# Front end damage to my EOS



## jnhashmi (Nov 26, 2006)

Thought I would share my experiences dealing with some front-end damage since I know there has been some concern about availability of parts. Unfortunately, I am now going to be finding that out (or not) first hand. I will post my experiences as this unfolds. It started when someone backed into my car when it was parked in the street and did the following damage to the front end:










It also did some damage to the a/c compressor (at least that's what I think that thing is)









The person who hit me had a hitch and they backed it right into my grille. The person left a note, and they have been cooperative if not remorseful (they haven't really shown any remorse, which sure is annoying. The car is not even three months old yet!)
Anyway, at this point I went to the VW dealer, who referred me to the body shop, who, as I feared, have no parts database on the car and therfore can't give me an accurate estimate. Using a Passat as an template, they estimated the damage at $2,816.
I need to get the actual number before I can get a check from the company of the guy who hit me, so I am waiting on that info from the body shop, who is trying to get that info from the dealer. That's where I am at now, hopefully I wil get that info soon and keep the process going.
In the meantime, if you get to park your EOS in a driveway or otherwise not in the street, be happy!


----------



## just4fun (Oct 29, 2006)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (jnhashmi)*

Jason,
Lousy luck, sorry to hear of your troubles.
FYI, that is the condenser for the air conditioning, not the compressor.
Hope they get you fixed up and back on the road ASAP.
Kevin


----------



## WolfsburgerMitFries (Jul 4, 2005)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (jnhashmi)*

Since moving here, I've encountered some quaint southern expressions that rather eloquently hit the nail on the head. After a BMW of mine was destroyed in a hit and run, I was taught "Can't have nothin' nice for other people". That saying has proved itself again and again over the last 5 years around here.
At least they left a note for you, I had to track down the jackass that hit my car. Its been my experience lately that people just hit and run...nobody wants to be responsible for their actions. 




_Modified by WolfsburgerMitFries at 9:41 PM 2-13-2007_


----------



## neweosowner (Nov 25, 2006)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (jnhashmi)*

Thanks for sharing your experience, even when it's a less-than-enjoyable one. Appreciate the information, and good luck on the repairs!
I'm happy, I'm happy.


----------



## NaustinJ (May 19, 2006)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (jnhashmi)*

At least you know who did it. I live in West Hollywood and am lucky enough to parallel park every day at my house. I have been hit 3 times now in 4 months, all on the drivers rear bumper. Not one note!
The last one was pretty bad to, a 5 x 5 scrape of silver paint.


----------



## ialonso (Aug 26, 2006)

That is the A/C condenser...
Is the car still driveable ? Ho about the A/C ? Does it cool ?
if only a few fins are bent, it may not be worth it to replace it, since it will function just fine....
(To replace it, they have to remove all the refrigerant, change A/C drier and recharge the A/C system) In a perfect world, of course I would get it replaced, but if it meant two more weeks without my car, I would postpone this as much as possible until my next two week vacation or something..
Otherwise seems like you just need the front grille facia, once they get the part doesn't seem very complex to change...
Of course, I'm just speculating here, but I wish you the best scenario possible in the circumstances..
Did you try to quick fix what you had left over of the facia to drive the car in the mean time ??? (Glue/Tape/Tie Rap etc ?)
I'm so sorry this happened to you. I've had similar experinces and they suck !


----------



## atlantanorth (Nov 7, 2006)

My EOS was broken into last Sat night. They broke the driver side window. Since the model is so new - they have to order the glass from the dearler which will take a week - or so they say. Meanwhile I have a rental to drive.


----------



## ialonso (Aug 26, 2006)

*Re: (atlantanorth)*


_Quote, originally posted by *atlantanorth* »_My EOS was broken into last Sat night. They broke the driver side window. Since the model is so new - they have to order the glass from the dearler which will take a week - or so they say. Meanwhile I have a rental to drive.

