Bummed, 2100 miles and my first nasty door ding!!

How can I say this w/o offending anyone...but the other day I was parked (in a full size parking space) and a seriously obese woman threw her 12 year old Camry door open into the side of my new Evoque. She then struggled to stand upright and head into the store. I was coming out and saw it happen (but was far enough away) that I didn't actually see her door hit mine, but everything lined up (dent wise) and my Santorini black RRE was pristine before she pulled up. She left a sizable dent and worse cut into my black paint while leaving her white paint on my door as well. I didn't want to chase her down an aisle in the store only to have her deny everything, but I did get her plate number.

Here's the question, I do have the windshield/tire wheel/paint ding insurance and will be having the dent fixed (they are pretty good at pulling them out these days) but what to do about the paint? I've rubbed it out as much as I dare (don't want to cut down the clear coat too much), and I've always had less than stellar results trying to use touch up paint? Any other options besides; 1) living with it or, 2) having the entire door repainted which I won't do because it never ages the same as the factory paint. I know I must be sounding petty, but I'm really a "car guy" and keep all of my vehicles in top shape. I can't help but focus on this damage every time I walk up to my once pristine Evoque. Bummed in SoCal...

Don't even attempt to do it yourself if the ding is deep. Evoque's door skins are very thin and ding easily - take it to the dealership and get it fixed by a Land Rover approved bodyshop, you will also then retain your anti-corrosion warranty. And, for the most part, UK and European body shops seem to make pretty well invisible paint repairs so no reason why Califonian bodyshops cannot do them too.

As hard as it may have been you should have taken her registration, waited at the Parking lot until she returned, shown her what has happened and asked her for her insurance details, if she drove off then report her for hit and run. People like that should not be allowed to get away with it as they will only do it again to the next car.

It's not Petty, get it repaired professionally, it may not require a respray, just a repair, and you will think about it every time you get in the car.

Thanks Tim, I do intend to have it professionally repaired and Phil, so true, drives me nuts, I would NEVER do that to anyone's ride, no matter what condition it is in.

Most paint shops here will want to spray the complete side of the car, because you can never match just one door well to the rest.

Tim you say that but the LR bodyshop in Motherwell made a complete hash of fixing a couple of stone chips on my Evoque last week. Would never use them again for anything - better just living with the stone chips!

HotLap.
I Feel your pain. I really do!
We have just done the same miles as you. My missus takes the car to work twice per week. (Used to be everyday in old car)Where she parks it in a hospital car park!
Every time she comes home I check down the sides etc for any dings et.
Our previous car a Rav 4 was constantly getting dings, and even though we had them pushed out. The panels are never the same, and my eyes are always drawn to them!
As for supermarkets. I now always sit in the car while she goes in to do the shopping!
And like you. Without wishing to offend anyone. I have seen it so many times where some obese lady who can hardly stand up, throws their shed door open with total disregard and waddles off usually with a stick, to restock with pizza, coke, crisps and other high calorie rubbish!
Should be an option nowadays to order spare doors on the configurator, so colour etc is the same at build.
Expensive I know. But better than the heartbreak of constantly looking at a badly dented door etc!!
Funnily enough though. We have had sidesteps fitted. And I have noticed recently,people tend to park a bit further off than before. Fingers crossed!

(10-05-2015 10:06am)Simplesimon Wrote:  HotLap.
I Feel your pain. I really do!
We have just done the same miles as you. My missus takes the car to work twice per week. (Used to be everyday in old car)Where she parks it in a hospital car park!
Every time she comes home I check down the sides etc for any dings et.
Our previous car a Rav 4 was constantly getting dings, and even though we had them pushed out. The panels are never the same, and my eyes are always drawn to them!
As for supermarkets. I now always sit in the car while she goes in to do the shopping!
And like you. Without wishing to offend anyone. I have seen it so many times where some obese lady who can hardly stand up, throws their shed door open with total disregard and waddles off usually with a stick, to restock with pizza, coke, crisps and other high calorie rubbish!
Should be an option nowadays to order spare doors on the configurator, so colour etc is the same at build.
Expensive I know. But better than the heartbreak of constantly looking at a badly dented door etc!!
Funnily enough though. We have had sidesteps fitted. And I have noticed recently,people tend to park a bit further off than before. Fingers crossed!

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In fact hospital car parks are a high risk area. My car got it's first serious scratches when 2 weeks old. Seen the spot on the car and the damage I suggest someone tried to squeeze a wheelchair between the parked cars.

HotLap.

I too feel your pain. Hope you get it sorted to your satisfaction.

I have no choice but to park in a works hospital multi storey car park, as for our Evoque's two door dings in now, one cost close to £300, because the whole panel had to be lacquered, the other I was lucky and it polished out.

CCTV did not pick up the culprits.

These careless so and so's are a disgrace.

I live with a battle scar on the drivers side. A good 3 inch dent shows right in the middle.
I know I will get more dents, but can't cry over spilt milk.
I will get it sorted one day, but it's a constant reminder of someone pushing the trolley with a wooden plank, straight at my car.
Obviously, they made a getaway in case they were caught by the CCTV. Never caught them though!!!