This is almost the same damage my wife sustained when an Armada backed out of the driveway into my parked 4-month old RX.

Not to scare you, but $7500 later! Of course, insurance covered it and was no fault so no deductible. My damage was deeper and included replacing the ML sub and some internal panels. The rear quarter panel was also cut and a new one replaced. Reflector light as well and the internals of the gas tank door had to be repaired. I'd guess yours to be around half, $3500 tops since your rear panel looks like it just needs to be pulled, filled, sanded, and not replaced. You'll get a new bumper cover.

Here's the damage and thread for more details: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...t-f-sport.html

 

That is WAY worse than the OP's damage Corrado...his is just cosmetic.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. My wife will be dropping off the car tomorrow which is the same day the insurance adjuster is scheduled to come out to (under) assess the damage.

I spoke with one of their representatives on the phone the other day and a big point of contention was that for cosmetic things like bumper covers, Missouri state law allows for "certified" after market equivalents and that it would be money out of our pocket to switch over to OEM.

I certainly argued against this, but wanted to know if there's anything I can legally do to prevent this. Then again, I really haven't been able to find any aftermarket 3rd gen RX 350 rear bumper covers after a few quick online searches. Any advice on how to proceed?

 

If you really push it, they'll cave. Aftermarket bumper covers won't fit properly, and let them know that if they install an aftermarket cover that does not fit, they're going to pay for an OEM replacement part and the whole job to be done over again so why not just cut out the middleman.

A lot of that is the shop's responsibility, a good shop will go to bat for you against the insurance company for OEM parts.

 

First question potential buyers ask is, "has it ever been in an accident?" Does the potential accelerated depreciation ever come into discussion during the settlement, especially when you are not at fault?

 

Great question, but hard to quantify. I wouldn't know where to start for diminished value. Honestly, I don't even think it's worth it unless there turns out to be mechanical damage underneath the bumper. Things are already a mess with this happening during our move and the movers potentially arriving a day late.

Honestly, I'm spread so thin at this point between everything, I just want to dump the car off and not see it until after the holidays and then deal with things more then if its not perfect. We plan on keeping it for a while - main reason why we bought a Japanese car. The additional depreciation, if any, would be most heavily realized at present rather than many years in the future.

 

Best wishes for the move and the repairs.

 

mine was sideswiped in a roundabout. Lexus dealer did the repair, they are a State Farm approved shop. Needed a new right front fender, wheel and door skins cost the insurance company $11,000. The car was tied up for a week. Repair job is perfect. I don't have a hate on for dealerships. My dealership is a multi-generational family business that supports a lot of good causes in the city. I think these big holding company owned dealer ship chains are the places to avoid, they are run as profit centres not as service providers concerned about their family's reputation in the community . If the dealer principal is usually in the building you will likely be well taken care of!

 

Good points! Moving at this time of year is stressful enough without all this to worry about. Take it easy, ten years from now who will care. And you'll have had a great car throughout the years.

 

dwlink, I hope the stress of your move and the accident abates soon. Dropping off the RX and dealing with it later may be the best thing for you right now. Truth is, there's not much more you can do about it. Focus on getting settled in to your new home. Revisit the issue only when you absolutely have to. And among the chaos, maybe you can find a silver lining in there somewhere. Good luck with everything.

 

Update!

Car was dropped off 2 days ago - initial repair estimate using all OEM replacement parts is just shy of $2000. Passenger side quarter panel is a repair rather than a replacement. Might go up a bit once they take off the rear bumper cover to address any damage underneath.

The hotel's insurance has authorized up to $2900 for the time being so hopefully everything will work out smoothly by the time we pick it up next year. I'm not to worried about it - picking up the car is now at the way bottom of the moving checklist, need to get the xbox hooked up first...

 

The 1960's called and they want a copy of your estimate. : )
I too am surprised at the cost of things nowadays. I'd agree with the people that say $3k.
Also, if the hotel is paying for everything, why are you guessing the repair cost? I'm grateful to hear they were up front about admitting fault. The driver may lose his job, but then, if he's not good at driving, I guess that's appropriate. Please keep us posted.
Ray

 

Ehh, figured it'd make for good thread. The follow up question becomes what do we ask for to compensate for our time? I was thinking a few years platinum/elite status level as it's really a non-cash item for them upfront and it provides us some incentive to return.

 

Well, the grand total was: $2358.24

Thanks to Gary and his team over at Mungenast Lexus and Mungenast collision for doing an absolutely perfect job on the repair and the paint matching. Looks great both indoors and from just about every angle I looked at it in the sun. For those that are curious, the footpad on the rear bumper was also replaced - as you might expect given the top notch service.

Thanks for the referral Morx (post #10), we will certainly be taking our RX to this dealer in the future for service. Make sure they give you a free detail, air freshener, or something!

 

Looks great! Glad it turned out okay.