Crashed Aygo, How Much To Repair (Pics)

[mugie14]

Mod edit: Original poster has deleted their posts - topic locked

[Raistlin]

Damn that looks expensive, a headlight last year cost £146.00 .

It would have been cheaper to hit the cat and replace that. .. ;)

[FROSTYBALLS]

Hello Hannah - welcome to Toyota Owners Club.

Based on a similar repair we had done on our Mazda 2 (hit by a drug dealers car involved in a police chase), and assuming no structural damage, I'd say around £2K, possibly a bit more. Certainly an insurance job, but I would use a Toyota bodyshop rather than your insurer's approved repairer. That way you stand more chance of the repair retaining Toyota's corrosion warranty.

Replacement front bumper, front wing, headlight unit, possibly the wheelarch liner and the re-spray will need to be blended into the bonnet and door.

Think you also need to ensure the repair includes a check on the wheel alignment and repair if required.

If you had hit the cat, that could also have done some damage, but at least the cat's owners would get a new 14 registration feline.

[mugie14]

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[FROSTYBALLS]

Think if your VSC light is on, the damage may well be more than cosmetic.

If you buy parts from a third party you will be directly affecting your car's new vehicle warranty and corrosion warranty. On such a new car, you need to have the repairs done properly otherwise it will be worth less when you come to change it.

I strongly suggest you put this through your insurance, and get the repairs properly done. As I said earlier, try to get a Toyota bodyshop/Toyota Approved bodyshop to do the work rather than your insurer's approved repairer (unless they are Toyota Approved).

Also if you know the owners of the cat, your insurance company can probably claim off the cat owner's pet insurance, which usually provides some come for third party liability

[Raistlin]

You won't save too much and there will be little recourse and usually the finish will probably not be as professional as a Toyota body shop.

[eygo]

i would put it into a bodyshop and get a report from them as to what needs repairing

and the back on the road repair cost ,then make your decision as there maybe

damage that you cannot see

[FROSTYBALLS]

For information - an extract from a Which? article:

If you’ve been in a car accident, you don't necessarily have to claim on your insurance, especially if you don't want to lose your no claims bonus. But you do have to inform your insurer.

No claims bonus

If you wish to preserve your no claims discount and you decide to pay for the repairs yourself (or attempt to recover them from the other driver), you don't have to submit your claim to your insurer. Sometimes the cost of losing your no claims bonus is more than the cost of paying for the repairs yourself. If so, you would be better off not claiming.

Inform your insurer of accident

However, you do have to inform your insurer if you've been in an accident. You should send your insurer a letter telling them what's happened. But make it crystal clear that this is for ‘information only’ and that you don’t wish to make a claim. This should ensure your insurer doesn’t settle with the other party's insurer]without your knowledge. Even if there was no personal injury involved, if someone holds you responsible for the accident they have the right to request your insurance details. This request can be made later and not necessarily at the time of the accident. A failure to provide your insurance details without a reasonable excuse is also an offence. A reasonable excuse would constitute having suffered an injury at the time of accident. It will also be a condition of your insurance policy that you report the accident to your insurance company within a reasonable time, even if you don’t want to claim yourself.

What is considered a reasonable amount of time differs between policies. You should check the terms and conditions of your policy, but if it doesn't state the timeframe, try to do it as soon as possible. A failure to do so can give your insurance company the right to refuse to cover you in the future.

[mugie14]

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[mrpj]

"Will report to the insurance company but not make a claim."

Make sure you tell them exactly that and you are advising them for their information only. Remember too that after you advise your insurance company it will be recorded and any future car insurance applications will have to include the "incident" where the question is asked, usually for 5 years.

You must be absolutely gutted!? I know I was non too pleased when someone put a small dent in the front offside door (probably in a car park) of my 3 week old Yaris. Fortunately a paintless dent repair sorted that.

[eygo]

i would be careful reporting to your insurance company as at renewal you will be asked

"if you have been involved in an accident at fault or not in the last 5 years" you will then

have an increased premium this period even if you have your ncd protected your policy

will be loaded before your ncd is taken off so you will pay more each year.

i would look at it in another way if you hit your garden wall and no other vehicles are involved

wouldn't you just take it to a body shop and get the repairs sorted out yourself,

i would only tell the insurance if someone else was involved.

but it is up to you, what rights for one person will be wrong for another.

do what makes you happy

[FROSTYBALLS]

i would be careful reporting to your insurance company as at renewal you will be asked

"if you have been involved in an accident at fault or not in the last 5 years"

Surely this question will occur anyway, whether or not you report this incident to the insurance company now.

Part of the issue is that if it isn't reported, and there is another incident which involves a bodyshop quote or insurance assessor I would suggest the majority of these people will be able to tell that there has been repair work of this level done already. In which case, the insurance company, at that stage, may begin to question the validity of the insurance in terms of the insured's honesty.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Do you have a service plan?

Just a thought that most service plans provide a discount off parts, accessories and labour. Mine provides a 10% discount off parts, accessories and labour.

So if you do have a service plan, and you use your Toyota dealer for a quote, check the detail of the service plan before you take it in.

[eygo]

i would be careful reporting to your insurance company as at renewal you will be asked

"if you have been involved in an accident at fault or not in the last 5 years"

Surely this question will occur anyway, whether or not you report this incident to the insurance company now.

Part of the issue is that if it isn't reported, and there is another incident which involves a bodyshop quote or insurance assessor I would suggest the majority of these people will be able to tell that there has been repair work of this level done already. In which case, the insurance company, at that stage, may begin to question the validity of the insurance in terms of the insured's honesty.

where do you draw the line about when you should tell your insurance company about an incidence ???? should you tell them before getting a carpark ding in the door sorted as two cars have collided ???would an insurance company want to know about a ding in your door from a carpark, its all about how a person perceives if something is serious or petty and needs reporting.

[Raistlin]

As the damage has been broadcast on the web with pictures, you have little choice.

Theses thing have a way off coming back to bite you.

I used to work for a Loss Adjusters (Not the Auto Division) and the web was used to alarming effect.

Do the repair through your insurance and yes you will pay a little more but they won't throw out any subsequent claims due to non disclosure.

[FROSTYBALLS]

"where do you draw the line about when you should tell your insurance company about an incidence ???? should you tell them before getting a carpark ding in the door sorted as two cars have collided ???would an insurance company want to know about a ding in your door from a carpark, its all about how a person perceives if something is serious or petty and needs reporting".

One would usually perceive that an accident which at the very minimum requires the replacement of a front wing, front bumper and headlight unit is more serious than a ding in one's door. The door ding obviously wouldn't require reporting.

However the type of damage done to the OP's car would require reporting and may have an effect on the new car warranty and the corrosion warranty, which is why I suggested she get the repair work done by a Toyota dealer.

Advising someone not to disclose information to their insurance company either at the time of an incident or at renewal is just VERY poor advice, and could have quite serious repercussions for that individual if and when they later get found out.