Panel Beater Took 5.5 Months to my dad's Fix Car- Should I Ask for Steering / Brake service etc?

Dr Prepper on 01/09/2022 - 13:48
Last edited 01/09/2022 - 15:03

My dad had a minor smash -not at fault.

A smash repairer was recommended by NRMA ,who took 5 & half months to repair the car.

NRMA provided my dad with a car during these 5.5 months but I asked the panel beater for a change of battery as it was sitting so long. The battery was changed no argument.

On driving it I noticed the brakes are no longer as grippy and the steering was very heavy.

I have left cars undriven for 6 months or more in the past , when I worked overseas and noticed that the brakes/ power steering sometimes take a couple days to start working ok , other times if things are not back to normal after a couple of days , I get a brake and steering service.

Poll Options

  • 7
    Should the panel beater be the one to change to service brakes and steering for taking so long?
  • 2
    <yes>
  • 36
    <no>
Automotive

Comments

  • Richmond Tigers on 01/09/2022 - 13:53
    +2

    Fix car, ask you should hmmmmmmmmmmm?

    • Switchblade88 on 01/09/2022 - 14:29

      Run over people in my 2001 Honda Civic, I must

      - Ketamine Yoda

  • tsunamisurfer on 01/09/2022 - 13:54
    +5

    Battery I can understand where the engine doesn't run for weeks at a time.

    But how can the brake pads and PS deteriorate by sitting there?

    Edit : 5.5 months for a minor prang wow. I have a family member in a similar situation and I was shocked at 1 month turnaround for a Mazda 3 (thinking Mazda 3 parts are ubiquitous).

    • Dr Prepper on 01/09/2022 - 14:44
      -1

      Sometimes the brakes just have rust and they are ok after driving for a couple of days. Other times the fluid itself goes bad.

      • pharkurnell on 01/09/2022 - 15:37
        +1

        Fluid doesnt go that bad that quick

    • Stingo on 01/09/2022 - 16:05
      +2

      Panel beaters are not necessarily good at putting your car together again once they have taken it apart. Would you really want them to do more work on it? See if the insurer will cough up for work at a proper mechanic first.

  • Ughhh on 01/09/2022 - 13:55
    +1

    Wth. Why did it take half a year? Waiting for parts?

  • Nugs on 01/09/2022 - 14:10
    +1

    Tyres soft?
    .

  • Drakesy on 01/09/2022 - 14:10
    +3

    Who agrees to 5.5 months of a loaner
    Thats like ($60 a day X 165)
    So $10k

    Jaysus.

    • Jugganautx on 01/09/2022 - 14:34

      $60 a day? More like double that.

    • doweyy on 01/09/2022 - 14:34
      +2

      I got rear ended in February, car didn't get fixed until mid May. Used a 3rd party rental car service as the at fault insurer didn't provide a rental car and told me to source my own which I wasn't going to foot the bill for, $220 per day charged for 90 days.

      Insurers make no sense sometimes.

      • Drakesy on 01/09/2022 - 15:13
        +2

        Couldve bought you a brand new car for that

    • GordonD on 01/09/2022 - 15:34
      +2

      My neighbor had a minor prang a couple of weeks ago. A headlight is broken, plus some panel damage in that area. Totally driveable. But it won't get fixed until mid-november. Because the broken headline means its not legally roadworthy the other driver has to pay for a replacement car at $100 per day for 3 months. Ten grand on top of the actual repair cost.

  • Muzeeb on 01/09/2022 - 14:59
    +3

    Strangest poll options in ozbargain history.

    • pegaxs on 01/09/2022 - 16:33
      -3

      SlavOz enters the chat…

  • lewislardboy on 01/09/2022 - 15:16
    +5

    Is it possible the brakes and steering just feel different compared to your rental car? Whenever i drive my wife's car for a period of time, the brakes and steering always feel odd coming back to my own car.

  • Euphemistic on 01/09/2022 - 15:19
    +3

    How can you tell the steering is actually heavier and the brakes don’t work as well as before?

    I recently got a newer car and now when I drive my wife’s car the steering feels really heavy, and the brakes take more effort to stop the car. But that’s a daily driven car that hasn’t changed, only my perception. I never used to think it was heavy.

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