AARRGGH! Dealer dented my car! ***UPDATE!***

I didn't post this yesterday because I didn't have any pics. I KNEW better than to start this thread without pics because.... well, you know.... I figured you guys would barbecue me for "not posting pics!" Well, I got my new PS2 tires mounted on Thursday. Friday I had the dealer do an alignment on the car. I told the Service Manager to make sure they didn't wash the car because the last time it was in the shop they left swirl marks and scratches in the clear coat. I arrived to pick up the car at 2:30 yesterday and the FIRST thing I see is a decent sized dent just behind the passenger side door! Service manager said they would take care of it and have a "paintless dent remover" repair it. Here are three pics of the dent. BTW - the 3rd pic clearly shows the swirl marks from the visit to the dealer three weeks ago. OK, rant over!

A porter backed into my car today at the dealership that I work in

Ouch! Not cool! I hope they fix it okay. ...at least you knew better than to post without pictures. I got my tires mounted today... thankfully I didn't have any issues.

WOW, I guess misery loves company!

OUCH! Tim, that really sucks. I see a crease, so I hope the dent removal guy is good. It's gonna be tough, I hope you don't accept anything other than perfection, the dealer makes alot of money, they can pay whatever to get it back to original condition. And to think, they weren't the first one to tell you of it. Nobody could have done that and not be aware of it.

BTW, I'd be dumping any dealer that did that to my car. I hope that they had a good explanation as to how it happened.

Tim, that sucks! Oh I would be pissed at the dealer for doing it and then twice as much for not saying anything about it. I hope you follow through with them and make it perfect. As Cosmos said, they make a lot of money and to chince (sp???) out on this would be ridiculous.

paintless dent removal???? I thought this was only for dent without hard edges!! Your dent has a very hard line in it......better get a 2nd opinion!! Why can't they be more careful!!

Nope, Service Advisor didn't know about the dent (or at least acted like he didn't know about it), so there was no explanation. I had an appointment with a client and was already running late, so I couldn't wait around to get an explanation. Yeah, I have been contemplating whether I should stop using them completely. Hendrick Porsche is 15 miles from my house and 3 miles from my office. The next closest dealer is 43 from my house and 51 miles from the office. The irony of this is that Hendrick Automotive Corporate offices are directly behind my office building. I could hit their building with a �knocked-down� Pitching Wedge! Hey, wait a minute, that gives me an idea, maybe I could�.. nah� that�s not my style! But it was fun thinking about it for a few hours�., er, I mean�. seconds!

Agreed, it really is more like a crease, which is very concerning to me. I can assure you that the general manager WILL get involved with this before any work is done to my car.

Seeing the photo made me want to cry... it's especially disturbing that someone didn't own up to having done it... maybe it's time to look for a good independent mechanic.. probably cheaper and less hassle also.

MOTHER F***** That's all I can say after seeing that

That's terrible! And worse that you discovered it.

I love paintless dent removal, and I call them in first to see if they can fix something before I go another route. So I can tell you that since it's so close to the edge for the door, it's going to be very hard for them to fix. The metal is stronger by the edge because of the fold for the door opening, and I would be surprised if they could get it perfect. And if they do it the old fashion way, remember to ask them if that dent will cost you $5000 or $6000 off trade in value from their dealership since their paint meter shows it "had paintwork."

Actually, according to my friend who is a professional PDR, creases are easier. What could be the "killer" in Tim's dent is that it's close to the edge. That sucks...that's not a dent, that's a HIT.

...yup, whoever did that knows that they did it and didn't own up to it.

Paintwork discovered on a car can negatively impact its value....especially when a potential buyer can't ascertain the extent of the original damage. In this case, taking pictures of the damaged area and getting a copy of the bill could provide comforting documentation to a discriminating potential buyer who uses a paint meter. In this case, I don't think the seller would experience a $5,000 to $6,000 impairment in selling price.

You know the same thing happened to my 2003 Range Rover..it was at the dealer for service and my wife went to pick it up...they pulled it up and gave it to her, she noticed a huge dent in the rear quater panel....she said thats not our car, they said yes it is, and she said we dont have adent in our car....then she looked at the plates and yup, it was our car....they gave us the GM's Rover for the 2 weeks they had it for repair...we took a few road trips and drove the hell out of that car....it was absolutely perfectly repaired....they THINK a porter did it and didnt say anything for fear of losing their job.....

