Badger!!

[The_Ironist]

So a badger did this to me last night.

Drove it last 5 miles home very slowly as looks like bits of it have gone into engine bay.

What's my best route to repair?

Current plan is to get it recovered to Audi dealer for quote to make good and decide whether to claim on insurance.

Looks like new front bumper, wheel arch and spray though so not expecting it to be cheap..

Is audi dealership right direction to go? Will they want to charge me just to take a look and quote?

Or should I just be taking it to local body shop?

 

[BlueBadger]

Badger's are hard, you got off lightly there.


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[RichardT]

Shouldn't think they would charge for a quote, but you will probably have to pay for recovery if it's not drivable.

 

[The_Ironist]

I called Audi assistance as have the AA coverage for 3 years and arranged the recovery through them.

Never mentioned any charges except if it requires specialist recovery plant which it won't.

 

[Rob2k68]

Sorry to see this !

I'd start with Audi - If using genuine parts alone then I strongly suspect it'll be an insurance claim. My next door neighbour just had a new rear bumper on his BMW 335 supplied, painted & fitted by a main dealer £1,300.00.

 

[Tom.H]

If it's an Audi own body shop they'll be about £45 an hour plus parts, if they farm it out I bet they'd add a bit on top of the body shops quote!

I'd phone your local dealer and ask if they have a body shop or if not who they use and go direct.

 

[Pickle1970]

Poor Badger :-(

 

[Joe4842]

View attachment 118165 View attachment 118166 View attachment 118168 View attachment 118169 So a badger did this to me last night.

Drove it last 5 miles home very slowly as looks like bits of it have gone into engine bay.

What's my best route to repair?

Current plan is to get it recovered to Audi dealer for quote to make good and decide whether to claim on insurance.

Looks like new front bumper, wheel arch and spray though so not expecting it to be cheap..

Is audi dealership right direction to go? Will they want to charge me just to take a look and quote?

Or should I just be taking it to local body shop?

That sure is one strong badger, wouldn't like to meet him down a dark alley if he can punch like that!

No in all seriousness unlucky mate, nothing worse than hitting an animal, especially when you see it coming and cant do anything about it, I hit a Hare towards the end of last year, knocked my Grille clean out whilst smashing it into pieces. Badgers are big muscly animals hence the damage, they probably weigh the same as a small Labrador. I assume the Badger was brown bread after that whack.

I took mine to our family mechanic not an official ford dealer (car was a fiesta) as it wasn't a massive repair and was only about £150 for the parts and to get it fitted. Might be better taking it to Audi for you as it looks like it might need a fair bit of work like you said.

It'll all be sorted in no time though buddy, don't worry about it. Sh!# happens.....

 

[The_Ironist]

Thanks for the advice all.

Have spoken with the dealership who's service dept are super (Tetbury).

They've asked me to send pics which they will pass to their nominated body shop in Bristol for a quote and will put me in touch direct to sort out.

Video below, not much I could do...

 

[Tom.H]

As you say mate, no way you could have avoided that. If the badger had done the old look left, look right, listen, he/she may still be here.

Hopefully won't be too much to repair!

 

[cemerson]

I had something similar in May, though mine survived a bit better with no missing bits! Cracked bumper, fog light housing and wheel arch liner, but hit in the same part of the car. Audi quoted a frankly ludicrous price for replacing all the bits (I asked for a repair quote), something like £2500, so I took it to an independent, who repaired the bumper and replaced the fog light, headlight washer and wheel arch liner for me, all for £350 or so instead. He also sanded and resprayed the whole bumper, and it's good as new - you'd never know anything happened to it. Very happy with it.

Audi say they run a bodyshop at Nottingham, but any chump can order in a whole load of new bits and replace them all so I have no idea what they were playing at.

 

[cemerson]

In fact your video looks almost identical to what I saw when mine happened! Yours has a bit more damage than mine did though, so I'd brace for a large quote from Audi.

 

[Mark_86]

Ouch! I've taken out a few Bambi's with an Astra H (2006)... they always came off worse and the Astra just sat there, it was built like a brick - no damage at all. Never encountered a badger before, but from what I've heard and seen, it's like hitting a small boulder. Lucky it didn't do anymore damage really. Hopefully won't be too costly to repair

 

[TonyF1]

As soon as I saw the title I thought bet its Tetbury way.

It's like a safari park in the dark with badgers, pheasant, foxes and dear with a near miss a weekly occurrence. Nearly hit a wild boar on the Nailsworth / Tetbury road last week. Does keep you focused though!

Damage wise I've seen a lot worse, neighbours Cooper S ended up with a cracked engine block from a full frontal impact from a badger last year.

