Someone hit our van at the Zoo!

[Indy_Guy_77]

Two estimates in so far:
Dealership: $885
Body shop #1: $510 + two days
Body shop #2: $940 + 4 days

Told my wife after she texted me the dealer quote that the others would be $200 less...

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Also: I do understand the inherent "unseen damage" that these things can hide. Especially on today's vehicles with several square feet of plastic covering everything.

Hopefully not the case in this instance - the ding wasn't even forceful enough to crack the tail light lens cover - and in my own personal experience, those things seem to be rather easy to crack if things flex/bend the right direction.

It really does seem to be just a bumper cover issue - but I'm not a body repair guy.

We MAY get out to Avon for a Diamond estimate tomorrow - not sure. Just hard to get out there from our house.

-J-

ETA:

 

[Caleb]

Also: I do understand the inherent "unseen damage" that these things can hide. Especially on today's vehicles with several square feet of plastic covering everything.

Hopefully not the case in this instance - the ding wasn't even forceful enough to crack the tail light lens cover - and in my own personal experience, those things seem to be rather easy to crack if things flex/bend the right direction.

It really does seem to be just a bumper cover issue - but I'm not a body repair guy.

We MAY get out to Avon for a Diamond estimate tomorrow - not sure. Just hard to get out there from our house.

-J-

ETA:

From here it looks like a paint job could take care of that easily...


If you hit a car, at least get out with a pen and paper and act like you are writing down your info before you drive out....gheesh!

 

[jkaetz]

From here it looks like a paint job could take care of that easily...


If you hit a car, at least get out with a pen and paper and act like you are writing down your info before you drive out....gheesh!

Depending on how deeply that is gouged, it might be a new bumper cover + paint. Did the shops say what they were going to do? The less expensive one might be paint only while the other two include a new bumper cover. Looks unlikely to be any damage behind that.

 

[Caleb]

Depending on how deeply that is gouged, it might be a new bumper cover + paint. Did the shops say what they were going to do? The less expensive one might be paint only while the other two include a new bumper cover. Looks unlikely to be any damage behind that.

x2

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

wife got the estimates; I'll see them this evening when I get home.

Now that shop #2 came in so high - makes me wonder if shop #1 really is the oddball since the Dealership + shop #2 are similar.

I hate when that happens. LOL

 

[88GT]

She's a ***** for wanting to stay legal and do the right thing for her and get a police report?

Guess I'm a ***** too. Every accident I've been in, I have always gotten a police report.

It's not illegal not to file a report.

Since I was on-site and had said up front that I was liable and would be more than happy to pay for the damages, all of them, I fail to see the point in contacting police.

So, yeah, I stick by my initial assessment. YMMV.

 

[92LX]

She's a ***** for wanting to stay legal and do the right thing for her and get a police report?

Guess I'm a ***** too. Every accident I've been in, I have always gotten a police report.

Any that is way so many people leave fender benders without a note.....sucks, but is true.


It was less than 1,000K in damage. I happily paid it. Now I get to pay it again with a rate increase.

By the way, I have had 3 vehicles totaled in the last year, not one my fault. One little fender bender, and bam ass lubed. You can still be nice, and not have to take an ass pounding.

I even told here to go see Alan for a quote and I would pay it. Oh well.

It was truly an amazing time in America when people took responsibility and settled things without having to call mommy and daddy for everything.

 

[92LX]

The deductible is to get *our* vehicle fixed under our full coverage. There is no deductible for the damage done to the other vehicle [my mom's]. We have a $0 comprehensive policy bout our collision is $250.

I do have State Farm.

After looking again, it may not be as much damage as I thought but I'd rather estimate high and be surprised than the other way around.

My bosses wife backed over a rock and did similar damage to his tahoe. There was only damage to the skirt, lights, and a couple of brackets. He was able to fix it himself for a about $500 bucks. Found a parts wherehouse that painted the skirt matching factory colors. It looks awesome and saved him a fortune. Unless the impact absorber or rear fender is bent up, that's what I would do to the GMC.

