14 replies to this topic

[jacko]

Following yesterdays accident, my car is currently in storage and I will have to sort out the repairs tomorrow with the insurance company. I want to make sure the car goes to an excellent body shop and whilst it is there I will get some investigations into why the entire car rattles so badly (this warranty work was about to be booked anyway). Does anyone have recommendations on dealerships that are good with the VX, have a good body shop and can carry out some good warranty work? I am in Yorkshire but understand that I can request the car goes to any garage I choose... is this the case? And now that I have knocked the car, what happens to the warranty? Thanks all, Jacko

[cheeky_chops]

What?? Youve had a crash too?? I missed that one WHats the details?? And where are you based for dealer references??

[jacko]

What?? Youve had a crash too?? I missed that one WHats the details??

And where are you based for dealer references??

The details: coming off a roundabout, too much power, the back end slipped out by about 50 degrees, hit the curb, popped front nearside tyre and hit a wall. Front offside wing and bumper took the bulk of the hit.

I am in Yorkshire but have been told (perhaps unreliably and not by the insurance company) that the car can can go to a dealer of my choice... ???

[cheeky_chops]

ouch! glad your OK and that what counts. Hows the car look? any suspension damage?? If you dont get it repaired at a vx220 approved bodyshop it will invalidate your manufacturers warrenty

[vx_220]

Take it to a Lotus specialist independent place (ask the boys on the Lotus BBS for recommendations). Vauxhall will not know you've had the crash repair and hence won't invalidate your warranty. Chris

[jacko]

These are the closest dealers to me. Has anyone had any garage (suspension rattles) and body shop experiences with any of them? Or should I just try and get the car taken to Crownhill? JCT600 Vauxhall Centre, Edward House 339 Sticker Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD4 8RJ Phone: 01274 771600 Fax: 01274 685049 Hartwell Sheffield 1 Savile Street Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S4 7TF Phone: 08709 049780 Fax: 0114 2760369 Nidd Vale Motors Nidd Vale Corner 91 Leeds Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG2 8EY Phone: 01423 500005 Fax: 01423 500404 Grimshaws Albert Street Eccles, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M30 0LN Phone: 0161 798 7000 Fax: 0161 786 2498 Kirkby Central Bolton Manchester Road Bolton, Lancashire, BL3 2NY Phone: 01204 389999 Fax: 01204 366071 Perrys Wheatley Hall Road Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN2 4PE Phone: 01302 364964 Fax: 01302 363051 Thanks, Ben

[jacko]

I am having a nightmare with this!!! Rang most of the dealers listed above to find that none have their own body shops! Then went back to ringing Vauxhall head office, Halifax insurance and JCT600, the dealer who I bought it from. These are their responses: * Vauxhall - take it to Huddersfield Vauxhall dealership. I tell Vauxhall that this dealer doesn't have any VX220 expertise and doesn't even sell them! Vauxhall customer service agent now doesn't know what to recommend... totally confused by my request for a VX220 specialist repair centre. They say ring my insurance company. * Halifax Insurance - take it to one of our recommended repairers. I tell them that this is pointless because a local garage will not know what to do with the car and will not be able to fix it. Argument ensues with Halifax person saying the garage will know what to do 'it's a car and they are a garage after all'! I further explain that taking it to one of their garages will invalidate my warranty... Halifax is not concerned about this! * JCT600 - after numerous phone calls they tell me that they do not have facilites to repair car but can give me an estimate. I ask what's the point in estimating if they can't fix it. They recommend ringing my insurance company!! What a waste of an afternoon's phone bill! I find it incredible that the three organisations that should be able to help are all totally fecking useless. My current thinking is to get it transported to JCT600, leave it with them and get an estimate. This goes to insurance company and they authorise repairs. JCT600 then have to send the car to a body shop that can actually handle the repair... perhaps I can exert some influence in their choice of body shop since it seems very few have actually repaired VX220s. Any advice on the feasibility of the above? Am I going down the right path? Turboman, can you help!!!??? Hethel is looking unachievable. Thanks all, Ben

[Thorney]

Well following my mishap today I'm taking mine to a close friend of mine who owns his own large bodyshop in Slough. He used to run Monoreps bodyshop (very large London Vauxhall dealer) and knows his stuff. They've done a few VX's and enjoy working on them and as he's a good mate I know he'll treat it with absolute care. Slough isn't exactly convenient for you I know but the fact I know him so well (he was one of my best men at my wedding) it might help put your mind at rest. They're recommended by all the insurance companies, fix porches, Caterhams etc so know their stuff.

[andym172]

I am in Yorkshire but have been told (perhaps unreliably and not by the insurance company) that the car can can go to a dealer of my choice... ???

The insurance company will tell you otherwise, but you are 100% correct in the assumption that you can take it to a repairer of your choice, and is definitely what I would do!!

Be warned, if you do this you most probably will have to pay for your own courtesy/hire car and for the car to be transported to and from the repairer.

If I were you I'd accept Thorney's offer...

[garyk220]

The Lotus Sport & Performance do accident repairs. There were a couple of track damaged Exiges in when I was last down there. I picked up a leaflet, contact details are Glenn Smith 01953 608920, email gsmith2@lotuscars.co.uk. Might be worth giving them a call. Presumably they will be able to source parts more easily than a dealer/bodyshop?

[jacko]

Well following my mishap today I'm taking mine to a close friend of mine who owns his own large bodyshop in Slough. He used to run Monoreps bodyshop (very large London Vauxhall dealer) and knows his stuff. They've done a few VX's and enjoy working on them and as he's a good mate I know he'll treat it with absolute care.

Slough isn't exactly convenient for you I know but the fact I know him so well (he was one of my best men at my wedding) it might help put your mind at rest. They're recommended by all the insurance companies, fix porches, Caterhams etc so know their stuff.

Thanks Thorney, but wouldn't taking it to a non-Vauxhall body shop invalidate the warranty?

[Shez]

Jacko - The first other black VX I see and it's ploughed it to a wall. I'm guessing that this was yourself. As I'd gone for a drive in mine, and had'nt taken my phone, my brother got about 10 calls to ask if I was OK after my crash!! - turns out he even rang Huddersfield A and E to see if I'd been admitted. An hour of panic later he turns up blaming me. Hope to see you back on the road soon.

[jacko]

Hi Shez, Yep that was me... I saw you go past!! Watch yourself coming off that roundabout, apparently it is an accident black spot. Even while I was waiting to be picked up, I saw other rear wheel drive cars wiggle on the same spot. Are you based in Huddersfield? When mine is fixed up, we should meet up. Send me a PM... cheers, Ben

[Shez]

I go over that roundabout a few times a week with not too many problems, however on Saturday I wiggled a bit, and if not for slowing down to work out why you were parked on the pavment (It took as second to realise your front end had dropped off) I would of put my foot down and probably ended up in the same place. In all fairness, that roundabout was very slippery that day. I'm in Brighouse, and now I know that there's another black vx around, it explains why some people have said the've spotted me in place I have'nt been