BY TOM AND RAY MAGLIOZZI

Dear Tom and Ray:

I am in a quandary as to how to proceed. Yesterday we took my wife's '94 Olds Cutlass Ciera with 40,000 miles to a shop for four new tires and an alignment. The next thing I know, the shop's insurance company is calling me at work to report a "slight accident." He nervously explained that the car fell off the lift, but other than a cracked windshield, it should be driveable. As I kept pumping him for more information, he finally told me that the car was actually lying on its side inside the lift, and that the towing company had been called to try to remove it. I rushed to the garage, and managed to take some pictures before the extraction process got under way. The car was apparently six feet in the air when the right arm of the lift slid out. Three of the four tires were off the car. The right front tire was hanging on the studs when the car fell, and this tire jammed up against the wheel housing, pushing the fender up and in; in removing the car, a lot of additional damage was done: three of the doors were ruined, windows were smashed, and the back bumper was torn in two. In viewing the car in the salvage yard, the front end is pitched down, the right rear fender is higher than the left, and the car appears to be twisted. Oh, and by the way, they put all four new tires on, instead of just putting the old ones back on like I asked them to after the accident. My question is: What happens to a 3,000-pound automobile when it's dropped on its side from six feet up? My wife doesn't want the car back. She says it'll never be the same. She's also none too happy with me because she wanted to take it somewhere else for tires, but I insisted on this place since they also offered a free alignment. What should I do? -- David

Tom: Gee, David, I guess you didn't notice that in addition to the free alignment, the deal also included free drop-off service. Ha, ha!

Ray: Yeah. This gives new meaning to the phrase "We'll drop your car off as soon as it's finished."

Tom: What happens to a car when you drop it on its side from six feet up? My brother can tell you from painful personal experience that it's completely ruined. And your wife is absolutely right. It'll never be the same again.

Ray: I once dropped a customer's Datsun 280Z sports car off a lift. Talk about calling a customer with bad news! "Hi, Bob. We've found a new problem with your car. It's two feet thinner than when you dropped it off this morning!"

Tom: Your wife shouldn't have to take this car back, David. She should insist on getting the replacement cost from the insurance company, and she should buy another car.

Ray: She doesn't have to accept their first offer, which will certainly be low. You can check the value of the car in the Kelly Blue Book. Point out that the car had only 40,000 miles on it, that it was in excellent condition before it was "bounced" off the concrete garage floor, and that you want enough money to buy a Ciera or comparable car with similar mileage (even if it's a '95 or '96).

Tom: You'll have to argue with them, but you're in a strong position here ... especially with the pictures! Good luck, David.

Don't get stuck with a lemon. Be an informed shopper. Read Tom and Ray's guide "How to Buy a Great Used Car: Secrets Only Your Mechanic Knows." To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1998 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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