Had a bump in my car back in Oct resulting in light damage:

 

 

Insurance replaced the light and repaired the damage. I took the car to a dealership a few weeks ago because it needed the locking wheel nuts changing over. (The key had gone missing before I bought it.) They did a check of the lights and oil and so on. 

 

Dealership is saying that the replaced headlight isn't lining up properly.  It's a non genuine light and the dealership say it needs to be replaced because it will fail a MOT. Garage who did the insurance work say it's fine. 

 

I'm inclined to believe the dealership over the garage. (They caused me lots of problems by phoning up to six times a day demanding cash from me and basically holding my car to ransom until I took the morning off work and got the money from the bank. They flat out refused to take payment over the phone.) I don't really trust them TBH.

 

The light doesn't look right when I'm driving in the dark. It also doesn't reflect like the other one does on other cars. (If I park it up facing my Mum's car, one light shows up, but the replaced one doesn't.)

 

Curious to what your next step would be? Take it to my normal garage and ask them to take a look? 

 

Thanks!

Edited 11 March, 201412 yr by Distracted_writer

Speak to your insurance company and tell them that the work carried out was to a poor standard etc

Would the dealership be prepared to give a statement of exactly what the problem is? From what you've said so far, the only thing I'm certain of is that the headlight is misaligned, and that can be corrected at MOT. The only reason for a fail is if the tester actually can't correct the beam aim to within limits.

item number

 

221388383057

Speak to your insurance company and tell them that the work carried out was to a poor standard etc

This would be my first point of call.

Thanks! 

 

I do have a statement from the dealership stating that the light can't be adjusted correctly (I'll find the proper wording tomorrow) and took it to the garage. Man at the garage told he he 'didn't understand it' and 'had never heard of a car failing a MOT because of the lights'. Garage also told me that because the car is older than 10 years, the insurance won't authorise genuine parts. 

Thanks! 

 

I do have a statement from the dealership stating that the light can't be adjusted correctly (I'll find the proper wording tomorrow) and took it to the garage. Man at the garage told he he 'didn't understand it' and 'had never heard of a car failing a MOT because of the lights'. Garage also told me that because the car is older than 10 years, the insurance won't authorise genuine parts. 

That's probably true since most cars have working adjustment, and most testers will write a pass for a dud bulb, and just bill you for the new one with the test. (does not apply if you have to take half the car apart to change a bulb)

Thanks! 

 

I do have a statement from the dealership stating that the light can't be adjusted correctly (I'll find the proper wording tomorrow) and took it to the garage. Man at the garage told he he 'didn't understand it' and 'had never heard of a car failing a MOT because of the lights'. Garage also told me that because the car is older than 10 years, the insurance won't authorise genuine parts. 

 

Which Insurance Company ??

Thats a load of bull regarding cars over 10 years not using genuine parts, sounds like the garage who have carried out the repair have done a shoddy job of repairing it and done it cheap yet most likely billed it at top dollar so they can make more money out of it.

I'd be speaking to the insurance company and saying that you aren't happy with the repairs carried out

Edited 12 March, 201412 yr by Southy

Me too.

 

Ask your insurance company for a home appointment from their local repair assessor and state that, you have been advised that the work carried by their body shop contractor on their behalf, is not up to standard and will not pass an MOT (enclose a photocopy of the document you have).

 

And that you demand the necessary work and parts to be rectified at a Skoda dealer to your satisfaction and under the circumstances you will also require a courtesy car.

 

You have been fobbed off with a cheap and nasty 'inhouse' repair, which is totally unsatisfactory and should not have been signed off.

 

DB.