Car question

[SheMonster]

Seems like there are a lot of people on here who are handy mechanically, and I need some info please! 

I had a parking lot accident with my lil' 03 Honda Civic, bashed in the passenger side headlight, quarter panel, and associated bits - compeltely driveable afterwards, just didn't look so pretty.  The car drove straight as an arrow before the accident.  It took about 2 weeks to get it into a shop for repairs, and drove straight as an arrow afterwards as well.  Repair shop had it for a week, did about $3K in repairs.  I get the car back and it now veers sharply to the right.  I call them and tell them that, and they deny it had anything to do with the repairs, must just be my car but do admit they never testdrove it after the repairs.  I tell them that it never did that before even after the accident.  So they take it back for 5 days, tell me they did an alignment, and come get it its fine they test drove it this time.  I pick it up, lo and behold, nothing is different, still veers sharply to the right.  I go back to the shop and ask the manager to come out with me and actually drive the car to see what I am talking about.  Oh, he says, it does veer, I didn't notice it before it wasn't this bad.  Yeah, right.  He then tells me its due to the tires, and that I simply need to have them rotated.  I reach into the glove box and show him that I had them rotated on 9/12.  Oh. 

So yesterdaay they take it back a 3rd time.  He called me today and tells me that the car drove straight because it was out of spec for alignment before, and when they had it aligned properly is now what made it drift.  Today they merely rotated the tires, and called it done.  He said he did drive it, and now it veers to the left, but that it is due to my (less than 1 year old) tires.   

I bought this car brand new, have all its services done on schedule at Honda dealerships, and has always driven straight and true, even after the accident.  It didn't pull til after they had it for a week and did the work on the front of it.

I'm supposed to go pick it up again for the 3rd time, and I really feel they are blowing smoke at me, but don't know enough about cars to be able to know what else could be wrong with it?   I really don't think its the tires.  Thoughts guys?

[Speeddog]

IMO, they're blowing smoke, 'cause they're a body shop and don't know how to align it.

Might be good to chat with your local Bureau of Automotive Repair.
They're pretty good at getting this kind of issue worked out.

Or take it to your friendliest Honda dealer and see if they'll hook you up?

[SheMonster]

So more likely than not, its not my (less than 1 year old properly rotated) tires like he keeps saying?

[Speeddog]

Not likely that it's the tires.

Check both of the front wheels and tires to make sure they're the same brand/model/style as the rear ones, just in case they choked and mounted somebody else's wheel on your car.

[DCXCV]

Thing I find most odd is how it got out of allignment in the first place - if it was good after the accident and all they sould have been toughing was body work - sure they'd take of the tire to work on it but how you damage an allignment doing that I have no clue. 

Year old tires, if kept properly inflated, rotated and alligned would never cause that issue. My severely off-roaded truck only alligned once in 8 years with seldom, if ever, rotated, and nearly bald tires barely pulls.

Was the work payed for by your insurance company?  If they screw the pooch again I'd talk to your insurance company and see about taking it the the dealer or a reputable shop.  Actually, I'd talk to the insurance company anyway if they were paying the shop for the work and/or recommended it.

[Monster Dave]

Thing I find most odd is how it got out of allignment in the first place - if it was good after the accident and all they sould have been toughing was body work - sure they'd take of the tire to work on it but how you damage an allignment doing that I have no clue. 

Year old tires, if kept properly inflated, rotated and alligned would never cause that issue. My severely off-roaded truck only alligned once in 8 years with seldom, if ever, rotated, and nearly bald tires barely pulls.

Was the work payed for by your insurance company?  If they screw the pooch again I'd talk to your insurance company and see about taking it the the dealer or a reputable shop.  Actually, I'd talk to the insurance company anyway if they were paying the shop for the work and/or recommended it.

When we took the car in, they found after removing some of the damaged parts that there was a front stabalizer bar that needed to be replaced. It was only after replacing it that we noticed that the car started to pull to one side.

[SheMonster]

Yes, it is being taken care of by my insurance company (State Farm), and is in their "preferred shop" list.  

[Monsterlover]

+1 to all the above.

It's hard to diagnose without knowing the extent of the damage and what had to be done to fix it.

Next time you talk to this guy, you need to use a phrase with the words "Better business bureau" in it.  I'd follow that up with, "ive had it here three times for the same thing, and I don't feel you're being straight with me, you can't fix the problem that you caused, I'm calling my attorney.  Right now is your last chance to make this right."

Seriously, this shop sucks.

Keep us posted

<edit since you just posted>

Id be on the phone with SF in a hurry and lay it all out.

[r_ciao]

I'd say the shop is blowing smoke up your a$$.  Visually inspect the tires.  Unless you really mistreated them, they should have worn fairly evenly.  Since you just had them rotated 6 weeks ago, I would think that the shop that did the tire rotation would mention something to you if something was obviously worn irregularly.  If (since) they didn't, I'd say you are getting the run around.

Good luck with that.

[Speeddog]

When we took the car in, they found after removing some of the damaged parts that there was a front stabalizer bar that needed to be replaced. It was only after replacing it that we noticed that the car started to pull to one side.

Ah, that's some useful info.

It's not necessarily hard to do the suspension work, but it seems it's beyond the body shop's capabilities.
Not knocking them for that, I wouldn't have chassis guys do bodywork....

Call your State Farm person, tell 'em the body shop can't handle the suspension work (as the shop has clearly demonstrated).
Suggest it may be prudent to take it to a Honda dealer to get it sorted.

[erkishhorde]

Perhaps this stabilizer bar is the wrong length or there is more damaged that they didn't replace (properly). I'm betting the shop just doesn't want to do anymore right now because they already go their money from SF and any extra work they have to do comes out of their pockets.

[Porsche Monkey]

Check your tire pressures. Then if that's not it take it to the dealer. They are the only people that will know that car inside and out. Tell them the whole story and go from there. Get a before and after printout of the work performed. If the alignment is out of spec then have the body shop pay for it.

[Monsterlover]

^

Great idea!

[Latinbalar]

I have the same 03 Honda Civic but this is what you do, take it to the dealere then give them the bill since they couldn't take care of it they can at least pay forit.

[Grampa]

I've seen and felt tires cause a drift... but never a pull.

They either replaced something wrong..... exaggerated a condition by straightening something..... had a rookie work on it.

do like Nick says.... call the BAR