I've got a buddy who recently started leasing a 2017 Alpine White 320i. He moved to LA and parks it in a tight garage where he unfortunately had a couple of run ins with the pillars. His front bumper is scraped, missing paint, and slightly hanging off by the headlights. One headlight cover is cracked and fairly damaged. It's not terrible, until we get to the side profile. The driver rear door and quarter panel were dented and scraped, the dent so deep on the door that there's minimal hope for salvaging that panel. I believe I can't post photos. I can describe the scrape on the quarter panel as the ~3"x12" portion between the wheel and the door. I could imagine this piece being a fortune to replace.
I have minimal experience with body work or getting body work done on cars and he has absolutely no clue what to do. I believe he can keep the front bumper but have it sanded and painted and will need a new headlight cover, both of which are minor. However I am unsure of the door and rear quarter panel.
My question is this: indy shop or dealer? He has an appointment for routine service this weekend. What will they say when they see this damage on a leased vehicle? I think he should push this back and contact an indy shop. If he gets this fixed at an indy shop will the dealer notice a replaced door and charge him anyway? Even so it should be much cheaper than having everything fixed at the stealer.
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I would take it to the dealer or at least alert them of the situation. You don't want to return the car to them and have a mess around 'well, what happened here?' You'll likely get a better quote from an indy shop; but then again the dealer may be willing to work with your buddy. Is he planning on purchasing the car after the lease is up? Either way, alert the dealer to save a headache later. Just my 2 cents...best of luck!
-Dmitry
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He has collision insurance so he may not break the bank too bad. He doesn't planning on keeping the car after the lease is up, though he is enjoying it. You make a good point, they'll find out one way or another and tack on fees anyway. I'll pass this info on to him. Thank you Dmitry!
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