Drilled tailgate!

[Rhymes with Paris]

Delete duplicate post.

[MikeSh]

51 minutes ago, anchorman said:

It'll be well and truly second hand when they’ve fitted a tailgate Guy.

Given the current shortage of parts it might well be a used one anyway - from a breaker's perhaps?

[Rhymes with Paris]

Many years ago, I had a local Citroen dealer fit a " new" bonnet on a car that they had damaged while servicing.

At first they tried to hide it, not very successfully by putting hand splashed touch up paint on the damage.

It was the right colour, but wrinkled and obvious.

They eventually replaced the bonnet from another car that they had for sale,I don't know what happened to the damaged bonnet, but would suspect that it was foisted onto the unfortunate buyer of the other car.

The more concerning bit was when called out on their abysmal practices in writing, the boss, managing director, CEO,or whatever he called himself also of the local Volvo dealer, intimated that he was friends with local dignitaries, including high ranking police officers , and life could become very difficult for for me if I continued insisting on what I was legally entitled to.

Fortunately, I didn't believe a word he said,same as his lying salesman, and invited them to go right ahead and engage their corrupt associates.

The end result was it cost them a hell of a lot more than just being honest and putting right carelessness.

[anchorman]

3 hours ago, MikeSh said:

Given the current shortage of parts it might well be a used one anyway - from a breaker's perhaps?

No they’d order a new one but it might take months.  It’s the potential mess they’d make of fitting it.  

[YarisHybrid2016]

I'm pleased I posted here. I wasn't sure what to do.

Dealership offered to replace the tailgate, but I completely agree with what was posted - much to go wrong in removing/fitting a new one. I keep looking at those hindges that were discussed here not too long ago. They look pretty sealed to me; breaking them to fit a new tailgate seems more risk than it is worth.

As you point out, the holes are hidden, and in addition to that, any rust would be isolated to a removable part. Replacing the tailgate invites problems to the body of the car, and that isn't fixed easily/at all, as well as all the other points raised.

I think I'll insist on it being sent to a body shop for repair, rather than risk the issues of a new hatch.

As I sit typing this, replacing it with a hatch off another vehicle (their words) seems a bit of a cheap get-out, and poor sod who gets this one.

Regarding Toyota and warranty, I'm going to write to Toyota UK directly (for what it's worth) and let them know what's happened. Maybe if I talk to them before anything is done, warranty won't be an issue.

[YarisHybrid2016]

E-mail to Toyota UK sent. Let's see what comes back.

[Guest]

15 hours ago, Cyker said:

If they find the cause is those holes you can bet your donkey they would declare that it was caused by external factors and not a factory defect so the warranty would be void.

Hence my comment about getting something in writing. Certainly not a factory defect, they weren't drilled during assembly.

"snuck"?

[Yugguy1970]

To me this isn't a warranty issue, it's damage on delivery that didn't need to happen so the dealer should put it right.

When I got my 21 plate RAV from new, I went down on pickup day and they told me they'd damaged the rear boot strip and dented the boot.  It wasn't major, so I took the car, and they gave me a free service for doing so.  However they ordered the new parts and painted and put it all right for free a few weeks later.  I reckon they did it by moving the car with the tailgate up in the workshop but don't know for sure.

Didn't need to involve head office or anything like that, just a local agreement with the dealer.

I dunno what the yaris is like but looking at the RAV boot it's just a couple of hinges and some wiring?

 

[RonYarisX]

If it were me I'd have rejected the car. Let me explain:

1. The garage damaged it, I just would never accept a damaged car.

2. I may consider a replacement tailgate if they sufficiently compensated me. Cars are damaged everydayin accidents and a competent bodyshop will repair it back to 'as new'. Not sure why people have problems with this?

If you accept the car as it is, what happens when you come to sell?

a: If your car is on finance ( i.e. it's the finance company who own it, then you should let them know about this a.s.a.p. )  It's their car and it's them who'll decide on the type of repair

b. If the car is 100% yours then you'll be asked by the prospective buyer is there any accident damage? What's going to be your response? If you say no and the garage who buys the car removes the number plates to put on their own branded plates and sees the damage then you may be opening a can of worms by making a false declaration. If asked does the car have any accident damage, by law you're going to have to say yes. And when asked what's the problem, you'll say...  "the hatch has holes drilled thru it.".   If that doesn't put people off then you're going to loose a fair bit on the car's valuation.

That's why I'd not accept a damaged car.

[Big_D]

1 hour ago, RonYarisX said:

If you say no and the garage who buys the car removes the number plates to put on their own branded plates and sees the damage then you may be opening a can of worms by making a false declaration.

But, is this issue accident damage? Personally, I wouldn't say so. Bad workmanship, most definitely, but not accident damage.

[MikeSh]

TBH until I saw this thread I didn't know some cars had pre-made holes for the plate screws. All the ones I've had, and needed to replace/refix the plates, I've found a blank area of metal with holes drilled through. I just add a bit of silicone sealant to keep the water at bay.

