CTFSportSE

So far, its exceeded that with the uni-body damage. The adjuster and myself are still going back and forth over aftermarket parts. I have the right to choose whatever repair facility that I want, it just so happens that the one I chose DOESN'T use aftermarket parts. The adjuster's maintains their policy is aftermarket parts are used on every vehicle that isn't current model year. My stance is that my bodyshop doesn't use aftermarket parts and they can go pound sand because I have the right to choose the repair facility and I went with an authorized Lexus repair shop.

whlkev

mine was 15k to fix, yours will be a lot more than 5k for sure

good thing my insurance won't accept anything other than OEM, and it was done at a Lexus dealer owned body shop, the work is top notch... hence the price

yeldogt

I understand ... but .... it's an uphill battle with many companies.

CTFSportSE

The body shop that I chose to take my car to doesn't use aftermarket parts on their repairs. I have the right to choose the repair facility and they offer a lifetime guarantee on their work. I have a rental now and I won't approve repair unless they use OEM parts.

yeldogt

You can take you car any place you want -- but the other company has no obligation to pay the bill. They may write you an estimate and cut you a check and ....

I have seen it happen.

Your company is bound by the policy .. all a bit different. They good ones take care of policy holders -- this is not a chargeable accident .. i would call your company.

CTFSportSE

The adjuster hasn't made any effort to contact me since Tuesday and I've been waiting for the body shop to disassemble my car. The appraiser didn't bother to lift the hood to note the unibody damage and completely missed the suspension damage, so their estimate is grossly under-priced. The bodyshop's estimate was sent off today. We'll see. They have taken responsibility thus far...

yeldogt

Hope it all works out.

CTFSportSE

I'm getting my OE parts and now the latest supplement includes cutting out and replacing the right front frame rail . I'm starting to get nervous for the long-term structural integrity.

lexusrus

Back in December 2015 I had an accident with my 2013 CT200h.

It was just after sunset on a four lane country road with somewhat small slopes and turns (two lanes one direction and two lanes in the other direction) in rural MS middle of nowhere just outside a small town. All of the sudden as I topped a small hill I noticed some two cars on the left grassy median and two cars on the right grassy shoulder with emergency flashers on parked. I slowed down to about 50 mph (was going 65 mph at the speed limit). Then I saw IT!!! I only had a glimpse of what I hit. It was shinning and silver looking. The best I could ascertain was it is some kind of rack that construction people use to put on the back of pickup trucks to carry "stuff" with. Evidently the whole thing was in the middle of the road. I tried to avoid it but there were traffic to my left and behind me so I did what I could and hit IT with my driver's side bumper the most outside about 30% (similar to the new SMALL OVERLAP CRASH TEST THAT IS DONE NOW IN NEW CARS). I did not feel much force and only a slight "bump" and my driver side outside mirror is instantly GONE!!! and I heard a small hit against my driver side door glass. I pulled over about half a mile down the road where it was safe.

My outside 30% or so driver side bumper is GONE. My driver side head light was damaged, but both low and high beams were still working. The driver side fog light is GONE!!! Driver side fender had a small buckle and the hood is OK. THere is a DEEP scratch on driver side glass and a GOUAGE on the driver side A pillar. There were some dents on the driver side door. Windshield glass is intact and no damage (which I had replaced only a few months ago!!!!). The plastic center grill is damaged. The REAR DRIVER tire was "ripped" on the inside and unusable.

Since I was traveling cross country I called my insurance company immediately and got instructions as to what to do. I stayed in the next town and meet with the insurance adjuster and picked up a rental car in the mean time so I can figure out what to do.

The initial estimate from the "adjuster" in MS was at approximately $4800 and he forgot to include the damaged tire. I had put on the spare already since I could not drive with the flat tire. I guess he could not figure out how the REAR tire was damaged instead of the FRONT tire. IDK either !!!

Anyway, I had the car shipped from MS to Longo Lexus (near Los Angeles CA) or repair since I know I can count on them as I had prior excellent experience with Longo Lexus. The car was still driveable and everything. But I did not want to risk it. There were no air bag deployment at all. I guess the hit missed the sensors.

The estimate I subsequently got from Longo Lexus was at approx. $9800 !!! There were "internal" damages that the original adjuster did not include. Buy there was not "STRUCTURAL DAMAGE" to affect anything mechanically related to driving or safety.

More importantly.........THE ORIGINAL ADJUSTER LISTED AFTER MARKET CHEAP PARTS OR USED PARTS!!!

Here is the thing I was told by both Longo Lexus and my insurance company. Since my policy DID NOT have an OEM endorsement, the insurance company COULD use after market or used parts!!! There is a "rider" I could have bought (at a reasonable additional premium) for OEM parts!!!

I arugued my case with my insurance company and also asked Longo Lexus body shop for help. In the end my insurance company OK'd to use OEM parts.

Also I was told if Longo Lexus used after market parts or used parts, then later on down the road for any problems I will have to take it up with my insurance company since Longo Lexus body shop can not guarantee the work due to cheap after market parts!!!

Another problem......... Sometimes it will take the body shop MUCH LONGER labor and therefore MUCH HIGHER COST FOR LABOR TO SHAPE OR MODIFY CHEAP AFTER MARKET PARTS TO FIT. This translates to HIGH COST in the end. This was the point I argued with the insurance company and got the insurance company to go ahead with OEM parts to fix it right the first time. And now Longo Lexus body shop will stand behind its work.

