Damage from lift install: dealer suggested repair v. shop suggested repair

Hello all,

I had my truck lifted about two months ago. Shortly after, I was rear ended. The airbag dash light came on, and I assumed it was due to the accident. However, the body shop diagnosed the light as a separate issue.

I took it to my local dealership, where the service techs determined that during the installation of the UCAs, the long bolt that mounts to the truck had been inserted in such a way that it severed the wires connecting to the front driver’s side airbag sensor in the bumper. The dealer service advisor claims that because it’s damage to the airbag system, they cannot simply repair the wiring, they have to replace the entire wiring harness at a cost of nearly $10k.

The shop that installed the lift is insistent that such an extensive repair is unnecessary, and that they can repair just the sensor easily at their expense. They believe that the dealer simply wants a pay day.

I’ve owned this truck for a year, and have only been driving for three years. I don’t have the experience to know who to believe, but I’m more inclined to side with the dealer, despite knowing that they typically overcharge.

I’ve contacted my insurance who will be starting their own investigation into the matter.

What do you guys think? Is the dealer right? Do I really need to have the entire wiring harness replaced?

 

The dealer is leaning on the side of liability. If they just spliced in some wires and it was "fixed" but then you got into an accident and died and they were taken to court, they would be liable for not fixing it correctly.

On the other hand, the body shop is "correct" when they claim that it could be fixed for much cheaper. It's just two wires likely that could be spliced together.

Now, the solution is up to you - do you want the cheap fix and always wonder if the splice will fail at some point and if you were to get into an accident, the airbag wouldn't go off and you suffer more injuries and potential death?

To me, it's not worth it. I would push for the full fix, not the half-ass fix that will probably-but-maybe-not-work-when-you-really-need-it fix.

More airbags and better safety rating was a huge reason I upgraded from my 1st gen to a 2nd gen.

 

Very well said .

 

I worked 24 and half years as a dealer mechanic and I never would recommend repairing air bag wiring. I have always replaced it. Also if you take airbag wiring they are always separated. Never one from front of vehicle to rear. This way if one gets damaged they can replace just that damaged one. Not sure what wiring yours is but it could just be a portion of the harness that can be replaced not the whole thing. Dealer knows it’s not warranty so they will always recommend replacing the whole harness cause it’s just easy money and they can charge pretty much what they want. Best of luck to you.

 

A quick search shows harnesses for the nose of the truck from the firewall forward can be had for $1700 - $2800 depending on model/options. That's a helluva install charge.

 

Uhhh, more importantly how do you "sever" a wire with that 19mm upper bolt? Did they not remove that wiring harness on the inner fender well and just try to bash it out?

time stamped, to "remove wire loom" lol
https://youtu.be/bbsTJgb6S_c?t=357

 

I would splice it. Use a quality splice that will keep environmental elements out. Why not, it's a perfectly acceptable repair on airplanes that fly 300 people at 1000mph through the air so surely its good enough for a Tacoma. Besides, it would be obvious if the splice failed, the light would come back on

Having said all that, you wouldn't want some joe blow doing a quick butt splice

 

Thank you for confirming my rationale, been stressing about it all day.

 

I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what they did, service techs said the wiring hadn’t been touched since it rolled off the assembly line.

 

Just solder the wires, coat with dielectric grease and cover with good shrink tube. done.

 

I'd offer another way to look at your situation. It sounds like the broken wires are easily accessible and repairable. As others have suggested - if this is the case it seems like you could make solid and reliable repair. Solder, seal, heat shrink and so on. Could even get yellow heat shrink to make the repair nearly invisible.

Again as others have offered you could use the dealer to replace entire harness with new OEM harness where you do not have a repair to worry about.

What I'd consider as well is what collateral damage a dealer might inflict doing the work. If there are as many hours of work as the ~ 7,000.00 worth of labor seems to indicate it is a lot of work. Even at a billing rate of 200.00/hr it would be a full work week to replace that harness. It seems like the work must involve a lot of disassembly and reassembly.

It is a tough situation in that the guys doing the lift are getting away cheap with being ham fisted but for me I'd probably feel better with a couple of wires I repaired than with having a flat rate tech doing a weeks worth of disassembly and reassembly.

Best of luck with whatever decision you make.

 

Best advice here

 

^ ^ this

 

Carfax.

Now that your insurance knows, the issue has been reported and is public knowledge. Without documentation of a proper fix, the value of your truck will drop accordingly. You will take the financial hit for someone else’s mistake when the time comes to trade or sell.

Do you play it nice with the lift shop and let it go? Do you play it straight and insist on being made whole? That’s up to you. Good luck.

 

yeah, insurance reach out fucked him. He must now go to dealer and do the whole thing, or lose that money on a trade/sell somewhere down the line. At least needs to do a new section if what the previous tech who commented said was true and it comes in sections.

 

Liability is the number one reason for harness replacements.
How would you feel if you did a repair on this system and years down the road and
Got into an accident and this repair failed.
Doesn’t matter if planes use splice connectors or your grandfather used duct tape
And bailing wire.
It is what it is.
40 years ago a two wire repair more than likely would have been done with no
Second thought.
You can thank this sue society for all this.



I do this all the time.

there is no second guessing.
We will NOT REPAIR AN AIRBAG WIRE.

 

Okay, you know what your talking about and obviously have experience.

Here's the question then. Is 10k a real price, or is he getting hosed? And does it come in sections or does he really need to do the entire harness.

 

all depends on vehicle, which section , how it’s routed, etc.
It’s a tremendous amount of work.
So I can’t really say yea or no.


MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

 

Thats fucked up to me.

That it might be really that much.

I believe you, but there needs to be some common sense with all this new tech. If it is forced on us, it should be designed to replace easily since (not airbags really) they are now forcing a bunch of new parts that are subject to random failure.

Guess that part isn't discussed by the lobbyists tho.

 

Common sense?
That went out the window
Many years ago...

all I can say..