BillAinCT
Well-known member
With 1050 miles on my 22 Leaf SL+ a 22 year-old backed into my car in Daddy's Lexus (which by the way had a backup camera!) cracking the bumper, breaking the headlight mounting bracket, and denting the left fender pretty well. I contacted the collision/repair link on the local Nissan dealer's WEB site and submitted a form. I also submitted online to a body shop that I've used before, one that other's I know have used and is known to paint very well.
The latter shop called me back first so I went there. 7 weeks later I picked up the Leaf yesterday. The painting is as expected - outstanding. However, the location of the fender left a high spot on the end at the pillar and worse the gasket for the triangle window doesn't touch the glass - about 1/16th" away. In looking at it closely, I don't see how to close that gap at the window keeping the gaps down the driver door and pillar correct. I didn't see the gap until I got home last night, so I will go back Monday and see what they say. Maybe it doesn't really matter - unless water flowing behind the fender is a bad thing.
The advice part is, can it be made right or could the replacement fender not be identical to a factory one? Should I have gone to a Nissan recommended repair shop or is this just what happens? If the current shop cannot close this gap, should I go to the Nissan shop? That would cost me, but it's an adjustment and shouldn't be significant. I hoped the car repair would turn out to be exactly like it was new.
The bumper doesn't line up with the fender and it did when I picked up the car, so something moved during my drive home so I'm going there Monday anyway for that. My feeling is they saw the old fender and it met the glass and they would have done that on the install of the new one if they could have,
Also, is there an explanation as to why the headlight is upwards of $2400? I know it's LED but why so much?
Sorry for the length. I'm just very disappointed that I had a new car for only 5 weeks and want it new again if possible.
The latter shop called me back first so I went there. 7 weeks later I picked up the Leaf yesterday. The painting is as expected - outstanding. However, the location of the fender left a high spot on the end at the pillar and worse the gasket for the triangle window doesn't touch the glass - about 1/16th" away. In looking at it closely, I don't see how to close that gap at the window keeping the gaps down the driver door and pillar correct. I didn't see the gap until I got home last night, so I will go back Monday and see what they say. Maybe it doesn't really matter - unless water flowing behind the fender is a bad thing.
The advice part is, can it be made right or could the replacement fender not be identical to a factory one? Should I have gone to a Nissan recommended repair shop or is this just what happens? If the current shop cannot close this gap, should I go to the Nissan shop? That would cost me, but it's an adjustment and shouldn't be significant. I hoped the car repair would turn out to be exactly like it was new.
The bumper doesn't line up with the fender and it did when I picked up the car, so something moved during my drive home so I'm going there Monday anyway for that. My feeling is they saw the old fender and it met the glass and they would have done that on the install of the new one if they could have,
Also, is there an explanation as to why the headlight is upwards of $2400? I know it's LED but why so much?
Sorry for the length. I'm just very disappointed that I had a new car for only 5 weeks and want it new again if possible.