Suspicious car fault after third party claim repairs

Earthsharples

Bit of an odd one this.
Two weeks ago I was hit by another car. They drove into the side of my car. He made a claim and admitted liability. I was stationary after all. The car was picked up and taken to one of the third party insurer's trusted garages.
A whole week goes by and I chase up the progress. They says they have assessed the repairs but that they cannot make the repairs because an oil light has come on, there is no oil in the engine and the car won't start.
I tell both the garage and the insurer that the car started fine before the accident and after the accident. Because I had to drive from the scene to my home address. What's more the garage had to start the car to reverse from the drive to the recovery truck.

I had just been to Wiltshire for a few days and covered somewhere around 500 miles in total. So I had topped up the oil and always carry oil in the car.

I find it very very odd that they are now claiming the vehicle won't even start. And what's more, that this is stopping them from carrying out repairs. The insurance company said they could give me the money to arrange for repairs myself, according to their estimates. £1400. I'm not comfortable doing that, lest the repairs cost more.

Has anybody come across anything similar? Does anyone have any advice?

I would rather they write off the vehicle and offer me the market value prior to the crash, because now I just don't trust their garage to make the repairs.

[Deleted User]

Can't really answer your query but can I ask why you have to top up the oil to the extent that you carry oil around with you?

agrinnall

Earthsharples wrote: »

I would rather they write off the vehicle and offer me the market value prior to the crash, because now I just don't trust their garage to make the repairs.

The potential problem you may have with that is that they could say that the car was a non-runner at the time and therefore was worth a lot less than you think it was. Hopefully you can provide evidence to counter that if it does come to it.

EdGasket

Can you go to the garage and see if there really is no oil in the car? If so there should be evidence of it leaking e.g. from a split sump due to the impact. Unlikely but something doesn't sound right unless a bad leak has developed.

Geodark

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

Can't really answer your query but can I ask why you have to top up the oil to the extent that you carry oil around with you?

Could be a Vauxhall Z16xe or simalar - the amount of oil they got through was unreal - I always carried a litre in the car with me just in case!

Earthsharples

It's the strangest thing. I mean, there's no signs of oil leaks on my driveway, none army partners house.
I carry oil just as a precaution. Doesn't take up much space in the boot. Same with de-icer and antifreeze/coolant, torque wrench, tow rope, etc.
The lives of others.

Well, I'll speak to the garage tomorrow and try to get to the bottom of it.

Where would I make the complaint if I had one? Via the insurance company or ombudsman?

Quentin

The main disadvantage of not using your own insurer to repair your car is that you lose the benefit of being able to escalate any complaints to the Ombudsman.

So you are left with legal action if you get nowhere with the third party insurance company over any complaint

Earthsharples

Well, more time goes by and the car rental company are saying the insurance company won't pay for it anymore.
I spent a week chasing the garage who would tell me to speak to the insurers who would tell me to speak to the garage. Then I had to go for an operation so I was incommunicado for two days.
I called the insurance company and they say the issue is still the same. I repeat the same information. They say they will investigate the oil light to determine whether it was caused by the accident.

I'm not hopeful. I feel like I'm being swindled out of a perfectly good car and being fobbed off.
Life was roswes until that old fella drove into me. And now I'm getting shafted. Very frustrating.

Strider590

I think I would be suspecting that one or more of their technicians had been out joy riding the car. But then i've seen garage technicians thrashing customers cars and a friend of mine took his car in for an MOT and saw it being driven at at least 80mph while he was walking back home from dropping the car off.

Also possible they picked the car up with a forklift and punctured the oil sump.

Earthsharples

I called my insurer for advice. They said "why can't they just put oil in it and make the repairs?". So at least I know I'm not going insane.
They also, perhaps rather predictively, suggested I could always make a claim through them instead, as my ncb is protected due to third party liability. I'm sure this would inflate my insurance premiums though.

DoaM

Just being involved in an incident (even non-fault) may inflate your premiums.