Did they take anything ?
Hope not,


----------



## ehdg eos (Sep 9, 2006)

*Re: (ialonso)*


_Quote, originally posted by *ialonso* »_That is the A/C condenser...
Is the car still driveable ? Ho about the A/C ? Does it cool ?
if only a few fins are bent, it may not be worth it to replace it, since it will function just fine....
(To replace it, they have to remove all the refrigerant, change A/C drier and recharge the A/C system) In a perfect world, of course I would get it replaced, but if it meant two more weeks without my car, I would postpone this as much as possible until my next two week vacation or something..
Otherwise seems like you just need the front grille facia, once they get the part doesn't seem very complex to change...
Of course, I'm just speculating here, but I wish you the best scenario possible in the circumstances..
Did you try to quick fix what you had left over of the facia to drive the car in the mean time ??? (Glue/Tape/Tie Rap etc ?)
I'm so sorry this happened to you. I've had similar experinces and they suck !

First off very sorry to hear about the damage to your car. As for repairing I have to disagree with the above poster sorry. I would get it fixed soon specially since the other parties insurance is paying for it. I wouldn't put it off. Also better to have it in perfect condition so as not to have anything else go wrong from this that possibly could happen.


----------



## jnhashmi (Nov 26, 2006)

*Re: (ialonso)*

Thanks everyone for your sympathy - it does make me feel better : - )
I am interested in what everyone thinks:
Given the damage to the fins on the condenser that is shown in the above photo, would you have it replaced or just leave it as is? I am worried that to replace it they are going to have to go in there and take things apart, and there is a part of me that thinks that because it's a brand new car, I'd rather just have them leave it as is, since you can't see the damage, and it may not effect the performance of the A/C.
Also, they want to replace the whole bumper becuase of some damage to a part of it that you can't see. I'd rather them just leave it as is and not have to worry that they won't match the paint, won't line it up right, etc.
What would you all do? Get all new parts or try to salvage what you can for the sake on continuity?


_Modified by jnhashmi at 10:19 AM 2-14-2007_


----------



## smith46 (Oct 17, 2006)

*Re: (jnhashmi)*

You also have my sympathy!







I would definitely be upset/heartbroken. It's a really new car. It would be a shame to have it left as "damaged", especially if you could possibly have A/C problems later on. Since the other guy's insurance is on the hook, get it fixed and have the peace of mind. That's what I'd do. It's new enough that they'll do a great job matching up the color and then you'll be back in pristine condition. Also, I suspect that since the other guy's insurance is already involved, there will now be a carfax record to go with the accident on your car. When you go to trade it or sell it years down the road, you'll want to be able to demonstrate the damage was all repaired/replaced by VW approved personnel with VW parts.
Just my 2 cents...Good luck!


----------



## andythai (Dec 26, 2006)

*Re: (jnhashmi)*

well i had a very simillar damage on my a/c condenser a while back,first of all make them check it for leaks,if its ok dont bother changing it. it will work without no problem.hope you fix your eos soon without too much hastle........andy


----------



## jnhashmi (Nov 26, 2006)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (jnhashmi)*

Just heard back from the body shop with the official repair estimate. The estimate is only slightly higher than when the Passat was used as a template (Passat with the same damage would have been $2,816. Eos turned out to be $2,920) Now I am waiting to hear how long before the parts are in so I can bring my car in. (Hopefully it won't be months...)


----------



## WolfsburgerMitFries (Jul 4, 2005)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (jnhashmi)*

From your pictures, it really doesn't look like there's any structural damage to the car or damaged paint. You ought to price condensor replacement from the VW dealer and a new grill and chrome nose from the parts department. I don't see how you couldn't coordinate that type of repair yourself and stick $1000 - $1500 in your pocket for your troubles. You might even be able to upgrade to the chrome accent grill for $10 more. At any rate I'd definitely find out what the price difference is between the black grill and the chrome accent grill before I gave the go ahead.