Man I would drop that dealership in a heartbeat. But before I did I'd send a letter/e-mail to the General Manager telling him what happened, and that I'm not coming back, and that every other P-owner I know isn't going there either. You're guaranteed to get a call from him if the letter is strong enough, and then you can really lay into him and how his people are shady half-*** punks (or whatever you want to say). Also, I'm pretty sure the paintless dent guy won't be able to fix it entirely because it's close to the edge like everyone is saying. I had a similar issue before. Sorry but this type of stuff really pisses me off. They should be licking your feet right now to keep your business and they're not. I say f**k em and milk them for all you can. Even threaten the GM with legal action due to the impact on your car's value this has done. Good luck bro! What's the name of the dealership btw? So folks in the area can stay away...

Thanks guys for all of the replies and the commiseration! Yeah, it really sucks! I have just completed the first draft of my letter the GM at Hendrick Porsche about the lack of communication to the customer and careless way they treat the cars. You guys may remember that they replaced my RMS and never told me about it. I found out about that by reading the invoice.

Sorry for the dent. Just make sure they know you are the most **** SOB customer they have ever had and that you want to inspect and approve EVERY stage of the repair (inspect the tear down, inspect the dent removal, inspect the block sanding, inspect the paint between coats (you get the point). Tell them If the final result is not perfect you will make them redo it. they will do it right just to get rid of you. DONT just give it to them and wait until it gets returned and then inspect. Make yourself the biggest pain in the butt and you will get a better repair.

Tim, sorry about your dent. I had a similar crease in the center of the door on my wife's SL. The paintless dent guy worked miracles....that stuff is really an art. Good luck with your repair.

If the repair is done perfectly, there won't be any loss in value since the pictures prove that the initial damage was only cosmetic.

It sucks that he guy who did it almost certainly had to know he did it. Worse, the Service Manager tells you he didn't see it. Right....

Gotta911 I feel for you. I would be livid. I too think paintless removal will not work. The edge and the crease are tough. It can't hurt to go that route first though. I have a freind that goes to Hendrick and many of his associates at work too. They all sound pleased. I think at any big shop stuff like this can happen. I wouldn't be surprised if some other customer did it. Usually the parking is rediculously close and someone swinging their door could do it easy. They definately have caused you a lot of trouble and I would have some concern on resale too but not a huge amount. It is minor, it is from a dealer and it will be fixed by a dealer, could be worse. Lots of pics and documnet everything in writing. Good luck, I really feel bad for you. Sorry it happened.

Thanks for the kind words. It is very frustrating to see true customer service become diminished as the years pass. Too much squeezing of man power to reduce labor costs in order to maximize profits. At some point, those reductions begin to erode the volume of business because of the poor customer service. I have also noticed that Henderick Porsche is no longer listed as a Premier Dealership on the Porsche web site. They did have this distinction in 2006. I wonder why they lost that designation?

Total bummer, I feel for ya. I winced when I saw the pics. Good body guys can work miracles, but do not settle for less than perfection. Good Luck!

Tim- I am a manager at a dealership and I can tell you that most of the lot damage that happens does not get reported to anyone of authority for obvious reasons. I would bet that the service manager didnt know about this. The good news is that normally the damage is to our cars and not a customers and normally when we are overstocked. There is an amazing amount of traffic some days at dealerships and I can tell you that this happens very often. A good pdr tech can work miracles and you have every right to get the car fixed to your satisfaction. I hope this has a happy ending and they keep you as a customer, Rick Hendrick owned part of my stores at one time and is a fantastic guy however this will never get to him of course. Good luck!

We've all heard about paintless dent repair, but I have no idea how it's done. Can anyone explain the process for me? Thanks!

You get a range of specialist tools Designed to allow a skilled craftsman to work on the dent from inside the panel. Couple that with some neat dent suction tools that can suck a dent out of a panel And some very neat tube lamps & mirrors that allow the technician to look down the panel to ensure it's smooth It's amazing to see what a skilled pro can do.

sorry to hear this. it reminded me what my car when through last year..... the door edge will be tough to fix.

