Help! My car was damaged during the brake change

Hi

I didn't know who else to ask so I'm hoping that someone here will have an answer. I took my car in for an oil change and front brakes hange as well. This place has a good deal on the oil changes and I took my caR there before so... Ok..I waited for about 2hrs-payed-and was told the keys are in the car have a nice day.ok..all good. I noticed that the blacknes on my hub caps were still there(they give you a complimentary car wash), and when I looked inside it was a mess. I understand they don't do the interior wash...so why were all the things from my glove comp. on the floor, as well as all my change...Ok I think nothing of it. As I'm driving I 'm noticing that my wheel is all wrong. I try to adjust it-up down-nothing. Its very wrong. I get home, and ask my mom and dad if they see that smething's wrong with the wheel. They both notice right away that the wheel is bent. like the top part of the circle is sticking out a lot. Then I notice that the whole wheel's yanked out and I can now see behind it. Maybe the airbag went off...I don't know. I then inspect the whole car and find that my tail light is also way out-yet sturdy. But I can fit my cell phone in the space betqween the plastic and the car! BBig scratch(hook like) on top of the bumper. So I'm thinking it looks like it was droped or hit. I went back there-and they tried their bs...are you sure, or we get blamed for a lot..or you are a girl kinda thing. The lady goes in to look at my paper work-because she sys they mark all the scratches, dents etc when you 1st give them the car. Comes back and says"crap I didn't mark anything".Ok thats in my favor.Tells me its best if i come back in the morning. I don't wana go there by myself and get the girl treatment..but they will try to wiggle out of this. what should I do???? I don't want to gain extra just what I payed for and what they ruined. Oh and they told me they'd put in factory brakes-NOPE-those are some cheap brakes they put in. I never had a chance to talk to the guy or to see what he's doing. So someone....please point me in the right direction.!!!

Thank you
L

Here is what you do.

Take your car to a dealership for that car. Get there at 7 am ... be the first in line.

Ask for a diagnostic service... ask them to check the brakes and air bags especially.

If the air bags DID go off, I doubt very much that the oil change place bothered to replace them... and ask that you be given the stuff that the oil change guy stuffed into the gap to make the steering wheel and dashboard bags space look full.

THEN go back to the oil change place with the service department's estimate of repairs up to and including the diagnostic.

Ask the mechanic at the dealership to include any notations he can possibly find around when he/she thinks the damage happened... things like the wheel is bent but the tire is not yet effected by the misalignment are VERY important.

Give the oil change place an opportunity to fix it. If they don't, make your next stop an attorney.

cyjeff said:

Give the oil change place an opportunity to fix it. If they don't, make your next stop an attorney.

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Depending on the amount of damage, and the small claims limit in your state, you may want to consider that route. A lawyer will probably cost more than the damages, and may not want to do it on contingency. It sounds like you've got a few thousand dollars in damage, but if it is an old car, it may not be worth that much.

Spend tonight getting an idea of the value of the car. Use Kelly Blue Book, but understand that they overvalue the car.

Stevef said:

Depending on the amount of damage, and the small claims limit in your state, you may want to consider that route. A lawyer will probably cost more than the damages, and may not want to do it on contingency. It sounds like you've got a few thousand dollars in damage, but if it is an old car, it may not be worth that much.

Spend tonight getting an idea of the value of the car. Use Kelly Blue Book, but understand that they overvalue the car.

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Hadn't thought about it that way... excellent point.

I was trying to make the strong suggestion that the OP get independent validation of the damages BEFORE she sees the oil change owner.

Hi,
Thank you very much! Does it matter that I didn't buy the car at the dealership? So before I even go back there you're reccomending I go to the dealership. I have a pontiac Sunfire 99. Is this a costly check? Thank you again! I was affraid to take it anywhere and haVE it checked because I didn't want them to say...oh well maybe they did it while checking. I always end up loosing battles but this time I want to do it right and not get "screwed"-pardon the word.
Luna

So what is your theory/suspicion? They took it out for a test drive, and were in an accident that the air bags went off?

Luna96 said:

Hi,
Thank you very much! Does it matter that I didn't buy the car at the dealership? So before I even go back there you're reccomending I go to the dealership. I have a pontiac Sunfire 99. Is this a costly check? Thank you again! I was affraid to take it anywhere and haVE it checked because I didn't want them to say...oh well maybe they did it while checking. I always end up loosing battles but this time I want to do it right and not get "screwed"-pardon the word.
Luna

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I agree 100% with cyjeff that you should get an estimate from the dealer up front.

The purpose in going to the dealer is because the dealer knows all about your car, where an independent mechanic's opinion can be questioned. I would expect the check to cost around $100 to $150, an hour's labor. It's also not likely that a dealer would damage your car when you bring it in for a check, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. You are bringing it to a dealer because it's been damaged. Their claim that the dealer damaged it would sound silly, especially since you've already spoken to them about it.

Like I wrote earlier, get some value of your car. KBB shows values anywhere from $2000 to $5000, depending on condition/mileage, etc. The $2000 may be high too. Sunbirds don't seem like real expensive cars.

Give the shop a chance to make it right. Odds are one of the employees did it, and never told the boss. There's also a real good chance the shop can find you a car to replace yours, since they have cars coming and going every day.

The diagnostic should run you around $100-150.

My suspision is that they've droped the car during the service. I mean I had a few things in my trunk that were in the center of the trunk...they were all the way at the end of the trunk(it's a large trunk)..and out of the bag-which was now thorn. I dont care about the bag..its just that it looks like a strong force(being dropped or hit) was present. Like I said b4, my steering wheel is so bent and yanked out..that anyone can tell something's not right. And the tail light, not loose but way out. I wouldn't mind posting pix..if thats allowed.
I just don't want them to BS me and get out of it. So I guess I'm going to the pontiac dealership for a check. Is this my best option or???

dropped the car, like dropped it off a car lift?

There would be no mistaking it if this happened. I have seen it a couple times and it is definitely noticeable...really noticeable, like the entire side of the car is smashed.

justalayman said:

dropped the car, like dropped it off a car lift?

There would be no mistaking it if this happened. I have seen it a couple times and it is definitely noticeable...really noticeable, like the entire side of the car is smashed.

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I agree... this, to me, sounds like a dual impact low speed incident.

Like your car was run into the back of another and, if I read the post right, another car was then run into the back of yours.....

But the wheel thing is out of that scenario... but it could have been the cause of the original impact, maybe...

Anyway, that is why you want an independent set of very informed eyes to look at it. don't be scared to tell the mechanic looking it over about your suspicions.

You will also need a written estimate of what it will take to return the car to working and cosmetic order.