider than they used to be.

And today I just noticed that when I have the hood popped, the front is definitely not symmetrical.

Also, where the front bumper meets the quarter panel (just to the right of the headlight) things don't line up quite right.

I've attached a couple pics to show you what I'm talking about. It seems like the whole right side is just lower than it should be and it's causing all of these problems.

I've already taken the car back once and pointed out most this stuff out. I hate to be that person, but I'm debating taking it back again. What do you guys think? Am I being picky or are these things I should just live with? The car only has 13k miles on it. Any input is appreciated.

It almost looks like the body shop used your old hood (if that's even possible to fix). I would take it back and complain. There is no reason your car should be less than perfect!

You hate to be what person, the one who has a legit complaint? Don't be. That is not right at all. They need to get that squared away or they need to cover the cost for another shop to do what they should have. Your lawyer can explain that to them.

Brutal take it back.

Ditto - all of the above. Inexcusable, shoddy workmanship. They should pay YOU for YOUR time. Assholes.

I just got mine back from the shop as well. Last month my 18 yr old hit it while parked in my driveway with my F-250. Guess which vehicle won that encounter? He did $5k worth of damage. Not a scratch on the F-250, They did a complete left rear quarter panel replacement and a full door as Subaru doesn't sell skins. She is the pearl white which can be a bear to match. The Subaru dealer did a perfect job. Every seam and joint is perfect, even my detailer was impressed. Looking at those picks, take it back and bitch like hell! Personally I would not have accepted it with that workmanship.

Go raise hell! A new hood is mandatory.

What they said. Unacceptable.

Holy fuck that is... how the hell did they even... just... no.

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Take it back...


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I wouldn't of have taken it home. thats just unacceptable work. :mad0260:

One of my biggest pet peeves, gaps and panel alignment issues.

Those gaps looks brutal. If your car had any sort of frame damage that could've tweaked the frame, then yes, some panels will be impossible to line up correctly. If it was a small accident, fender bender type, I don't see an excuse for all the misalignments.

Make them replace the hood.
Prep.
Paint.
Blend.
Colorsand&Buff.

They took shortcuts and should've replaced the hood that they clearly did not replace.

Your front bumper might be sagging because they used the old one also since it's all push in tabs and clips that hold the bumper in other than 4 bolts.

Got my BRZ back from the shop
 

Also, if you went thru insurance.. Then maybe your shop didn't have a lot of money to work with.

You might need to talk to the insurance company that paid out.

You are entitled to have your car fixed and returned to you in the condition it was in prior to the accident.

It might have been a 'preferred' body shop. I swear those shops will find the cheapest way to do things..

Did you notice it when you picked it up? I had a body shop do some low grade work on my old other car. I went to get the car and told them to take it right back into the shop because it was not finished. We pay for services and the price we pay is for particular result. Unless you paid less for that result, take it back.

Yeah, I probably never should have accepted it in the first place. To those wondering about the hood and bumper. Both were entirely replaced. They didn't use any old parts. At least that's what I was told. My insurance ended up paying about $6500 for all of the work.

They also said that I didn't have any frame damage. I kind of wonder though, because the whole right side looks like it's sort of drooping a little.

I've heard of some instances where the body shop bills insurance for new oem parts, but just uses junk yard parts and then pockets the difference.


Id take it bad and complain, and complain to your insurance company. Stand your ground and tell them you want it fixed... properly!

I work at a body shop and I would take it back. First of all the car shouldn't come back brand new obviously but it shouldn't look or do that. They would also not take the "cheapest way out" because they want more money so they should have replaced it with a new hood and bumper. I know our shop doesn't scam people because we wouldn't benefit anything by doing that. They also might have had a bad tech work on it. I would ask if the head technician could adjust it.

Contact your insurance company on Monday and let them know you're not happy with the work performed. Let them handle it, that's what you pay them for. Have you checked the adjustment of the 2 hood rubber bumpers at either side of the core support? Maybe they're screwed up too far? In the red circle in picture:

Attachment 96926

I had a similiar issue with a "preferred" shop after hitting a deer back in January and having my hood, bumper, RF fender replaced, LF fender repaired, and both doors blended. When I got the car back, I could tell right away that my hood didn't line up with my fenders at all, my bumper gap was twice as bad as the OP, there were chips in the paint, string or hair in the hood paint, and paint missing where they masked where they shouldnt have. I left it with them to fix, and they fixed the paint issues the first time, but didnt look like they fixed the alignment issues at all. Left it with them again, and when I went there to pick it up, they had not gotten the hood any better. The manager tried to tell me that it was as good as they were going to be able to get it. I knew this was bs, so I talked to my insurance, and they let me take it somewhere else (not "preferred") to finish the repair no questions asked.