 

[Djpfrozenp]

Ouch!
You get all sorts running out on the Tetbury to Cirencester road!

 

[cemerson]

Ouch! I've taken out a few Bambi's with an Astra H (2006)... they always came off worse and the Astra just sat there, it was built like a brick - no damage at all. Never encountered a badger before, but from what I've heard and seen, it's like hitting a small boulder. Lucky it didn't do anymore damage really. Hopefully won't be too costly to repair

Bambi was a deer... Are you sure you came away with no damage?!

 

[Mark_86]

Bambi was a deer... Are you sure you came away with no damage?!

Yeah honest. They weren't fully grown stags or anything. The car I had was exactly the same as this one below, look at the arrow head bumper... seriously, Vauxhall built it like a tank, no rattles or anything. Very impressive car actually, quite fun to drive... just got old and not enough power (was 1.6i).

 

[The_Ironist]

Still waiting on Audi cost but just ran it by body shop mate and it's done a fair bit of damage. Needs new front bumper/chrome grille/wheel arch and part of the floor area behind bumper was damaged too.

Parts alone £700-1000 + fit labour + respray.

Looking like an insurance job so will probably let Audi do it.

It was actually by Cheltenham air balloon but similar environment to Tetbury area.

I've hit animals in all but one of my cars. Pheasant in a Tiguan at about 40, which put its head through just the grille. £60 odd quid.

Hit a fox at 70+ in the dark in my clio just as I got to the dual carriageway at the bottom of the hill from air balloon. Hit same corner of car, cracked fog light surround and ripped wheel arch clean off. Think that was a couple of hundred to repair.

Use Tetbury after stopping using Cheltenham dealership a while back as have not been happy with service received on any occasion I've visited. Tetbury Service dept is excellent though.

They're using SJ Curtis in Bristol anyone used them?

 

[Wood_Duck]

Last October I had a Kangaroo slam into my front guard. Needed $15k worth of repairs. Nasty buggers Kangaroo's are...

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[BlueBadger]

Yeah honest. They weren't fully grown stags or anything. The car I had was exactly the same as this one below, look at the arrow head bumper... seriously, Vauxhall built it like a tank, no rattles or anything. Very impressive car actually, quite fun to drive... just got old and not enough power (was 1.6i).

My old Astra G 1.7cdti was a beast at the front too. Hit a hare that was about the size of that badger, obliterated it at let's say national speed limit, not a scuff on the Astra. Think I recall the safety NCAP ratings had one poor mark, and that was for the front of the car's ability to damage pedestrians lol

Tank:

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[Mark_86]

Last October I had a Kangaroo slam into my front guard. Needed $15k worth of repairs. Nasty buggers Kangaroo's are...

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First, nice car! I thought it was mine to start with lol Second, ouch! Did the Kangaroo get up afterwards and kick the car?

My old Astra G 1.7cdti was a beast at the front too. Hit a hare that was about the size of that badger, obliterated it at let's say national speed limit, not a scuff on the Astra. Think I recall the safety NCAP ratings had one poor mark, and that was for the front of the car's ability to damage pedestrians lol

Tank:

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They are solid little buggers.

 

[4K]

Poor thing. I'd say you're probably looking at about 1K.

New bumper and respray.

 

[Wood_Duck]

First, nice car! I thought it was mine to start with lol Second, ouch! Did the Kangaroo get up afterwards and kick the car?

I stopped 50m down the road and the ****** was already gone. Couldn't get his rego or insurance details...nothing !



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[Kingfisher]

daughter hit small deer in her Sportback (at about 2k miles ! ), slowish impact (she said the brakes worked well ! ).
Looked similar to yours, drivable and about legal - £2.5k +vat. via Camberley Audi.

 

[Joshd07]

If it's an Audi own body shop they'll be about £45 an hour plus parts, if they farm it out I bet they'd add a bit on top of the body shops quote!

I'd phone your local dealer and ask if they have a body shop or if not who they use and go direct.

£45 an hour for Audi dealership! We wish, more like double that!

 

[TYb]

View attachment 118172 Thanks for the advice all.

Have spoken with the dealership who's service dept are super (Tetbury).

They've asked me to send pics which they will pass to their nominated body shop in Bristol for a quote and will put me in touch direct to sort out.

Video below, not much I could do...

If you are based in Tetbury I would recommend cheltenham vehicle solutions if you go repair route, they did a great job on my old A4 which was hit by debris falling off of a tractor trailer. Looked good as new when done.

 

[Tom.H]

£45 an hour for Audi dealership! We wish, more like double that!

Not for a body shop, they'll be around £45 an hour. Service work on the other hand is likely to be at least 3 figures an hour yeah!

