Unfortunately about a month ago (after having my FEH for only 2 months) an 88 year old senile women driving on the wrong side of a divided road hit me between the driver’s side fender and door causing approximately $6500 in damages. Needless to say I wasn’t very happy. I should be picking up my repaired vehicle either today or tomorrow. I plan on being very picky to make sure everything has been fixed properly. Does anyone have any tips on what to look for in this situation?



Thanks,

Steve

Look down the side of the vehicle to notice any warping. This could be the sign of some kind of frame damage. Also feel along where the repair was done in order to see if there are any "edges" that could be around where they used a body filler that could eventually fall off, or cause other cracking problems. Make sure the door operates well with no sticking or noises.

As always, take it to another mechanic and ask them to look at it. Have them put it up on the lift and examine the repair.

More specifically......look closely at the lines along doors and fenders. Look at the gap between doors and the body and follow along.....it should stay the same width all the way around. Lines at the tops of front doors should follow straight into the lines of the back doors. Check hood lines and hatch door lines as well, as well as ones on the side of the car that was not hit.

Underneath you want to look most closely at the part of the body that makes up the "frame", such as it is. Look specifically for cracks or wrinkles in the metal. If you see wrinkles, you'll want to compare to the other side of the car, or to a similar but un-crashed Escape to see if it is similar.

Look for fresh undercoating, especially if it's in odd areas like the engine compartment side of a fender well. Undercoating does a creat job of covering metal work that didn't get fixed, or didn't get fixed right, but....keep in mind...it's not a bad way to cover up well done work as well. It eliminates rust and cuts refinishing time in areas that most people don't care much about, including the underside of a car. It may cue you to where welding or straightening was done.

Take a good look at what your tire wear is like, and then start checking every few thousand miles. Look for feathering of the tread, or wear that is to one side or the other.....no longer even across the tire.

And of course, go drive top end.....whatever that is on an Escape....I haven't tried mine yet....listen for rattles, wind noise that's out of line, or suspension pulls or shakes. Speed amplifies everything. Only do this in a spot where it is legal of course .

One thing you can do to see if it tracks straight is to run it through a puddle and then drive straight on dry pavement. Make sure it leaves just two tire tracks. I would definitely get a printout of the alignment.

Another thing you should find out is whether they used OEM parts. If you took it to a dealer autobody that is all they should use but a non-Ford shop may have tried to save money (that is, pad their pocket) using non-OEM parts. Ask for proof or look for part numbers if there is any doubt.
I got rear-ended in my '06 at about 3k miles and the insurance tried to cut corners. They told me that a 1 year-old vehicle with 10k miles or more and all they pay for is aftermarket.

Hopefully it is good as new for you.