Opinions on possible damage to car

[dagsky]

Hi guys, was hoping to get some opinions on damage done to a car by the missus. We went to see a Mercedes CLK 320 V6 2002 model, fella told Missus take it for a test drive I’ll chat to your fella while you’re gone. She went on some country road and went over a bridge at speed which happens to have a steep dip on the other side, she hit the bottom of the dip, what speed I have no idea but I’ll assume at least 70, but she says no more than 40....

She came back and when she parked I noticed oil pool starting and she said she hit the bottom of the car. The fella is a diy mechanic & I said I’m more than happy to pay for the damage, he said not a problem & people not from the area always get caught out by the dip. Few hours later he rings & says that the engine block is cracked......

I’m not sure if he’s trying to have me on or not, 100% though I would say the oil pan is gone but the engine block? I’m sure the crossmembers would have taken any major brunt before the block. I’ve asked him to send me pics once I have em I can post them.

Do you think the damaged claimed is possible?

 

[Scotty75]

Oil sump very likely screwed but cracked block I highly doubt it . He's trying it on big time .

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[paulie102003]

Put it this way - I drive fast for a living and I have hit dips and speed bumps at high speeds - I have blown shocks, broken wheels etc, but never cracked an engine block. That engine is an aluminium block so it would be easier to break than a cast iron one however, the sump would have crumbled into pieces before enough force was transferred to the engine block. Ive been to cars written off, with half the front end missing and the engine blocks are fine. So the car would need to be in one heck of a hit where it likely assumed it had crashed before the block would even be possible to be cracked. So unless she deployed all the airbags and the car went into limp mode etc, there is no way she hit the road hard enough to do that damage so I call rubbish by him - he is trying his luck. The sumps on those cars are just below the cross members so if anything, damaged sump.

 

[dagsky]

Hi guys, thank you all very much for your input, I appreciate it! So armed with your guys replies and that of a trusted mechanic the story has changed from a cracked block to a BENT BLOCK!!!! ‍ even I know that’s a load of toss! So I called his bluff and asked him to bend a piece of concrete and if he did then I’d buy the car off him as is......needless to say the story changed when I went to see him. The sump or oil pan it may also be called is 100% cracked and I don’t dispute it, then he’s trying to tell me where the oil pan attaches on to the block( I think that’s where it attaches) that it is dented inwards & as such the 2 will not line up perfectly when a new pan is put on & this will lead to it leaking oil. I’m not sure if what he says is right...... I did try to take some pics but the sun was shining right through the gap so pics aren’t the best.

 

[paulie102003]

I still call rubbish on his side. The sump is definitely cracked, however, the engine block is a solid piece of aluminium which when hit from that angle is not going to break easily. There is no way you could ever bend an engine block like that. Its like taking a 5mm strip of aluminium and slamming it against a 2 foot semi thick slab of aluminium - which one would win without any damage? Id personally tell him to go shove it and tell him to take you to civil court. Guarentee he will drop it then. But thats just me.

Is there any actual damage to the sump other than that crack? Is the sump crushed in at all or damaged in any other way? If it is just that crack, then that wouldnt make sense regarding his view that your missus slammed the sump on the road. A crumbled sump and then a crack would make sense. Also, a 2002 car - thats 17 years old, I would suggest that its a possible age related failure rather than actual damage as that makes more sense to me

 

[Scotty75]

The whole situation seems dodgy to me . Walk away from it . Can't help thinking the guy was waiting for someone to make an easy buck from .

One word against another , nothing signed so just walk . He's changed his story with you rather quickly . Implies only dishonesty to me .

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[paulie102003]

Yup - middle finger held high. He would never be able to prove on the balance of probabilities that it was you specifically, so therefore it would never pass any thresholds in civil court (which is very expensive anyway and he would be covering all the costs initially anyway).

I personally wouldnt worry about it (and this is coming from someone with PTSD)

 

[dagsky]

thought i'd come back to post the outcome of this saga, apologies for the late update just been crazy busy at work! I had a local mechanic come out to inspect it & £70 later the job was done.......before this though he had tried it on with the missus to say ok lets do this, i'll take your BMW off you ( he saw the for sale sign on it when she went to see the car) plus £600 cash and we'll call it even, she told him to sod off! At this point i told the fella here's my details feel free to pursue me through the courts or i'll have a local mechanic repair it, take your pick

Thanks to all you guys for your input!