TNT Auto Body Repair

Review: the car was towed to TNT 5/28/16 after teenage son overcorrected and drove into field off Rte 40 5/27/16. After alignment reinflation of tires, and new battery the car was reported by TNT to be driveable/repaired other than an exhaust repair (catalytic converter part) that the business could not do, and a cosmetic bumper repair 6/3/16. the car broke down on rte 220, with teenage daughter driving it, 11 miles from TNT. when I phoned TNT, [redacted] did not recommend bringing the vehicle back to them. it was towed in to a [redacted] auto repair who found "oil cooler was broken off on both elbows. vehicle had no oil or coolant when was brought into store. appears to have damaged head gasket". There are photos of the 1. oil cooler 2. broken pipes at elbows, and 3. the receipt with the quoted statement by the 2nd auto repair shop. the car is now at another auto repair to get a replacement head gasket and/or engineDesired Settlement: would like reimbursement for new head gasket and/or engine repair, necessary due to missed broken oil cooler - $1800

Business

Response:

On Saturday May 28th I received a call from [redacted] agent [redacted] Regarding collision damage to Mrs. [redacted] 2001 Volvo S40. According to [redacted], Mrs. [redacted] was unaware that she did not have [redacted] coverage for the vehicle and would be paying for the repairs herself. TNT was closed at the [redacted]e and as a favor to Mrs. [redacted] and [redacted], I met the tow driver at TNT Saturday afternoon and paid the $625 tow bill to [redacted] to avoid Mrs. [redacted] being charged $65 per day storage over the weekend by [redacted].The 2001 Volvo S40 had been run off the road, the passenger front and rear tires were off the rims due to sliding off the road. There was mud, grass and debris under the car as well as packed in the rims. There was also impact damage to the front of the vehicle, the bumper was hanging off one side, the fender damaged and the hood was misaligned and half open on one side. Upon initial inspection from my 20+ years experience the vehicle appeared to be a total loss. On Monday morning (May 30th) Mrs. [redacted] informed us she did not want the vehicle (2001 Volvo S40) repaired only estimated as she was not sure what the vehicles value was and concerned the repairs would exceed its value. On Tuesday May 31st Mrs. [redacted] signed TNT’s repair authorization form, (attached) on this form she agreed only to allow TNT to es[redacted]ate the damage.Wednesday 6.1, I informed Mrs. [redacted] that TNT would not be able to assess the damage properly without disassembling the damaged area, and that it appeared to be a total loss upon initial inspection. I explained that the damage extended past the front bumper into the radiator support (where the radiator and oil cooler is located) and possibly the suspension as well as the exhaust system. Again Mrs. [redacted] was concerned about the value of the vehicle. At that time my advice to her was to have us attempt to re-mount and inflate the tires and perform an alignment check. This would be relatively inexpensive and would determine if the vehicle sustained severe frame or suspension damage which is generally very costly. After much conversation, indecisiveness and deliberation Mrs. [redacted] verbally authorized TNT to have the two tires that were off their rims mounted and balanced and a front end alignment check performed.Thursday 6.2 TNT mounted and balanced the two tires, the alignment report showed the front suspension out of alignment and beyond the parameters of adjustment. I explained that it was from most likely from frame damage and that it may cause premature tire wear, however I thought it most likely would pass Virginia State inspection. I also explained that the battery was in need of replacing as it would not hold a charge. Mrs. [redacted] asked about the other damage if there would be a “quick fix” option. Again I explained that in order to take care of the damage we would have to disassemble the damaged area to determine all the damage. Mrs. [redacted] would not authorize a disassembly of the damaged area as she did not want to incur additional cost. She asked specifically about the bumper as it was coming off from the wreck. She asked if something could be done as a temporary fix to keep it on. I agreed to “tie up the bumper” as per her request as she was not able to pay for the damages to the vehicle.Thursday afternoon (6.2) I test drove the vehicle myself; I drove it approximately 2 miles at 55 MPH. I noted no issues. Friday afternoon 6.3 at approximately 3:30pm Mrs. [redacted] payed TNT and picked up her vehicle. Again I explained the frame damage and showed her the alignment report (attached) and very clearly explained that TNT would not be held liable for tire wear or additional hidden damage. I also explained the final bill to Mrs. [redacted]. At approximately 4:15 Mrs. [redacted] called TNT and I spoke with her. She explained that she was broke down near [redacted] on route 220, approximately 15-20 miles away and that she thought the car was overheating. I offered to call a tow truck and have it towed back to TNT but she said she would rather take it to a shop closer to her home as she was near half way.In conclusion my staff and I did our best to explain the risk of hidden damage and that it was not possible to properly repair the vehicle without disassembly. I am sorry for Mrs. [redacted] experience however with a clean conscience I do not feel liable or responsible in any way as we did not repair the vehicle as per her request. We mounted two tires, performed an unsuccessful alignment, and installed a new battery all with her knowledge. I myself have approximately 27 years experience in the collision industry and have owned and operated TNT for the past 15 years.Please feel free to call or contact me with any questions or more information.Sincerely,Timothy J. WallPresident TNT Auto Body Repair