_Modified by WolfsburgerMitFries at 9:28 PM 2-14-2007_


----------



## ehdg eos (Sep 9, 2006)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (WolfsburgerMitFries)*

Sorry to thread jack but curious here now does the 3.2 version come with the Chrome Grill or the Black Grill? Tks.


----------



## jnhashmi (Nov 26, 2006)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (WolfsburgerMitFries)*

Hmmm. Interesting. There is some damage to the bumper piece - but it is the part of the piece that ends up behind the chrome piece. And there is a thick black plastic piece - behind and different than the black grille (you can see it in the second picture, below the bottom yellow arrow) - that is smashed, too, that looks like it is a large piece that wraps around and goes along almost all the way across the front of the car.
I'm going to look up the chrome accent grille - I didn't know there was one - and see if that is something I am interested in. Although I suspect since my car is silver I'll prefer the black contrast. Thanks for the tip.


_Modified by jnhashmi at 6:42 PM 2-14-2007_


----------



## WolfsburgerMitFries (Jul 4, 2005)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (jnhashmi)*

In North America, the Chrome grill is restricted to 3.2L cars. I couldn't find a sliver car right offhand, but I think it looks particularly good on a silver car. Here's what I could find...


----------



## ehdg eos (Sep 9, 2006)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (WolfsburgerMitFries)*


_Quote, originally posted by *WolfsburgerMitFries* »_In North America, the Chrome grill is restricted to 3.2L cars. I couldn't find a sliver car right offhand, but I think it looks particularly good on a silver car. Here's what I could find...









Thank you for your reply. That will look nice then on my EOS when I pick it up in a few weeks.


----------



## atlantanorth (Nov 7, 2006)

*Re: (ialonso)*

Yes my Magellan GPS and my gym bag with all my gym stuff.


----------



## smith46 (Oct 17, 2006)

*Re: (atlantanorth)*


_Quote, originally posted by *atlantanorth* »_Yes my Magellan GPS and my gym bag with all my gym stuff.

Can't resist. Was that before or after you went to the gym?


----------



## jgermuga (Jan 11, 2007)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (jnhashmi)*

If it were me, I would not have the bumber replaced if it is not necessary. I am not a body shop mechanic, but I did do a brief stint helping rehab crash cars and I know how complicated the painting process can to.
1. Match paint per factory
2. Get the right mix for the flex addative that is needed for flexable parts such as bumper covers.
3. Make sure the finish is as smooth and hard as it should be from the facotry, as this will cause uneven wear over time, which may lead to problem number 1 at best, or worse.
Basically, most body shops just aren't set up to get the same perfect conditions that the factory can. Of utmost importance is clean air, (and I mean clean, as in no dust whatsoever), the right temperatures, the right humidity, good paint tools that don't clog of spatter, the right number of coats to put down in the right thicknesses, the sanding and polishing in between steps, etc, etc, etc. In fact, some finishes even use special drying techniques to make sure the paint bonds and hardens in an ideal manner. 
I also experienced this first hand with my Jetta. It was less than 4 months old when I went off the road (no drugs alcohol involved, only stupidity) and did 8K damage to it. They did an admirable job repairing it at the dealership, but when my lease was up and I was consdering trading it in on my next car, every time an experienced body shop person took a look they would point out the exact body panels that had been replaced. 
In addition, I had some noticable pitting in the hood and one of the 1/4 panels. This is sometimes hard to spot when the paint is fresh and polished, as it was in my case. The pitting started about 2 years after the repair. Far too long after the repair had been completed for them to own up to fixing it. This is almost always due to particles of dust getting into the paint while it is being applied or drying.
Luckily all of this work was done at a VW dealership and had they given me any problems turning it in after lease (actually it may have been the drivers advantage progeam, which they didn't), I would have pointed out to them that it was they who had done the repair work.
On a sdie note, it also worked out really well was that I had leased the car. Most lease proponents don't point this out. Even though the car had been repaired, it was never as good as new again. Any experienced car person will detect this and in some cases they were knocking off 3K from my trade in value because the car had been in an accident. A couple even said they weren't interested in taking it in trade. So in this case, I was much better off getting my guaranteed cash as the end of my contract term.
On top of all this, even though the car was too new to experience much paint fade in the factory paint, the color match was still not quite right. This was from a VW Dealership using VW paint on a car that was a few months old.
So I don't know if this makes your decision easier or harder, but at least be sure to ask your shop what to expect in terms of color and finish, what they will do if it is not up to snuff, and the time preiod in which you are able to come back and and get it redone if anything goes wrong. 
In particular, if the flex additive mix is not right, you may have delayed recognition of the problem since it may not show up until something induces flex in the bumper. This will cause cracks in the paint, some so small you may not see them right away. Eventually it will flake, but it could be a year or more before this transpires and is highly dependent on weather and useage conditions.
Hope this helps.


