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steve184

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Is it normal to be REALLY paranoid after having a car repaired, ie, was that like that before?, is that right? Don't remember that sticking up that much, etc etc

Do you trust bodyshops to do repairs properly (even Audi approved bodyshops)

Without before and after pics/refs how can you be sure that everything is right?

What would you do if you were still unsure (even after raising concerns with the bodyshop) and simply been given what could be a 'fob off' explanation?

ta
 
I would say its normal and i havent used any that i would trust 100%, i usually end up finishing the job off myself tbh.
 
when you say end up finishing the job yourself???
 
I had a car repaired once due to vandalism. Wish I had just sacked it off and bought another.

If this car was to get damaged I would be hoping it was a write off and get a new car cos they are never the same again!
 
well yeh a major crash but i'm talking more of a relatively minor bump where no structure damaged just cosmetics
 
That reminds me. One of the wheels was kerbed on this car when I bought it and they said they would repair it. I really wish I had insisted on a new wheel though as it doesn't have quite the same shiney factory finish as the others. Really bugs the hell out of me. No one else has noticed but I know so it frustrates me!
 
perhaps you could help actually matt - i see you have a TDI 170 like mine (presumably similar year 07) - perhaps you could take some pics under the bonnet around the front bumper and radiator area - that might enable me to check things look the same as on mine, ie, a minor thing i noticed is the rubber seals - they don't join, yet justy looking on here and seeing that chaps white S3 (with the black wheels) - on the pic under his bonnet the rubber goes all the way round and meets at the wings where that little grey foam block is
 
What damage did you have?

Bumpers are about the only thing I would feel half confident in them getting right.

Things like bonnets they never seem to get the alignment right and if they do then it doesn't matter how good they are, the paint never matches the old stuff.
 
front minor bump 15mph, so new bumper, grill, new bonnet as it buckled slightly, front panel, radiator + numerous ancilliaries - ac now not working (garage are adamant this is a problem with the dash now not a problem with their work)

Bonnet alignment is fine, actually (i had to get them to tweak it though), but the edges are a bit messy (rough and matt, not shiny), lights supposedly replaced but i know for a fact the originals ones are still on the car

All stuff like this isn't giving me confidence the job has been done 100% right - know what i mean??

Don't get me wrong to stand back a metre - the car looks fine - you can't really tell, but if you get close up and have a good poke around... thats a different story
 
My A4 had £2k damage to the rear, thanks to a myopic old woman.
It was repaired by an Audi workshop.
I didn't notice any problems, apart from the smell of paint for weeks.
 
bowfer said:
My A4 had £2k damage to the rear, thanks to a myopic old woman.
It was repaired by an Audi workshop.
I didn't notice any problems, apart from the smell of paint for weeks.
Click to expand...

..but did you look for any problems...., presumably it was a company car - i mean realistically are you going to be as precious about a company car as one you bought yourself??
 
steve184 said:
..but did you look for any problems...., presumably it was a company car - i mean realistically are you going to be as precious about a company car as one you bought yourself??
Click to expand...

I take as much ownership pride and responsibility than if it were my own.
In some ways, more.
If I bash my own car, only myself to answer to.
If I bash a company car, I have an MD to answer to.:anbet:
 
I know a girl who was asked to collect a car for her MD's wife.
Her MD took her to the garage, then they collected his wife's car and she followed him back to their office.
She only managed to run into the back of him at some lights.:rolleyes:
It wasn't serious, just hyper-embarrassing.
 
My A3 had some front end work by Shatfield Audi, afterwards the bonnet wasn't totally aligned, it also had obvious machine polishing marks on it and there was a paint run on the bumper, When back two or three times, kept coming back with varying degrees of other **** ups so got a mate who runs a body shop to sort it out

So yeah - its quite normal to be paranoid :)
 
bowfer said:
If I bash my own car, only myself to answer to.
If I bash a company car, I have an MD to answer to.:anbet:
Click to expand...

Absolutely! A previous company I worked as a contractor for did spot checks on the company fleet to ensure people were keeping them clean!
 
I think the fact we're allowed to choose our cars helps.
As does the fact we're all 'petrol heads'.
We've recently got rid of a girl who had a company Beetle.
You wanted to see the state of this thing, inside and out.
It made you question her personal hygiene, I kid you not.
 
ok so im sorry i obviously opened up a can of worms here byt saying that - wasn't meaning to go against the grain, i just thought psychologically, car doesn't belong to you so you automatically would adjust the way you 'see' it

im obviously wrong lol

Anyway do Audi CS carry out post-repair inspections after repair by an approved bodyshop if a customer has reason to believe its not up to scratch - but the garage involved say its right?, ie a difference of opinion
 
Ingrams in Ayr bodyshop got the wrong tailgate for my old A3 - got the MK1 face lift S3 one for my pre-facelift. They had to alter the latch a bit but it fine. Paint match was ok but slightly noticable (to me LOL) it was lazer red though.
 
Top priority in my view is paint quality after a repair, in terms of colour matching and finish. Bumpers, bonnets, doors and wings can usually be adjusted (although not the roof or rear quarter panel obviously!) to get the gaps accurate, but a poor paint job will be more obvious and cannot always be corrected i.e. with machine polishing.

I once hit a van in a Ford Puma on a roundabout (the driver pulled out on me!), and seeing that it was going to be 50/50 - plus with a £500 excess - I decided to repair it myself with a new wing and headlight. It was only extremely light damage though. Made a contact at a Saab bodyshop who did a fantastic job painting the wing and bumper, and then refitted it all my myself, taking time to adjust the panels to get it spot-on.
 
Had a bumper resprayed at an Audi dealer's in house body shop - on the 3rd attempt I accepted it!

Another body part also needed respraying, this only needed 2 attempts mind you!

I therefore don't believe 'Audi Approved' means better quality in terms of workmanship.
 
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