Ontario woman brings car to dealership, ends up with $7K in damages after mechanic gets in crash
An Ontario woman who brought her car to the dealership to get a warning light inspected left with $7,300 in damages after the mechanic got into an accident while test driving the car.
"When we arrived we were surprised to see our van had been in an accident," Oshawa woman Megan Smith told CTV News Toronto.
Smith said in late August a warning light came on her 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan and she took it to a dealer to have it checked.
When the mechanic took the van out for a test drive, someone crashed into him and caused more than $7,300 in damage.
"At first we were really trusting. We thought they are going to fix everything and everything will be okay, but that's not what happened," Smith said.
Smith was told the accident didn't happen at the dealership and the mechanic driving was not at fault.
Smith was told it was not the dealership's issue and she would have to go through her own auto insurance policy.
"'The manager literally said 'It's not our problem.' They weren't going to repair the damage and they wanted nothing to do with us," Smith said.
When CTV News Toronto reached out to the dealership about the issue the calls were not returned.
The Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council, which oversees dealerships in Ontario, said it is their understanding the "consumer's insurance would be responsible for covering the damage in this situation, given the vehicle is the consumer’s property."
"The dealer's insurance would cover any damage to the dealership's property. For example, if a consumer was involved in an accident during a test drive using a dealership’s vehicle, the dealer’s insurance would cover this," the spokesperson added.
CTV News Toronto also reached out to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) and Anne Marie Thomas, the IBC’s Director of Consumer and Industry Relations, said "Ontario is a no fault province so in this case the driver of the vehicle was not at fault for the accident."
Thomas said Smith's insurance premiums should not be affected.
"The insured will not incur any out of pocket expenses and will not see an increase in her auto insurance as a result," said Smith.
Smith is concerned that her vehicle has now lost value that it's been in an accident and felt the dealer showed poor customer service towards her and never apologized for what happened.
"For the manager to say there is nothing we can do? We won't be returning there that's for sure," said Smith.
If a car is damaged because a dealer is careless or negligent, their own insurance would have to pay for repairs.
It's on a case-by-case basis, which is why it's important your insurance is up to date even when your vehicle is in the shop.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Iran fires at suspected Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
Iran fired air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones, which were suspected to be part of an Israeli attack in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
In his new book 'As Long as You Need', hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.