Car Insurance/Garage - Negligent?

HSlade

Hi all, have been searching the Internet but can't find many cases of this nature. What would you do in my case or what would you expect to happen? Is it as serious as I'm making out? Here goes..

I was in an accident on the motorway on 20 Nov. 2014 (car cut in front of car in front of me and I went into the back of car in front even with sudden breaking) this was around 6pm. Front of my car was completely damaged but managed to drive it home and reported the accident to the 24 hour claim helpline on my insurance documents. My husband explained what had happened, what the damage appeared to be and also that the car engine management lights were on and car wouldn't drive over 30mph and was 'limping' when accelerating. Claim all logged and advised someone from insurance would be in touch the next day. Spoke with my insurers, Chaucer, on Friday 21 Nov. who accepted liability on my behalf and arranged for car to be collected on a flat bed and courtesy car dropped off to me.

Fast forward 4 weeks and I collect my car on Thursday 18 December (after being contacted twice beforehand to say it was ready to pick up then called back to say it wasn't ready). Drove car home ok and didn't drive car at all on Friday 19 Dec.

Drove car on Saturday 20 Dec and noticed a rattling noise coming from under bonnet and light flashing on dash. Drove car home and called insurance Monday 23 Dec to report engine problems and unsatisfactory repair work, my husband is a painter and was unhappy with standard of repair (I couldn't tell the difference to be honest!) and they advised they would have to send an assessor out to examine the repair work along with someone from the garage to be answerable. Told this would be within 48 hours but of course with it being xmas it ran into the following week. Managed to speak with the assessor again the following week who arranged for someone to come out on Friday 10 Jan (mutual agreement due to being back at work etc) car still running ok but noise coming from engine and intermittent glow plug light flashing on dash.

Try to start car Sun 04 Jan and car wouldn't start. Called breakdown cover who managed to jump start. Called insurance again Monday 06 Jan asked them to come out quicker to look at car and they advised Thursday 09 Jan was earliest someone from garage could be in attendance.

Thurs 09 Jan my husband meets with the assessor and person from garage and all agree that paintwork and bonnet alignment not to standard and remedial work to be carried out. With regards to 'engine problems' they advised it would need to go to audi to run a diagnostic and determine if it was crash related, if not we would be liable for cost of audi diagnostic. I was unhappy with this so called insurance and obtained copy of garage report on assessed damage and repair work, report doesn't mention engine being assessed at all but some work had been carried out - radiator replacement, air con repair - few bits and pieces that mean nothing to me but are 'under the bonnet' if you like.

Husband took car over to his friends garage on Friday 10 Jan and asked him to have a look at engine before it goes into audi and potentially costs a small fortune which we *may* be liable for.

Now this is where it gets interesting/scary!

Friends garage carries out health check which was filmed by my husband and official advice note provided which uncovers a whole host of problems with the rebuild of the car - wires all loose and out of place, pieces of radiator lying loose, main electrical wire rubbing off loose fan close to cutting through - car deemed 'not safe to drive'.

Called the insurance immediately who asked me to email advice note over, I did with video also. Insurer called back and stated they were 'perturbed' at email and would be booking it into audi asap at their cost for full review of repair work, also informed I would be provided with a courtesy car by garage.

Garage calls, still Friday afternoon, saying car has been booked into Audi Monday 12 Jan AM and they would be collecting my car that evening (Friday) and dropping courtesy car off. I informed them that I didn't not want my car in their possession over the weekend and they could collect it Monday morning (on flat bed) and take direct to audi.

Monday 12 Jan - driver with flat bed arrived to pick up car and informs my husband it is going to the garage first of all then onto Audi!! My husband told him it certainly wasn't and that he would be following the driver to Audi with the car. Husband then called insurance to keep them informed who then called garage to query why it was going there who then called driver to say 'you have dobbed me in it!' Driver says to garage don't get me involved in your mess and takes car direct to Audi with husband.

Husband speaks with service manager at audi who lifts bonnet and states he is 'flabbergasted' at state we have been given car back in and puts sticker on car 'do not start engine'.

Audi completes their report and emails summary to insurance and husband today, Tuesday 13 Jan, confirming all problems with car including loose wires, electrical wire caught in fan, missing bonnet screws, air bag sensors not connected etc etc!!

Received an email back from insurer to say they would call once they have decided what action to take.

That's where I'm at today. I have a feeling the insurance will try and play it down but I actually think it's quite serious that the wire caught in the fan could have cut or blown at any time which would have resulted in loss of lights, wipers, power steering, brakes and had this happen and I crashed, no working air bags!!

What do I do about this? I obviously want my car fixed but not by the garage who caused these problems. I do not trust them one bit.

Sorry for lengthy post, wanted to give as much info as poss.

DUTR

HSlade wrote: »

Hi all, have been searching the Internet but can't find many cases of this nature. What would you do in my case or what would you expect to happen? Is it as serious as I'm making out? Here goes..

