[Raghu M]

Please take an estimate from Nexa. The damage doesn't seem too bad. Like the expert mentioned, if they intend to change the door, DO NOT go for it. Get the dent removed and the cover to the ORVM. Am sure your neighbour would foot the bill. I wouldn't involve insurance if I was in your place.

[SR-71]

A pillars don't dent for these type of accidents. If they do, then the cars safety is under serious question. It takes a lot of G force to make an impact on the pillars AFAIK. BTW covering loss of this years NCB alone makes no difference. Let your neighbor foot the bill for the repair, whatever path you choose. Its a brand new car and it looks like the neighbor did not even have the basic courtesy to man up and come and apologize to you until you found the culprit on your own accord.

[The Rainmaker]

Originally Posted by heavyduty

Hello everyone, I'm a BHP noob and this is my first post. I hope this helps any potential buyers.

I liked the 2022 Baleno a lot and cancelled my Kia Carens Premium 1.5 NA petrol booking to go for Baleno Sigma. This was going to be my first car which I'm buying with my own hard earned money. I didn't want a fully loaded variant and Sigma with accesories worth 50k was enough and affordable for me without financing the car. I got the delivery on 25th March, Friday.
It's been 4 days, I was about to leave for my office when I noticed something, the left rear view mirror cover was broken, after a closer inspection, I found out that their was a dent on the door, window bezel just below A pillar.
I enquired with my neighbours and found out one of my neighbour dropped their Rasika Cooler on my car while unloading it from a Tata pickup.

Bad news is obviously the unfortunate accident, but good news is A pillar is undamaged, just scuffed. Will take the car to the dealer and see what are my options.

I need an advice, should I go for the insurance cover and keep 10k from my neighbour which will kill my NCB or just give him the bill?

Also, should I change the entire door? What's your experience of paint match and quality at Nexa dealerships?

Glad you made the right choice by chosing Suzuki (Japanese quality) over Kia (Korean rip-off) and didn't fall prey to their clever marketing. Respect for you

As for the damage, first of all, get it done at the dealership only. That's your best shot. Although from the photos, it seems like a paintless dent repair to me. It can be done from the inside by taking the inside panel off and lightly tapping it out but it will take a very skilled guy to take it out. Sadly I haven't come across this kind of a PDR guy here in India yet. Search YouTube for Paintless dent repair and you'll see plenty of videos where guys abroad make it new again.

If at all painting is required, get it done from the dealership and be present there if you can to supervise that they match the paint color perfectly and go over the door with the required coats as it comes from the Factory. And remember paint CAN be matched perfectly, don't let them tell you otherwise. The best option would be to hand over the bill to your neighbor. If that's not possible, then calculate the cost of repair. If it's more than NCB, then it's a no brainier, go ahead claim your insurance. No point paying more out of pocket than the NCB. It's only a hype created by Insurance companies to save themselves from paying out for claims. But if it's less than that, then you know what to do

I feel really sad to see such irresponsible people who have no sense to care about others' belongings and how hard they work to earn them. I wish our fellow citizens start respecting others' sentiments and treat their stuff like they would want theirs to be treated. Good luck with the repair buddy!

[heavyduty]

Originally Posted by The Rainmaker

Glad you made the right choice by chosing Suzuki (Japanese quality) over Kia (Korean rip-off) and didn't fall prey to their clever marketing. Respect for you

As for the damage, first of all, get it done at the dealership only. That's your best shot. Although from the photos, it seems like a paintless dent repair to me. It can be done from the inside by taking the inside panel off and lightly tapping it out but it will take a very skilled guy to take it out. Sadly I haven't come across this kind of a PDR guy here in India yet. Search YouTube for Paintless dent repair and you'll see plenty of videos where guys abroad make it new again.

If at all painting is required, get it done from the dealership and be present there if you can to supervise that they match the paint color perfectly and go over the door with the required coats as it comes from the Factory. And remember paint CAN be matched perfectly, don't let them tell you otherwise. The best option would be to hand over the bill to your neighbor. If that's not possible, then calculate the cost of repair. If it's more than NCB, then it's a no brainier, go ahead claim your insurance. No point paying more out of pocket than the NCB. It's only a hype created by Insurance companies to save themselves from paying out for claims. But if it's less than that, then you know what to do

I feel really sad to see such irresponsible people who have no sense to care about others' belongings and how hard they work to earn them. I wish our fellow citizens start respecting others' sentiments and treat their stuff like they would want theirs to be treated. Good luck with the repair buddy!

