Mine for 13 days, tested the airbags.

[bunrotha]

The fire crew liked it, the policeman said it was a nice car too. I'm still thoroughly unimpressed with what i did to it, but not as unimpressed as the van driver.

Short version, the queue for the slip road was longer than I thought, I swerved towards the hard shoulder when I realised I couldn't stop that quickly, and just clipped the back left corner of a van joining the queue.

Bendy_car.jpg

Filed as OBSF (Own Bloody Silly Fault,) just waiting for repairs, nasty letter from the 5-0 telling me what they're going to nick me for, and a monstrous insurance renewal next year.

Apologies to any M23 drivers for closing the road for half an hour...

[trix]

Hi Bunrotha

Impressive peel back on the wing there! at least it doesn't look like its affected the door at all

S

[bunrotha]

The door's fine, as is the pillar, luckily. Unluckily, look closely at where that wheel's gone. New subframe and suspension time!

As a work colleague pointed out, the problem with driving into things is that all the expensive bits are at the front of the car.

[trix]

ah didn't notice the wheel so much, any front view pics? or other pics?

& what is the fireman doing in your engine bay??

[md_halifax]

Very bad luck indeed. I'm gutted just looking at the pic, can't imagine how vexed you must be. Hope you have it back and as good as ever soon.

[samwell]

Never nice to see a damaged Roc but at least you're OK.

[iAmbu]

Gutted for you, as everyone has said I hope the repair goes quickly and smoothly.

trix, I suspect the fire crew are making the vehicle safe by disconnecting / removing the battery (although the item at the front of the car on the ground looks like the battery?)

[bunrotha]

trix, I suspect the fire crew are making the vehicle safe by disconnecting / removing the battery (although the item at the front of the car on the ground looks like the battery?)

Spot on, disconnecting the battery. The item on the ground is actually the fire crew's metal toolbox.

Here's the closeup of the damage, trix. The engine itself seemed relatively undamaged, as did the transmission and so on. It drove onto the wrecker with no warning lights, anyway. Guess I'll find out when I get it back what the damage extent was.

My local VW dealer has no bodyshop, so it ended up with the insurer's bodyshop. I've been promised all VW parts used, and when I get it back, it's off to the dealer for an inspection, to make sure a) the repair is up to spec and b) VW don't kvetch about any warranty stuff in future because they have had a chance to find any accident damage that wouldn't be covered.

There's a slim possibility of getting the car back for Christmas. Fingers very crossed, and thanks for the kind words folks.
I was a fairly cautious driver before, so I may have to get a flat cap and change the VW badge for a Volvo one for a few months.

damage.JPG

[trix]

Cheers.
looks like bumper, bonnet, wing & headlight & you might be sorted. would be utterly astounded if they get it back to you before christmas seeing as its not a vw dealer/bodyshop doing the work & we are in christmas week already

S

[maisbitt]

Don't read too much into not having a VW dealer repair your car - I insisted on it when my Golf TDI170 was clouted by a bus and they cocked it up big time - 4 weeks sitting in their yard before they touched my car (and 2 weeks after they'd had all the parts), major (and dangerous) brake fault when they gave it back, oily handprints all over the interior, and a paint job so thin on the new rear quarter panel that the wheel arch started to rust (so they must've compromised the galvanisation too). To top it all off, they stole my new and unopened top-up litre of oil that came with the car.

I wish i'd have gone to the Insurers approved body shop! Never get a car repaired at Benfield body shop, Railway Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, and never pick up a repaired car in the dark!

The insurance companies don't like paying out for remedial work when they guarantee a repair, so their repairers are well vetted to make sure they do a good job 1st time.

As long as they are a VW approved repairer (they don't have to be part of a VW dealership to achieve this) and they use only genuine VW parts then your full VW guarantee should be secure.

[trix]

true maisbitt.
i was thinking in the sense of getting hold of parts easily, even a vw dealer would be going some to get the parts in & fitted etc before christmas

S

[maisbitt]

In my experience (from a lot of warranty work over my past 4 cars - good old VW reliability eh?), a dealer can usually get parts in in around 3 days if it's a common/small part or 10 days if it is a major part.

I once had a replacement 2.0TDI cylinder head delivered to the dealers and fitted in less than 4 days!

[bunrotha]

Well, I called them today for an update, and it's having it's checkout and 4-wheel alignment test now, if it passes I can maybe get it tomorrow, if it fails then, well...

It has been there a week or so already, apparently parts delivery struck lucky.

[Crossbone]

Just look at that beautiful xenon headlight go to waste

[bunrotha]

if it passes I can maybe get it tomorrow,

And it did, and it's back. Woohoo!

[iAmbu]

Is it like new? Completely happy with the repair? Very pleased for you and very quick service!!!!

[ryancooke]

sorry about the accident, just a quick question, have you got the car back? and has it only taken 3 days? as i find that basically impossible, or am i missing something?

[trix]

Ryan

i thought that too but in one of bunrotha's posts somewhere above he mentions they have already had the car for 7 days so no they didn't work THAT quick

S

[skippy]

Even with that timeframe, I still find that astounding judging by the damage. It was when I saw that front wheel I thought the car would be off the road for weeks! Glad the car is back anyway, hope all is well with it!

[ryancooke]

looking at the pics it needed a new inner wing/flitch aswel, thats why i say it was impossible lol, as they wont keep these in stock so would have taken a few days to come, then welding the new panel on, putting it on the jig maybe aswel, then painting ect.