OUCH! Someone hit my smart car!!

[jwight]

Originally Posted by goldseekur

Thanks for the information. I meet this morning with the insurance rep.

Goldseekur

What's the latest on your car?

[goldseekur]

Well, the body of the car is finally fixed. What a nightmare!!!! It took the insurance company over 3 weeks to get back with a quote for the repairs. I was first told that they would get NEW parts for my car, well they changed their story and would only do repairs to the car. The damage was minor so I agreed that repairs would be OK.

During the time that I was waiting for the estimate from the insurance company I started noticing a smell of gasoline in the interior of the car, especially after a fill up. It seemed to go away after about 1/2 a tank of gas. I asked the insurance company if I could take my car in to have it checked out since this was something new that happened since the wreck and they said NO. I had to wait until the original estimate was made for the repairs and while they were doing the body repairs, IF they thought that there was something else wrong that could have resulted from the wreck, they could get the authorization to have the engine looked at. Well, the guys at the body shop for Mercedes Easton felt there was definitely a problem and drove my car down to the dealership for them to look at and see what the problem was.

I figured that since I had a smart car and there is a smart car dealership right here in Columbus, that is where I should take the car for any and all repairs! Especially since I was at the smart rally at the dealership just a few months earlier and met the manager of smart, Kevin and all. Seemed logical, so I thought.

Well the rest of the story.....

I figured the Mercedes smart car dealership at Easton in my home town area should be the company to fix my car. They took the money [over $500]to fix the body work but REFUSED to do any repair on the engine! Not only did they refuse to do the repairs, they refused to even look at my car after the body department drove my car over 50 miles round trip to the dealership for them to look at.

I did not know this piece of information about refusing to work on the mechanics of my car until after they had already done the work on the body. I would have found someone else to do my repairs if I had know.

I am not sure what is wrong with my car but there is now an odor of gasoline in the interior of the car. I smell it worst when I fill the car up and it seems to go away after I get down to about 1/2 a tank of gas.

They, Mercedes smart car at Easton in Columbus Ohio, just told me that they would NOT work on my car.

Anyone else had any problems with a dealership refusing to work on the older 450 model smart cars?

Mad as He__ in Columbus Ohio!

Goldseekur

[sk8ndad]

I would take the car to someone now to check out what sounds like a crack in the gas tank. I hope you haven't signed a release, but no matter what, you need to get any problem with the fuel system fixed. The dealership sounds skanky to me. They deserve 20 lashes:

[smartHHO]

Originally Posted by sk8ndad

I would take the car to someone now to check out what sounds like a crack in the gas tank. I hope you haven't signed a release, but no matter what, you need to get any problem with the fuel system fixed. The dealership sounds skanky to me. They deserve 20 lashes:

What Kind of dealer/fix it shop does only body work and refuses to work on the engine. OMG. The shop I use each time my wife gets into a wreck is the best. Hell, I don't even mess with the other guys insurance. I go and use my insurance, my body shop and have no problems. The estimater here estimates the damage, says we shall up it if we need to when they actually take the body pieces off. Then, like when my wifes car went 'DUKES OF HAZZARD', the tranny case was cracked. That was not seen until they put the car up on the rack. I had so much stuff fixed, then paid my $100 deductable, and drove off. My insurance then sends the bill to the other insurance company and says PAY UP! Done deal. Not sure who you have for insurance, but getting your own insurance involved and paying the deductable, if it's not like $500, is not bad. Good luck. And burn the dealer that refused body work to the ground. Hell I probably would post their name on here in BOLD saying don't go there, they do crappy work.

[PlainCityVWBug]

goldseeker-

I was at the Smart Center Easton get together and I saw your car and even personally took many photos of it. Now, I'm not trying to flame you or your car, but before I go on with what I was going to say.. let me ask you this question.. since your car is a 450, and the first Smart Fortwos that could be sold in the USA were 2008 451s, how legal is your car to be on our streets? I know.. it's insured, registered, licensed and titled here in Ohio, but by U.S. standards, how legal is your car?

[Piccola]

The 450's were legal in some states - and not in others - when they first came in. I believe it was due to emissions standards and computer adjustments that were expensive to do - the gray market importer didn't want to spend the cash is what I heard. And, there was a big beef between the gray market importers and MB about the 450's even being here. That has been resolved in the courts I believe. That may be why the smart center in Easton would work on the body and not on the engine. I've heard lots of gray markets imports of any brand have this issue. When I first saw the smart in 2001, I looked into bringing it in (I live in CA) and that is what I was told. Hope this info is still current for you - and hope it helps. Apparently, owning a gray market car has benefits and drawbacks. Good luck. I would think any quality mechanic would work on your car for you! Check the "search" for 450 owners and see if they can be a resource for you.

[PlainCityVWBug]

Piccola- I guess that what I'm getting at.. is IF technically goldseekur's 450 is not legal here in Ohio (and I don't know if it is or isn't).., I believe that Smart Center Easton in Columbus, Ohio has EVERY LEGAL RIGHT to deny doing work to that particular car. Now if it was a 2008 451, that'd be a different story.

[goldseekur]

Originally Posted by PlainCityVWBug

Piccola- I guess that what I'm getting at.. is IF technically goldseekur's 450 is not legal here in Ohio (and I don't know if it is or isn't).., I believe that Smart Center Easton in Columbus, Ohio has EVERY LEGAL RIGHT to deny doing work to that particular car. Now if it was a 2008 451, that'd be a different story.

I will have it checked out by the shop that I am going to take it to regarding the emission control stuff. I know that this car went through some type of conversion when brought over to the US that was supposed to bring the car up to US standards.

More than just the refusal to work on my smart, the company did not even give me any reason, they only told me that they would not work on it. The guy that I talked to in the body shop division did not have an answer for me as to why, he said that they just would not, and that I could come pick up my car.

Oh well I have a great mechanic [ I have been using him for our other 4 cars for over 8 years] who says that he can and will work on my smart. He told me that he was interested in getting a smart car as well so he was doing his research on the engines, etc. to be able to work on them himself.

I asked about an oil change.. "yea sure...$39.99." He has already done 3 since they came out. Going over there this week. I will let you know wha he says about the car.

Goldseekur

[sk8ndad]

Originally Posted by PlainCityVWBug

Piccola- I guess that what I'm getting at.. is IF technically goldseekur's 450 is not legal here in Ohio (and I don't know if it is or isn't).., I believe that Smart Center Easton in Columbus, Ohio has EVERY LEGAL RIGHT to deny doing work to that particular car. Now if it was a 2008 451, that'd be a different story.

While they have the "legal" right, I believe they have a "moral" obligation to tell the customer before they suck up all of the money that they will not do any mechanical work.

[2smrt4u]

My smart car was backed into in the school parking lot the first day I had it