I have the same feeling about Hyundai/Kia. In reality, I just don't like them, how they look, how they drive and even their campaigns and the way they strategise their new products.
Carens is a fine family car but I don't have a big family, I'm unmarried and I live with my parents and now, we have 3 hatchbacks, a TDCi 1.0 Beat (2013), a 1.3 Multijet Punto Evo(2015) and now the petrol Baleno.

Regarding The Cooler incident, I have a very bitter feeling about us Indians that most of us think whatever they own are theirs and property of others/public can be loitered if it makes first person's belongings better.

I'm still pissed that my neighbour didn't informed me that he dinged my 4 day old car before I even drive it 100kms.

Forgetting the past, my neighbour paid me Rs 8.5k in cash.
My insurer is New India Insurance, gross NCB post this year won't be more than 2k. I've decided to go with insurance and repairs from dealer workshop. I'm paying 1k filing charge. Service manager prioritised that I should get a new door and I agreed, why? The dent on the window frame near A pillar will be difficult to repair. Door is around 7k. The Nexa shop guaranteed me that they will replace the front door again for free if they can't match the exact color(or they'll do the PDR on old door if I'm not satisfied with the new one).

My service agent also told me that one thing people don't take in context that the car's color fades, even a 6 month old car's color will be different from a new one out of dealership.
He said that since my paint is a few days old, it has gone zero deterioration. So the paint will match.

I'll take that with a grain of salt but will go with a new door and see how it comes out.
Waiting period is long, minimum 7 days. They don't have the rear view mirror in stock.

I'm very enthusiastic about receiving advice from pro Bhpians. Thank you all

[The Rainmaker]

Originally Posted by heavyduty

I have the same feeling about Hyundai/Kia. In reality, I just don't like them, how they look, how they drive and even their campaigns and the way they strategise their new products.
Carens is a fine family car but I don't have a big family, I'm unmarried and I live with my parents and now, we have 3 hatchbacks, a TDCi 1.0 Beat (2013), a 1.3 Multijet Punto Evo(2015) and now the petrol Baleno.

Regarding The Cooler incident, I have a very bitter feeling about us Indians that most of us think whatever they own are theirs and property of others/public can be loitered if it makes first person's belongings better.

I'm still pissed that my neighbour didn't informed me that he dinged my 4 day old car before I even drive it 100kms.

Forgetting the past, my neighbour paid me Rs 8.5k in cash.
My insurer is New India Insurance, gross NCB post this year won't be more than 2k. I've decided to go with insurance and repairs from dealer workshop. I'm paying 1k filing charge. Service manager prioritised that I should get a new door and I agreed, why? The dent on the window frame near A pillar will be difficult to repair. Door is around 7k. The Nexa shop guaranteed me that they will replace the front door again for free if they can't match the exact color(or they'll do the PDR on old door if I'm not satisfied with the new one).

My service agent also told me that one thing people don't take in context that the car's color fades, even a 6 month old car's color will be different from a new one out of dealership.
He said that since my paint is a few days old, it has gone zero deterioration. So the paint will match.

I'll take that with a grain of salt but will go with a new door and see how it comes out.
Waiting period is long, minimum 7 days. They don't have the rear view mirror in stock.

I'm very enthusiastic about receiving advice from pro Bhpians. Thank you all

That's great to know. Just ensure that they torque every single bolt and but on that door or mirror to the Factory Service Manual Spec. They often tend to overlook that to speed up everything and take it lightly saying that they do it everyday. But torque spec is torque spec and never ever take it for granted. Get every single screw torqued down since your going with a door replacement.

Also, tell them to use tack cloths in between coats to prevent foreign particles ruining the paint job and don't let them bake the paint outside the paint booth. That will contaminate for sure. They like to take all kinds of short cuts to cut short their efforts and labor. Wish you all the best!

