SeOuLiS250

iTrader: (5)

hello everyone,
I'm opening up this thread for my friend's IS250
his IS got into an accident in May and was sent to the body shop the next day..but the problem is that his car is still in the body shop!
this car is a lease and he pays nearly $700, that's including insurance, every month..so basically he's paid $2,800(4 months) so far for a car that's been sitting in the bodyshop..

the car was damaged pretty bad so they had to take out the front engine and replace the frames and some other stuff on the driver side, but it surely shouldn't have taken no longer than 2 months,,right?

the story from the body shop is that the "GUY" who was working on my friend's car disassembled the car and quit the job
so nobody was working on the car for at least a month and half,,and they didn't even inform this to my friend..and now that
they have this one guy to work on it,,it's taking forever for him to assemble the car because he's working on 5 different cars at the same time..
the only thing that bodyshop has done for my friend is getting him a rental car
but they are still asking for the deductible , $1000..

he has a black interior/exterior and it was a brand new one..he drove for a month before the accident,,now the car has turned dark brown inside out because those morons left the windows down..

so what I'm really asking here is:
is there anthing that we can do?
I was thinking of just grabbing all the parts and take it to another bodyshop..

please let me know if you know any way to help out my friend
or
expedite the process of getting his car back fully repaired..

thanks for your time and for your help!

Pineapple

I would bring the car to get repaired at a Lexus Service Center. It would be the most expensive route but insurance will pay for it right (assuming the other party is at fault)?

sincityIS

Based on the amount of damage you say the car had, it sounds like it should have been totaled.

TimboIS

It's unibody construction, there is no frame. Sounds like a scam.

Big Andy

There is a bolt on front sub-assembly or they may mean front suspension assemblies.

trio

have him talk to the insurance company adjuster. they're supposed to be on top of things.

kilo6_one

iTrader: (2)

contact the insurance company, they expect the car to be repaired in a reasonable amount of time, 7 monthes is unacceptable.Sounds like its a sketchy shop to begin with. you always have the right to take the car and go somewhere else, consult your adjuster on the options, the are paying for this.

ben_r_

I agree! And even when he does get it back its going to be so trashed I would refuse it and push to have Lexus look it over and catch theyre mistakes which Im sure are there. That car should be in a junk yard right now being auctioned off as a salvaged piece of metal and he should be driving a brand new one!

SeOuLiS250

iTrader: (5)

thanks everyone..
I've been telling my friend to talk to his insurance agent about the
situation,,I'm really hoping for his agent to get him a new car
thanks again everyone..I just needed to know how other people would
react to this situation..
have great day!

aznxenon

dang that sucks. got any pix of how badly the car is?

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

That car sounds totalled...

SeOuLiS250

iTrader: (5)

no pics sorry guys..
my friend went down there today and gave them the due date..
if it's not done by next Friday, we gonna pack up all his stuff and take it
to the dealer..
I'll take pics if it's not done by then...

ngogsr

iTrader: (1)

a lot of shops like to BS around, dont waste anymore time. Take the car n dont pay them

dan206

lol yeah serious why is he dealing with it? The insurance company should be the ones talking to them. I would not even tempt to drive it if its been taken full apart by those guys. Damn Feel bad for your friend.

CRB

How did your "freind" ( I always love that form of anonymity.) end up with his expensive lease car disassembled at this unprofessional and lethargic shop?

That is my first question and the answer to it might indicate the course of action.

If the insurance company steered him into this boondoggle then "he" should be all over them to move the job to a competent shop. Insurance companies love low bidders but the problem is too often the service and work is commensurable with the price.

Dealerships know the good shops ( and get deals from them usually). A good practice is to ask who the dealer used for bodywork and get your, whoops his, insurance company to use them.

Being $2.8K into a repair that should be covered on an insured car is a pretty tough and pricey pill to swallow. Taking a long time to repair cars is becoming more common, Motorweek waited ~8 weeks to get their SRT8 300C fixed (special off-site tech was required) and the parts wait for some current model European cars can be close to two months, which is appalling.

But even taking those facts into account, your friend has been a bit too patient in this matter, I would suggest.