$1,500 for Rear Bumper cover replacement?

[Lis]

Hey guys, I was recently involved in an accident where a guy swerved into my lane, causing the car in front if me and myself to brake suddenly, howver I was hit in the rear and pushed into the car in front of me.

Insurance will cover the damage to the car in front of mine if they determine that I didn't hit her first, however if not i have to pay for it or make a claim (I'm trying to determine which would be better as the damage is minimal). The woman has sent me a quote of $1,500 to fix the rear bumper cover on her Toyota Kluger and I was wondering whether I'd be getting ripped off, or whether I should shop around? I've attatched a photo of the damage.

 

[RLGL]

Let the insurance companies fight it out, that's what you have insurance for!

 

[Lis]

Let the insurance companies fight it out, that's what you have insurance for!

I completely agree! But I'm quite young and have only had my licence for less than a year so my excess is through the roof - I'm just trying to gauge whether fixing it myself would be cheaper.

 

[boomerang]

If that is not a painted surface, and it looks as though it is not, it sounds like she is trying to pocket some money off of you. A non-painted panel involves pure mechanics to replace. No painting, refinishing, color matching, etc. involved. So, from behind my keyboard I would say yes, $1500 is a rip off price.

As a new driver I would not even consider letting insurance handle this. But you're not in the U.S. right? So how things work in your neck of the woods may be different. Here, you'll be paying for that accident for the next six years for certain and maybe longer.

 

[Lis]

If that is not a painted surface, and it looks as though it is not, it sounds like she is trying to pocket some money off of you. A non-painted panel involves pure mechanics to replace. No painting, refinishing, color matching, etc. involved. So, from behind my keyboard I would say yes, $1500 is a rip off price.

As a new driver I would not even consider letting insurance handle this. But you're not in the U.S. right? So how things work in your neck of the woods may be different. Here, you'll be paying for that accident for the next six years for certain and maybe longer.

Thanks for the reply! Yeah I know - I'm from Australia, it is a little different - If i do let insurance handle it i'll be paying an excess of over $1500 and for the next 3 years or so my insurance premium will increase by $700+ a year. Thanks for that I'll keep that in mind!

 

[Zivic]

I assume you know the make/model/yr of the vehicle. Look up the part yourself from toyota dealer and find the pricing. figure 2 hrs of labor @ $100 and you probably have a high'er end ballpark of the actual repair cost.

from a quick overview I wouldn't think replacing that piece would cost more than $500 (200-300 of that is for the part itself)

 

[JulesMaximus]

Just slap a bumper sticker on it.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Yeah, seems a bit high. Even if you convert from AUD to USD.

But body work is sometimes surprisingly expensive. Even when there isn't paint involved. One place quoted me $400 just to install a bumper cover. (Already painted the right color.)

 

[boomerang]

Had a palm frond hit my wife's hood when we had over 24 hours of high winds. It dented it in at the front where it curves down to meet the grill area and hit almost exactly on a feature line. The dent is as big as my fist and 5/8" to 3/4" deep. I was shocked to find that the lowest estimate was at the dealer which is where we're dropping it off this morning.

One place wanted to replace the hood to the tune of $1300.
Another would repair and refinish for $695.
Dealer would repair and refinish for $650.

 

[lsd]

If that is not a painted surface, and it looks as though it is not, it sounds like she is trying to pocket some money off of you. A non-painted panel involves pure mechanics to replace. No painting, refinishing, color matching, etc. involved. So, from behind my keyboard I would say yes, $1500 is a rip off price.

As a new driver I would not even consider letting insurance handle this. But you're not in the U.S. right? So how things work in your neck of the woods may be different. Here, you'll be paying for that accident for the next six years for certain and maybe longer.

I agree with this. It seems that lower part can be replaced alone. I'm assuming this is a newer model Kluger (usdm Highlander)?
http://toyotapartsestore.com/2016-t..._components-lower_trim_panel_521690E070-item/
It's a $178 usd part but the question is if it's available wherever you are located.

Ask her if you can get quotes on your own, If she disagrees she's probably trying to pocket the money. If that happens tell her you want to see the written quote.