The Body Shop is Killing my FJ

yoda · 12-12-2006, 07:53 AM

I cliped a guard rail a few weeks back and had to take it in for a few repairs. I did damage to the front bumper wing, front fender, fender flair and bumper. The rear fender flair , bumper wing and the rear bumper . I aslo had to have the steering knuckle replaced. To make a long story short i have had to take it back 3 times . They keep messing stuff up on the truck missing parts loose bolts or missing bolts or clips . When i took it back the 2nd time because stuff was screwed up they said the would buff the scrathes out that i had gotten from of roading as a courtesy to me . In the process of buffing it they screwed up both front fender flairs . So this past friday i took it in to have them replaced , when they where done this is what i found.These are the fender flairs they took off the painted one is the drivers side and is a original flare and the other one is the new one they put on after the accident .

Now the story gets good. Notice how the painted one on the left has been broken that piece goes behind the moulding that runs down the rocker panel.How do you think it got broken ?

Here's a photo of the other end that goes behind the bumper .

Notice how one end is cut not broken, this is the flair that was put on right after the accident by the shop. Yesterday i meet with the Gieco rep the owner of the shop and the guy who put the flaires on the truck . My first question was how did the piece that went behind the rocker moulding get busted . I got no response and the guy that did the work start to get ****ty with me . I showed them where the rocker mouldings where pulled away and they said they did not see a proplem with them . Meanwhile the worker is getting nastier with me and told me i was being petty . I then asked what happen to the other end that went behind the front bumper . The guy told me that they cut them to get them off the truck and the flaires where only a one time use . Why is only one piece cut and the other is not. Then all of a sudden the worker threatens me and tells me he gets off at 5 and i can meet him in the parking lot . If this had been one of my other vehicles i would of kicked his ars right there , but my fj is to important to me. I racked my brain last night trying to figure out what they did . I got under the truck and discovered that they had cut the brand new pieces so that they would slide back behind the bumper instead of taking the bumper off. I think most of it you guys could figure this out for yourselfs by looking at the photos. The Gieco rep wants me to give them 1 more shot i think not 3 strikes and your out. Herre are some more photos. This photo is of a repair they did to the window trim that one of the workers stuck a screwdriver too when they where fixing the fj.

This is a picture of the drivers side door ,look at the door and where the hinges meet and you'll notice there is a trim pice missing.

This is the drivers side and what the passengers side should look like.

More damage

***Bostonian1976*** · 12-12-2006, 07:58 AM

body shops scare me. I pray that I never hurt my FJ.

sorry for your misfortune. take it to a Toyota dealer and ask them for a recommendation

gascolator · 12-12-2006, 08:02 AM

Is Geico going to see to it that this stuff gets taken care of?

Seems to me that since the shop worker was abusive and threatening
to you, you're within your rights to say "I'm not bringing my vehicle
back to that shop, I'm choosing another one and it's up to you, Geico,
to settle with the first one."

dau666 · 12-12-2006, 08:05 AM

dude....sorry to hear...but you should not go back there again and get your insurance involved asap and document it....This is not professional work there plenty bodyshop out there...

KiltedBishop · 12-12-2006, 08:06 AM

that is just messed up! At least you are documenting it, that is a good idea. Have you contacted the Better Business Buearu? Let Geico know, the BBB know, and then let the shop know what you have done. Some places are pathetic, that is what I hated most about finding a new place to work on my vehicle.

Jack · 12-12-2006, 08:08 AM

The worker wants to pick a fight with you and your agent wants you to take your vehicle back there????? **** that! They will F your vehicle up big time!

yoda · 12-12-2006, 08:09 AM

Geico whats me to let the same shop fix it for the 4th time . There are alot more proplems than what i posted . I'm waiting for a supervisor from Geico to call me back . This shop will not touch my fj again , if i have to i'll fix it myself and then take them to court to get the money back .

NECruiser · 12-12-2006, 08:13 AM

This is why I never keep a vehicle after it's been hit and fixed, not to mention rust if you have to replace quarter panels or rockers. You know based upon the shoddy work so far it's going to get worse over time. Hopefully the shop you're using was one of Geico's recommended so that they own part of the mess.

**Corey** · 12-12-2006, 08:15 AM

As others have said, do not go back.
Document all the words that were exchanged by you and this shop, the worker, ect.

If your Geico agnet does not do anything, take it higher than him.

I would not go back there for anything.

If you get this fixed at another shop, the first shop needs to be reconized here and elsewhere as shysters, so no one else will go there.

FJockey · 12-12-2006, 08:17 AM

Sucks. And this is one of many reasons that I would never trust Geico.