Ok, so I take my LS to a mechanic I have used for about a year. I tell him of the fuel pump that I have to double ignition turn to load up enough to stay running at temps below 50. He agrees the fuel pump is the culprit. It takes about a week and I call to check on my car and he says I need to come see him. Upon my arrival, he wants to know do I carry full coverage on this car, I do. He then tells me we need to file on rodent damage. The entire wiring harness is eaten up. It was running fine except early in the morning when it was cold, but ok. So I contact them and sure enough, they will cover it. They contact him and tell him to tear it down and they will come look and approve the work. They arrive 4 days later and the car is not touched. They approve 369 dollars for what he can show them and instruct him to do the job and send in a supplement request. He did not tear it down because he was afraid they would not pay him, his story. So he puts in a wiring harness he says but cannot get the computers to communicate or something. He puts it behind a tow truck and sends it to a guy 50 miles away to complete the job. I have been there several times and there is always some other problem. I contact the insurance company and they say they have tried to contact him but he will not return their calls, the car is still not back, ok get this, he has had this car since December 20 and June 20 will be six months. What would you do?
My car is on vacation
- Thread starter Maxx
- Start date
roman_capps
Active LVC Member
Hmmm kinda tough I would act calm and then when they last expect it give them hell for it but, that's all you, people are lazy.
1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
well first things first, you have been there several times and everytime there is a different problem but yet, you continue to keep going there... theres your fist problem...
aside form that, do you know exactly where the car is? if not, then you need to stop dicking around and get some sh!t figured out.
what would I have done? well after a couple of weeks (or less if there was no communication), I would have had the car towed to a proper place like a ford dealership and got the insurance to pay for the work they said that they would pay for... the fact that its been 6 months is a major problem that is both their fault and some of which is your fault(for letting it go on this long).
however what would I do now that it has gone way to far. exactly what should have been done months ago, go to the car, and get it towed somewhere else right away... its really as simple as that. if they won't/can't tell you where the car is, then you need to have the police involved, as in meet you there at the shop so that they can start their investigation into you stolen car that you are about to report.
at this point its been six months, so that means one of two things is going on...
either the car is not getting worked on at all, or there has been so much work done in labor alone that the insurance company would have considered this a total lose and would have cut the check months ago. there is also the third possibility that they fukced up so bad on the car that they cant figure out how to fix it, or don't feel like putting in the time or their money to make the repairs needed, either way, somebody's insurance needs to be cutting the check...
aside form that, do you know exactly where the car is? if not, then you need to stop dicking around and get some sh!t figured out.
what would I have done? well after a couple of weeks (or less if there was no communication), I would have had the car towed to a proper place like a ford dealership and got the insurance to pay for the work they said that they would pay for... the fact that its been 6 months is a major problem that is both their fault and some of which is your fault(for letting it go on this long).
however what would I do now that it has gone way to far. exactly what should have been done months ago, go to the car, and get it towed somewhere else right away... its really as simple as that. if they won't/can't tell you where the car is, then you need to have the police involved, as in meet you there at the shop so that they can start their investigation into you stolen car that you are about to report.
at this point its been six months, so that means one of two things is going on...
either the car is not getting worked on at all, or there has been so much work done in labor alone that the insurance company would have considered this a total lose and would have cut the check months ago. there is also the third possibility that they fukced up so bad on the car that they cant figure out how to fix it, or don't feel like putting in the time or their money to make the repairs needed, either way, somebody's insurance needs to be cutting the check...
3.9-LS
Active LVC Member
Have you paid them any money yet? Make sure you take lots of pictures for evidence.
I have paid no one. My opinion is that he sent it away for computer problems he could not fix and then had them hold it so that he gets paid. Problem as I see it, besides the fact that I don't have my car, is that he will not be able to justify all he says he has done, the insurance company will not give him what he wants and he will want more than the deductible from me to cover his loss. Personally, I believe he intended to scam the insurance company and it did not work. The car is in another city about 50 miles away last week.
1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
the first thing I would do is tell the guy you gave your car to, that he has failed fixed what he said he could do, you now believe that he is incapable of making the repair. it needs to be taken elsewhere.
call the insurance company, and get their ass in gear, they will probably need to make some decisions, either they can pay for what they authorized or if the repair bill is too high, they can consider it a total loss and write it off and get you paid (sucks but then at least you can go and buy a new car since your is probably FUBAR by now...) or hell if they think that they have been scammed, then they can go after them...
is this not the fact of the matter? why is there confusion as to what you need to do to get your car? what is he actually telling you?
call the insurance company, and get their ass in gear, they will probably need to make some decisions, either they can pay for what they authorized or if the repair bill is too high, they can consider it a total loss and write it off and get you paid (sucks but then at least you can go and buy a new car since your is probably FUBAR by now...) or hell if they think that they have been scammed, then they can go after them...
is this not the fact of the matter? why is there confusion as to what you need to do to get your car? what is he actually telling you?
Telco
Dedicated LVC Member
If you want to keep the car and not have it totaled, take it to Ford and file a suit against the mechanic. Hopefully the mechanic has liability insurance, if that's the case you can press them to fix the car or replace it with an identical car with the same or lower mileage, at least the same year or newer.
WARNING - if you file a police report, understand that the cloud of suspicion will also fall upon you the instant they get the idea that this might be an insurance scam. Before filing a police report I think I'd discuss it with a good attorney. The attorney will be able to give you advice on how to handle the police report (might even have a detective come over to take a report before heading to the garage) and at least will be apprised of the situation in case the police do decide that you were a willing participant of an insurance scam.
This is one of the reasons I either turn my own wrenches, or use a dealer shop if something is beyond my abilities and I try my damnedest to make sure that nothing is beyond my capabilities. The dealer is more expensive, and presents its own challenges, but you're almost certain to never see this sort of problem. About the only time I use an independent shop is when it involves an alignment or tire work.
Good luck, and I mean that. You are going to need it.
WARNING - if you file a police report, understand that the cloud of suspicion will also fall upon you the instant they get the idea that this might be an insurance scam. Before filing a police report I think I'd discuss it with a good attorney. The attorney will be able to give you advice on how to handle the police report (might even have a detective come over to take a report before heading to the garage) and at least will be apprised of the situation in case the police do decide that you were a willing participant of an insurance scam.
This is one of the reasons I either turn my own wrenches, or use a dealer shop if something is beyond my abilities and I try my damnedest to make sure that nothing is beyond my capabilities. The dealer is more expensive, and presents its own challenges, but you're almost certain to never see this sort of problem. About the only time I use an independent shop is when it involves an alignment or tire work.
Good luck, and I mean that. You are going to need it.
chocolat1701
Dedicated LVC Member
so you actually authorized it to go 50 miles away and it was not a dealer. 6 months its too long go over there and have it towed if they don't want to give it to you call the police and report it stolen. but a lot of it is your fault since 6 months is not a reasonable time for any repair.
1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
this. (which should have been done over 5 months ago...)
anybody want to bet on if there car is still there? by now its likely that its been stripped and shipped. that car is probably all over the world by now...
Well, waited until month six, yesterday, and went to the shop. I said it's our anniversary! He gave me the keys, told me it was fixed, said the insurance company denied him any money, told me to get my car off his lot and don't bring it back. FREE, yeah I had to wait six months, but it runs better than ever, and boy did I miss it.
1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
sounds like he was trying to pull something fishy.
first the insurance company told him they would cover it, then they tell him they won't...
well at least you finally got it back, so thats god news.
first the insurance company told him they would cover it, then they tell him they won't...
well at least you finally got it back, so thats god news.