I have a 1.5 year old Chevy Malibu, and I just scratched it pretty deep. I scraped against the license-plate bolt of another car, so luckily for me the other car isn't damaged, but the gouge crosses the line from the back door to the side body. Also it's not just a scratch, pretty sure the metal is actually dented in.
Any advice on what I should do? Fix it? Don't fix it? Go to the dealership to fix it? Go to a third party repair shop to fix it? I'm expecting it to cost a fuckton because they'll probably have to replace the door panel and the side panel, not just one.
On May 12 2011 12:06 Kralic wrote: No insurance? Can you post a picture so us at TL can see and give "advice"?
Well the scratch is my fault, and if I report this to insurance my rates will go up by at least $50/month, which means even if the repairs cost $1000 I'll have paid all of that in insurance in less than 2 years. And I definitely intend on driving for longer than 2 years.
Can't take a picture yet as it's night time. Maybe tomorrow.
I did something similar with my Altima a couple years ago(bought it in Dec 06). Gouged the metal pretty good, but not as long down the car as you did. I didn't have money for a proper repair so I got some touch up paint which makes it so you cant really tell unless you're close by or really looking for it. Just as importantly, it helps protect the metal underneath from rusting.
Not quite as bad but very irritating is today I scratched it again pretty decently due to horrible design of a parking garage. Who the fuck puts a parking curb just inches away for a concrete column in the perfect place for the front right of your car to scrape up right beside it? I should have seen it coming due to the obvious marks on the column from the poor souls before me, but still, wtf?!
On May 12 2011 12:10 Myles wrote: I did something similar with my Altima a couple years ago(bought it in Dec 06). Gouged the metal pretty good, too. I didn't have money for a proper repair so I got some touch up paint which makes it so you cant really tell unless you're close by or really looking for it. Just as importantly, it helps protect the metal underneath from rusting.
Not quite as bad but very irritating is today I scratched it again pretty decently due to horrible design of a parking garage. Who the fuck puts a parking curb just inches away for a concrete column in the perfect place for the front right of your car to scrape up right beside it? I should have seen it coming due to the obvious marks on the column from the poor souls before me, but still, wtf?!
I know what you mean, I hate certain parking garages too. The Malibu is pretty big and going down some steep ramps it's very easy to scrape the bottom.
On May 12 2011 12:06 Kralic wrote: No insurance? Can you post a picture so us at TL can see and give "advice"?
Well the scratch is my fault, and if I report this to insurance my rates will go up by at least $50/month, which means even if the repairs cost $1000 I'll have paid all of that in insurance in less than 2 years. And I definitely intend on driving for longer than 2 years.
Can't take a picture yet as it's night time. Maybe tomorrow.
Well personally I would lie and claim my car was the victim of a hit n run/vandalism since my insurance covers it. Pay the deductible and it's all good. If your insurance wouldn't cover that and/or you don't want to lie then I have no other advice really.
On May 12 2011 12:06 Kralic wrote: No insurance? Can you post a picture so us at TL can see and give "advice"?
Well the scratch is my fault, and if I report this to insurance my rates will go up by at least $50/month, which means even if the repairs cost $1000 I'll have paid all of that in insurance in less than 2 years. And I definitely intend on driving for longer than 2 years.
Can't take a picture yet as it's night time. Maybe tomorrow.
Well personally I would lie and claim my car was the victim of a hit n run/vandalism since my insurance covers it. Pay the deductible and it's all good. If your insurance wouldn't cover that and/or you don't want to lie then I have no other advice really.
How long do I have to claim this? My insurance rates won't go up if that happens?
On May 12 2011 12:06 Kralic wrote: No insurance? Can you post a picture so us at TL can see and give "advice"?
Well the scratch is my fault, and if I report this to insurance my rates will go up by at least $50/month, which means even if the repairs cost $1000 I'll have paid all of that in insurance in less than 2 years. And I definitely intend on driving for longer than 2 years.
Can't take a picture yet as it's night time. Maybe tomorrow.
Well personally I would lie and claim my car was the victim of a hit n run/vandalism since my insurance covers it. Pay the deductible and it's all good. If your insurance wouldn't cover that and/or you don't want to lie then I have no other advice really.
How long do I have to claim this? My insurance rates won't go up if that happens?
Likely it will still go up. Any time something happens regardless of it being your fault or not they still raise it - or at least thats whats happened to people around me since the one claim I have was obviously my fault.
aside from that, across two panels, it will cost you quite a lot to get them repainted. the scratch itself may be thin, but detailers will do the whole panel as the prep process usually ruins the entire area around the scratch.
If you have a percentage bonus built up like we have here, it gets resetted to 0/10% when you use your insurance. So it's not just the insurance money given to you vs. paying out of the pocket, but the extra money you spend on the insurance until you're back up where you were bonus-wise.
For people who haven't worked their bonus up yet, I suppose it's always preferable to use their insurance.
Also, it's indirectly smart to have a smaller car for a few years until you become a pro driver :D
You should at the very least get estimates for repairs. There is a price difference between getting it fixed at the dealership, or at a 3rd party mechanic shop. The dealership usually charges more for repairs, but state that if you use 3rd party mechanics while financing, it could void your cars warranty (3yr or 7yr or w/e).
My brother burnt a clutch in his honda civic, and the dealership was going to bill him $1800 for the repair. He checked around, and it was 4-500 dollars cheaper from a number of 3rd party mechanics.
You should definitely look into both options and compare prices.
On May 12 2011 12:34 eXigent. wrote: You should at the very least get estimates for repairs. There is a price difference between getting it fixed at the dealership, or at a 3rd party mechanic shop. The dealership usually charges more for repairs, but state that if you use 3rd party mechanics while financing, it could void your cars warranty (3yr or 7yr or w/e).
My brother burnt a clutch in his honda civic, and the dealership was going to bill him $1800 for the repair. He checked around, and it was 4-500 dollars cheaper from a number of 3rd party mechanics.
You should definitely look into both options and compare prices.
What do you mean 'while financing'? As in, paying down the car debt? My car is 100% owned by me now.
I guess I should check into that Canadian Tire nearby...
On May 12 2011 11:59 Cambium wrote: I wouldn't fix it, but that's just me.
Because of economic reasons? Disregard for car appearance?
I don't think it's worth the money. These repairs usually cost quite a bit. If you get one or two more around the same spot, then you can fix it together.
On May 12 2011 12:06 Kralic wrote: No insurance? Can you post a picture so us at TL can see and give "advice"?
Well the scratch is my fault, and if I report this to insurance my rates will go up by at least $50/month, which means even if the repairs cost $1000 I'll have paid all of that in insurance in less than 2 years. And I definitely intend on driving for longer than 2 years.
Can't take a picture yet as it's night time. Maybe tomorrow.
Well personally I would lie and claim my car was the victim of a hit n run/vandalism since my insurance covers it. Pay the deductible and it's all good. If your insurance wouldn't cover that and/or you don't want to lie then I have no other advice really.
Last time I checked insurance fraud was a pretty serious offense.
1k for a paint scratch? really? I wouldn't repair it, or, I would find someone to fix it for 200 bucks (I don't think u can do that in the US though =( )
You would have to do repair work and repaint it, not something easy to do and likely not worthwhile. You really should post pictures if you're wanting more exact information.
EPT
My insurance rates won't go up if that happens?