Tim, let us know what happens with your car - it's bad enough when crap happens to cars at dealerships, but another thing altogether when they hide the truth from the customer. Your experience really sucks. I would copy the owner/GM of the dealership on your letter, and make sure the car is repaired to your specs. Paintless dent removal is great if they can get to all parts of the crease. I almost bought an '04 C4S with 3K miles from Bentley of Long Island and had put a deposit down on it - a good thing I went to inspect it closely - it was portrayed as "flawless" but had a 3" crease right up to the lip of the wheel well which could not be repaired using the paintless technique. Rather than repaint, I found my '04 (same colors) at Isringhausen which was virtually perfect as advertised. Post pics when you get yours repaired - best of luck and sorry to hear about this.

Tim, sorry to see this happen to you. I hate to say it but it could be a lot worse. Hopefully, PDR guys will work their magic and you will be good as new. Keep us posted.

Thanks for the insight! It will get to Rick Hendrick if I decide to copy him on the letter I sent to the General Manager.

I will keep everyone posted on the outcome of the dent removal and also let you know hiw the GM handles the situation. Thanks, Guys, for the kind words and the replies! WHile that dosen't eliminate the dent, it sure does make me feel better. BTW - I tried to tell my wife that a BJ would make me feel better, but her reply was "I guess you're just going to have to continue feeling bad!" and went back to reading her book. Well, at least I never lost my sense pf humor!

Well, if she doesn't want to make you feel better, tell her that she could make me feel better for you.

That sucks Tim. I don't like Hendrick Porsche at all, but we don't have much of a choice in CLT. Who was your service manager?

Dutdhie his name is Mike S. (I don't remember his last name)

Good one! Can I watch?

Absolutely.

It's Mike Slattery, he is the assistant service manager. Quentin Boatright is the service manager... would copy him on your letter as well. Please share the letter with us and let us know what happens. I'm just flabbergasted by this story and scared sh@!less to bring my car there the next time!

Thanks for the info! Do they ever use heat to "soften" the panel to make the steel more pliable? Or is best to keep the structural integrity of the steel by leaving it cold?

I thought this was a Porsche forum......what's up with all this talk of Hummers?

I want in and I dont have to be first (like an h3 maybe)

I've only ever seen them work cold - I expect heat would be good for bumpers etc, as long as it doesn't damage the paint.

I agree. Mistakes happen, but for them to try and pass it off to you and hope you will not notice speaks volumes about the ethics of this dealership. I'd ask for them to not only fix the dent, but also give you a free service visit down the road or a free upgrade of some sort.

ray, i 've sent my car to different places many times. cars got damaged, one way or another, many times too. but NO ONE EVER told me up-front that something has been damaged, i always had to check, and deal with them before drive off. the diff. between good car dealership and bad ones are: once i found out the damage, the good one would quickly appologize, and promise to "make it right". the bad one simply say "we don't know what happened," or "come on, it's just a car"

Anyone who says this doesn't deserve to be in the car business... certainly they don't deserve my business. A good business will treat your property like their own - regardless of whether the product is a car or a shirt. ... good customer service is getting rarer every day.

That sux Tim, I think I could hold a guy by his neck off the ground with his feet dangling......oh sorry, getting all worked up thinking it happened to me. Sorry to hear...

Sounds like you are not going to very good places.....

Tim, I feel for you! I think I would have blown a gasket myself if this happend to me at my P-car dealer. I hope it all works out for you in the end.

That sux! They will fix it, but still sux...

i went to placese recommanded by local PCA member.

Any updates?

Not yet. THe GM at the dealer should be getting my letter today or tomorrow at the latest.

Whoa...and just think, I don't typically inspect my car carefully at the dealer before driving off. I guess I've been lucky or my dealer has been very good, but I'd better do that from now on. Sorry to hear about your dent, Tim, but at least they didn't pull the "it was already there" crap!

Tim, Don't know if this will help, but remind the GM of the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) survey that you'll be answering. Every dealer I've ever gone to practically begged me to give them an "excellent" rating. Being merely good, is not enough. The CSI does impact their allocation and incentives from the factory, and in many cases, will impact the bonus schedule for the employees. Until that car is like new, I woud threaten a poor rating. Heck, i'd probably still give them a poor rating just for the inconvenience. Clearly the GM has no idea how difficult it can be getting a good BJ these days... Good luck!

Yeah, Hendrick Porsche was a PREMIER DEALER in 2006 on the Porsche USA web site, but they are not listed a such in 2007! Gee, do you think there may be a reason for that! They probably got a lot of "not so good" customer feedback. Yeah, your right about the BJ. Those things are more scarce than a $25,000 Carrera GT!