[Racer911]

Well if they're your neighbour and willing to co-operate, why even use your own insurance. Ask them to agree in the paperwork that the damage was caused by them and claim the insurance on their policy. This way you wont lose your NCB and they dont have to shell out a single rupee. Its a new car, why get into the hassle of denting and painting. Just get the entire door and whatever's damaged under insurance so that its like new. This way, your car won't even lose resale value (long term factor) and you'll be able to keep your mental new car charm. As far as paint matching and quality of NEXA dealership is concerned, the paint color almost always matches exactly as they've the OEM shades, but the quality and durability largely varies upon dealership to dealership. I've had the worst experience twice with my Ciaz wherein the entire front bumper ber was replaced, the white color matched exactly but the paint started chipping off with the slightest abuse with stones and sand on high speed highway drives. they're supposed to have the technical know-how and facilities to give an almost factory quality job, but because it's a human job, the quality varies. On the other hand, my Honda city entire rear boot area was replaced and painted at the dealership and they did a wonderful job. couldn't tell any difference even after 3 yrs until the car was sold.

PS: the third party claim, you'll have to file an FIR as a formality and probably make a story of motor accident. I'm not sure but in third party claim, it probably has to be a motor accident.

[volkman10]

Maruti Suzuki Baleno races past competition in the premium hatchback segment.



Source: Auto Punditz

[Gupts007]

Originally Posted by Racer911

Well if they're your neighbour and willing to co-operate, why even use your own insurance. Ask them to agree in the paperwork that the damage was caused by them and claim the insurance on their policy. This way you wont lose your NCB and they dont have to shell out a single rupee. Its a new car, why get into the hassle of denting and painting. Just get the entire door and whatever's damaged under insurance so that its like new. This way, your car won't even lose resale value (long term factor) and you'll be able to keep your mental new car charm. As far as paint matching and quality of NEXA dealership is concerned, the paint color almost always matches exactly as they've the OEM shades, but the quality and durability largely varies upon dealership to dealership. I've had the worst experience twice with my Ciaz wherein the entire front bumper ber was replaced, the white color matched exactly but the paint started chipping off with the slightest abuse with stones and sand on high speed highway drives. they're supposed to have the technical know-how and facilities to give an almost factory quality job, but because it's a human job, the quality varies. On the other hand, my Honda city entire rear boot area was replaced and painted at the dealership and they did a wonderful job. couldn't tell any difference even after 3 yrs until the car was sold.

PS: the third party claim, you'll have to file an FIR as a formality and probably make a story of motor accident. I'm not sure but in third party claim, it probably has to be a motor accident.

Just wondering if the decision to replace the damaged door (which in this case is very slight) or get it repaired - isn't that at the discretion of the insurance company? In my experience the insurance company chooses what it deems is cheaper for them.

If the door had gashes etc then ofcourse they'd readily replace it but when the dent is minor as is, in this case, they'd say get it repaired instead.

[drjaygoyal]

Is you neighbour willing to pay ? Have you had this conversation ?

If yes. Then the case is closed. Just go ahead with the repairs. Is you insurance policy a zero depreciation? Does it have unlimited claims ?

Usually for anything less than ₹6000-10000 insurance claims are not worth it. Get an estimate first and then you can decide.

[SR-71]

Originally Posted by heavyduty

I'm very enthusiastic about receiving advice from pro Bhpians. Thank you all

The good thing in your case is cause its a door, they will paint it separately and then fix it. So you don't run the risk of overspray, stray spray on your panel. A good workman should be able to get it close to factory finish. But there are couple of points you need to remember

• Once you get the car back, ensure water or moisture does not find its way to the painted panel. It tends to cause bubbling on the painted surface
• I see you keep your car covered. You may need to find a good spot where you can leave it safely uncovered. The painted panel needs to breathe for the curing process
• I don't see why you have to leave a brand new car with the service center until the parts have arrived. I will never trust service centers in such cases. Tell them you will pay for the door and you will bring in the car when the parts have arrived and its ready for fitting.
• A month or so later when the paint has cured enough, take it to a good detailer and get it detailed. Let the detailer know that it has been painted a month ago. They will know how to handle it.
• Keep photos of your current car's state. You will find it useful in the future
• Forget the incident and enjoy your ride.

[heavyduty]

Originally Posted by SR-71

• Once you get the car back, ensure water or moisture does not find its way to the painted panel. It tends to cause bubbling on the painted surface
• I see you keep your car covered. You may need to find a good spot where you can leave it safely uncovered. The painted panel needs to breathe for the curing process

It will be a difficult task for me to keep my car uncovered. Actually my house is undergoing some major construction and I'm also building a new parking garage. So car will be parked outside. And I don't know if I can keep a new car on the road without a cover. Please let me know the alternatives.

