Your $1500 deductible might be cheaper than paying the full bill for the repair.
Try a reputable body shop. It will probably cost a few hundred, but they can likely fix the dent and repaint it. It’s a pain though. I feel for you, my car is new too, and I’d be frustrated if I came out to see that.
I don’t have a solution, but I feel for you.
A single panel replacement (the bonnet), plus some paint and touch-up with a service car would cost about 1000 euros on insurance here. If you pay out of pocket, it would be around 1.2-1.4k euros.
$3k in Canada.
Try asking a body shop for an estimate.
Ouch.
Take it to a body shop and ask them how much they would charge.
Since it seems to be dented but not scratched, maybe try popping it out. I’ve seen videos of it being done.
Go to a body shop and get an estimate.
I had a similar issue, not as bad. To fix the dent and repaint it, it cost me $2500 at my dealership.
Looking at all these responses and hearing the costs, I guess I won’t be fixing this for at least a few years.
ElantraEnthusiast2 said:
Looking at all these responses and hearing the costs, I guess I won’t be fixing this for at least a few years.
Your deductible seems a bit high. In my experience, $500-1k is usually a sweet spot, but I know it varies a lot depending on the situation.
If you leave it unfixed, make sure you protect it somehow. Otherwise, it could rust over the years, and that would make things worse. Maybe it’s worth paying for the repair now if you can afford it, or you could learn to repair and protect it yourself, or ask someone you trust.
It really sucks. I had a similar situation where someone backed into my car just a week after I got it. Fortunately, they left a note, and my repair ended up being over $4k. I didn’t pay anything in the end, though.
Edit: After looking again, I might be wrong. It’s hard to tell, and I’m no expert. You should get an estimate and ask what would happen if you leave it as is.
@EntourageExpert
I’m not a US citizen. I just got my work visa and driver’s license, so with my $1500 deductible, I’m already paying $250 a month for insurance. If I go for a $300-$600 deductible, my monthly bill jumps to over $410. It’s a bit crazy, right? That’s how things work for legal immigrants here. But I’ll try to make sure the weather doesn’t cause further issues. Thanks so much for the advice!
ElantraEnthusiast2 said:
Looking at all these responses and hearing the costs, I guess I won’t be fixing this for at least a few years.
Seriously, though, at least call a local body shop for an estimate. It might only cost $400-500.
I had a much bigger dent in my old Civic rocker panel, and they filled it with body filler and painted it. It cost me $400 10 years ago.
I think this will be easier to fix since it’s smaller and they can reach the other side, which was a challenge on my Civic.
Just get an estimate. It should be free and you’re not committed to anything.
60 USD in Southeast Asia.
Insurance fraud would be my go-to.
I’d say it’s probably cheaper in the long run to avoid using insurance, but they’ll probably cover the costs to repair it and you’ll pay the $1500 deductible. If it can’t be fixed, replacing it will cost a lot more. You could try to find a replacement part from a car that’s been rear-ended for a similar price.
Be glad it’s not one of the headlights. Replacing them can cost up to 10% of the car’s value, and replacing all of them could be nearly 40% of the car’s value.