I was in an accident on the motorway on 20 Nov. 2014 (car cut in front of car in front of me and I went into the back of car in front even with sudden breaking) this was around 6pm. Front of my car was completely damaged but managed to drive it home and reported the accident to the 24 hour claim helpline on my insurance documents. My husband explained what had happened, what the damage appeared to be and also that the car engine management lights were on and car wouldn't drive over 30mph and was 'limping' when accelerating. Claim all logged and advised someone from insurance would be in touch the next day. Spoke with my insurers, Chaucer, on Friday 21 Nov. who accepted liability on my behalf and arranged for car to be collected on a flat bed and courtesy car dropped off to me.

Fast forward 4 weeks and I collect my car on Thursday 18 December (after being contacted twice beforehand to say it was ready to pick up then called back to say it wasn't ready). Drove car home ok and didn't drive car at all on Friday 19 Dec.

Drove car on Saturday 20 Dec and noticed a rattling noise coming from under bonnet and light flashing on dash. Drove car home and called insurance Monday 23 Dec to report engine problems and unsatisfactory repair work, my husband is a painter and was unhappy with standard of repair (I couldn't tell the difference to be honest!) and they advised they would have to send an assessor out to examine the repair work along with someone from the garage to be answerable. Told this would be within 48 hours but of course with it being xmas it ran into the following week. Managed to speak with the assessor again the following week who arranged for someone to come out on Friday 10 Jan (mutual agreement due to being back at work etc) car still running ok but noise coming from engine and intermittent glow plug light flashing on dash.

Try to start car Sun 04 Jan and car wouldn't start. Called breakdown cover who managed to jump start. Called insurance again Monday 06 Jan asked them to come out quicker to look at car and they advised Thursday 09 Jan was earliest someone from garage could be in attendance.

Thurs 09 Jan my husband meets with the assessor and person from garage and all agree that paintwork and bonnet alignment not to standard and remedial work to be carried out. With regards to 'engine problems' they advised it would need to go to audi to run a diagnostic and determine if it was crash related, if not we would be liable for cost of audi diagnostic. I was unhappy with this so called insurance and obtained copy of garage report on assessed damage and repair work, report doesn't mention engine being assessed at all but some work had been carried out - radiator replacement, air con repair - few bits and pieces that mean nothing to me but are 'under the bonnet' if you like.

Husband took car over to his friends garage on Friday 10 Jan and asked him to have a look at engine before it goes into audi and potentially costs a small fortune which we *may* be liable for.

Now this is where it gets interesting/scary!

Friends garage carries out health check which was filmed by my husband and official advice note provided which uncovers a whole host of problems with the rebuild of the car - wires all loose and out of place, pieces of radiator lying loose, main electrical wire rubbing off loose fan close to cutting through - car deemed 'not safe to drive'.

Called the insurance immediately who asked me to email advice note over, I did with video also. Insurer called back and stated they were 'perturbed' at email and would be booking it into audi asap at their cost for full review of repair work, also informed I would be provided with a courtesy car by garage.

Garage calls, still Friday afternoon, saying car has been booked into Audi Monday 12 Jan AM and they would be collecting my car that evening (Friday) and dropping courtesy car off. I informed them that I didn't not want my car in their possession over the weekend and they could collect it Monday morning (on flat bed) and take direct to audi.

Monday 12 Jan - driver with flat bed arrived to pick up car and informs my husband it is going to the garage first of all then onto Audi!! My husband told him it certainly wasn't and that he would be following the driver to Audi with the car. Husband then called insurance to keep them informed who then called garage to query why it was going there who then called driver to say 'you have dobbed me in it!' Driver says to garage don't get me involved in your mess and takes car direct to Audi with husband.

Husband speaks with service manager at audi who lifts bonnet and states he is 'flabbergasted' at state we have been given car back in and puts sticker on car 'do not start engine'.

Audi completes their report and emails summary to insurance and husband today, Tuesday 13 Jan, confirming all problems with car including loose wires, electrical wire caught in fan, missing bonnet screws, air bag sensors not connected etc etc!!

Received an email back from insurer to say they would call once they have decided what action to take.

That's where I'm at today.

snip

I have a feeling the insurance will try and play it down but I actually think it's quite serious that the wire caught in the fan could have cut or blown at any time which would have resulted in loss of lights, wipers, power steering, brakes and had this happen and I crashed, no working air bags!!

What do I do about this? I obviously want my car fixed but not by the garage who caused these problems. I do not trust them one bit.

Sorry for lengthy post, wanted to give as much info as poss.

1) sounds like a typical crash for cash set up with you the victim.
2) I think there is a bit of sensationalism in the bit about the wire, let the insurers bring the car back to standard.

HSlade

Sorry should have said - the part about the wire and either cutting all electrics or going on fire - came from the service manager at Audi! Not me. I don't know what the wire does, nor indeed what could have been the potential impact of it being cut.

