Rodent damaged new car.

[tbone]

Do you also bring that car to the dealer for oil changes?

That’s just a crazy amount of hrs billed for that repair. If it would have been under warranty the hrs would have been billed way less. Personally I will never pay the dealer to do a non warranty repair.

Yes. They are free.

I am paying $100 for the repair and I get to keep the warranty for another 2 years. After that I am sure that everything will change.

 

[tbone]

Well let me ask you a question. If the dealership quoted a price for the harness and the insurance company said to take it to an independent and just get the wire replaced for a couple of hundred, would you raise a stink and insist on the whole harness being replaced as the dealer indicated??????......We have met the enemy and he is us.

I would have done what the insurance company recommended. UNLESS, the dealer said that the warranty would be voided by doing so.

 

[bigtattoo79]

Yes. They are free.

I am paying $100 for the repair and I get to keep the warranty for another 2 years. After that I am sure that everything will change.

All that matters is that you are pleased with the service. Glad it’s getting resolved.

 

[RaleighReloader]

Federal legislation (the Magnuson–Moss Act) prevents a vehicle manufacturer from altering a vehicle's warranty just because an aftermarket part was installed, and/or the work was done by an independent shop. The warranty probably won't extend to that aftermarket part and/or service, but that shouldn't affect the rest of the vehicle's warranty.

Of course, a modification that alters the vehicle in some material way (say, a suspension lift kit) could affect the manufacturer's warranty for the affected systems.

Dealership service departments and independent shops all have a good place in a well-maintained vehicle's life. I like independent shops for things like annual inspections, fluid changes, tires and brakes, etc. For stuff that's highly proprietary, I prefer the dealership. Either way, I like to keep close tabs on the work being done, the source of the parts being used, etc.

Mike

 

[RaleighReloader]

I would have done what the insurance company recommended. UNLESS, the dealer said that the warranty would be voided by doing so.

Having worked for an insurance company ... be a little careful with that, since insurance companies are primarily interested in minimizing their risk and payout. In my driving career I've been rear-ended twice, and in both cases the insurance companies wanted to replace the rear bumper skins with used skins -- in one case, a skin that was already cracked and needing repairs. In both cases I fought to have new OEM plastic (properly painted, of course) installed on the vehicle. In one case it ended up being almost dollar-for-dollar the same cost as the used bumper skin, and in the other I reminded them that buying the new bumper skin would be a lot cheaper than getting my attorney involved.

In the case of OP's wiring harness, I agree with the insurance company that the best course of action is to replace the harness. It's ridiculously expensive up front, but in the long run it'll keep the dozens of computer modules in the car happy. But bodywork involves a lot more "art" than a wiring harness swap, and I've yet to meet an insurance company that offers (up front, and without coaxing) to really do the job right. And most people don't really take care of their vehicle anyways ... so by the time the consequences of the shoddy bodywork become apparent, the car has probably depreciated substantially.

Mike

 

[tbone]

Federal legislation (the Magnuson–Moss Act) prevents a vehicle manufacturer from altering a vehicle's warranty just because an aftermarket part was installed, and/or the work was done by an independent shop. The warranty probably won't extend to that aftermarket part and/or service, but that shouldn't affect the rest of the vehicle's warranty.

Of course, a modification that alters the vehicle in some material way (say, a suspension lift kit) could affect the manufacturer's warranty for the affected systems.

Dealership service departments and independent shops all have a good place in a well-maintained vehicle's life. I like independent shops for things like annual inspections, fluid changes, tires and brakes, etc. For stuff that's highly proprietary, I prefer the dealership. Either way, I like to keep close tabs on the work being done, the source of the parts being used, etc.

Mike

I am aware of that act due to dealing with a Harley Davidson for a long time when some dealers were pushing the false claim that if you didn't use Harley oil you could void the warranty. The dealer I dealt with did not push such a belief but I know some that did.
And I have plenty of experience dealing with cars. I have had very little work done at dealers as I have not had very much warranty work done. The rest of the out of warranty maintenance in the last 40 or 50 years I have done myself including for my sons and friends and other relatives.
That includes changing clutch on an Isuzu Trooper by myself lying on my back on my back porch without the aid of a transmission jack, changing the upper and lower ball joints on a dodge truck with a sledge hammer and a bottle jack, fixing a CEL problem on a Ford F150 that the dealer couldn't figure out under warranty and all brake jobs and shock replacements. I also pulled the transmission on a Harley and changed the clutch shifter drum and put the transmission back in without special tools or the dealer. Just to give you all a little look at my experience.
If insurance wasn't paying for the dealer to replace the wiring harness, I would figure out how to repair that wire as I have a lot of experience repairing wires and plugs from my 5 years as an aircraft electronics technician on the A-6 Intruder.

 

[RaleighReloader]

That includes changing clutch on an Isuzu Trooper by myself lying on my back on my back porch without the aid of a transmission jack, changing the upper and lower ball joints on a dodge truck with a sledge hammer and a bottle jack, fixing a CEL problem on a Ford F150 that the dealer couldn't figure out under warranty and all brake jobs and shock replacements. I also pulled the transmission on a Harley and changed the clutch shifter drum and put the transmission back in without special tools or the dealer. Just to give you all a little look at my experience.

Oh, I get it. I've spun wrenches for most of my life; started on dirt bikes when I was in the single digits, did just about everything on the family tractor as soon as I was tall enough to push the clutch in all the way, and have made do with a lot fewer tools than I'm now blessed to own. And since you're a fellow Harley owner, you'll appreciate my having ridden my old 883 Sportster from North Carolina to central Ontario in one day (my ass was far more resilient to these things then than it is now ...), a day after I swapped out the KeiHin carburetor for an S&S Super E. Nothing like fine-tuning a new carburetor as you go on a thousand mile trip ...

If insurance wasn't paying for the dealer to replace the wiring harness, I would figure out how to repair that wire as I have a lot of experience repairing wires and plugs from my 5 years as an aircraft electronics technician on the A-6 Intruder.

Yep, if you've worked on avionics, then you probably know more about vehicle wiring than most ASE technicians. And if it was me (and the vehicle was out of warranty), I'd probably pull the wiring harness and take over the kitchen table for a few days while I very carefully reassemble the harness with new wires carefully soldered in. But we both know that the average corner mechanic isn't going to put that much care in the job.

Mike