I took my fiance's new '05 RX330 to Tweeter for a simple speaker upgrade, Sirius install, box enclosure install with two amps. When the work was completed (16 1/2 hours later), there was $3600.00 in damage to the interior . The installer chipped the wood gear shift ****, severly scratched the shift gate (PRND32L), scratched the vinyl next to the glove box, scratched the front passenger door leather, (top) and speaker baffle (bottom), scratched both the leather and vinyl on the rear passenger door, and the door that hides the cupholders in the middle console. When I took the vehicle in to the dealer, the gave an estimate and stated that they would have to replace both passenger doors, gear shift ****, gear shift gate and cupholder door. When the vehicle was brought in it had less than 300 miles on the odometer. We are now going through their insurance company to make them pay.

A $1,034 audio upgrade turned into a $4,649 headache.

 

Wow, what a moron installer. I guess he wasn't MECP certified. They have a section in the test the specifically talks about how to take care of customers cars and not damange anything. Anyway, I don't install for a living but I do it as a hobby. I have taken my RX330 radio out, and most of the entire rear trim and liners in the rear hatch and haven't damaged anything. I can't believe how careless some people are. Its not even that hard to remove the panels in the RX330 and yet they put a scratch on practically everything they touched.

 

Was this guy drunk when he tried to install your stuff?

 

man, i would go nuts if that happened to my new car.. ive seen even scarier stuff-- i remember when a guy was having a phone installed in a new bmw--this was a long time ago--.. anyway, the installer decided to screw the base into the floor thru the carpet--big mistake..
they screwed into a bunch of wires--shorted a bunch of stuff -- it was a horrible mess..

i bet this stuff happens all the time--especially when your not able to talk to the installer- and the installer has some young guy working for him--with little experience..--your better off installing the stuff yourself, or not doing it at all..

 

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...97&postcount=6

I've heard a number of these stories over the last few years, and it seems they're getting worse. Thanks for passing this one along, teracon. We hope all works out for you. Good luck!

BTW, Welcome to CL - hope to meet up with you under better circumstances!

 

The installer was said to be the most experienced in the area (Tweeter arear that is). I felt comfortable at first since he wasn't all that young (late 30's) and when asked about his experience we both were told that he has done many customized installs on many vehicles. This one would be easier.

The first day they (Tweeter) had it, I dropped it off at 10 AM and was told by the installer that he would work on the RX330 first. At 5PM, I called the store and was told that he just installed the speakers (the wrong speakers!!!). This was a bait and switch here since it was Boston Acoustics that was purchased, instead a set of S-Type Alpines were used.

Since I was getting off work and my car was at home, I told him to put the car back together and that I would bring it back the next day. I had to drive in DC Metro traffic for over an hour with no working radio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was pissed to say the least.

So far, we (my fiance - "owner" and I) have placed (4) calls into their insurance company since faxing them the estimate from Lexus. Guess what? No call yet. There is no one else at Zurich (Tweeter's insurance) to talk to. I just placed another call and threatened to contact my attorney.

When I take my IS in, I will visit Myer Emco for my audio install. They did a fantastic install on my Benz. Sorry to vent so much.......

 

I am a DIY junkie and would claim my expertiese at an advanced hobbiest ... certainly not a pro. I have on occasions made a mistake or two but the damage due to accident has always been limited to one area. It is easy for me to say but the extent of damage looks/sounds malicious.

Learning for every one is that the probability of a mess up rises with the amount of the work. In your case..
1st install (with wrong speakers).
Removal
2nd install.
And some where in between a temp wrap up at the end of the first day for you to drive the vehicle.

The installer might have had a bad day and or lost time on your vehicle and sadly took it out on your vehicle.


When you do get through to the insurance agency, be prepared as they will try to talk you into "repairs" and not necessarily replacement. Hope this works out for you.


Salim

 

"There was $3600.00 in damage to the interior . The installer chipped the wood gear shift ****, severly scratched the shift gate (PRND32L), scratched the vinyl next to the glove box, scratched the front passenger door leather, (top) and speaker baffle (bottom), scratched both the leather and vinyl on the rear passenger door, and the door that hides the cupholders in the middle console. . When the vehicle was brought in it had less than 300 miles on the odometer. We are now going through
Uhh...heir insurance company to make them pay."

I do not know much but if that was my new car, that installer and his boss just purchased a new RX330 with 300 miles on it. Make them give you a new car you will always think about the problems that you had with this one. I had a 1991
Dodge Dakota that a paint contractor put over spray on it with a coating that they could not get off
and would have to repaint the truck I made their insurance company buy me a new truck and my Dakota had 600 miles on it. Cost them $5000 to trade trucks.

 

I hate to hear stuff like this. Too many people don't give a *$%@ about anyone's property.

 

I think making them buy a new car is a bit too much. It was only interior trim pieces that got scratched, All t hose pieces mentioned are very easy to replace and will be as good as new. now in your case over spray on the paint is a different story as you can't exactly replace an OEM paint finish by puttin in new parts.

 

If they're easy to replace, why did the installer tear 'em up? I surely wouldn't trust the service dept. where I bought my RX to not F something else up or introduce some rattles replacing the stuff the installer messed up.

 

Probably because the installer was careless. I've taken most of those pieces off myself already aside fom the door panels. I've taken apart my other Lexus and Acura door panels to know that it is not too difficult and there is no need to damage them if you do it right and carefully. Everyhing is just help in by clips, or clips and screws. It really isn't hard to disassemble things just as long as you take your time. In my SC400 I had my entire enterior out and back in. Now, I realize not everyone wants to do this kind of work themselves, but if you are an installer, you do this for a living so you have no excuse to be that careless. To be honest, I have friends that own their own audio shops and are MECP certified installers. Often I trust them to take a car apart more than the dealership techs. When I used to work at a dealer just out of high school back in 1990, I learned a lot from watching the service techs. Not all of them are good at taking interior panels apart. Some are great and engine work, some do brakes, some can disassemble a car to intall an AC. What I learned is often the techs theselves still need to study the service manual to to a certain job.
Anyway, all said and done, I put 100% blame on the installers that worked on his RX330.

 

Yes, trade out the cars. They are already into $3600 into this repair. How much more to replace the car out I do not care? There is no wholesale on a new car Its is all the fault of the installers that worked on his RX330 so he out of a job and his boss’s insurance rates goes up. You break it you bought it. Maybe that shop will only have first-rate installers from now on or they are out of business. Whichever, way it goes this does not happen to the next guy that could be you. Shop owners in south Alabama just do not these kinds of things. There are to many red necks that would just beat the dog crap out of the installer his boss and the owner for messing up his ride.
What was the audio upgrade that started all of this in the first place?

 

This is kind of off topic. But I would like to have XM installed and would like to know how the install looks in terms of how well it is integrated (if so) w/the dash. Thanks. I live in MD and would probably do it at Myer-Emco as well.

 

Thus far, the Sirius looks ok in the RX330 from Tweeter. She (my fiance) is fine with the positioning of the Sirius. They placed it using a "universal" mounting bracket between the right radio **** and the below the airbag. Not too good of a place if the airbag does go off.

On my Mercedes Benz, I had an Alpine headunit installed with a Sirius tuner at Myer Emco. I can honestly say that they did a spectacular job. They even cleaned off the dash and seats when they were done.

For resale on the RX330, it is on a 4-year lease. After the lease, she intends to trade it in for and '08 (if they still make it then).