My blue car has now been moved and either H or B phones me up...
"...about this accident"
"I HAVEN'T HAD AN ACCIDENT!!!" ....
They put me on to Mike in the body shop. He is the first person who listens to exactly what happened.
"Hmmm", he said, "I did wonder about Lookers (with the rotten customer service), as they said the axle was bent and I thought that was a bit odd since the steering wheel was 90° out and the axle is at the back, not really anywhere near the steering. Let me have a proper look and get back to you...and you're sure you didn't hit a speed bump?"
I sigh pathetically and repeat the story again, using slightly different words...."no, no accident, no speed bump, no pothole....."
Some time later he calls me back. He tells me that my front suspension is bent along with the track rod and steering rack. The steering knuckle is also broken. He's coming up with inventive theories to the 'no accident' scenario and I'm starting to wonder if they are running a sweepstake at the dealers. They have, if nothing else, decided that it is a mystery. It's being fixed on insurance but still they don't know if its a manufacturing defect or if I hit a balloon and its just flimsy. In the end, Mike came up with a theory that sort of fits...so, here it is....make up your own mind:
The car is parked on the side of the road. Because I live on a hill, the wheels are turned backed against the kerb. This means the tyre sticks out past the bodywork. Someone careers down the hill on the wrong side of the road and runs into the tread of the tyre, braking sharply and stopping at the impact. Miraculously they miss the wing mirror and the rest of the bodywork. They cleverly manage to avoid marking the tyre or wheel in the process. They then drive away. Some time later, I get in my car and drive away. I drive 15 miles and everything sort of hangs in together OK apart from a warning light on the dashboard. I park for a couple of hours then leave the car park. I take 3 right turns in a row. The already damaged steering decides it prefers turning left to turning right and twists the wheel the wrong way. The car still drives in a straight line with no wheel judder, even at speed...I take it to the garage who refuse to fix it because of all the accident damage....none of which is visible.
Well, what do you think? Feasible? Heck, I don't know either....but you have to give Mike a prize for inventive thinking!
"...about this accident"
"I HAVEN'T HAD AN ACCIDENT!!!" ....
They put me on to Mike in the body shop. He is the first person who listens to exactly what happened.
"Hmmm", he said, "I did wonder about Lookers (with the rotten customer service), as they said the axle was bent and I thought that was a bit odd since the steering wheel was 90° out and the axle is at the back, not really anywhere near the steering. Let me have a proper look and get back to you...and you're sure you didn't hit a speed bump?"
I sigh pathetically and repeat the story again, using slightly different words...."no, no accident, no speed bump, no pothole....."
Some time later he calls me back. He tells me that my front suspension is bent along with the track rod and steering rack. The steering knuckle is also broken. He's coming up with inventive theories to the 'no accident' scenario and I'm starting to wonder if they are running a sweepstake at the dealers. They have, if nothing else, decided that it is a mystery. It's being fixed on insurance but still they don't know if its a manufacturing defect or if I hit a balloon and its just flimsy. In the end, Mike came up with a theory that sort of fits...so, here it is....make up your own mind:
The car is parked on the side of the road. Because I live on a hill, the wheels are turned backed against the kerb. This means the tyre sticks out past the bodywork. Someone careers down the hill on the wrong side of the road and runs into the tread of the tyre, braking sharply and stopping at the impact. Miraculously they miss the wing mirror and the rest of the bodywork. They cleverly manage to avoid marking the tyre or wheel in the process. They then drive away. Some time later, I get in my car and drive away. I drive 15 miles and everything sort of hangs in together OK apart from a warning light on the dashboard. I park for a couple of hours then leave the car park. I take 3 right turns in a row. The already damaged steering decides it prefers turning left to turning right and twists the wheel the wrong way. The car still drives in a straight line with no wheel judder, even at speed...I take it to the garage who refuse to fix it because of all the accident damage....none of which is visible.
Well, what do you think? Feasible? Heck, I don't know either....but you have to give Mike a prize for inventive thinking!
