Opinions... ripple on hood (1 Viewer)

[a990dna]

I've had my new 2005 LC in the shop for several "new" vehicle issues over the past 9 months .. the most recent to find and fix a knock in the frame rail. Well, the nimrods left a divot on my hood near the cowl where the sheetmetal is formed--I can see the ripple when I'm driving.

I've already talked with the Service Manager... there's no scratches, however someone must have leaned on top of it with their weight.

He said they have the "best body shop" and will re-paint it.

what would you do?
1. allow the nimrods to re-spray.
2. take it somewhere I know would make it right.
3. get over the obsession to expect flawless body and paint on new vehicle.

Anyone know the brand and type of paint Toyota uses on the LC?

 

[aedgington]

First of all, I would not repaint.

Secondly, and I'm in the car business, if painting is necessary I would ask them for compensation for diminished value. REGARDLESS of the reason, paint work on a vehicle --especially a high line like a LC-- diminishes it's value.

If an '05 LC ran at the auction with paint work, there would be dealers that would not even bid on it because of that paint work.

For that reason, and for the reason that diminished value is VERY difficult to quantify, I would ask them if they had any PDR (paintless dent repair) vendors that could take it out. Hail & dent specialists can do wonders.

...and hell no it's not obsessive to expect a year old luxury vehicle to be perfect... as it was when you left it with them.

 

[100 TD]

When our LC was a week old my wife backed into a bollard and scratched the rear bumper, the words i said weren't "Oh dear, how unfortunate" but should have been. Since then it has had a finger dent and a few more tiny scratches, then I hit a roo, and had the bumper, guard, head light replaced/painted. Its 3 years old now and I am less concerned about damage.

However, I know the feeling, I would definitely go down the vacuum dent removal process or alternately leave it altogether and put up with it, before I had it resprayed. I suppose you could say to the dealer to swap the hood out for one on the lot! (I know the response you would get)

 

[Tinkerer]

"PDR" or paintless dent removal would be my first try.

There are independent guys who make their living removing small dents & dings on a piecework basis. They go from car dealer to car dealer on any given day. "Dent Doctor" is one franchise for this, in SE USA.

They will smooth the ding from the inside of the sheet metal, without touching the exterior painted surface, using special tools. Cost: Maybe $50 to less than $100 per ding.

I've seen amazingly good results from this.

I agree on avoiding re-paint if possible. But there are a few shops that do a decent job of this nowadays - ask your insurance company to recommend a few in your area, if you decide to do this. (They should have a record of who does good work, vs. who does shoddy work.)

The "Diminished Value" thing is true. I persuaded an insurance company to pay me $250 for Diminished Value of my Honda Odyssey, after their client damaged a front corner & it was repaired/repainted. But the insurance companies will not offer this reimbursement, and they negotiate hard to pay as little as possible for this if you ask them to pay in such cases, so stand your ground and push for reimbursement if you believe it is due because of repaint etc. (In my case, I started higher, the Ins. Co. lowballed, and we settled somewhere in the middle.) The auto body repair and insurance companies all acknowledge this diminished value fact.

 

[a990dna]

Thanks for the input. I agree a re-spray is not the best approach. I try to be optimistic and give dealerships and their employees the benefit of the doubt---they make it very difficult at times.

I think I'll take it in to show the Service Manager... and at the least get a documented statement with their intentions and go from there. I may have to live with it.. or I may pursue the "PDR" route.

Thus far, I'm convinced the Land Cruiser doesn't belong in the hands of a mainstream Toyota dealership.