So I wouldn't put this error in the "OMG" category - and I certainly wouldn't be classing it as reportable accident damage.

Why are people so uptight about their cars anyway? It's going to spend its life being blasted with grit, stones and other people's doors in car parks, so being damaged is pretty much the default state.

Getting a whole new tailgate fitted is just great for your carbon footprint as well 😉

[dannyboy413]

But, is this issue accident damage?

 

Maybe it was an 'accident' that the fitter, (or whoever), drilled the holes in the wrong place.......?

[RonYarisX]

45 minutes ago, Big_D said:

But, is this issue accident damage? Personally, I wouldn't say so. Bad workmanship, most definitely, but not accident damage.

What has accidental damage to do with it?

When you sell a car, you're asked about damage, nobody cares whether or not it's accidental.

Two cars are for sale at the same price. They're identical in every way apart from one has holes thru the body work. Which car would you buy?

[anchorman]

14 minutes ago, RonYarisX said:

What has accidental damage to do with it?

When you sell a car, you're asked about damage, nobody cares whether or not it's accidental.

Two cars are for sale at the same price. They're identical in every way apart from one has holes thru the body work. Which car would you buy?

Nobody would see it behind the number plate.   I don’t believe that’s an issue.  The point is the buyer has found it and it’s sloppy workmanship and the dealer needs to get a grip of their staff.  Rather than fit a new tailgate which is very likely to stick out like sore thumb in time, just flatten the burrs and rust protect it.  If I bought it second hand, that’s what I’d do.  The dealer needs to feel some pain if they’ve made that mess.

[wildtapholer]

I'm surprised the dealer didn't deny any involvement and accuse you of doing the damage yourself trying to line the number plate up.

[bathtub tom]

1 hour ago, MikeSh said:

Why are people so uptight about their cars anyway? It's going to spend its life being blasted with grit, stones and other people's doors in car parks

And probably parked in a driveway, or out on the road (mine's kept in a garage, how quaint someone said).

[MikeSh]

1 hour ago, bathtub tom said:

And probably parked in a driveway, or out on the road (mine's kept in a garage, how quaint someone said).

Ours live in the garage but SWMBO insists on parking as close to the supermarket door as possible, so often a tight space. And she has been known to hit other cars trying to enter said space 🤑

[YarisHybrid2016]

3 hours ago, wildtapholer said:

I'm surprised the dealer didn't deny any involvement and accuse you of doing the damage yourself trying to line the number plate up.

Well, I was ready for that response. I took it to a parts place, and it was actually they who removed the plates minutes after making the new plates to put on it, so in that way I have 3rd party witness to the damage.

The manager at the dealer also said they'd spoken to the person who'd done the work, so they obviously didn't deny it, either.

For me, the issue isn't the nature of the damage as such, but the fact it has happened to a new vehicle totally unneccessarily. I'm half-tempted to fix it myself, and accept if it corrodes later, that I'll need to pay to fix it. The only question is if, for example, corrosion of a wing happens, could the tailgate be used to reject the claim? I'd argue they are totally seperate parts of the car and not related in any way. If it was a boot hinge that started to go, I guess that gets trickier (even though they still have nothing to do with each other).

This is why it is such an issue.

[YarisHybrid2016]

14 hours ago, Yugguy1970 said:

Didn't need to involve head office or anything like that, just a local agreement with the dealer.

In this case, there is a difference between accidental "oops" damage, and a deliberate act of drilling bodywork (shambollically at that). It's not even a neat hole!

[Guest]

13 hours ago, MikeSh said:

Why are people so uptight about their cars anyway? It's going to spend its life being blasted with grit, stones and other people's doors in car parks, so being damaged is pretty much the default state.

Nobody it being "uptight". Yes, a car will fall victim to the usual salt, stone chips, rust etc., but a new car for which someone has paid out hard earned money should not have been subjected to a cowboy.

[Yugguy1970]

And if they're that cack-handed as to not spot the massive, predrilled holes, I wouldn't trust them with anything so complex as replace an oil flter.

[anchorman]

Most garages use sub holders that bolt straight into those holes.  Takes about two minutes to fit the plates and they’re dead straight.  

[Tommy X]

Surely there is a template for drilling the numberplate, the lads that prep and valet the car may have fitted the plate and kept their heads down🤐  

[YarisHybrid2016]

All I can say is: huge thanks to Toyota GB, and to my dealer. Not quite what I was expecting (Toyota GB did a look-up of my car through my e-mail address), but outstanding customer service.

The car is going to be repaired through an approved body shop, and I have been assured there will be no impact to the paint/body warranty. 😎

[MikeSh]

1 hour ago, Yugguy1970 said:

And if they're that cack-handed as to not spot the massive, predrilled holes

I wondered about that too.