Originally Posted by SR-71

• I don't see why you have to leave a brand new car with the service center until the parts have arrived. I will never trust service centers in such cases. Tell them you will pay for the door and you will bring in the car when the parts have arrived and its ready for fitting.

My Uncle is a GM at the Nexa dealership and they've treated my case accordingly so my car is kept at the service center covered and not in the survey area where the footfall is high. Hopefully they'll do the job like they are working on the "Ghar ki Car" like they said when I left her at the SC.

Originally Posted by SR-71

• A month or so later when the paint has cured enough, take it to a good detailer and get it detailed. Let the detailer know that it has been painted a month ago. They will know how to handle it.

That definitely is the plan of action.

Originally Posted by SR-71

• Keep photos of your current car's state. You will find it useful in the future
• Forget the incident and enjoy your ride

Thanks a ton for great suggestions. Those pointers will come in handy.

[mathur2012]

Originally Posted by heavyduty

Also, should I change the entire door? What's your experience of paint match and quality at Nexa dealerships?

If you get it painted then no matter how hard the workshop tries it won't be "exact" same match as the factory painted parts, the best match I will say you will get will be around 95% approx, I had my fender replaced and painted at MSIL workshop, the first time they painted and delivered, it was much worse, I checked it for around a week, it looked a lot mis matched under sun light, after a week when they called for feedback I told them about the paint mis match, they happily requested me to resend the vehicle for repainting, knowing how meticulous I was with regards to paint matching, this time they assigned the best painter they had, painted it and reviewed it under various light conditions and then delivered it, now for a normal eyes it's not distinguishable whether the fender has been repainted or not.

This is the mismatched paint's pic.


The dent your door has can easily be rectified using dry denting as the paint on the door is still intact.

[SR-71]

Originally Posted by heavyduty

My Uncle is a GM at the Nexa dealership and they've treated my case accordingly so my car is kept at the service center covered and not in the survey area where the footfall is high. Hopefully they'll do the job like they are working on the "Ghar ki Car" like they said when I left her at the SC.

Lol, that's a key piece of information you failed to mention earlier dude. You can rest easy in this case. You will definitely get the best results that is possible from a dealership unless the paint shop guys have a beef with the management ;-).

On the curing process, get pointers from the paint shop at the dealership. You will also benefit by going through the volumes of threads/posts on paint processes and management that team bhp has. You will find useful information from a lot of experts. I am not one of them, I just know the basics purely out of experience over the years.

[heavyduty]

Originally Posted by mathur2012

This is the mismatched paint's pic.Attachment 2292406

God that's awfully mismatched. I'd kill the painter if mine turns out like this.
I'll visit the workshop tomorrow and make sure they do all the above steps and get the best painter on to it. But as I said, I have both the options, new door + new paint or factory door repaired by PDR. If the first one doesn't turns out to my expectation, the service centre will do it again or the 2nd option for free.

Originally Posted by drjaygoyal

Is you neighbour willing to pay ? Have you had this conversation ?

If yes. Then the case is closed. Just go ahead with the repairs. Is you insurance policy a zero depreciation? Does it have unlimited claims ?

Usually for anything less than ₹6000-10000 insurance claims are not worth it. Get an estimate first and then you can decide.

My neighbour shelled out 8.5k out of his pocket. My insurance is zero dep from New India Insurance. It does have unlimited claims. Surveyer has decided to go with door replacement (as did the SA), estimated costs are 8k in parts + paint + labour.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by mathur2012

This is the mismatched paint's pic.

That's a sad looking repair, glad they fixed it for you later, but based on my experience, for lighter metallic shades, you need someone really experienced(or use a paint spectrometer) to be able to match the shade to perfection. For the same reason, while getting my XL6, I opted for Magma Grey despite loving Silver, since darker shades are a lot less forgiving to such mistakes. My 800's Metallic California Gold is a royal pain to match.

The kind of mismatch you had, is very common on lighter shades. This is Dr. Naren's SX4 post repair, notice the mismatch.

Since BHPian Heavyduty's Baleno is new and has a darker shade of blue, it won't be visible to human eye easily and the match will be near perfect.

Regards,
Shashi