Hi All

I posted this in the car care section but arnt getting any replies (maybe theres nothing I can do ?) :

Hi all !

I recently had a prang in my 2005 metallic blue WRX (a WRX300) which entailed having a new rear bumper and boot lid fitted. I claimed on the insurance and the car was collected and taken away for repairs by the insurers approved repairer. I got the car back a week later, on an overcast day, and on a quick cursory inspection everything seemed ok - they had even 'cleaned' it so I signed for it etc and didn't realise anything was wrong until a couple of weeks later when the sun was shining and glinting off the panels I could see 'whorl' marks all over the body where the lacquer had been abrased - it looked truly shocking - even the guy who regularly valets the inside the car for me every month asked me what the hell I'd done to the paintwork and spent ages waxing and polishing it in an attempt to remove the whorl marks - but with only partial success.

I can only assume that they had taken it through a car wash ! the water was also sheeting and not beading like it usually does. I have always cleaned it by hand having read anecdotal reports about car washes being bad - but I didn't realise just how bad they could be

So my question is is there anything further I can do to remove said marks which are still visible in sunlight.

I've had the car back over a month now so is it worth having a moan to the insurance company or at least letting them know about it ?

 

It's always worth saying something imo, you might not get anything from them but at least it gives you a chance. If you don't say anything then you are definitely going to get nothing besides the dismay of looking at your whirled paintwork.

The only problem you will have now is proving it happened while it was with the repairers as you signe for the car and as you say the car has now been in your possesion again for over a month.

 

Moan at the car repair company.

I had my focus resprayed (due to vandalism), however when i washed it a couple of weeks later i noticed a scratch under a window. I didnt have any issue sending it back to them to be resprayed again. Which they did and they did a good job!

I would imagine the car company would not want to fall out with the insurance company as it would loose work. So id imagine they would be quite helpful.

Just dont go in all guns blazing. Save that if they start being an **** about it .

Good luck!

 

I doubt its a car wash: Its possible they mopped the car using the wrong compound(s).

I had this with my Monaro; Whoever did it used too agressive a compound and then finished with a polishing compound containing a filler resin; Looked great until a few weeks after buying the car all the filler resin washed out. Where then it was swirl-tastic.

Had to re-mop the whole car; I had £250 back off the vehicle reseller due to this (and other mis-described issues about the car's visual condition)

I suggest that is what you get done; job for a professional by the way. It should be fixable, so long as the clearcoat laquer is thick enough.

 

I've used this stuff in the past..

does a superb job removing swirls.

Menzerna Intensive Polish - PO91E

 

as above i would take it to approved repairer
think u will have to have the car mopped and waxed

 

Post some pics up of the damage and I'll give you a rough idea of if the paint can be corrected.

 

Think the O.P. may need something slightly stronger than this, probably one of the specialist compounds like Polished Bliss use. I have the M.I.P. for my 205 and it's very good, but certainly not the best/most suited for a major correction.

All imo.

 

Take it back to the repairers , ask them nicely to clean it up, i had a BMW i took back to the main stealers after 7 months for them to t-cut etc after they had sparayed alloy wheel cleaner all over the car, i had not noticed because i hate washing cars .

 

Think you'll find PB use Menzerna polishes

The RD3.02 would be a better suited Menzerna product for removing paint defects by hand when coupled with a L&C German Applicator Pad. Without seeing pics though talk of any polish or proposed action plan is pointless.

 

OK I've sent an email to the bodyshop detailing the problem and enquiring how they cleaned the car. I wonder if they'll come 'clean' lol and tell me what they actually did!

 

take it back to them and show them the problem and asked wat happend wen they had ure car be gentle about it and im sure they will sort it out for u not unless there complete a**holes they mite still argue that u signed for it in that condition and was happy but its definatly worth a try

 

They most likely washed it with a brush.

 

Just get on the phone to you insurance company and the repair company. All repair work carries with it a warranty and it's usually several years and just get them to put it right. It should not be a problem, even if/though you have signed for it.
I have a bumper replaced and sprayed when someone ran into the back of me. Looked okay when I picked it up (was a little over cast) but when I finally saw it in the sun it didn't look right. You could tell they had sprayed the bumper in the wrong orientation (parts should be sprayed in the orientation they would be when on the car ie a door should be sprayed upright and not lying flat) so the metallic particles were lying wrong. I asked them to respray it and do it right this time, which they did no quibbles.

 

yeah get on the blower. Or better still. Drive the car down there and get the representitive to have a look. Email is a waste of time in this situation. Gives them too much time to think of an excuse.

Dont be nasty just firm.

Let us know how u get on.

 

i suggest before you go to the garage is get intouch with your insurance company and ask if they could send a there assessor out to see the car and then they will get intouch with the garage. good luck

 

Good luck with this. I took my car in for a set of rear shocks under warranty and for some reason only known to themselves they had a half arsed attempt at washing my car. My car had previously undergone professional paint correction 3 weeks earlier and was immaculate. when I got it back it was covered in swirl marks/light scratches. I tried to contest it and got nowhere, this was a Subaru main dealer.

Interestingly a lot of people on here told me i was being an*l

Hope they come clean and pay for a paint correction. I suspect they will suggest that you have inflicted this abuse to your paintwork yourself since you had the car back. When i tried to explain paint correction to Subaru the guy said well "i used to be bodyshop mate yah yah yah".