Caliber Collision Warning

Here are the results of the inspection of my vehicle after repairs were done by Caliber Collision.

I’m posting this to ensure that the members of this forum are aware of what happened to me.

I only went with Caliber because of the long wait time for repairs at other shops in the area, and I needed my vehicle for work. Clearly the “5 Star Review” shows just how reliable ratings like that are.

It’s getting evaluated now to see if it’s worth saving or if it should be branded as salvage.

Inspection Report:
2023 Toyota Tacoma

Indications of Poor Panel Prep and Bodywork Resulting in the Following Issues:

• Dirt in paint.
• Fisheye in paint.
• Drips in paint.
• Pinholes in paint.
• Orange Peel in paint (minor).
• Non-stock paint sheen applied to bumper cover.
• Waves and imperfections in filler.

Indications of Substandard Structural Repairs Resulting in the Following Issues:

• Unpainted damage visible on passenger inner fender substructure visible through panel gap.
• Unpainted damage to right inner fender frame horn either a result of the accident damage or the substandard repair conducted at Caliber Collision in New Franken.
• Unpainted Hammer marks to interior structural ribs of hood.
• Inappropriate use of filler to repair structural ribs of exterior of hood.
• Unpainted and improperly repaired damage to radiator support
• Unpainted Hammer marks in evidence on inner portion of support structure.
• Passenger headlight pattern noticeably higher than driver side.

(Request name and qualifications of technician responsible for structural repairs and methods used to measure and straighten during “subsequent pulls.”)

Substandard Mechanical Repairs Resulting in the Following Issues:

• Unrepaired damage to transmission cooler.
• Constricted and improper bends to air conditioner lines evident

(Request documentation that repair was performed by a certified technician.)

• Gurgling noise under dashboard and under fillment of cooling system indicative of unbled cooling system.

(Request documentation that repairs were conducted by ASE Certified mechanic.)

• Popping and rattles evident primarily during left turns and over Road imperfections indicative of undiagnosed and unrepaired suspension damage.

(Request documentation of measurements and methods used to check and adjust damage to frame.)

• No evidence alignment was performed post Collision despite structural damage directly impacting the area and requiring “subsequent pulls” to straighten

(Request explanation as to why an alignment was not performed.)

• Persistent pulsing moan verified during test drive independent of tire noise. Most evident during light throttle inputs. Most notable between 40 to 50 mph on flat surfaces. Noise not evident in control vehicle which was a 2022 Tacoma SR with 29,000 miles having no history of accidents.
• No test drive was conducted post-repair to confirm vehicle met standards of safety and drivability. (Mileage in: 39,998 Mileage out: 39,998)

Substandard workmanship in assembly of body panels resulting in the following issues:

• Missing attachment hardware for bumper cover.
• Missing attachment hardware for cowl drain pan.

• Missing attachment hardware for Fender liners.
• OEM steel body Hardware replaced by plastic
• Non OEM attachment method used along Fender lip on driver and passenger side.

(Mounting tabs bent upwards creating reservoir for water and salt to accumulatewith plastic or nylon Hardware substituted for OEM Steel)

• Unsanded parting lines on substandard aftermarket plastic pieces in the area of the grill and Hood indicates zero prep work was performed to the surface before the application of paint.
• Excessive and uneven panel gaps evident on 100% of replaced or repaired panels indicative of structural damage and or improper installation

(Toyota OEM tolerance on panel gaps is 3-6 mm)

• Aftermarket radiator support air deflector unattached with missing hardware. This appears to be missing attachment points entirely. This piece is likely not for a 2023 Toyota Tacoma.

(Request documentation and invoices for aftermarket parts to document cost, part number and source.)

 

are you specifically requesting everything in italics, or is that part of the new inspection?

because at least in my area, i know multiple mechanics that pursued their ASE certifications in training, but then never sought to keep them up to date and let them lapse at the first renewal window once they had a full-time job as mechanics because no one really cares about it.

certifications in body work are also very much a gray area. most shops are so hurting for people, their main interview questions are "do you have tools?" and "can you fog this mirror?"

much of what i can infer from what went wrong really looks like it was improperly quoted by the front office, and the guys in back (the one's who's certifications are being demanded, but the front office certifications aren't being demanded), were told to make what they had work because there wasn't anything else included in the quotation.

that might be splitting hairs, but it's an important distinction because no matter how well-certified the guys in the back are or aren't, if the front of the shop isn't doing the paperwork or parts ordering correctly, the repair will always be sub-par. this is no different than yelling at a brand new cashier at starbucks for a corporate price increase.

i don't know the conditions that led to the repair, but it's extremely odd that damaged parts were hammered/altered back to fit. the majority of the time, things like hoods or radiator supports are entirely replaced. it's far more cost effective, with less issues(like this) later on. it's why panel-beating is mostly reserved for hard-to-find parts on classic cars. it's not that it's a difficult task, but it's extremely time intensive to do correctly, and absolutely not worth the time when replacement parts are easily available for a common vehicle.

 

That was an independent inspection to enumerate what was wrong with the initial repair.

Yesterday the vehicle was brought to a large GM dealership where my friend is the service manager.

The collision center agreed with the basics of the inspection, but their VP said they won’t work on it and informed my insurer that it shouldn’t be driven.

The vehicle was then brought on a flatbed to a large independent body shop that operates on the grounds of an independent Chrysler dealer.

They have agreed to disassemble the vehicle and document everything.

My insurance company is onboard and has provided me a vehicle to use as it gets sorted out.

I agree with you about the cost effectiveness of simply removing damaged parts and replacing them vs hammering them back into shape and finishing correctly.

Paying a kid $15 per hour to pound them back into a vague approximation of their original shape and then hanging the cheapest possible replacement parts where that isn’t possible is clearly this shop’s business model.

 

Caliber is a franchise like dozens of other facilities.

Aamco, Firestone, Midas, etc etc but we can't paint them all with the same brush

Quality at any of them depends on management hiring practices, work assignments and oversight. Some locations are quite good, too many not so much. It takes effort and some luck to figure out which is which most times.

And i agree, reviews are pretty meaningless in most cases. Because even a 'real' and honest reviewer is often clueless what really happened.