I will go against the grain and praise "preferred shops".

They may not get it perfect the first time, but because they work directly with the insurance they have to fix any issues. I was given back my BRZ with sanding lines all over the repaired panels. They repainted the whole thing and it was 99% when I got it back.

If you pick your own shop you are left to fight them if something isn't done right. That's great if you know a good shop but I have yet to find one in my 10 years of driving.

Same thing happened to me with my old Miata. Went with the insurance company's preferred shop, and they were garbage. Overspray, shoddy work and just general laziness. I took it back three times and they still never got it right - I ended up correcting the rest of it on my own.

I went with a shop on the preferred list. I also used to autocross with the son of the owner. :) They took good care if me. Took some time, but they wanted to return it to me in like-new condition, and they did.

To the OP: Take it back. Yours should be in like-new condition too.

I took it back to the shop on Tuesday. The owner said he thought it was an issue with the hood and that it might be defective. He said he was going to call Subaru and see what the options are. Still waiting to hear back from him.

I made a video that shows what he thought the issue was. The hood is very wobbly and moves about quite a bit. Even when you prop it up, the other side just droops.

He said he went with an aluminum hood to keep it as close to factory as possible. He said we may be able to get a steel hood though.

Are ya'lls hoods this wobbly/flexible?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6ng...ature=youtu.be

I've taken a car back to a body shop for a misalignment that was closer than that. They took care of it, no questions asked.

The body shop was on my insurance's preferred shop list, but I also did my research and saw good reviews. Was really happy with their work.

I can't view the video (at work), but my hood does flutter a bit at highway speeds.

EPIC WIN.
take that poor excuse of a repair job back and demand the perfection you deserve!

I had a similar experience with a preferred shop. Terrible paint work, didn't put in body panel/fender well clips. I had to take it back to shop three times. Rear bumper was painted twice times, and completely replaced twice. Fight with insurance have them send out their adjuster to confirm the shops' shoddy work. They will usually give you a check or let you take it to another shop. Don't forget to file for diminished value. Insurance will usually cut you a pretty good check for depreciated value.

You cant claim diminished value on a deer.

What does the structure look like on the underside of the hood (what the insulation is covering)? I doubt that's an OEM hood - mines nowhere near the wobbly. Then again, maybe the hinges are installed incorrectly / not torqued properly.

And if they're offering you a steel hood, they're definitely not using OEM / Subaru parts. The original hood is aluminum, and they are supposed to replace with factory new parts.

Do not go with a steel hood (if it's even available). Way too heavy and that weight will make a difference in handling. Obviously this guy does not know much about this car, or even Subarus in general to even make a suggestion like that.

That's not true, it depends on the amount of damage and the state. It doesn't hurt to ask.

Tell him to use oem parts and not cheap non-oem parts there lies your issue. That thing looks like its garbage are hoods are not that flimsy sounds like they used cheap parts and just pocketed the rest of the insurance money.

You're right. I shouldn't have said you can't do it, but Georgia is the only state that requires diminished value to be paid on first party claims. Other states are only required for 3rd party claims. While you could still file a claim against your own insurance for diminished value in certain states, they can possibly raise your rates, and it is not likely worth the hassle in most cases in my opinion. I researched it when I hit a deer with my brand new brz of 3 months, and determined it was not going to be worth the trouble for me. Especially because i'm the kind of person that will keep a car forever and not try to trade it in after a few years, so the loss of value won't really affect me. From what i've read, You may be able to successfully claim it if you try to sell the car right after the accident, but find that you can't sell it for what it should be worth due to the accident.

I tend to keep cars until they run into the ground also. For me it was more about receiving money that i was entitled to. I think the average consumer is unaware that diminished value even exists. It appears to be a mythical unicorn for most. To be honest the process for filing it was not that difficult (in WA state). Regardless of whether or not i sell my car in the future(despite all the stupid warranty issues I've had) any accidents repaired under insurance will still be on its record and will probably be used against its value.