Tyre Fitters Reshape Wings

[kalimbakey]

Has anybody experienced this before?

My local branch of ATS reshaped both wings out of alignment with the sills.

Earlier today at the shops, a black IQ parked next to me, I noticed they'd had it done too.

Perhaps it's more common than I'd thought.

[DerekHa]

Hi there Chris,

Have never experienced anything such as the misalignment you're showing in those photographs. Have you checked the underbody for damage? The fitters at tyre and exhaust centres often don't place their jacks under the vehicles in the recommended spots or where the underbody is strongest.

A long time ago in the mid 90's I took my 1991 Toyota Corolla Executive into one of the more reputable tyre/exhaust services local to me then for a replacement exhaust. I watched as they did the work with the car on their lift and at one point they put a tall support in to take the weight of the car for a short time.

Never thought anything about it and all seemed fine when they'd finished. Wasn't until days later I started to notice a bulge in the driver floor. Took a look myself and found that the main monocoque chassis member had been bent up and distorted the drivers floor slightly.

If you've seen another vehicle locally with similar misalignment perhaps they also used the same establishment as you have.

[Stivino]

Most likely, the jack/ramp legs were not in the correct position to lift the vehicle.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Occurred with a few other members, and not just the IQ. Damage from incorrect positioning of a jack or similar.

[Gerg]

If it stops raining, you might find something like this has happened:

This is from our 2013 Auris after a tyre replacement at a large tyre specialist (F1 Tyres).

A jack has been used at the wrong point (red).  The jacking point is shown with the green arrow.

Bending this back is quite time-consuming, not least because of the potential corrosion problems after the paint has flaked off.  Although, the area does seem to have been galvanised.  The tyre place did offer to fix it, but then I wondered; do they have the tools for that?  Do they have primer, paint etc? Can you fix this with just a big hammer and some underseal?  

I got a free MoT as recompense, but I'd rather it had just not happened in the first place.

The bottom of the front wing is in the lower left in the picture above.

And from a different angle, below:

Once this area of damage is rectified, the wing ends up in much the same shape as it was before.  Well, it did for me, anyway.

Many weeks later, during the subsequent 'free' MoT, I noticed they left the car 'On' (this is a hybrid), but in 'neutral' (a big no-no!!!), for so long that a warning of low hybrid Battery came up on the dash (which they didn't see because the car wasn't attended at the time).

I didn't know that the car could 'alarm' in that way!

Such joy!

 

[Cyker]

They've damaged your car, aren't they obliged to repair it or compensate you for repairing it??

This sort of thing makes me tempted to spray red paint on the jacking points, and maybe a big fluorescent arrow pointing at them!  

[kalimbakey]

Thanks all, at first they said it was nothing to do with anything they had done. 

Subsequently they said even if it was them, I'd have to approach 'Blackcircles' the 3rd party through which I paid for the tyres.

I do need to have a peek underneath too when the rain stops.

Currently the clock is ticking on a response from Blackcicles.

I think I'll approach some body repair shops to see how much it would be to put right.

[Stivino]

I don't see why you'd have to approach Black Circles, it wasn't them who did the damage.

The only people responsible are those who did it.

 

[Cyker]

No but if you complain to Black Circles they have more clout to lean on the garage or compensate you directly.

Nonetheless, the way the OP's been treated has made me much less likely to use ATS Euromaster for my tyres, even with the discounts on Michelin rubber.

 

[Rhymes with Paris]

Maybe document all communication and conversations, aswell as the photos you already have.

All dated to give a timeline.

Just in case no one plays ball on putting this right, and you have to resort to small claims to resolve this.

The reason I suggest this,is that the people who caused the damage are very likely to develop big river in Egypt syndrome.

 

 

[DerekHa]

Just reading through the various responses to this.

One struck me! A free MOT for causing similar damage! Around here an MOT is about £45, that's nothing like the real cost of realigning the wings with the sills, a proper paint job and undersealing at a bodyshop's rates. Think they should have offered free MOT's for as long as you keep the vehicle.

I should have pressed for compensation really but the damage on my Corolla wasn't readily visible at least and an easy job for me to apply underseal. I had the satisfaction though of putting everyone off that I worked with from using them (HiQ), they had a lot of business from us as my employer had a contract with them for all their tyre fitting requirements and wheel alignments.

