Hi;
Due to a redlight runner in an old Camaro, I'm in need of major body repair on an '09 Clubman, and I want to find a place that knows what they're doing, preferably one that knows Minis. This car now has only a couple straight body panels - roof, hood, RH doors - and I want a place that can check it for proper alignment and everything else.
Has anyone had experience with the body shop at Sewell in Plano? Anyplace else you might have first-hand experience with?

Thanks in advance,
- R

 

Being a MINI dealership with a body shop, we see a large amount of MINI body shop business. Not only do we have fully trained technicians familiar with MINI repair, we also house a very large inventory of MINI collision parts meaning the body shop gets what they need faster and in turn, you get your car back faster! If you have any specific questions about our facility, please do not hesitate to ask.

 

Mike,
Thank you; I just spoke to a very pleasant and professional person in your collision shop, Tanya, and I have an appointment for Monday, 11/14. I look forward to taking a look at your facilities at that time. I am particularly interested in your measurement capabilities, since the body structure was parallelogrammed somewhat by the side impact.
Thanks again,
- R

 

I'll post updates after my appointment (next Monday, 11/14) and after the work is completed!

Known damage at this point includes the point of impact, the right rear corner, the entire left side which sideswiped a utility pole while rolling backwards along the curb, broken rear exhaust hanger rod/bent RH exhaust pipe ahead of the muffer, rear bumper support structure, and rear doors that won't close because the door opening is no longer square.
And yet, the car could be driven home easily, with no shaking or vibration, and the rear taillight wasn't even broken!
The Camaro, otoh, was incapacitated and had to be towed away...

 

ouch! glad you made it out ok. Have any pictures of the damage?

 

If you take it to Stuarts, you'll end up with a timeline and product something like this:

We started recording the timeline at 7 weeks at the shop. We dropped the car off 6/27/11. They had Davenport motors yank the engine out and then just stuck the vehicle in their back lot.

Each week: "your car is next to go on the frame machine". We will call Monday.
Each week, no call on Monday.

We've had to drive up there twice to get them to acknowledge a phone call. Today, my wife went in to check on the vehicle and it was in the same place it was 10 days ago.

This is some of the worst customer service I've experienced in the body business. I know they are busy, I expect a shop of this caliber to set expectations correctly and not treat me like the clerk at 7-11 treats me. It's a serious disappointment that they can no longer manage their work flow. (our previous experience was slow, but good communication and expectations were well set)


I understand this is not a Porsche. It's a Lexus RX400, however they will not ever get my Porsche with business practices as shady as we are experiencing.

Here is the log we have recorded:

6/27 – Dropped off car.
7/5 – State Farm adjuster goes to Stuart’s to prepare estimate.
[I think I called at least once in between to check on the estimate, but I can’t find that record.]
Fri 7/15 – Doug returns my message re State Farm estimate. Confirms that they have everything they need at this point. Thinks the estimate was “light” in terms of body work/panels to be replace. Are waiting to get car on frame machine so that they can supplement State Farm estimate. Will call me next week with an update.
Fri 7/22 – Doug not available, was told he would call me back. Left my work number.
Fri 7/22 – Doug called me back at end of day. Car is first in line for the frame machine on Monday. He will call me next week once they assess the damage.
Wed 7/27 – Doug was at lunch, was told he would call me back. Left my work number.
Th 7/28 – Doug returns my call to my cell, leaves VM (I was attending writing seminar). Car still not on the frame machine because there were other cars ahead of me. Will get it on the frame machine early next week and will call me next week to let me know status.
Th 7/28 - Doug unavailable, visit to shop. Car has engine out and parts marked for replacement. I was promised by the tech that it was next on the fame machine as he pointed to the Miata that was parked up there. (which looked complete)

