RussP

It could only happen to me!

Put my car into the local dealers for its first service (Sonic Blue Sti Version 5 V-Limited) this morning at 9am and got the call at 1pm…. “Sorry to be the bringer of bad news but your car has been involved in a road accident whilst we were Road testing it”

Apparently, the chap driving it came round a corner on a country lane and found a tipper lorry in the middle of the road, swerved to miss it and ripped off the lovely electric mirror scratching the drivers door glass, then planted the car in a bush, scratching the whole thing from front to rear.

Oh, did I mention the wooden post that was IN the bush? The post that ripped thru the spoiler, trashed the rather tasty 18 x 7 Radius R3 alloy wheel ripped off the wish bone and pushed the whole wheel and tyre back into the wheel well. So now it needs two new tyres, wheel, wishbone, wing, bumper/spoiler, inner arch, jigging and loads of paint. About three grands worth of damage.

To be fair, it doesn’t sound like it was the drivers fault, more the guy in the 25ton truck on the wrong side of the road.I just can’t believe it, a talentless oik like me drives it for 6500 miles with no sign of an accident and a professional (he's a team manager for a rally team no less!) can’t do 10 miles without bending it!

But the final insult?

They’re also a Rover dealer and guess what I’ve got as a replacement whilst they mend it? A poxy Rover 200 in “Camp Aqua Blue”.

Oh, and I’ve just heard that Radius Alloys are not available without a three week special order.

I’m off to see if the rover produces enough emissions for me to end it all. The ^&%&^* thing has to be good for something.

Russ

The Zohan

Either you write great fictional comedy or that was F***ing unlucky. Sorry to hear about your loss

I bet if the same thing had happened to a Rover 200 they would not loan the driver a Scooby - however 3K damage to a Rover 200 would just about write it off.

Lifes a bitch an all that

Mr.Cookie

Why were they testing it down country lanes in the first place, really are better roads to test someones car on than narrow oh look i cant see whats coming, oh my god a * type roads.

Simon (Feeling rather p!ssed off for ya)

*Denotes Tractor, Horse, Tipper truck, ETC

Hos

iTrader: (1)

Surely they are going to buy you a new car??????? Please don't say your gonna accept it if it's had major damage. By the time you come to sell it if you do, people will be able to spot a mile off that it's been damaged,.. the rac reports and dealar reports will show that its been involved in an accident. I wouldn't accept it , but thats just me... if i had a new car and someone else wrecked it - they could pay for a new one or there insurance can.
Ian

KimA

Russ,

Can't believe it - I'd have a complete fit!!

Just out of interest - how fast was he going round the corner?

Feeling for ya'
KimA

WALKER

I totally agree with HOS on this one, they should replac the whole car.

I would have gone f*****g ballistic

moz.g

How old is the car Russ?
My old scoob was in a crash (not my fault) at 25mph it needed £3000 worth of repairs and I was due to part ex it a week later but the dealer reduced its value from £15500 to £14000. You want to try and get (at least) a cash payment to cover future losses, I managed to claim the £1500 I lost but I had to get a solicitor involved as suprise-suprise the insurance company was a complete and utter ####

Graham

RonaldoH

OMG!

Thats awful Russ . I would seriously be considering asking them to replace the car with a new one. Its in their hands and to be honest sounds like its written off! (The three week waiting bit for the raduis wheel may be them stalling you as they need some serious work doing on the car)

Not being funny, but one of my co's cars had the same thing happen. It was an M-Coup being driven on a test to check some problem that was being done under warranty. Mechanic lost back end on a corner and ended up in trees at 50mph. Heavily damaged, apprantly repairable but car was replaced by dealer on premise of damage caused while in their hands
(and obvious embarrasement caused) Have you checked with the truck driver what actually happened? no matter what level of skill he is at-the team manager-people can screw up none the less! negative thinking but thats your baby!

Damage like that will mean the car never feels the same to you.

Sad day m8. Feeling for you.

