Help - Dealer Installed Hole

O

Old Rattle Flat

New member
I took my wife’s Chrysler minivan into the dealership to have a power steering hose replaced under warranty. While, in the shop they backed it into some piece of equipment and punched a one inch hole in the rear bumper.

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The shop they sublet the bumper repair to, received the car in the afternoon, and had it back to me the next morning, patched and painted. I had been under the impression that rubber/plastic bumpers couldn’t really be repaired well, and had to be replaced? Objective visual inspection is that the repair is acceptable, and I should not be upset. I am concerned that in the long run this patch or fill is going to be a problem, and that there will come a time where I will have to replace the bumper. If this is a know bad solution, I need to raise h*** now.



The repair was done using Norton Speed-Grip Structure Adhesive, a urethane structure adhesive. The part number was 636425-04615, and the associated plastic cleaner was part number 636425-04623. This is a link to the product.



Does anyone have any knowledge or opinions? I don’t know whether I just learned a good way, or a bad way, to repair small holes in plastic/rubber.:nixweiss
 
Ask the repair shop if they offer some sort of lifetime warranty on their repair. If they do not (which is probably the case), it means that they can't, and won't guarantee that the repair will not fail in the future.



Use that to hassle your dealership into replacing the bumper. Afterall, they broke it, and if nobody will guarantee that the repair will remain "acceptable" in the future, they should replace it. Why should you be forced to own a car with a patched bumper instead of a new one, like before.



Don't let them get away with the cheap solution, afterall if situations were reversed and you damaged one of their cars, sure as heck they wouldn't let you get away with just a repair bill, they'd have you buy a new bumper, and then some (install costs, painting, etc).
 
The body shop is working for the dealer. They probably cant warantee th fix. I'd get a written statement from the dealer that the fix will weather as the bumper does and will be replaced/repaired if it doesnt by the dealer.

Dont know how old the van is..Might make a difference between repair & replacement also.
 
Thank folks! The van is a 2002. I secured a partial guarantee from the dealer; they don't want to commit for life, but will back it for a few years.
 
I'd say no deal, and inform them that it would be in their interest to replace the part, because otherwise you can not gaurentee that you will be returning to purchase more vehicle's in the future or spent your money in there repair shops.



Setup a meeting with the manager and the owner of the dealership these are the people that are most concerned with your satisfaction. They will want to make you happy because it's going to cost them money down the road (you tell 10 people, who tell ten more ect...)
 
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