Anyway Chris good luck with tackling them and Paul's advice on evidencing things as you go along is spot on.

[saab9002]

Same thing has happened to my IQ3😟

regards Chris

[FROSTYBALLS]

As the tyres were bought from BlackCircles - it would have been helpful to say this in the first post -, from what I can see, the contract of sale is between BlackCircles and the customer.

Presumably the tyres were bought on the 'fully fitted' basis, and the customer chose ATS Euromaster from BlackCircles list of fitters - again it it have been helpful to say this in the first post. Perhaps the OP can confirm this.

So the BlackCircles complaints process needs to be followed.

Incidentally, both BlackCircles and ATS Euromaster are owned by Michelin.

 

[kalimbakey]

13 hours ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

As the tyres were bought from BlackCircles - it would have been helpful to say this in the first post -, from what I can see, the contract of sale is between BlackCircles and the customer.

Presumably the tyres were bought on the 'fully fitted' basis, and the customer chose ATS Euromaster from BlackCircles list of fitters - again it it have been helpful to say this in the first post. Perhaps the OP can confirm this.

So the BlackCircles complaints process needs to be followed.

Incidentally, both BlackCircles and ATS Euromaster are owned by Michelin.

 

Yes Indeed, it was the fully fitted service, choosing ATS Euromaster from the list.

The Blackcicles complaints process is being followed having originally imagined my complaint would be with the party that caused the damage.

Thanks for all of your replies.

[PCM]

17 hours ago, saab9002 said:

Same thing has happened to my IQ3😟

regards Chris

And my IQ2 - with a previous owner.

I noticed it when buying and concluded it was' inappropriate jacking'.

 

[Cyker]

11 hours ago, kalimbakey said:

Yes Indeed, it was the fully fitted service, choosing ATS Euromaster from the list.

The Blackcicles complaints process is being followed having originally imagined my complaint would be with the party that caused the damage.

Thanks for all of your replies.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on!

 

[74hct04]

This has happend to the offside of my iQ, too, the sill pinch is bent out of shape and missing some of its white paint, forming a dirt-trap. One of the reasons I chose this particular car was becuase the wings weren't as badly offset as many are...

I have some colour-matched white paint (without the pearlescent finish lacquer as I wanted a tin rather than a pair of aerosols) and some white stonechip, lacquer, standard grey and anti-rust primers (a red/brown stuff "Bonda rust primer). I've also a couple of 070 touch-up pens (cost a fortune considering you get 9ml of each paint).  Is it worth bending the sill straight or am I asking for trouble (more paint flaking off from between the two steel panels, for example?

I can take a photo if it helps...

[kalimbakey]

On 8/10/2023 at 3:16 PM, 74hct04 said:

This has happend to the offside of my iQ, too, the sill pinch is bent out of shape and missing some of its white paint, forming a dirt-trap. One of the reasons I chose this particular car was becuase the wings weren't as badly offset as many are...

I have some colour-matched white paint (without the pearlescent finish lacquer as I wanted a tin rather than a pair of aerosols) and some white stonechip, lacquer, standard grey and anti-rust primers (a red/brown stuff "Bonda rust primer). I've also a couple of 070 touch-up pens (cost a fortune considering you get 9ml of each paint).  Is it worth bending the sill straight or am I asking for trouble (more paint flaking off from between the two steel panels, for example?

I can take a photo if it helps...

I've approached several bodywork repair shops so far, none of them seem that keen on doing the work judging by the responses.

The only one to give any feedback said it would not be as simple as bending back in line, suggesting instead that the wings and bumper needed to be removed with additional paint repair to finish off.

Blackcicles themselves have stopped communicating, so small claims looks to be my only option.

If all comes to nothing however, it may be a case of bending the sill/wings straight 74hct04, I suspect that this would be asking for trouble though.

[74hct04]

Thanks for the update and sorry to hear it's not better news, kalimbakey.

 

Quote

The only one to give any feedback said it would not be as simple as bending back in line, suggesting instead that the wings and bumper needed to be removed with additional paint repair to finish off.

This is what I feared, unfortunately. However, mine isn't really that bad in terms of the offset between the wings and sills and both sides of the car look about the same. It's just that on the offside the sill pinch/flange joint (the bit with the two bolts) is bent, trapping mud and muck, and is missing some paint. I must take a photo, really.