It concerns the repainting work done on my 1995 E 420, which I just got back today from the body shop..

It was dropped off on January for a stripping to the bare metal and a color-matching repaint afterwards in Almandine red. this was of the hood roof and trunk only. The bill for this was $3,001.80. It was a self-pay job (no insurance claim was made.)

The referral came to them from a local shop that did NOT repaint whole cars, (they do only collision damage repair and painting), that said the owner used to work as a painter for years at a Toyota dealership and then opened his own shop, and was reputable and did good work. So I went there; The premises looked clean and business was brisk.

Told him I was not in a hurry but expected it done in two weeks. Heard nothing until 4:15pm when a message was left on my answering machine, on Friday Jan. 13, which was at the last second of the 2nd week, car was ready. So it was done "on time" but just by minutes. I was 60 miles away in the mountains and it was too late to get there, obviously. And the MLK 3 day holiday was just to commence.

I wondered if they would be tempted to drive places in the car while in their possession, and with this in mind, left the gas tank to the gas guzzling E420 almost empty when I dropped the car off. I did NOT write the mileage down that was showing on the odometer but zero'ed out the trip odometer

This morning a friend (an auto mechanic and tuner) drove me there in my Outback to get it. He pointed out that they did a very good job but the paint waas mis matched above the right tail light when they had repainted the trunk. This apparently was due to the right quarter panel having been repainted less than perfectly at that corner although the match to the right rear door was perfect.

When I walked outside and got in the car to drive it home, I saw the the trip odometer now had 234 miles indicated, and almost a HALF tank of fuel in it!! I did not at that time complain of this, but nothing had been mentioned to me, but I think it is VERY strong evidence that people drove around in the car when it was gone and never told me.
The mechanic that gave me a ride to the shop, said it was even very possible the car was worked on and painted elsewhere.

As it was a holiday, the bank was closed, so before I went there today I told the owner could he take a credit card, to pay in full but he said no problem write me a check and date it 2 days later and you can take the car today.

When I got home I examined the final bill, (I seem to have misplaced the original estimate) and the spaces on it for Mileage: (In) and Mileage (Out) were left BLANK. <----- uh oh. (but in fairness this was a body shop and normally only Mileage (In) would be left in.

When I got home, and put it in the garage, the mismatch above the tail light was still evident, but the trunk script, in single letters was wrongly applied:

It said 4 2 0 E, but it was supposed to conform to the 1994-95 designations, that said E 4 2 0. He said bring it back, we will fix that. (A 75 mile round trip though).


What do you guys think I ought to do? I think a joyride was taken. The trip odometer and gas gauge have never lied on this car.


I have not yet told him of my concern. (The paint mismatch by the tail light even though it is not his fault, although he never mentioned it till it was pointed out, the rest of the paintwork is decent and acceptable to me).

I wanted your input before I do anything. Or NOT do anything.

They were paid a good price for the work, and I am not completely happy with the treatment. Would YOU be? Or is this just fuss for nothing?
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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)