Another important point I was told is that since the car was repaired by a reputable body shop with OEM parts TO ORIGINAL FACTORY SPECS, the value of the car will not go down SIGNIFICANTLY as much as if it was repaired elsewhere with cheap after market parts by some "JOHN DOE" body shop.

BTW, I had tinted window on the car. I think if I did not, the driver side window would have probably shattered. There is a very deep scratch what WILL NOT BUFF OUT!!! So that window will have to replaced. But I will have to pay for the tint.

I had 3M clear bra all around the front and part of the front fenders........insurance will not pay any after market mods.

I guess my hit was going some 55 mph whereas your hit was at parking lot speed more like 10 mph max. Mine therefore had a lot of energy on impact and damage. Also whatever I hit moved as I hit it, so the energy transfer was not totally to my car. Luckily no air bags involved. That was one of the questions the insurance company rep asked me when I initially called in right after the accident after they first determined that I was OK and unhurt.

I don't have pics with me at the moment. I will post once I find them.

So insist on OEM parts and go to a reputable body shop where the Lexus dealer uses.

And yes, insist on a rental "comparable" to the CT200h.

Sorry about your accident and hope you get it all sorted.

yeldogt

Lexusrs: You discovered a very common problem -- most people don't understand insurance and purchase on price. You were lucky ... many insurances companies will not budge .... and many policies don't even have the ability to purchase a rider for OEM parts. In some states the insurance companies have this in the coverage laws. Same goes for rentals -- it's often spelled out .. how much per day and for how long. They give you what you paid for.

I just installed an aftermarket front bumper cover on my MB wagon and I replaced all of the lights on my 2002 Nissan Pathfinder that I keep at my beach house with aftermarket -- the cost of OE parts was prohibitive. When a car get to 5 years old in many cases aftermarket parts are acceptable .. and the insurance premium reflects this intent. It should be noted that it's not a given that the parts will be of a lesser quality.

CTFSportSE

As I said before, aftermarket parts aren't the devil. If it had been a cheap vehicle or something with high miles, I wouldn't have given a rat's ***. My car had just hit 30k and its a limited edition: 1 of 300 and I didn't want it put back together cheaply to the financial benefit for the insurance company of the woman who hit my car. Aftermarket parts aren't necessarily inferior, but they DO negatively impact resale value and if my car ever has a 'Condition Report' written for it, for whatever reason, any CR Writer worth their pay would be able to distinguish and note the aftermarket parts.

As for my dealings with the insurance company: They were ridiculous at best. At one point, the adjuster told me their company wasn't going to fix my car and as quickly as she got off the phone with me, she called the bodyshop and told them they wouldn't be paying for the damage to my car, that my car was no longer affiliated with their company, she put a stop payment on the check sent to the bodyshop, and canceled my rental on spot (the day after I filled it up. ).

I immediately called her supervisor (who never did return my call, which went against company protocol (claims supervisors are to return all calls placed before 4pm ET the same day - I called at 10:30), so I called back the next day and kept getting switched over until I got somewhere. I had to call the appraiser who inspected my car, who is the one who 'brokered' the agreement where I got OEM parts. At one point, the adjuster tried to tell me that using OEM parts would put my car back in better than condition than it was prior to the wreck. I lost it. She called me back the next day and told me they decided to re-visit my claim and agreed to the use of OEM parts and I got another rental ('15 Camry that I drove twice because it smelled inside).

Different states have different laws/regulations regarding the use of aftermarket parts. My state, Kentucky, allows them to be used unless the owner of the vehicle can come up with a third party analysis of the parts to state that they are not in "like kind or quality" and of course have solid proof. I was fighting an uphill battle, but dug my heels in because I'm not going to take a significant financial loss due to someone else's negligence.

I got my car back yesterday and I was overall very satisfied with the repair. I took the car back because I found a SLIGHT 'run' in the clearcoat and I'm picking it up again in a couple of hours. The repair has a 'lifetime' warranty. I topped it off for $4.50 just after picking it up and drove it 26 miles before returning it. When I pulled into the bodyshop the second time, I was averaging 49.2 MPG. I'll never get tired of that.

I came very, very close to just letting them use aftermarket parts and my plan was to sell it in and get a '15 Golfsportwagen TDI SEL manual. For now, I'm glad things worked out the way they did.

yeldogt

CTFSportSE: It's important for those reading this thread to once again point out that you were not going through your insurance company -- your were making a claim against the other parties Liability Coverage. They had admitted fault.

Once again, I don't understand why you did not go through your own policy as this would not be chargeable.

I insurer myself with Chubb --- it's a great company and none of this crap comes up. Everybody should know what is in the policy they purchased.

CTFSportSE

I've had a few claims in the recent past, albeit only 1 chargeable. My cousin, who is in an insurance agent, and knows of my claims, told me not to go through my insurance company unless I absolutely had to. She said it may give them an excuse to raise my rates despite it not being my fault.

CTFSportSE

A little HDR action before the tire shine has fully dried. Very pleased with the results.

CTFSportSE

No filter, no editing.