 

[sepe]

If it is just the bumper cover, the dealer and the other shop are a little high based on looking at parts and paint.

My bosses wife backed over a rock and did similar damage to his tahoe. There was only damage to the skirt, lights, and a couple of brackets. He was able to fix it himself for a about $500 bucks. Found a parts wherehouse that painted the skirt matching factory colors. It looks awesome and saved him a fortune. Unless the impact absorber or rear fender is bent up, that's what I would do to the GMC.

There are a couple parts warehouses that deal on eBay (also have a toll free number you can order from to bypass eBay) that have parts in factory colors. I recently bought a complete bumper assembly for my truck for under $200 shipped (no accidents, just typical Dodge rot). Mine was black but could have had any other color for $50-100 more depending on the vendor. Just a quick search, they have the impact bar and painted rear bumper covers for the GMC (one has the bumper cover in that color for a couple hundred shipped).

 

[MikeDVB]

My bosses wife backed over a rock and did similar damage to his tahoe. There was only damage to the skirt, lights, and a couple of brackets. He was able to fix it himself for a about $500 bucks. Found a parts wherehouse that painted the skirt matching factory colors. It looks awesome and saved him a fortune. Unless the impact absorber or rear fender is bent up, that's what I would do to the GMC.

I'm not that handy with this sort of thing - I have no experience even removing body panels.

If it were something on/in the engine/transmission I could handle that - but when it comes to body work... Nope.

Shop said it looks like $1,000 if they can find a used bumper/other parts. Upwards of $3,000 if they have to buy it all new on the envoy.

Oh, and apparently the trailer hitch and trailer hitch mount on the Envoy is bent or somehow damaged [and needs replaced]. I'm going to get under there tomorrow and look.

 

[sepe]

I'm not that handy with this sort of thing - I have no experience even removing body panels.

If it were something on/in the engine/transmission I could handle that - but when it comes to body work... Nope.

Shop said it looks like $1,000 if they can find a used bumper/other parts. Upwards of $3,000 if they have to buy it all new on the envoy.

Oh, and apparently the trailer hitch and trailer hitch mount on the Envoy is bent or somehow damaged [and needs replaced]. I'm going to get under there tomorrow and look.

If it is the same as the Trailblazer, it is a handful of bolts (I believe 9 or 10, a couple in the wheel wells and the rest along the bumper). Worst part on the bumper covers is the stupid push pins. Just from looking at the impact bar and bumper cover, the $1,000 seems pretty reasonable for used or non-factory parts. Probably the hitch frame bent a little. Most I've seen are 4-6 bolts. Pretty easy to replace.

 

[MikeDVB]

If it is the same as the Trailblazer, it is a handful of bolts (I believe 9 or 10, a couple in the wheel wells and the rest along the bumper). Worst part on the bumper covers is the stupid push pins. Just from looking at the impact bar and bumper cover, the $1,000 seems pretty reasonable for used or non-factory parts. Probably the hitch frame bent a little. Most I've seen are 4-6 bolts. Pretty easy to replace.

Yeah, I've used the shop a few times for hail damage and other things and they've done great work. I have enough experience with them to trust them not to rip me off too bad :P.

 

[sepe]

Must be nice having honest body shops in the area. I don't know too many up here. Not a whole lot of honest mechanics up here either.

 

[MikeDVB]

Must be nice having honest body shops in the area. I don't know too many up here. Not a whole lot of honest mechanics up here either.

I review everything in detail - from the estimate to what parts are ordered, from where, how much they pay, etc...

I don't leave much room for getting screwed above/beyond what's normal for turning a profit in a business with obvious overhead .

I realize I will pay a shop more than it would cost me to do it myself but ultimately my time is more valuable than what I pay the shop to do the work - so it works out.