Broken Headlight Tab - Insurance insists on repair vs replace
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Broken Headlight Tab - Insurance insists on repair vs replace
I got backed into in a parking lot, it was a hit & run, no idea who the driver was so I'm having to put in a claim through my own insurance company. The bumper needs to be replaced (has 3 broken mounting tabs), as well as one of the headlights which has a cracked lens. The other headlight was also shoved back, but the lens wasn't cracked, and upon removing the bumper it turns out one of the mounting tabs is broken. The insurance company only wants to cover $100 to have the tab repaired with epoxy rather than replace the entire headlight.
They covered a whole new bumper due to broken mounting tabs, but not the headlight?? Obviously they're trying to save money since the headlights are listed at $1,200/ea, but if my car is damaged by someone else shouldn't the insurance company cover the cost to get it back to the condition it was before the damage - i.e. a new headlight rather than one with a tab epoxied back into place? One of my concerns is if it's just epoxied back together it is possible that it may come apart in the future, resulting in a headache to get it fixed again. Also, a brand new headlight on one side isn't going to match an 8 year old headlight on the other side - and while "matching parts" is normally not any concern of theirs, it's just another thing to add to the list of why I feel it should be replaced rather than repaired. I argued all of these points with my adjuster but he wouldn't budge.
Before calling in and complaining I wanted to get some feedback from others who may have been through the same thing. Thanks in advance!
They covered a whole new bumper due to broken mounting tabs, but not the headlight?? Obviously they're trying to save money since the headlights are listed at $1,200/ea, but if my car is damaged by someone else shouldn't the insurance company cover the cost to get it back to the condition it was before the damage - i.e. a new headlight rather than one with a tab epoxied back into place? One of my concerns is if it's just epoxied back together it is possible that it may come apart in the future, resulting in a headache to get it fixed again. Also, a brand new headlight on one side isn't going to match an 8 year old headlight on the other side - and while "matching parts" is normally not any concern of theirs, it's just another thing to add to the list of why I feel it should be replaced rather than repaired. I argued all of these points with my adjuster but he wouldn't budge.
Before calling in and complaining I wanted to get some feedback from others who may have been through the same thing. Thanks in advance!
Last edited by jleonard71; 01-09-18 at 10:25 AM.
#2
Tech Info Resource
iTrader: (2)
They make a spare part specifically for this, and this is purely to save money on repairs. You can complain, and they might decided in your favor, but they also might not. I had my own issues with stupid things when I got my car fixed, especially when the adjuster called and said, "wouldn't you rather just total this thing and start over?" because I had wrinkles in the sunroof corners I wanted fixed. This is less than 6 months after installing my OS Giken LSD and the full compliment of front LCA polyurethane bushings. I don't think I need to say what I wanted to tell the guy, I'm sure there are plenty of owners who would have decided to take the total and move on. That's just not me, and it sounds like you and I think a lot alike when it comes to repairs - fix it right, fix it once. Fix it wrong and keep fixing it forever.
Last edited by lobuxracer; 01-11-18 at 07:06 PM.
#4
Tech Info Resource
iTrader: (2)
I didn't ask. I don't really want to know. If it were me, I'd twist the chassis in the opposite direction, but I really doubt they did that.
The following users liked this post:
isfvss (01-10-18)
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
jleonard71
IS F (2008-2014)
10
04-17-20 01:12 PM