January 24, 200818 yr Hi all. Owner of a 2005 Outback LLBean. A couple of weeks back I got wailed on the Mass Turnpike with some road debris. It only caused some minor surface damage to the car -- a few deep scratches in the headlight, hood, and quarterpanel, and a small dent in the quarterpanel to boot. The insurance adjuster came back with a repair estimate of $825 which will pay out under the comprhensive portion of my policy. I have a $300 deductible. I'm trying to think how I can shelter that $300 deductible and still have the car repaired. The two things I was thinking was: 1. Find a used headlight assembly and install it myself, having only the dent and scratch work done at a shop. 2. Get independent quotes from various shops, rather than simply going to the recommended shops per the dealer. What do you think? If you like plan #1, what's the best way to get a clean headlight assembly for less-than-new prices? TIA, Scott
January 24, 200818 yr Not sure of the legalities of where you're at but here in Montana an insurance company cannot force you to use a particular body shop,of course if you don't use their's they'll find a way to cancel your policy,and doing any of the quoted work on your own may negate any kind of warranty the body shop or insurance co. claims to offer. It may be worth while to fix what you can and then get requoted and see if the insurance will pick up the rest,but who knows about insurance co.s Good luck
January 24, 200818 yr Hi all. Owner of a 2005 Outback LLBean. A couple of weeks back I got wailed on the Mass Turnpike with some road debris. It only caused some minor surface damage to the car -- a few deep scratches in the headlight, hood, and quarterpanel, and a small dent in the quarterpanel to boot. The insurance adjuster came back with a repair estimate of $825 which will pay out under the comprhensive portion of my policy. I have a $300 deductible. I'm trying to think how I can shelter that $300 deductible and still have the car repaired. The two things I was thinking was: 1. Find a used headlight assembly and install it myself, having only the dent and scratch work done at a shop. 2. Get independent quotes from various shops, rather than simply going to the recommended shops per the dealer. What do you think? If you like plan #1, what's the best way to get a clean headlight assembly for less-than-new prices? TIA, Scott Let the insurance pay for it. Pay deductible. But make sure they are fixing every thing! Your lucky in the grand scheme of things an accident valued at $825 is relatively minor ( I know ). Pay the money and let it go....... Chers!
January 24, 200818 yr The used headlight is a smart idea to save money. You might also see if you can find used body parts in the same color as your car. It's easy to put a hood on. Search on http://www.car-part.com most of the listings will have color listed and condition.
January 25, 200818 yr 1. Find a used headlight assembly and install it myself, having only the dent and scratch work done at a shop. as subaru360 said, this is a great route to save money... replacing a headlight with a new genuine part through a shop is expensive... much cheaper to go used with a local or web place and replace it yourself if you're not afraid to take off the grill and disassemble things... same with the fender and hood... 2. Get independent quotes from various shops, rather than simply going to the recommended shops per the dealer. never, ever, go with the insurance-recommended shop... they are almost always in some kind of contract and you almost always get sub-par work and parts... when I had a recommended shop work on my 2000 Lego GT they messed up multiple things... unfortunately I had to take it back to them to get those fixed... next accident I took it to a good reputable shop who generously pointed out even more errors the insurance-recommended shop had messed up... if it's the dealer that's recommending the shop it might not be bad, but you should always check with other subaru owners in your area to see what shops they've had quality work done at... --Spiffy
January 25, 200818 yr as subaru360 said, this is a great route to save money... replacing a headlight with a new genuine part through a shop is expensive... much cheaper to go used with a local or web place and replace it yourself if you're not afraid to take off the grill and disassemble things... same with the fender and hood... never, ever, go with the insurance-recommended shop... they are almost always in some kind of contract and you almost always get sub-par work and parts... when I had a recommended shop work on my 2000 Lego GT they messed up multiple things... unfortunately I had to take it back to them to get those fixed... next accident I took it to a good reputable shop who generously pointed out even more errors the insurance-recommended shop had messed up... if it's the dealer that's recommending the shop it might not be bad, but you should always check with other subaru owners in your area to see what shops they've had quality work done at... --Spiffy I agree pick the best subaru body shop not potentially clueless first timers.
January 25, 200818 yr the real issue is how your insurance company will proceed. some will just cut you the check and you do what you want. some will do whatever they can to pay actual costs. and there are other options available to them in between. it all depends how they proceed from here, each is different and even one company may differ according to various other factors - location, policy holder, policy type, vehicle type...etc.
January 25, 200818 yr never, ever, go with the insurance-recommended shop... they are almost always in some kind of contract and you almost always get sub-par work and parts... when I had a recommended shop work on my 2000 Lego GT they messed up multiple things... unfortunately I had to take it back to them to get those fixed... next accident I took it to a good reputable shop who generously pointed out even more errors the insurance-recommended shop had messed up... Not necassarily. When i hit the deer, the adjuster quoted the price of used parts. The shop went ahead and ordered all new parts for the quoted used parts. I am very happy, and all the parts have a lifetime warrenty. It just depends upon the body shop and the insurance company. nipper
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