RonnieH

adge

iTrader: (22)

Hard luck sounds like a bunch of T*****S to me, I bet he was having a bit of a play. You should be very wary of what damage has been done to the car, because they will try and play it down, might be worth getting an independent examiner to check it over.
It will affect your resale value, however you can claim compensation for its loss in value. I did this when my Cavalier V6 was stuffed in the rear. The point is case law so a reasonable soliciter should be able to sort it out. It comes down to the fact that given the choice of 2 identical cars would you pay the same for the one that had been accident damaged compared to the one that hadn't. LIKE HELL, so get the soliciter on to it now. The rule seems to be about 10% of its value now, so you could be looking at a couple of grand.
You should look into getting a comparable car as well instead of a poxy Rover 200. If they are Rover dealers they should at least give you the top of the range model what ever that is, shows how exciting Rover Cars are when I don't even know what is the top of the range model!!!!!.
Best of luck in sorting this mess out.

dowser

Very, very bad news - afraid the explanation also sounds suspect.

A Rover dealership road-testing an STi....I bet they were..... "Team Manager" doesn't mean he can drive, but he'd have been sure to have heard of an STi....

I would be taking legal advice at about this point.....definitely talk to the lorry driver.

Good Luck
Richard

Andy-D

Sorry to hear the bad new m8.

From your posting you seem to be fairly relaxed about the whole incident, I don't think I would be quite so understanding. I think its fair to say that ALL dealers take cars out for these so called 'test drives' and basically hammer the bollocks of any performance model they get their hands on. I think most of us would do the same if we had the chance.
However, when they smash a car up they should pay the consequences. I would not accept the car back with the damage you have described, I doubt it will be the same again from my experience of crash damaged cars and it goes without saying its resale value will be affected.
Push to get a cash payout and the make the best of a real nightmare situation. Hope you get things sorted soon.

RussP

Hi Y’all

Thanks for the interest, sympathy and advice!

I do understand what one or two people have suggested, demand a new car etc. Only thing is, that I wouldn’t find another Brand New, Version 5 V-Limited. This one sits on the 18” R3 alloys, and has an HKS exhaust/inlet. Plus all the toys you get on the V-Limited like water spray, centre diff, lsd’s, etc. Quite simply, if anyone knows where I can find another one, new, then I’m on my way!

I should explain that the dealers is actually a Scooby dealers, but obviously can’t sservice the car in their workshops as the nice man from Subaru wouldn’t be happy. Because they have a motorsport department that actually runs a Sti rally car for a notable UK driver (shall we say!) they do know their stuff, they’re not “just a Rover dealer!” Much as I would like to blame the guy driving the car, I honestly don’t think it was his fault, though ultimately they are responsible for the car whilst they have it. I’m taking legal advice, they have two P1’s available at 28k a piece (bargain!) and I may make an offer though I’d rather have what I had. At the same time, I’m very conscious that the call will always now be “mended” which I hate.

What to do? The cars in the body shop and tomo I get a boring UK spec non-turbo Scooby wagon (where's the "yawn" smilie?) In the mean time, I’m seeing the solicitor later.

Keep ya posted!

Russ

DavidRB

If he came round a corner to find the road blocked and was unable to stop, then he was driving too fast. It's pretty cut & dry, he couldn't stop safely in the distance he could see. As you point out, he probably jumped at the chance to take it for a good thrashing. I bet he was going a lot faster than he told you.

As for Team Managers being good drivers, does the name Frank Williams mean anything to you?

I wouldn't settle for a repair job either. Good luck if you decide to fight it.

RussP

Hi David

I know exactly what you mean by “wouldn’t settle for it being mended, after al, this was a car I was planning to keep “forever!” But can’t believe that I’m entitled to a new car if they “only” did £3-4,000 worth of damage to mine by accident.

Trouble is, it IS now a “damaged” rather than new car and I’ll always perceive it that way.

But even a 28k P1 doesn’t appeal. So what else is there?

They’ve got me by the short and curlies on this one. Whilst not unique, there aren’t any new ones are there?

I just wonder how much it has wiped off the value? 10% seems reasonable, and as the dealer are claiming from the lorry driver, I tend to think they should pay for making me drive round in a cr@p car whilst they mend the Scooby in any case.

To be honest, they ARE being pretty reasonable and I’m not going to exploit the situation. Just that niggling “second hand motor” doubt!

Russ

Tang

You are entitled to compensation which would put you in the position you would have been in had the garage not crashed the car.

In other words what was the value of the car then, what is the value now (i.e. with damage - after it is mended which the garage must pay for or compensate you for as well), and what is the difference?

You will need to have the car valued - by someone who knows what they are talking about (i.e. to reflect things like the fact that prices on special edition imports are likely to rise with the new 01 dog coming on the market).

Anything else (e.g. the possibility of a P1) would be in lieu of the above compensation.

Hope things go better for you.

Tang