Repair cost check...

[DarkThinker]

So....on Thursday I was driving my 96 Accord to get to an important meeting, while making a routine turn on my route I lost traction (it was a slope and it was raining....you know the rest) so I ended up hitting the sidewalk big time.....amazingly all the damage occurred to my front right wheel , nothing else was damaged.

So I take it to a place I usually go to , trustworthy place as far as I know, plus I know a guy who works there for years..but he is not running the place as much as he used to.

I just want to check on something...the control arm and the wheel were bent. the brakes were shot too, apparently the brake caliper got broken too and brake fluid was leaking all over.

I was quoted around $650 for fixing all of that mess....I was in a hurry I agreed after observing the damage to the control arm and caliper.

I found that to be reasonable...you guys might have a different idea about that...

So I get called today and the guy tells me that after putting the car on the alignment rack, they discovered that the car's front sub-frame was damaged and there is no way to fix that but to replace it....the guy is telling me that after all is said and done the total will come to ~$1000 with a used sub-frame and labor for installing it in instead.

OUCH!
That's the highest bill I ever had to foot on a commuter....the problem is I am on a very tight time schedule here and I can't shop around easily nor look at other cars...

Now what hurts is that my deductible on collision on this commuter is $1000

So I am footing a $1000 bill while I am onlooking

At least I have had this car since 2005 with that low deductible and never got into an accident with it since I got it.....but the bill still hurts....I might post a detailed bill once I get it tomorrow.

 

[brblx]

to be honest that sounds pretty reasonable. even low. although i'm really not sure how hitting a sidewalk would cause damage to a brake caliper or subframe. wheel, of course. a-arm, yeah, if it was a strong enough collision. i could maybe see the the brake hose getting torn if things got really wacky, but a caliper? that's odd. did the wheel get pushed into it or something?

the subframe does sound a bit fishy- it takes a pretty skilled alignment tech to be able to pick out bent parts on the alignment rack that visually check out okay. i'd want to know which measurements were out and by how much, and why they pinned it on the subframe and not, say, a bent strut. if it's a visual thing, i'd ask to see the subframe.

 

[DarkThinker]

Originally posted by: brblx
to be honest that sounds pretty reasonable. even low. although i'm really not sure how hitting a sidewalk would cause damage to a brake caliper or subframe. wheel, of course. a-arm, yeah, if it was a strong enough collision. i could maybe see the the brake hose getting torn if things got really wacky, but a caliper? that's odd. did the wheel get pushed into it or something?

the subframe does sound a bit fishy- it takes a pretty skilled alignment tech to be able to pick out bent parts on the alignment rack that visually check out okay. i'd want to know which measurements were out and by how much, and why they pinned it on the subframe and not, say, a bent strut. if it's a visual thing, i'd ask to see the subframe.

Thanks for the input, to explain more...I hit the curb pretty bad....I seriously thought I was getting out of the car to witness a wrecked front, what happened is that the front wheel took the entire hit of the car there was not damage anywhere else.

When the guy called me, he told me I can come and see the sub-frame if I wanted, I really wanted to but I just couldn't take time out from work to see. He told me without the sub-frame taken care off my car would have some serious trouble turning...but I will want to inquire when I go there about this issue.

 

[Bignate603]

For the parts they're quoting it seems reasonable. Take a look at what they are talking about for the other stuff. I could imagine the subframe is damaged from the accident, maybe even visually so, but with the wheel messed up and the brake like dripping it may have been over looked.

 

[RU482]

put it into perspective. The money you saved on the high ($1k) deductible probably more than paid for the difference in out of pocket expense (vs a lower deductble, over time).

If at all possible at this point, leave the insurance company out of it

 

[DarkThinker]

Originally posted by: Bignate603
For the parts they're quoting it seems reasonable. Take a look at what they are talking about for the other stuff. I could imagine the subframe is damaged from the accident, maybe even visually so, but with the wheel messed up and the brake like dripping it may have been over looked.

Agreed.

Originally posted by: RU482
put it into perspective. The money you saved on the high ($1k) deductible probably more than paid for the difference in out of pocket expense (vs a lower deductble, over time).

If at all possible at this point, leave the insurance company out of it

Well I thought about that, however, I just had to, I have a $30 day 7 days rental coverage + Towing costs.

I am having the rental for 5 days.
So I am having them pay up for the rental (~$150) and towing ($60) so they get out of this with a bruise of $210...not as bad as my bruise.

I am not sure if this will qualify as a full claim though...