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.A main question is whether a broken oil cooler is considered a hidden damage. Also there was a spoken agreement with [redacted] Wall that he would repair the car to be driveable.Another mechanic has explained to me that the 2001 Volvo S40 oil cooler is visible under the car right next to the pan.While I appreciate the initial paying of the towing bill which I then paid in full, I find inaccuracies in [redacted] response. I never heard the term "total loss ". The sheriff estimated the damage at less than $1500. When Tim Wall discussed going inside the vehicle he was referring to the cosmetic bumper repair and not to vital repairs. He assured me he repaired the car to be "driveable". I have since learned that an oil cooler is essential to a car's drivability.He failed to recognize that the oil cooler was broken off. He admits test driving it for 2 miles which would have contributed to the engine and turbo damage that occurred due to running the engine with oil leaking out. During his inspection of damages he should have seen that the oil cooler was broken. [redacted] in [redacted] saw that damage right away. In fact, the manager said that the noise from starting up the engine was alarming enough to turn it off right away.[redacted] has a lot of experience with auto body work but obviously he neglected to see and hear that the oil cooler was damaged to the point that running the engine at all would damage it beyond repair. Also, his estimation of the car being a total loss was inaccurate. The muffler and oil cooler repair was around $650 and a body shop charged $300 to straighten the frame and bumper and the repair by TNT was around $350. A total cost of $1300 which would not be considered a total loss.I ask to be reimbursed for the engine and turbo damage that occurred due to TNT neglecting to recognize that the oil cooler was broken, driving the car and allowing it to driven from their body shop. The total repair for the engine and turbo was $2022 and was completed by [redacted] Volvo in [redacted]. I am willing to negotiate this amount.

Regards,

Business

Response:

The question raised is, “Is the broken oil cooler considered a hidden damage?” For this vehicle and situation, the answer is “yes.” We were instructed not to disassemble or repair the damage in its entirety, given permission only to give it an alignment check, mount the tires and replace the battery. (Please see submitted paperwork for reference.) At no time while we had the vehicle did the oil cooler ever appear to be “broken off” as claimed. After we completed the work we were given permission to perform, the vehicle was test driven over two miles with no apparent noise or leaking fluids. At that point, we continued to advise multiple times to allow us to disassemble the vehicle to look for hidden damage, but as it would be additional cost to the customer, the request was refused. Any mechanic surveying the vehicle after the engine issues encountered after pick up would have only seen damage occurring afterwards, not what it would have looked like to us as we released it to Ms. [redacted]. In regards to the “Spoken agreement with Tim Wall that he would repair the car to be driveable,” this conversation was only in regards to passing a Virginia State Inspection, which was the main concern to her at that time. In that conversation, we also went over the copy of the alignment report, stressing the concern of the vehicle’s condition, but the inspection was her primary concern at that time.We are very sorry for what has happened to Ms. [redacted] vehicle, but we can in no way claim responsibility for the outcome because we were never allowed to properly assess the damage from the original accident. We wish we could have repaired this vehicle completely if at all, but since we were never authorized to do so, we could not properly as nor repair it at all. We hope this addresses all complaints against us.Very truly yours,[redacted]TNT Auto Body Repair

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. I do not recognize the description of events as stated in this response from [redacted] of TNT. Since I don't have much knowledge about automobiles, I defer to the Auto mechanic recommendation to guide me as to the best decision for repairs and driveability.I never thought about or mentioned a State Inspection, something far my mind at the time. I do recall that Mr Wall brought it up, however, due to the need for a catalytic converter part and the possibility of being stopped in driving away from his business.the car stopped running at the traffic light on Hwy 220 at Wirtz Rd (rte 697) which is 11 miles driving away from TNT, with the engine smoking. An officer was present until towing company was on way.[redacted], the next auto repair service, Immediately saw the damage to the oil cooler as it was clearly visible from under the car, and was appalled that TNT Auto Repair let us drive away with the car in the state it was. Whether I gave permission to test drive the car does not remove TNT Auto Repair from negligence in driving a car without oil in the engine. Im disappointed that TNT is not willing to negotiate/mediate for the cost of engine replacement that resulted.

Regards,