Happy to let the insurers fix it, obviously. But not through the same garage and surely this has been a highly incompetent service to receive my car back in that condition.

dacouch

HSlade wrote: »

Sorry should have said - the part about the wire and either cutting all electrics or going on fire - came from the service manager at Audi! Not me. I don't know what the wire does, nor indeed what could have been the potential impact of it being cut.

Happy to let the insurers fix it, obviously. But not through the same garage and surely this has been a highly incompetent service to receive my car back in that condition.

Cars have fuses covering different parts of the car, if a fuse blows on say your left front head light it would not normally affect your right front head light as they're intentionally on different fuses.

It's unlikely that the wire in the fan would cause total electrical failure

rs65

HSlade wrote: »

I actually think it's quite serious that the wire caught in the fan could have cut or blown at any time which would have resulted in loss of lights, wipers, power steering, brakes and had this happen and I crashed, no working air bags!!

No point in worrying about what might have happened. It didn't happen in the last 3 weeks.

Let the insurers fix it but make it clear you don't want the same garage to do it. The insurers might have to let the first garage try to fix it - if so insist on an Audi inspection before returned to you.

HSlade

dacouch wrote: »

Cars have fuses covering different parts of the car, if a fuse blows on say your left front head light it would not normally affect your right front head light as they're intentionally on different fuses.

It's unlikely that the wire in the fan would cause total electrical failure

It wasn't a fuse though - it was a big thick wire which we were informed was the main wire running all the electrics in the car.

Anyway, that's just one of the problems listed in a three page report by Audi on the repair work the garage undertook. All along the lines of 'missing', 'unsecure', 'loose', 'damaged'. Every item they have commented on is also listed on the garage's report for what they repaired/replaced.

Four weeks they had my car (even though it was estimated at 5 days on their report) and that's the condition I receive it back in, on top of the unsatisfactory cosmetic repair.

arcon5

I'd be more worried about the fact the cars not running properly.

Okay, loose wiring etc is potentially dangerous since we don't know what the wires are for and it most certainly could or could not affect the running of the car. But wires and hoses not being secured properly aren't going to cause too many problems until a moving part catches them.

Leaving you with your original problem, why warning lamps are coming on? Where the noise is coming from? Why the car wouldn't start?

HSlade

arcon5 wrote: »

I'd be more worried about the fact the cars not running properly.

Okay, loose wiring etc is potentially dangerous since we don't know what the wires are for and it most certainly could or could not affect the running of the car. But wires and hoses not being secured properly aren't going to cause too many problems until a moving part catches them.

Leaving you with your original problem, why warning lamps are coming on? Where the noise is coming from? Why the car wouldn't start?

Yeah that's the thing though, they were caught in a moving part - the fan. Haven't seen the full 3 page report from audi only a summary email but te service manager confirmed to my husband the warning lights was a result of the car not being put back together properly inside rather than an actual fault with the engine, which is good I suppose. Spoke with insurers today who have authorised audi (of their own accord) to carry out the £1900 repairs, thankfully I didn't have to fight with them not to send it back to the original garage who caused this.

molerat

No doubt the insurers will be deducting the cost of the Audi repair from the original garage's invoice and probably not a lot they can do about it because if most of their work comes from insurance repairs losing that contract would probably be the end for them.

Strider590

HSlade wrote: »

Husband speaks with service manager at audi who lifts bonnet and states he is 'flabbergasted' at state we have been given car back in and puts sticker on car 'do not start engine'.

Audi completes their report and emails summary to insurance and husband today, Tuesday 13 Jan, confirming all problems with car including loose wires, electrical wire caught in fan, missing bonnet screws, air bag sensors not connected etc etc!!

Received an email back from insurer to say they would call once they have decided what action to take.

That's where I'm at today. I have a feeling the insurance will try and play it down but I actually think it's quite serious that the wire caught in the fan could have cut or blown at any time which would have resulted in loss of lights, wipers, power steering, brakes and had this happen and I crashed, no working air bags!!

What do I do about this? I obviously want my car fixed but not by the garage who caused these problems. I do not trust them one bit.

Sorry for lengthy post, wanted to give as much info as poss.

I'm not doubting the state of the car, but anything your told by a man in a suit at the car dealership, needs to be taken with a large pinch of salt. He's probably never lifted a spanner in his life.

If you overstate the severity of the problem, the garage could come back and claim that your lying (and they will probably try it), they only need find one point that's been over exaggerated and it'll prove their side of events.
For example, a single wire getting caught it the fan is not going to cause a multitude of faults. Multiple wires getting caught would stop the fan and blow it's fuse.

Paradigm

Strider590 wrote: »

If you overstate the severity of the problem, the garage could come back and claim that your lying (and they will probably try it), they only need find one point that's been over exaggerated and it'll prove their side of events.
For example, a single wire getting caught it the fan is not going to cause a multitude of faults. Multiple wires getting caught would stop the fan and blow it's fuse.

It doesn't matter what the OP says, the Insurance company are in control.