Cry, Cry, Cry. . . Self Inflicted Damage

[Shiseiji]

After clearing snow, I backed my Explorer into the L front of The MINI. :banghead: :stupid: :cry:

 

Bonnet, headlight assembly, front bumper, fender extension . . .

 

Anyone know how to tell if the headlights are xenon or halogen?

 

Body shop recommendations? Waaaaa looks like the headlight assembly will cost more than the bonnet!

[braddlee]

Hi -

 

I can pass along a recent experience, but not really a recommendation.

 

My '14 Clubman got rear-ended in October, and I wanted to get the best repairs possible, so went with Passport Collision in Camp Springs, who are "MINI Certified." The damage was fairly extensive, about $12K in repairs, ultimately paid for by the other driver's insurance.

 

Originally the deadline given was four weeks. For a range of reasons relating to the driver's seat belt needing to be replaced, that slipped, but I got the car delivered back the week following. Not bad, right? But then....

 

The car was delivered back to Passport MINI in Alexandria, and when I went to pick it up, immediately noticed the barn doors wouldn't open properly with the remote. I also found some other minor issues, which I discussed with Julian at Passport MINI in Alexandria, and the car was sent back to Collision.

 

When it was returned, Julian did a test drive, and noticed the seat frame was damaged and that had not been caught. Back to Collision. Another delay.

 

When I got the car back, and actually had a chance to drive it, I noticed that it was making some odd noises in turns and when hitting bumps. Back to Collision, again. Turns out that the heat shield was loose and some wiring wasn't put back in place to spec. Another delay.

 

Got the car back again in early January. Have been driving it a few weeks, but noticed that now the struts and stops on the barn doors aren't working properly in holding the doors, so I'm heading back again. Hoping this will just be a stop a MINI of Alexandria.

 

I can understand that in a complex repair, that not everything might go right the first time, but this has been pretty frustrating. Moreover, I really feel like I've had to hound Passport Collision on the follow-up items. When I had questions, they've often been very slow in responding. At times, I've felt like they really didn't want to be very open or transparent about what was going on with the work, and that I've had to be quite the PITA to get the information I felt was appropriate. Persistent follow-up is one of my superpowers, but they really put me to the test. :banghead:

 

On the paperwork/insurance side, this really dragged on as well. It was only this week that I was able to get Collision to resolve some open questions with the insurance company's appraiser, so the collision part of the claim could be closed. Unfortunately, I'd paid Collision out of pocket on the initial repair, and so was out of pocket for several thousand dollars from late November until this week while paperwork on the supplementals to the original claim were getting sorted out. If you go with them, I'd strongly recommend letting your insurance company handle any payments, so you don't get stuck in the middle like I did.

 

Bottom line - were the actual repairs done well? Actually, despite all these problems, yes, I think they actually were done well. And, while this is a whole different story, because I'm pursing a diminished value claim, I paid Collision Consulting for an independent appraisal and an in-person review of the repairs (I highly recommend them, BTW). While they obviously couldn't look inside/underneath, the appraiser's comments on the work were positive.

 

So, your mileage may vary, but I'd personally have a hard time recommending Passport Collision based on the overall experience.

 

One important point. I've consistently been very happy with Passport MINI in Alexandria. Both shops are owned by the same company. Julian's typically been my service advisor at Passport MINI, and the quality of the service, the work performed, and the communication have all been commendable. So, even though I'd probably never go back to Passport Collision, I certainly plan to keep taking the car to Passport MINI.

 

Happy to answer any questions, and I've been curious about other members experience with Passport Collision.

 

Braddlee

[Edge]

If the quality of the work done on your MINI is the most important thing to you, more important than the time it takes or the cost, I can't recommend D&V Autobody enough. They are located on Overland Drive in Sterling, VA - right off Old Ox Rd, which is on the back side of Dulles airport.

 

They do top notch work - as proven by the number of really high end cars they get in to work on!

[Shiseiji]

Thank you both. On the good side, I was doing < 1 mph in reverse, so the damage is sheet metal/plastic. I shouldn't have to worry about the agony Edge went through.