New 2011 truck. Door to be repaired soon

Hi,

Sorry for introducing myself in these circumstances, but I need some help from any member with experience with auto body repair or finding if an auto body repair shop has committed fraud.

I'll try to make it short to get to the point:
I have a 4 month old 2011 Double cab. First part of December my neighbor backed into my front passenger side door. Both his insurance company and my insurance company state that the outer panel (outer skin, sorry, don't know the technical term) will need to be replaced since the door is in two parts. They stated that they have quoted for a new outer panel. Out of 3 auto body shops, I have finally narrowed it down to one. I will be dropping it off tomorrow.

Here's the problem. I have asked that I see the damaged door that they have swapped it out for and hopefully they will replace it with a new door. I have heard the usual story of auto body shops buying a new door, saving the receipt, returning the new door, then going to a car junk yard and getting a door from another truck and putting that onto the vehicle claiming that it is new. I have also been told by friends that it is a lost cause ans that any body shop will replace it with a used one and tell me that it is new so they can save on profit.

I know it sounds a little like whining (and from reading this as I type, it sounds like I am), but it's my first truck/Toyota and it's brand new. I really want to make sure that it is a brand new door.

So my outrageous question is, does anyone have advice to make sure that a new door is put onto the vehicle and if not, does most body shops keep the receipts from Toyota an give copies to the customer without argument.

I know it sounds like me being picky, but thank you for sticking through this post and thanks in advance for responding!

-Wes

 

Hard to say. Does anyone know if our doors are marked w/our vin # or a serial #?..You could also ask them to keep you updated w/pics....my body shop did,or ask to see the old door when its done.

 

You should have insisted that the Toyota DEALER replace your door. Check your policy and call your insurance company and let them know your concerns. The insurance company is not your friend.

 

Why would you allow anyone other than a dealer repair your truck? Older vehicles, no question but brand new. Not me!

 

Take it to a dealership that has a bodyshop. They are more expensive than private shops, dealerships usually uses new OEM parts that's why they're more expensive. In your case, the other guy's insurance is paying for it, so who cares.

 

Im with the guys who stated the dealer should fix it and by the way it's okay to be an asshole when you have to be. It's a brand new truck and "it's your brand new truck." I'd go along with discussing this with the adjuster handling your claim and let him know your concerns. You might be surprised with his answer...especially if it's happened to him before....

 

I was unaware that dealerships didn't have body shops. The dealerships I've been to have them. I wasn't talking about the buy here, pay here places. Perhaps you are correct.

 

I got burned once by falling for the "take it to 3 shops and get an estimate" scam. Let me guess....both you and your neighbor have the SAME insurance company??

Call your insurance company and insist that an AUTHORIZED TOYOTA REPAIR FACILITY repair your vehicle with OEM parts. End of discussion.

 

A lot of insurance policys let a shop put on used/aftermarket parts after its one model year old. Check the fine print.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. I wasn't expecting so many to respond. Guess I picked the best place to ask my question.

My neighbor and I have different insurance companies from one another. Both of our insurance companies have written on the collision report to have a new outer panel installed. The dealership in the county that I live in (where I bought it from), does not have an auto body repair shop, but sends repairs to an auto body shop in town. Problem is that the auto body shop that does repairs for them is the same one where I'm hearing from several people about their experiences in which they make the repair but do not replace with a new part.

There is a body shop that I may trust, which should show me the damaged outer panel after they have swapped it out, but I wouldn't be able to tell if they replaced it with a used outer door panel.

It's going to be complicated, but I'm going to try to work it out where it will get repaired at a Toyota dealership that is a hour and a half away.

http://dickdyertoyota.com/Toyota-Certified-Collision-Center/

There's too much going on, but January is just a REALLY f'd up bad time for me to figure out how to get it to Columbia (or anywhere for that matter). The collision was on December 9th and his insurance company JUST sent in the money today. It's my fault for not thinking this through about getting a certified Toyota repair place instead of just going with what was around. Somehow I have to make all this happen before January 3rd.

 

From what you are describing they aren't replacing the whole door anyways just the door skin, they'd have to be pretty damn shady to put a used door skin on it.