----------



## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (jnhashmi)*

Jason:
Really sorry to hear about the damage to your car. That must be frustrating. At least the other person was nice enough to leave a note, that counts for a lot.
I can't comment on the damage to the condenser. If it was just bent fins, I would say leave it alone, because after 10,000 miles, you'll have a few bent fins just from hitting June bugs and small rocks. But, it looks like some of the refrigerant pathways are also bent. That's not good, because even if it is not leaking now, the structural integrity of those pathways has been compromised.
I agree with John's post above, where he suggests repairing the plastic bumper cover, rather than replacing it. I had an accident with my Phaeton when it was quite new - did a fair amount of damage to the bumper cover - and the body shop did a PERFECT job of repairing it. It's always better to keep the original part - you know it fits your car, you don't have to worry about big paint mismatches, stuff like that. Here's a link to a post I made about the damage to my Phaeton bumper cover: Excellent Toronto Area VW Body Shop.
Most important of all: Take your car to the VW dealer and have them write up the repair on their work order. Chances are greater than 99% that they will sublet the work out to a body shop (this is normal), but if the repair request goes through the VW dealer, you will have full warranty coverage on everything in case there are any problems down the road, or in case someone forgets to replace a part and that part breaks later on.
Michael


----------



## jnhashmi (Nov 26, 2006)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (PanEuropean)*

Thanks John and Michael,
Your advice is very helpful and encouraging, as it confirmed what I ended up telling the body shop repair guy (since I had to make a decision to get them started looking for the parts) - and that is that I would like the condenser replaced but NOT the bumper, to instead have them just fix it - which I think will take minimal work to do.
On going to the dealer directly, I already put down a small deposit ($200) with the body shop that the dealer referred me too. I wonder if it is too late to go through the dealer. I will look into this.


_Modified by jnhashmi at 7:48 PM 2-16-2007_


----------



## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (jnhashmi)*

Hi Jason:
For sure, get the VW dealer to write up the repair request on a dealership work order. I don't think that you have any problems having already given the $200 to the body shop - just get the dealer to generate a work order for you, and tell the dealer you have already dropped the car at the recommended body shop. Then, you can take a copy of the work order over to the body shop, show it to them, and ask them to give you your $200 back because they will be paid directly by the VW dealer. I cannot imagine that the body shop would have any difficulties with that.
Most VW dealers maintain a pretty close relationship with one particular body shop in their area - they tend to pick a company that they can trust to not screw things up, and a company that they know they can have a co-operative working relationship with. Either way (deal direct with the body shop, or deal only with the VW dealer), your car will need to come back to the VW dealer for further work anyway - body shops normally don't add refrigerant to AC systems, and the VW dealer will need to clear all the fault codes that will arise as a result of dis-assembly of the car. Even something as simple as taking a bumper off will generate fault codes that indicate that there is an open circuit on any lights (e.g. foglights) that are mounted on the bumper. This is normal, and nothing to be concerned about.
Michael


----------



## Gunship (Jun 18, 2006)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (PanEuropean)*

Sorry about your damage mate but to brighten up the day a small joke.
Peter reverses into Mike's EOS.
After looking around he does not find the EOS owner.
A few people anxiously look around as to what Peter is going to do.
Peter takes out a notebook and pen and writes a note and stuff it in the wiper of the damaged EOS.
" Hi, I crashed into your car. Sorry but but I had to write something as I had a crowd of onlookers.
Sorry I hope you have insurance.
PS: Buy a truck with a bull bar next time
Cheers " 
Sorry I hope you feel better mate ..


