Towing Co. Damaged my Car

[DefyInertia]

So I got towed by Lincoln Towing last night. Fine, I'll pay the $170.

When I start and inspect the car while still in the lot, I immediately notice the exhaust sounds like a 1989 toyota corolla with a loose header...just a lot of exhaust noise from from the under engine area (2005 Nissan Murano...wife's car). The Check Engine Light is also now on. It sounds like shyt...very different than it ever has. I'm thinking they either punctured some part of the exhaust system (near the front) or put so much lifting pressure on it that the header connection was damaged.

My wife had the car fully serviced by the dealership (long story) she bought it from about 2 weeks ago at ~45,000 miles and the car was perfect mechanically. I was parked in a fashion that would require them to fist drag the front of the car out from the side and THEN pick up the front of the car to move it (curbing etc.). The tow driver I was arguing with in the rain confirmed this.

There are also some gouges to the lower front side of the bumper that I believe are new but who knows...can't do much about that anyway. Before leaving I discussed filing a claim and recieved all the paper work to do so.

Thoughts on what was damaged (I'll crawl under their later tonight when I have the chance)?

Experience with filing tow company claims????

When they deny the claim, I should be able to go to small claims court or something along those lines, right?

Thanks

[Cuba]

That would really piss me off. Be aggressive, get the dealer to attest to the condition of the car. Don't give up, they will say it was preexisting or some other excuse to not pay.

[04fizzer]

Take it to the shop that you just had it serviced at and have them look at it. Compare the inspections (before and after).

Your word against the towing company won't work.

My dad once spun off the road and ended up in the ditch. The towing company latched onto the stabilizer bar to tow him out and ended up ripping it off. The towing company refused to accept that they broke it, as "it could have been broken off in the crash". Unfortunately, my dad had no way to prove one way or the other, so he was stuck paying to fix it out of pocket.

[poorwboy]

Did they steal the catalytic converter off of it? That is real big here in cali.

Oh and most towing companys are crooks. I know a couple and am beside myself in what they do.

[Wavex]

I am confused, why did you have the have the car towed in the first place?

Small claim is always an option if the damage is less than $5k... and you won`t be able to get a lawyer in small claims... gotta defend yourself.
Your best chance to win is if you have proof, or reasonable evidence that the problem was not there before the tow company got involved. 04Fizzer's recommendation to get a confirmation from the shop that worked on the car recently is good, but may not be enough.

I`d focus on figuring out the problem first, as it may become evidence you can use (if you can show that the damage could only have been caused by the towing of the car...).

[DefyInertia]

Thanks for the comments everyone. I'm working on a plan and will post up.

Originally Posted by Wavex

I am confused, why did you have the have the car towed in the first place?

Never been to Chicago, have you? The Lincoln towing pirates are infamous....there was a song written about them in 1973 and they are still around. I was parked in a small abandoned lot that I should not have been in for about 45 minutes.

[abacall]

Sounds like you know it's coming from the exhaust. Get the car up on stands (or a lift) and look at all the exhaust pieces. Check the pipes and the connections. If all looks ok, then you have to go a step further. Use very soapy water and coat the connections, start the car and look again. If there is a leak you'll see it and hear it. Be very careful as the exhaust get really hot, really fast.
It sounds like they might have jiggled something loose, just have a look, check all the bolts for tightness, and see if you can see any evidence of impact.

Good luck. Towing companies are very difficult to get any $$ from. This one sounds like they are established, and therefore have experience with claims.... Doesn't sound good for you.... Sorry man.

[a_sick1]

If the exhaust is that loud, someone might have stole your catalytic converter.
Nissan Murano? SUVs and trucks have the most commonly stolen cats because of ground clearance. If not, your headers are probably cracked

i doubt that they would try to move your vehicle with the exhaust unless they are

good luck with dealing with them and fixing the problem.

[wrightme43]

Hey Nate, just take it to the shop man. Explain the situation and ask for a copy of the last courtesy inspection. They can get it up on a lift, ask to go back and take pictures of the vehicle.

Then you have evidence for a court case that is obvious, and you wont have to go hopefully unless they are tarded. (it is a towing company)