The GM at the dealership got my letter today. He called me and said they woould take care of the dent to my 100% satisfaction. We are meeting face-to-face Thursday morning. Will keep you posted on the out come.

Glad to hear it!

Ok, I spoke with the GM (Ed) and the Service Manager at the dealership this morning. Ed admitted that they did not communicate well at all with me about replacing the RMS and air box and not telling me about it. He was very apologetic about the dent and stated that they would fix my car to 100% of my satisfaction. Ed thanked me for writing him the letter (it was two type written pages) letting him know that there was a service problem. He said sometimes if they do something wrong, and the customer just stops coming there for service, they can�t fix the problem because they don�t know what they did wrong. He also committed that, in the future, they would be VERY diligent about communicating with me about any work being done on my car. The dent guy was there today so I left the car and they gave me a Cayman (non-S) to drive. (BTW - Cayman is a fun little car to drive but... it is not a 911). Two hours later, I went back to get my car and the Service Manager, Quentin, asked me what I thought about the repair. I told him is was about 90% and his eyes got VERY wide and he asked what's the matter. We went over to look at the dent and, while the dent was gone, there was a little bit of paint ripple or bumpiness at the top part of the repair. It was very difficult to see, and you had to be at just the correct angle to see it. After looking closely, he saw it too. He stated, and I truly believe him, that he had not seen that when the car was still in the shop. It is quite minor, but since it is not 100% to my satisfaction, the repair is not complete. I am going to take it back in on Monday or Tuesday (my office is less than 3 miles from the dealership) and they will see about completing the repair. Overall, they were very professional and I am willing to give them another chance to see if the service level improves. Hopefully, the next and final update will come on Monday or Tuesday.

Tim - Sounds like the dealer is trying to do right by you. But, how do they fix rippled paint?

gota911, i had the same problem after the repair. the paint was "bubbled". it's very hard to fix that 100% now because the paint has been damaged, yes, it's very small but the paint has been damaged. i looked at my dent guy spent 2 hours trying to fix the dent close to the door edge, and i believe that is the best any dent-remover can do, but still, bit of paint ripple still there. from then i don't look at that spot when washing my car, and now i almost forget where it is.

Stick to your guns Tim. I was pondering what is reasonable, and, if they got it as close as possible and it is only noticeable is that okay? How far do they take it? But then I thought, what if this was a brand new car off the truck with a nice new MSRP sticker on it. Had the dent happened on that car would they get it 90%? In the end I guess it's going to come down to you. If the dent removal guy can get it almost, but not asolutely out, would I take that over having actual body work done and repainting? Probably, but I'd make them throw in a few free oil changes. Just my $0.02

I knew it would ripple!!! the edge was to sharp...paint got stretched!! Hopefully they can fix it without having to repaint....but I am doubtful!!!....I do not understand that when you work on someones pride and joy you can't be more careful!!! Make sure you are 100% happy...not ONLY 90%....because the dealer will F you when you trade it in...and will tell you....WELL THE CAR HAS HAD SOME DAMAGE!!!!.....you know how they are!! There insurance will cover it...they got to fix it and pay you the depriation difference!! Use an indenpendent agent (pay him out of your pocket and give them the bill!! This way you cover you a.. and know the guy is neutral!!

Nicolaas, Je bent weer terug... you're back (for all the non-dutchies). Where have you been all the time?

Tim, prep yourself for the possibility that you car will need paint to get to that 100% satisfaction level. If it doesn't, you'll be happy - if it does, then you are prepared. Been in the same position with 986 No.1, ended up having paint after the dent guy had done his very best. And Tim, Seriously though - recording what you see as a flaw is a good idea at all stages of the process. Helps when it comes to resale - or if anything doesn't work-out to your satisfaction.

That's a good point! BTW, if anyone deserves the "This thread is useless without pics!" banner, it certainly is me. Touche! Paybacks are a B!tch! The problem is that I think it will be very difficult to get the "bubbling" to show up in a pic because it really is that hard to see unless you look at the correct angle and in the correct light.

I think the most important thing is deciding which is worse - having a small paint imperfection, or having a re-painted panel.

You see, this is where newbies start to get the wrong idea, and don't post pics! I know how difficult it can be to capture paint/ding issues. Take a white piece of paper, or better card, with you and use that to reflect a straight white line in the cars paintwork. Not only can you see any issues better, but you can photograph them as well. Same principle as this dent guy using the long tube lamp on the Ferrari

Tim, Any update?

