Had a nightmare day with a 2018 Ford F-150 last Tuesday in Akron

I was working on this Ford that came in with what looked like a simple fender bender - you know, bumper cover and a headlight. But when I pulled the bumper, I found the radiator support was twisted and the AC condenser had a tiny leak from the impact. Three hours into disassembly and the customer calls saying he can only pay for the bumper (like $450) and wants me to patch the rest. Has anyone else dealt with customers trying to nickel-and-dime on hidden damage they don't see?

3 comments

3 Comments

scott.alex15d ago

Right, because a "patch" on a leaking AC condenser is totally going to hold for more than the drive home. Nothing like spending three hours tearing something apart just to be told the budget only covers the plastic bits that look pretty. I'm sure the radiator support will just straighten itself out if you ignore it long enough, maybe wish upon a star. Can't wait for the callback when the AC stops blowing cold and the front end starts rattling like a maraca.

quinn34115d ago

Man, that's rough. I've been there with a job where you dig in and find a mess behind the trim, and the customer just doesn't get it. @kellyallen hit it right about people thinking a dent is just cosmetic, like the broken stuff underneath will just disappear. Hope you don't get that callback too soon, but we all know it's coming.

kellyallen15d ago

That 2018 F-150 in Akron sounds like a total headache, three hours of work just to get told about a $450 budget is brutal. I've had customers pull that exact move where they see a dent and think a quick fix covers everything underneath, it's like they forget cars have stuff behind the plastic. Really feel for you having to explain that a twisted rad support and a leaking condenser aren't gonna fix themselves with a prayer.