Driver Side Passenger Door Misaligned Post Accident Repair

[ccssid]

take a look at this video. will give you an idea about how just about anything can be straightened out on a vehicle.

How Body Shops Fix Major Collision | Accident Damage with a Frame Machine

Demonstrates how body shops can fix major collision or accident damage with the use of a frame machine. For video and learning purposes, all panels are save...

youtu.be

 

[SyndicateZ]

take a look at this video. will give you an idea about how just about anything can be straightened out on a vehicle.

How Body Shops Fix Major Collision | Accident Damage with a Frame Machine

Demonstrates how body shops can fix major collision or accident damage with the use of a frame machine. For video and learning purposes, all panels are save...

youtu.be

alot of work.

 

[Samantha1]

It was a private body shop that was recommended by our insurance. They had good reviews but clearly they did not do good work in this case. I'm most annoyed that we are going to be out of our car again for some period of time.

I've only had a few instances to need a body shop, but I've always used the Ford dealer with excellent results. I do it for several reasons - they use Ford parts, return it to factory specs, and do good work.
Samantha

 

[GlennSullivan]

Thanks guys. I dropped by the shop today and they agreed to take it back to address the problem, but I still worry they are not going to truly fix the cause but rather bend/pull/push/add washers and whatever they can to make the door sit flush.

I took a couple pictures today to compare the driver side vs. passenger side brackets and, as you can see, it appears the driver side bracket was pressed into the body when the car was hit, leading to the bracket mounting surface not being level like it is on the passenger side. If you agree that it looks as though the bracket was pressed into the body, is this a straightforward fix? Will they be able to pull out the surface and make it level like the passenger side and then simply mount a new bracket?

View attachment 80248

These 2 pictures really tell the story. You can def see that the surface of the B pillar structure is pushed in in the photo on the left. That should have been pulled flat before any reassembly took place. Body shop is going to fight against doing it right, which would mean disassembly pulling, repainting and reassembly.

On a completely different but related subject, make sure you get compensated by the truckers insurance company for diminished value of your vehicle. After a hit like that, I'm willing to bet the value of your vehicle is prolly $5,000 - $8,000 less with the branded Carfax it now has.

There are company's that specialize in representing you in these type situations. Just Google Diminished Value Consultants.

 

[DeerTicking]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

I don't have any faith in the original body shop to complete the repair properly and advised my insurance of such. They are sending an adjuster out Thursday to meet with me. Going to detail everything I've found, including some more damage that clearly resulted from the replacement door's misalignment with the door latch after install. Body shop even did a stellar job slapping a layer of paint on it. I have to wonder what else they hid.



My wife pointed out, and I agree, the rear door seems engage/disengage the latch roughly, while the driver's door opens as if it doesn't latch at all. There's no tactile feel when pressing and opening the door handle from inside, if that makes sense.

If all goes to plan, I intend to take the vehicle to a Ford dealer nearby that has a body shop and have them properly assess and repair. At this point, I'm stressed that the car will never be back to 100% but trying to stay optimistic and chalk it up to a crummy shop.

 

[Samantha1]

If your Ford dealer body shop is like the one near me, it will be as close as possible to 100%. I wish you the best in getting it back in good shape.
Samantha

 

[Dahammer]

https://www.ford.com/support/category/service-maintenance/collision-assistance/

I'm enclosing a link for the Ford Authorized Collision Shop Locator if you or anyone else gets into a collision or needs work done.
I wish you the best in getting this redone.
Let us know how it goes also.

 

[GlennSullivan]

https://www.ford.com/support/category/service-maintenance/collision-assistance/

I'm enclosing a link for the Ford Authorized Collision Shop Locator if you or anyone else gets into a collision or needs work done.
I wish you the best in getting this redone.
Let us know how it goes also.

Just a note on the above link. It does not take you to Collision Centers, just local Ford dealers - unless you
a) Click on Certified Collision Centers near me
b) Put in your zip code and then click on "Advanced"
c) Select the distance you you want to search from your zip
d) Check the box for "Certified Collision Centers" and click "Apply".

 

[Dahammer]

Just a note on the above link. It does not take you to Collision Centers, just local Ford dealers - unless you
a) Click on Certified Collision Centers near me
b) Click on "Advanced"
c) Check the box for "Certified Collision Centers".

Thank you for enhancing it. I was in a rush. You are correct. To get an idea of what shops are available in your area, you must fill in your zip code and the miles you would travel. I would further recommend that once you pick a shop, you should Google it for ratings/complaints, etc.

 

[ccssid]

Frustrating, I know, but now that you have a handle on what is wrong, You should be able to get the appropriate people to address the issues at hand. Good luck