----------



## jnhashmi (Nov 26, 2006)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (Gunship)*

I just got my car back! Overall I got it back much faster than I feared. It turns out my particular parts were not hard to get.
A couple things to note since my last post:
1. As per a suggestion I received, I went back to the dealer to see if they could handle it and I could avoid dealing with the body shop altogether, thereby being in a better warranty situation. After looking at the damage, the dealer said they recommend the body shop, and, disappointingly, it was clear that they didn't have any further interest in the job. When I asked about the warranty situation, they said it would be the same if they fixed it or the body shop fixed it. At this point I could have just insisted that I turn it in to the them (the dealer), and they can farm it out to the body shop, but they seem so disinterested in doing it, that it didn't feel right. So I decided to move forward with the body shop.
2. To complete the repairs, it turns out that the body shop didn't need to send it back to the dealer. The body shop topped off the coolant and reset the fault codes themselves (or I assume since everything was working when I got it back, and I know they didn't send it back to the dealer because I asked them.)
3. I ended up replacing the A/C condenser and everything else, but not the bumper.
4. The alignment of the hood where it sits over the grille was not quite right when I went to pick up the car, so they made some adjustments that took about 20 minutes, and now it looks great.
*So here are some stats on the repair:*
Working days to get the parts in: 5
Working days the body shop had the car: 1
Total days dealing with the problem, from discovering the damage until I got my car back from the body shop: 13
Total repair cost: $2,273
Overall, I was very pleased with the speed of the repairs, and my fear of this being a situation where it was going to take months to get the parts in because the EOS is such a new car turned out to be unwarranted.


----------



## just4fun (Oct 29, 2006)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (jnhashmi)*

Great to hear it turned out OK in the end. Still too bad about the initial incident though.
Kevin


----------



## owr084 (Nov 15, 2004)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (jnhashmi)*


_Quote, originally posted by *jnhashmi* »_The body shop topped off the coolant and reset the fault codes themselves (or I assume since everything was working when I got it back, and I know they didn't send it back to the dealer because I asked them.)

Did you make sure they used VW approved G12/G12+ coolant? Anything else will harm your cooling system.


----------



## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (jnhashmi)*

That's easy to check. Look inside the coolant expansion tank. If the colour of the coolant is red, then you are OK. If anything other than G12 (or G12 plus, or G12 Black Label, Blue Label, or G12 Special Reserve - Aged in Oak for 50 years) has been added, the coolant will turn to a brown colour due to a chemical reaction. This is by design, and warns you that the wrong stuff has been put in. See this post for more information: W12 Coolant.
Michael


----------



## jnhashmi (Nov 26, 2006)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (PanEuropean)*

I love this forum. The combined knowledge here is amazing. I will go out and check the coolant color once it stops raining (yes, it rains in Los Angeles : - ) Not sure where the coolant expansion tank is but I will figure it out or look in the manual. (BTW, it's rained a lot here in LA lately and my interior has been bone dry : - )


----------



## Freund (Jul 3, 2002)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (jnhashmi)*

Yes lots of rain out here - had lunch @ Neptunes Net - it rained cat´n dogs out there :-(
Freund


----------



## jnhashmi (Nov 26, 2006)

*Re: Front end damage to my EOS (PanEuropean)*

The coolant in the expansion tank is red. So it looks like I'm all set.
Thanks again everyone.


----------

