Tool damage or rock chip?

[seanmcr6]

So, I've had some coolant leak issues for the past 6 months....the dealer replace the front right rad in January....and the about 3 weeks ago, replace an o-ring in bypass valve on the front left rad.

I had to go back to the dealer this weekend so they could replace an overflow tube or something like that on the coolant reservoir. Saturday morning, I was washing and polishing my car and noticed the front bumper was not seated properly. The gap along the bottom of the headlights was larger than it should be. So I starting examining more closely and found the following damage where the bumper and front right fender meet.

To me, it looks like tool damage. Like someone used a big flathead screwdriver or pry bar to remove the bumper and removed a bunch of paint on the bumper and fender. It takes a lot to remove paint from the fender. This damage was NOT there the last time I washed and polished my car (a month ago)

I showed it to my dealer when I went down and the service advisor said it just looked like a normal rock chip that might have "creeped" :| She said she'd show it to the service manager and get his feedback. When I picked up my car, she was occupied so the VW service rep had to give me my keys. No mention of it on the work order, the service manager wasn't around or available and I was left to drive home without any further communication. About 1 hour into my drive home, I wish I had stood there and insisted on getting more dialogue about the issue.

My bumper has lots of dings, scratches and even some cracks (in the paint)....but it's plastic. I don't care as much. The fender is metal and a possible corrosion point. Not to mention, repairs are more costly and frankly, they never seem to be 100%.

I'm just looking for some second opinions....does it look like a normal rock chip or some sort of "man made" damage?

Thanks for your opinions, even if they vary from mine ;)

sean

Edited May 3, 2011 by seanmcr6

[1schoir]

So, I've had some coolant leak issues for the past 6 months....the dealer replace the front right rad in January....and the about 3 weeks ago, replace an o-ring in bypass valve on the front left rad.

I had to go back to the dealer this weekend so they could replace an overflow tube or something like that on the coolant reservoir. Saturday morning, I was washing and polishing my car and noticed the front bumper was not seated properly. The gap along the bottom of the headlights was larger than it should be. So I starting examining more closely and found the following damage where the bumper and front right fender meet.

To me, it looks like tool damage. Like someone used a big flathead screwdriver or pry bar to remove the bumper and removed a bunch of paint on the bumper and fender. It takes a lot to remove paint from the fender. This damage was NOT there the last time I washed and polished my car (a month ago)

I showed it to my dealer when I went down and the service advisor said it just looked like a normal rock chip that might have "creeped" :| She said she'd show it to the service manager and get his feedback. When I picked up my car, she was occupied so the VW service rep had to give me my keys. No mention of it on the work order, the service manager wasn't around or available and I was left to drive home without any further communication. About 1 hour into my drive home, I wish I had stood there and insisted on getting more dialogue about the issue.

My bumper has lots of dings, scratches and even some cracks (in the paint)....but it's plastic. I don't care as much. The fender is metal and a possible corrosion point. Not to mention, repairs are more costly and frankly, they never seem to be 100%.

I'm just looking for some second opinions....does it look like a normal rock chip or some sort of "man made" damage?

Thanks for your opinions, even if they vary from mine ;)

sean

Sean:

Judging from that photo, it's unlikely that it's a rock chip, mostly because there is paint removed on both sides of the "injury". The width of the paint that was removed might indicate that it was caused by one of those flat plastic pry tools or a screwdriver inserted more than once or "moved along" to separate the panels.

You may be able to conclusively tell by examining it more closely on the edge towards the underside because if it's caused by a screwdriver or some similar tool, there will usually be small pieces of residue from where the paint cracked off but may still be hanging by a thread. Separate the bumper from the fender and have a closer look at the edges where the clearcoat/topcoat is missing.

The fact that they were working on the radiators and had to remove the bumper to gain access to that area makes it a little more likely than not, IMO.

Regards, Maurice.

Edit: I looked at the photo again, and you can see what I am talking about where the paint is missing on the bumper side of the damage. There are two little areas of "cracked" or "separated" paint where I have placed the two arrows.

Take some more high resolution photos for your proof and don't rub those edges off before you show it to the dealer again. You can stop at any auto body shop and show them those two spots and see what they say.

Edited May 3, 2011 by 1schoir

[seanmcr6]

Well, I'm a photographer, so high rez images are easy.

I am trying to keep the file sizes down however, but I think these show the damage pretty clear...

sean

[1schoir]

Well, I'm a photographer, so high rez images are easy.

I am trying to keep the file sizes down however, but I think these show the damage pretty clear...

sean

Your second photo shows pretty clearly that this not "rock chip" damage. The area is too wide for it to have been hit by a rock, on both sides (fender and bumper) and to leave those kinds of outlines.

If that area has been previously repainted and the surface prep was not proper, it could make the paint pull away from the surface, but, since there is no extensive corrosion on the fender side (and no possibility of rusting on the urethane bumper side), it had to be caused by some mechanical means.

Take a look at how the paint has pulled away from the underside of the fender at the left corner (red arrow in this photo), and at the uneven, jagged outline of the missing paint. (You can see it clearly in your photo. My copy of your photo just shows you the area to look at in your second photo).

Again, also too much of a coincidence for work to be done in that area and for damage to magically appear at one of the points where the bumper and fender are separated.

Regards, Maurice.

[ivangene]

sucks man, good luck getting them to accept responsability....

[babylonboots]

Rock chip? How's that... What kind of rock would get in the crevice like that. It looks like screwdriver chip to me, top and bottom.

[pterfloth]

These are clearly screwdriver marks from someone trying to pry off the bumper.

[wvicary]

Looks like damaged caused by their heavy hands..... go back to the dealer and put them up against the wall.

[fpb111]

Whats with the gap between the bumper cover and headlight? Looks like it is more then 1/4"

[seanmcr6]

I was hoping to hear from Loren on this...

I've never taken the bumper off so I don't know if this is an area where you would have to apply pressure of any kind?!

Yes, the gap is still off, they just left it.

[demosan]

I was hoping to hear from Loren on this...

I've never taken the bumper off so I don't know if this is an area where you would have to apply pressure of any kind?!

Yes, the gap is still off, they just left it.

I have taken my front bumper off several times to clean radiators of debris and there is no need to pry the bumper with any tool in that area if the bumper is removed with all the screws removed appropriately. The service tech may have missed the hoardware near the side marker lights and then tried to "pry" the bumper off??

Was this a Porsche dealer or independent repair shop that did the work for you?? You mentioned talking to a VW service advisor so I am curious as to who did the work??

Good Luck with your second round with the service folks!! That clearly is no rock chip!! Demosan :cheers:

[Loren]

Looks pretty inconclusive to me.

Perhaps someone trying to steal a headlight?

[harmonyroadporsche]

That definitely looks like tool damage. When I had my targa top recovered the guy who was putting it on used a plastic pry tool to seat the back edge and fractured the black paint on the targa bar. It is surprisingly easy to cause this type of damage. If you regularly service your carat the dealer they should take care of you. When I had my RX8 (the winter beater) in for service last year one of the techs gave it a door ding. I had a word with the service advisor and the dealership repainted the entire door for free, You deserve no less. Good luck!