Mon 8/8 – Doug was in shop, was told he would call me back. Left my work number.
Tues 8/9 – Called again because no return call. Still no call back.
Wed 8/10 – Visit shop in person to check on car since no one called me back last two days. No more work has been done. Doug said the body tech assigned to the car had been in the hospital since last week, so they had to shuffle things to a new technician who was already very busy. He said mine was “almost up,” but is having to be “worked in.” I asked to see the list of cars ahead of mine. He found it, and there were 5-6 cars ahead of me. He said they were all “almost done.”
8/18 – I called the shop to find out the status. Doug was not available, so I left him a voicemail asking him to confirm that work had started on my car. I asked him to call me back at work or, if he couldn’t reach me there, to call my cell.
8/19 – Doug called me back only on my cell and left a voicemail. He said that the new tech was scheduled to start my car on 8/18, but that the original tech had been released from the hospital on 8/17 and was scheduled to return to the shop on 8/22 so they were shifting my car back to the original tech and would start work on Monday 8/22. He said he would call me next week with an update.

Tues 8/30 - Called. Doug said: "We are starting on it today." the mechanic (who was supposed to come back Monday two weeks ago came back yesterday)

Thursday 9/1/11. Stopped by to see the progress. Told Doug that I was tired of him lying to me and tired of him giving me the run around. He promised it'd be up on Tuesday (9/6)

Wednesday 9/14. Random stop by. "Doug said, it went on the frame machine today". Calling State Farm to look at it again. (This conflicts with the earlier statement that they had State Farm out prior and State Farm was waiting for them to do the pulling before writing up any more sheet metal) *More lies again Doug..*

Wednesday 9/14. After leaving, I simply walked back to the back lot and took a look. Sure enough, the car was on the frame machine but wasn't hooked up. At *best*, it was simply parked there.

Thursday 9/22/11 Doug called, "car is still on the frame machine" "I spoke with Stuart, we can get you into a rental and cover the costs until it's done."

Friday 9/23/11 We picked up the rental car and drove up to Stuarts. Peeked into the shop and it's on the frame machined. Left rail was mostly (if not all removed) I didn't see the right side. In any case. They have started on it.

update from Wife:

9/1 – Brad went to the shop to check on the status. They still had not begun the work. Brad talked to Doug and explained that he needed to stop lying to us about the timetable. Doug finally acknowledged that it was going to take at least 3 months from the time we dropped off the car. He said that Stuart would be in the shop Friday morning if we wanted to come by and discuss the situation. He said that our request for a rental car was not unreasonable and that he would discuss it with Stuart.
9/22 -- Doug called Brad to let him know Stuart's had arranged for me to pick up a rental car from Avis.
9/23 -- Picked up the rental car. The rental car employee told me that Stuart's had given them an estimated completion date of 10/6. Brad and I also drove by Stuart's to check on the status of my car. The car was on the frame machine, but it did not look like work had begun. Doug would be up first thing Monday morning.
10/17 -- Doug called to give me a status update. He said they had finished the body and paint work, my car was being towed to Davenport's to have the engine put back in the car, they would do a final detail (place not specified), and then have the car returned to Stuart's to install the final body pieces.
11/11/11--Picked up the car 'it was 'ready' but not really.
--Overspray behind door and fender, including on rubber molding in fender.
--Right Fender mis-aligned (hood is correct, but body line is off by about 3mm)
--All bolts on body panels not painted, hood bolts not even original types.
--Engine cover all scratched up. Looks like it was upside down on the concrete. (was perfect, even after the accident as I pulled it off and put it in the back seat)
--Pretty strong pull to the right on the alignment. Even after it went back a couple of times( we put new tires on it to attempt to correct the issue)
--Trash in the paint. I stopped counting at 6 bits. 1/2 of it was from scotchbrite pads.
--Door/fender alignment on both sides are off. Fender is in too far on the left and out too far on the right. (left will cause wind noise, it's about 2mm out)

(I'll add to the list, there was more but I can't think of it right now)

Worth pointing out, Stuart told me that 3mm was 'in spec' for his line of business. Toyota factory service manual specifies a +/-1mm alignment. I'm betting 99.9% of their clients wouldn't like their car if a hood was 3mm off. For nearly a 5 month job, this wasn't 'ready for delivery' in my book. This is production quality work that I'd expect at any shop, not quality that I expect with Stuart's reputation. They rushed the details on this car.