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Lexus LS Dealers and Service Issues

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    mobe2mobe2 Member Posts: 12
    Thank you, smithg, for your post. I had assumed there was always some collusion between the "preferred provider" and the insurance company. We chose the dealer (which happens to be in-network) because of the issues of reliability which you mentioned.

    I have just one question: what recourse would I have if "it is not right"? Small claims court? And what else?
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    smithgsmithg Member Posts: 9
    Mobe2,
    I went to the repairer, in your case that would be the dealer. They will make the repair/correction, and they will then go to the insurer for reimbursement. That is the path I took.

    You need to make it clear to both the insurance and dealer/repairer that you will have nothing but original equipment. You probably will not need any actions. Good Luck.
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    mobe2mobe2 Member Posts: 12
    Thanks, smithg, for your reply. The dealer has already put the door on, and they said the fender was a new fender (they also told me which dealer these parts came from). Since the dealer is "in-network", they did the estimate, and I assume I don't really need to talk to the insurance company. The dealer had also told me earlier that if a salvage part was available, and I wanted new, I'd have to pay the difference. I don't know if a salvage part was unavailable in both cases, or if the dealer pretended to the insurance company that a salvage part was unavailable, or if the dealer pretended to me to put new parts on, and actually put salvage parts on. Also, I asked the dealer where these parts come from, and they said "(the name of the city where they're from)". I said, "Where in (city), and they said, "We USUALLY work with (dealer name)". I didn't think to ask them if THESE parts were from that dealer. Don't know if this matters or not.
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    mobe2mobe2 Member Posts: 12
    I went to pick up my Lexus after the body work I described in my previous post, and after I requested, the shop gave me a parts worksheet. I checked all the part numbers on the internet, and they all matched, except for the sealer, which I couldn't find the part number for, and also a couple of parts were just a few cents off on their list price. This eases my mind somewhat about these being new parts: anyone see a problem with this?

    The bigger problem is that there are gaps of different sizes between the front door and fender, and between the different doors (gap sizes are different between the front door and fender and between the front and back doors on the driver's side, for instance). Also, the lower part of the driver's side front door sticks out just a little from the side of the car. The shop said "all cars have these gap inconsistencies" and "the door sticks out a little because the backing tape we use is unfortunately a little thicker than what the factory uses". They said they could not get the tape the manufacturer uses, that it's a trade secret (of the manufacturer) and that it's put on by a machine in the factory, so they can use a thinner tape in the factory.

    I had the shop try to push in the door more, so that it will be a tighter fit, and so that when the door is pushed in manually, it won't have a hollow feel (the shop said no water will leak because it's the door jamb that actually seals the door, and it has no problems. The outer unsealed part of the door always has water coming in, but you never see it, and it's not a problem, according to the shop.)

    Does this all sound legit? I'd appreciate greatly anyone's input on this matter, especially during the next day or two, while they try to push in this door.
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    mobe2mobe2 Member Posts: 12
    Message #107 refers to messages #101 and #106. Hope someone has an answer for me. In any event, I again thank smithg for his advice.
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    smithgsmithg Member Posts: 9
    Just saw this. The 'fit' does not sound good. Could you post a pic of what you see? All cars do not have these inconsistencies.
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    casino2casino2 Member Posts: 26
    Did you use O.E. brake pads when servicing your brakes? Using an other brand of brand pad will squeak.
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    mobe2mobe2 Member Posts: 12
    Thanks for replying again, smithg. I got the Lexus back yesterday, and the lower part of the driver's side front door was pushed in somewhat. It still sticks out, but less. I took the car back at this point.

    I'm not completely sure that the door is a new one, although the part numbers I was given matched when I Googled them. The shop told me that the door came without paint, so I cannot physically see whether the door is new or not. When I had asked for the invoice their parts department received from the Lexus dealer in another city, they couldn't produce one. All they could produce was the invoice from their parts department to the body shop, which had the part numbers I mentioned.

    Unfortunately, I don't have a smartphone (or any kind of cellphone) and don't know how to post a picture to the Internet.
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    casino2casino2 Member Posts: 26
    Always use O.E. brake pads when replacing brakes. Using other brand will cause queaks. Price difference can be that much. The queaking is the difference between O.E. and aftermarket brand.
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    wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    No, brake pad squeaking is generally caused by the lack of chamfering of the leading and trailing edges of the brake pads and/or the lack of use of anti-squeak backing material/compound during installation.
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