 

[Kingfisher]

At least five years ago the hourly rate at my local dealer was reputedly £140.
Fortunately I have no details about current bodyshop charges !

 

[Tom.H]

My last job was at a motor engineering company dealing with fault and in fault claims, I used to have to arrange rates etc with people's own choice repairers, the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes and VW were all around £40 - £45 an hour for bodywork, some of the insurance approved repairers were on as little as £26 - £28! Some of the one man bands wanted £60 an hour, and they weren't the sort you'd want to pay that to lol

 

[Kingfisher]

£60 hour sounds OK to me IF IT IS QUALITY work !!
I gather it wasn't !
I had a bit of paint done on an 80 Sport 18 months ago. Place looked a bit down... inside was a bit better - Ferrari Daytona over in the corner finished in bare metal. Porsche 356 having some body bits reattached after paint.
Paint booth at back corner was out of this world.
The finish I got was superb, silver was perfect match ( on 30 year old paint) and was infinitely better matched and applied than a ' leading Quattro repair shop' that did a bit for me eight years ago.
Appearances can be sooo misleading !

 

[Tom.H]

Didn't ever see the finished work but I googled the place and it didn't look the sort to command £60 an hour lol

 

[palla1978]

$15k worth of repairs?

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[Wood_Duck]

$15k worth of repairs?

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Yep, that's $AUD not £. Had to replace the LHS front guard, bonnet, sunroof surround (was cracked). Resprayed front bar and whole left hand side of car to colour match. RHS front panel resprayed to match bonnet. Wheel align and pre sense recalibration.

Didn't look like much damage but once they got the panel off it revealed more. Keep in mind the roo that hit me probably weighed around 70kg. Tough buggers as demonstrated by him getting up and hopping off...


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[The_Ironist]

So an update.

They had my car for 2 weeks, was meant to be returned this morning, they said would be delivered not driven.

Walk out to see the guy in someone else's Audi... a year older with standard wheels...no truck.

Office is called and off he goes back. So he's driven someone's Audi from bristol to chelt and back...

I call the office and they are very apologetic and advise mine will be delivered on lorry this afternoon.

Lorry turns up and guy starts to offload it before I get out there.

As I get out onto road where it's kept he's driving to park it and hits curb with both passenger side tyres very lucky not to fully curb both wheels.

Let him know as he gets out the car, totally oblivious.

Start to inspect repair and within 30 seconds have torn it apart.

Front bumper doesn't marry up with drivers wing.
Chrome grille hasn't even been replaced, still cracked.
Massive gap between passenger headlight and bumper.
Have scratched the new bumper around the headlight too.

Pics below.

Office called again, again very apologetic, loaded up again and off back to them.
He said he can't believe its happened and will inspect himself Monday morning and call with update.

I stress it's been 2 weeks now, meanwhile I'm paying an Audi lease to drive a 1l polo...

Also, while I spent 30 second inside my car, notice my dash cam has been removed and left in the cup holder. Having inspected footage, the last video shows them loading it up.

So they have removed it prior to starting engine other end.

Suspicious no? Why would they do this unless they had something to hide?

Frustrating to say the least, planning to seek some financial compensation from them, at least cover the £250 excess.

Anything I can do re the lease? Guessing can't claim loss of use on insurance??

 

[Wood_Duck]

Gone are the days when people actually cared about quality of workmanship. It's so annoying and just wastes even more of your time.
I'd be calling your lease company and explain what's going on to them. They may put your payments on hold until your back on the road with your motor.


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[Tom.H]

Was it a body shop that fixed it or did they pass it on to some guy who said he knew how to fix cars?

That's a shocking job!

 

[Pinky1959]

I would be getting onto the garage /insurance company and complaining muchly in fact I would be the customer they wouldn't want in the garage and as for the Polo I would be taking it back for a bigger better car

 

[Tom.H]

I would be getting onto the garage /insurance company and complaining muchly in fact I would be the customer they wouldn't want in the garage and as for the Polo I would be taking it back for a bigger better car

If he's gone through insurance there's nothing that entitles you to a bigger car unless you've paid extra for a 'like for like'

Not sure in this instance who's supplied the car, if it's the body shop then chances are they won't have anything bigger, most have small cars as they're cheaper for them to buy.

 

[goon]

Hit a fox on the motorway a few years back in my old 90 2.2e (fantastic car) and was really expecting the worst when I got home to look at it and was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't a mark on it.

 

[Tom.H]

Hit a fox on the motorway a few years back in my old 90 2.2e (fantastic car) and was really expecting the worst when I got home to look at it and was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't a mark on it.

What about the car?