Hi all,

I bought my Civic 6 weeks ago from a large car 'supermarket' in Dublin. The car was perfect when it left the garage but after washing it the 3rd time at the weekend a lot of 'stone chips' appeared on the bonnet, both wings & down the passenger side of the car.

I took the car back to the garage & had a HUGE row with them over it as there is no was I could have done this damage to the car - ive only dont just over 600 miles in the 6 weeks & hardly any of it was motorway driving - ive also not been up any roads where stone chips have recently been down - or had anything.

SO the garage must have covered the chips with something that has now come off.

I spoke to a friend who works for Subaru & she said if they had a car with paintwork like mine when it came to them they would have resprayed it before it left the garage,

I took the car to several garages Monday & yesterday & they all agreed that it was highly unlikley that I did the damage to the car & that the garage either used turtle wax black wax or 'chips away' on the car which is why after a few washe the chips showed up.

The garage offered to pay half of the costs for the respray - which I dont think is acceptable.

Any ideas????

 

Where is Dublin?

 

Far far away. another country. Ireland?

 

Well, it sounds like you got a somewhat shady deal on the car. I'm not quite sure if what they did was illegal (I don't know the laws in Ireland. Possibly somewhat different from here in the United States). Any car will get chips and scuffs on it with regular driving. It's possible the damage was hidden from them before they acquired it.

Can you take some pictures of the damage so we can see just how bad it is?

 

I pulled this link from citizensinformation.ie. It might give you a starting point in to researching the legal action you can take and the extent of consumer protection laws in the Republic of Ireland. Hope this link helps.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/ca...law_in_ireland

 

Thanks guys, I rang them & reported the garage & told the garage they'd been reported.

I also traced the last owner of the car with the help of the guards! - she actually bought the car last september from the same dealer I got it from, then unfortunatly her husband was taken seriously ill & she arranged to take the car back as she would have trouble making the repayments with her hubby out of work.

So anyway, the stone chips were in the car when she bought it & were still in the car when she took it back 3 weeks later - then seemingly vanished but reappeared when I washed it!

The garage have backed down & the car is in my mates garage being resprayed (due for pick up today) & the dealer is paying the full amount!

Result!!!

 

Good to hear you got you predicament taken care of, glad I could be of some help. Take care and happy driving.

-Symbi

 

Yeh you were a great help - thanx a mill

This is a pic the garage sent me yesterday showing the 'filler' they found when they were taking the paint down to re-spray.