At the end of the day OP - no you do not need a Lexus approved body shop. In fact most people find dealer-recommended body shops to be worse.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Insurance/c...cerecommended/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Autobody/co...ied_body_shop/

 

I am talking about body shop. With a mechanic, you know if you go to a Lexus dealer, they will use Lexus parts. If you go to an Indy, you will need to determine what kind of parts they use. With a body shop you must specify what kind of parts you want them to use or ask them what they priced into the estimate. The complication with a body shop, so I was informed, is that insurance companies will try to get the body shop to use the cheapest parts they can to keep the payment as low as possible. That is not what you want if you want the car as it came from the factory. The Lexus-certified body shop I used said there would normally be a 2-3 week delay if negotiations with an insurance company were required.

 

^^^^Or - Buy the parts yourself and supply them to the body shop.

Lou

 

Good luck with that! I have been to two body shops in recent years and neither would allow parts from outside. When I had my Lexus fixed this year I told them I could order a genuine headlight assembly from Longo for less than they were charging me, but they said to be Lexus certified they had to get the part from the local Lexus dealer and the price was the price.

 

Years and years ago, I had an incident with my 05 GTO. The body shop told me that the adjuster was pissed because there were no third party or rebuilt parts to use for repairs. Everything had to be OEM and most of it had to come from Australia since that is where the cars were being built. The shop also said this particular adjuster was always a pain in the ***, seemed more concerned with saving the insurance company money than with getting cars safe and roadworthy again.

 

I have had "Good luck with that" I have a relationship with the parts manager of my Lexus dealer, who gives me a 10% discount on parts. I know the owner of my local body shop who allows me to use my own parts. If the part is oversized, I have it shipped directly to the body shop. Works for me😇

Lou

 

your best bet is to look up google/yelp reviews of body shops in your area. then make your best judgement with the information available.

 

You can get your car fixed wherever you want to, and do not have to use an “insurance suggested “ shop.

I have good insurance for my car and would put the claim on my own insurance before going with somebody else’s cheap insurance policy. It will not raise your rate if it is not your fault. And and then my insurance company can go after theirs. Yes you have to pay your own deductible at first, but your insurance company will get it back for you after a few months.

Also, don’t forget to file a separate claim for diminished value. If you’re not sure what that is, Google it. Since we have rare cars, the diminished value on these vehicles is going to be high. Do not take the first offer they offer you, it is negotiable, in fact look for a company that will file that information for you. Depending on the amount of damage, it will impact the diminishing value you’ll receive.

 

https://www.lexuscollisioncenter.com/

 

The problem with forums is that everyone seems authoritative and maybe logical. In this state, as it was in my previous state, the insurance company can increase your rates for anything related to a claim, even if it is not your fault. I paid for the hit and run myself to avoid a Carfax and to eliminate haggling with insurance. Painful but shorter lived than other options.

 

My NJ insurance company told me the same thing years ago. Even when it wasn't my fault it will go down as an incident if I let my insurance initiate the claim. They said contact the offenders insurance directly and file a claim. Double check with your particular insurance company to see how it works.

 

Had the body shop look at the damage. They are confident they can put on a new bumper and get the paint 100% though they will need to blend it into the hood and fenders. Lots of PPF to re-do.

Worst part is the waiting until they have free time

Thanks everyone for the info. I am lucky so far the insurance claims they will cover everything 100% and I can take it to a body shop of my choic. We'll see if they follow through!

 

WRONG… if you are not any part responsible, your rates will not increase. And Carfaux and AutoCheck will still find out about it

 

https://wrightgray.com/the-impact-of...ance-premiums/

This is just one of many sites that makes it clear that the answer is dependent on the State in which you reside and the insurance company policy.

 

I agree 110% with @EngIceDave . Lexus CERTIFIED body shop only. And trust me, if it is a good shop, when they tear it down they WILL find additional stuff that needs replacing that a typical "slap dash high volume" body shop won't bother to spec replacement for. That headlight is a $3+K proposition by itself. The bumper should be well under $1K for the cover. BUT, there very very well may be damage under that bumper cover.

Pay attention and inspect the damage yourself after they remove the bumper. Lexus factory parts ONLY.

We had a very similar incident last summer (2024) and our Lexus certified shop had to go to the mat on numerous occasions with the insurance company.

The initial estimate when the adjuster came to my house to look at the damage (much less physical damage than yours - mine was a straight hit to the bumper on one side, pushing it in about 3/4") was ~$6K. After the shop was done replacing everything and making it factory perfect, it was over $12K all told. This included a new hood (very very very slight damage that any other body shop would either have ignored or tried to repair), new grill (again no cracks, just a scrape in the black finish), new headlight (very very slight damage), and so forth. We paid about $1K out that $12K bill, out of pocket, for stuff that insurance wouldn't cover. And we were happy to.

Good luck and DO NOT SETTLE for a repair that is anything less than PERFECT -- how the car left the factory. Your damage is easily fixable and can be made perfect by the right shop.