Archived Body shop warning!! 2nd Gen' trucks & newer

[RPNeet]

Hi Gals & Gents,



This is a heads up regarding any repairs done by a body shop to the front end of your truck. My story of woe follows(with a happy ending).



Recent increment weather, and my wife's driving skills, caused a mountain to bite the driver side of my 2007 SLT 4x4. Damaged parts included the left fender & trim, bumper, hood, Charge Air Cooler, grill, and headlight housing. In all total over $10K in damage by the time it was all fixed.



The CAC had a crack on one of the horns so I insisted, and received, a new CAC rather than a repaired one.



I picked up the truck in a rain storm so couldn't really check it out that day. In the following week I found 8 items that the body shop needed to correct, which they did with only minor complaining. Now, before anyone says

I should have picked a better facility these outfit was "Approved" by my carrier and had a big sign advertising the fact. In any case I took the truck

home thinking all was well after the corrections were made.



Fast forward to 30 days later. I decided it was time to change the air filter, so in attempting to pull the stock A/C lid off I grabbed the rubber elbow on the housing outlet for leverage. To my horror I discovered the clamp on the hose was loose! The body shop had never re-tightened the connection between the air cleaner and turbo and now the truck had 3000 mores miles on it!!!! That connection is the only one where an intake system will see a vacuum. Upon inspection I found grit inside the sealing area of the clamp and

now had the real prospect of a "dusted" engine. I quit driving the truck and called both the dealer and body shop.



After a complete intake system teardown and inspection by the dealer, paid for by body shop, and an oil analysis paid for by me, the engine has a clean bill of health.



Moral of story is to check EVERYTHING under the hood for proper operation and connection immediately after having and repair work done. Had I not caught this in time... . well let's not go there... ... .



Rick Neet

Garden Valley, CA

2007 SLT 4x4 5. 9L

 

[JExum]

I have never seen a body show fix one back as good as new. The insurance companies want it fixed fast and cheaper than the going rate so the body shop cuts corners and pays a general labor to bolt and install the small stuff that all add up to not satisifing customers who inspect their vehicles. One dealer in Ft. Worth kept my truck 42 days and painted the right front door at least 3 times I know of. This was not a major wreck truck was driveable and repairs were less than 8,500. For the next 2 weeks I kept tighting loose up bolts and missing bolts. Its a headache just trying to get one fixed were you didn't look at it and screams I have been in a body shop.