 

go to a dealer and get it done broski the other guys insurance legally cannot tell you no to a request of that nature. i got rearended and the other guys insurance tried to tell me i could only go to their prefferred body shop i told my ladies at state farm about it and they raised cane and threatened to get lawyers involved if they didnt do my every request. the other guys insurance bended to my every want i took it to the most expensive, nicest paint shop had all new components installed and for rental i got a brand new chevy malibu when they originally booked me a hyundai accent lol

 

The door skin is stamped with a Toyota Logo on the inside, explain to them that you would like to see the door before they put they door panel back on. Or you could always just take the panel off yourself before you drop off the truck.

 

This whole thing seems so complicated. I've been told the door is in two parts, but I just can't see the separation despite the absolute door edge that is welded together. It seems to be simpler to replace the entire door. But the guy's insurance company (as well as mine) stated that the door won't be replaced unless there is damage inside of the door. But the fact that the window can go up and down pretty much sums it up that there is no internal damage.

I guess I'm just going to have to go with the local body shop that seems less shady and have them do it. I'll just ask to see the damaged door after everything is said and done and do what drewskie said about looking inside of the inner door panel.

 

I'd rather have an entire second hand door installed on my truck rather than someone trying to do a factory job on replacing the outer skin. At least with a second hand door you have factory quality (minus the repainting which would be done on the repaired door anyways). God only knows what type of panel glue a shop trying to make a profit will paste it together with? Not to mention most insurance companies use aftermarket new parts anyways - not OEM.

 

Just took a close look at the door. Can't find any kind of number. I don't know how the hell this door is in two parts unless they're talking about the inside plastic part.

http://www.sporttruck.com/techartic...a_tacoma_sirius_satellite_radio/photo_06.html

Otherwise it's two parts welded together. And if they have to "de-weld" a door just to weld an outer panel to it, then that just seems insane.

I'll ask to see the damaged door after it's done and a copy of the receipt from Toyota on the OEM door. If I can't get that then I'll tell the guy's insurance company that no auto body repair is working with me and to get me a new door at the dealer and have them put it on the truck.

Seems like the best option I guess.

 

The outer section is the skin. It has to be removed at the seam you speak of. This is why I stated earlier I would prefer a full second hand door versus a "fixed" door. Shops can do a good job with it, it's just that many don't.

Here is the process:

http://www.search-autoparts.com/sea...-Replacement/ArticleLong/Article/detail/66735

Good luck negotiating with the insurance company after the work has begun. At this point they have you by the gnads...

 

I have had this exact thing done after my little "incident" with the forest.

Ask the body shop to take pictures of the process. This is a common practice at many body shops nowadays.

The doors are two pieces, an outer and inner skin. To replace the outer skin the door has to be removed and the two panels separated, unwelded as one poster put it, and re-welded together.

Many shops that don't have good body techs will opt for a door that still has the factory weld and has an outer skin that is in good shape or can be repaired without needing to separate the halves.

In my case the door skin needed replacing and the welded the new one on. I stopped by every few days to see the progress and they took pics so I could tell it was an OEM skin and saw the welds.

There really are not too many body shops left that are willing to risk insurance fraud and losing any business because an insurance company delists them for shady practices. Not to say they aren't out there but they are much rarer than they used to be.

Make sure whatever shop you use offers a lifetime guarantee on their work. The better shops will. The one I used does.

Oh, my dealer does NOT have a body shop. They use a couple around town for their needs.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

 

Yeah my local dealership doesn't have a body shop. They contract out all their body work / dent repair .. including on vehicles still on lot. That being said, do you know this shop you're going to work with? Go down and meet the staff. Shake hands and ask your questions. My honest to God experience is 95% of people out there are good, honest and decent and not in the business of ripping people off.

Your bigger issue is if the insurance will cover OEM ... and on a brand new 2011 it absolutely should, especially if there's a loan out on the vehicle. The lein holder (i.e. the bank) also is in the business of protecting it's property, and until it's paid off, they own it. I got nailed by hail mid 2010, requiring a new hood and roof, and my bank would accept nothing but OEM.

 

Don't worry about getting a doorskin done. My fathers been doing them forever at his body shop, its a common thing.