Tim, I certainly hope this ends up properly resolved. You've certainly given the dealership ample opportunity to do what is necessary. A secondary concern I have with paintless dent removal is the possibility of corrosion on the inner (hidden) side of the affected panel. I know most of the tools are probably rounded and smooth, but with enough activity, I could see the primer or light paint coating getting scratched - eventually leading to corrosion. Andreas

Tim, first I read this thread and nearly puked. Hendrick has been through a complete turnaround up front, and Ed is a real stand up guy. He was my sales manager a few years ago on the C4S Cab, then Hendrick moved him to manage the Mini store, then moved him back as GM last fall to Porsche. They needed a real kick start in the front office there. Rick H knows what goes on as well, and you can certainly send him copies of the letters. Make sure you tell him what fine race car drivers Gordon/Johnson are. Quentin and Mike have always been straight with me, and the parts guys are even better. Ed is the go-to guy, and I would bet this will get done to 100% satisfaction. If it has to get repainted, it will be right in the end. Good luck buddy. As for the Premier status, that resulted from high CSI scores and good sales numbers in '05. I believe they slipped in '06 because there were so many problems on the sales side a lot of local customers ran away. People are starting to come back now, with Ed in the hot seat, most people realize he is an honest, stand-up guy. I trust him.

UPDATE - I have been so busy at work that I haven't had time to take it back to Hendrick to get the bumps repaired. I am going to try to do that tomorrow while I am in the office. Eric - yeah, it was a bad situation. I had a good chat with Ed and Quentin and I think I got ttheir attention. I am still going to have them look at the seat bolster again. A 3 year old car shouldn't have color coming off the leather seats, IMO. BTW - do you have any suggestions to "alternate shops" for P-car service? You can PM me if you need to. I will hopefully be able to give you a "final" update in a couple of days.

i hope it works out for you Tim.

Eric, If you end up PM Tim, please send to me as well...would like to have an indy alternative here in Charlotte.

Best indy in Charlotte: Jim Burton Eurowerks http://www.eurowerks.us/ [phone removed] He was the lead guy at Hendrick for a very long time, runs his own Porsche shop now out toward Stallings. Top notch. Tell him I sent you. Not to take anything from Hendrick, but if you need a good indy, he's the go-to guy around here.

Thx! Always good to have an alternative to Hendrick.

Eric - thanks for the lead on the "indy" shop. I'll give Hendrick another chance, but if I get mediocre service from them again..... I'm gone from there forever! That would also eliminate them from consideration on any future P-car purchases, too. A lot is going to depend if they step up to the plate on the leather color that is wearing off the side bolster on the driver's seat back.

Okay Tim the excitement is killing me!!! Is the dent completely gone???? I have a couple of small: I-am-an-*******-and-can't-open-my-door-without-hitting-your-door-or front-fender: dents...and they bug the S.. out of me, call me ****!! If they get your dent completely out....than my dents are jokes!! and I will have them removed tomorrow! Dutchie in NC......I have been a little busy...but try to read rennlist...I have noticed if you are not reading the first message in a tread....it is very hard to keep up! But I am glad at least one person missed me!!

Gotta make sure my fellow country men are doing ok

Tim....I've got the best leather guy in the country. He does most of the highline work, including Porsche. So hopefully if they need him, he'll be the one. You can email me later with details, happy to provide referral.

Nicolaas - yes the dent is completely gone but at the top of where the dent was the narrowest, there are some bumps in the paint. They almost look like goose bumps or a rash on your skin. They are very hard to see and you have to get the light angle just right, but they are there. The bumps do not show up in pics or I would have posted some pics of the bumps.

Eric - thanks, I may have to get the name & number of the leather guy from you. I didn't get the chance to take the car in to the dealer today. Hopefully that will happen tomorrow (Thursday).

I bought my first Porsche from a guy in Charlotte, and I had the PPI done at a place call "911 shop" or "911 only" or something like that with "911" in the name. Up around Independence Blvd near the old coliseum, best as I can remember. Try the phoneboook... Anyway, they did a good job. Michael

Tim - I am completely **** about my cars. But if I were you, if you can't really see the bumps in the paint unless you look hard, I would rather get the dealer to give you a free service (or something) than have them re-spray the fender.

those bumps might be easily fixed by a pro doing some wet-sanding and buffing. Let them try before any painting is done.