My parked SUV was struck in the rear by an alleged DUI driver that also struck my neighbors parked SUV. The driver was caught down the road, given field sobriety test, arrested.
Cut to almost two months later due to wait times, my preferred body shop says their estimate puts the repairs at just over threshold limit for Total Loss at $15,000. This is in NC, which my research shows a 75% threshold.
Before I dropped the SUV off to them, I did my own shopping around for new OEM parts, found a reputable site that caters to my vehicles Make. When I dropped it off, the shop adjusters spitballed prices that were nearly double of what I found. Keep in mind, this shop is the highest rated OEM quality shop in town, and they seem to have a good bit of luxury clientele.
The biggest cost factor for parts that I found was the rear door/tailgate. Next would be the rear bumper, followed by parking sensors and one drivers side tail light.
They explained that they couldn't just paint those parts to match, that they had to strip and paint the whole drivers side of the vehicle to do a proper OEM match. Something about the side not having a break in the body panel line in the area where the tailgate and bumper meets the side.
They've just sent their estimate to my insurance adjuster for review. Is it possible to negotiate for the shop to use parts from the source that I found to get it under the threshold limit? What are the other possible outcomes?
I've barely had this SUV for a year when this happened, and barely made 1 years worth of loan payments too. I got it after a previous total loss accident caused by a semi-truck. It looks and drives like new. I would really rather not have to go car shopping again. 🤦
Vehicle details:
- 2016 Acura MDX SH-AWD Tech PKG.
- 65K miles, 2nd owner, clean title.
- 9 out of 10 condition all around.
- brand new tires before dropping it off.
- tax value at $18,500 iirc.
- making payments.
Am I SOL on this? This has been stressful, as it's the only vehicle I have for my family of 4.
Edit: forgot to ask, but suppose I get things negotiated and resolved. Would the vehicle be tagged as a salvage or rebuilt title afterwards? Also, forgot to add that repair would eventually be billed to the DUI drivers insurance.
Body shop estimate puts repairs at just over threshold limit. What are my options here?
byu/Haizenburg1 inInsurance
Posted by Haizenburg1
3 Comments
You might be able to negotiate with the shop to use the parts you found online to lower the repair cost. It’s worth discussing this with your insurance adjuster. Another option is to ask if they can break down the estimate to see if there are any areas where costs can be trimmed.
From my experience, it might be worth discussing your findings with both your body shop and insurance adjuster. Sometimes, shops can be flexible with parts if you present a solid case. Also, check if your insurance policy covers using parts from a different source or if they can negotiate the cost.
I’ve dealt with similar situations, and often, open communication helps.
You can definitely try negotiating with the shop and your insurance company about using the parts you found. Sometimes, showing that you’ve done your own research can help lower the repair costs. If the repairs are over the threshold for a total loss, the insurer might consider it a write-off, but you could potentially appeal this decision if you can show that the vehicle’s value is still high. Keep all documentation and continue working closely with your adjuster. I once faced a similar issue with my business vehicle, and being persistent and prepared helped me get a better outcome.