Tried searching but couldn’t come up with clear answers so feedback is greatly appreciated.
Got rear ended in my QX60 by a '05 Mazda 3. Sitting in traffic, a girl spilled her coffee, looked up and “YOU’RE STILL THERE!!!”. Ugh. Mazda is probably done for and I only seem to have bumper damage (+whatever is inside, sensors, etc).
I got a police report, got insurance info and her info.
Called my insurance company to notify them - they will follow up with her insurance.
So far it seems I will be just dealing with her insurance and finding a body shop.
No deductible or premium increases on my side.
Question 1: From what I read - there is no need to notify leasing company (NMAC) - correct?
Question 2: If I go to a dealer for estimate and/or repairs - can they or are they obligated to tell the leasing company?
Question 3: Upon lease return inspection - do they ask if car was in an accident? Even if not - since police report was filed, would leasing company ask how come I didn’t report it to them at the time of accident? (Since it probably will show up on vin check?)
Hi ursus I have the same question as OP and wanted to follow-up with some other questions:
Is there any penalty for me to turn in the car as long as all the repairs have been made by a body shop? Can I just pay the disposition fee and get rid of it?
(I figure there’s no point even trying to buy out a leased car with accident damage since the actual value will now be way less than the agreed buyout price. So I’m better off just turning it in and letting them handle the resale).
What qualifies as a approves body shop? Approved by my insurance or do you mean approved by the leasing company?
I have a similar situation but a few clarifying questions. Caveat, I sideswiped my car against a concrete column that hit the rear passenger door and quarter panel. The bodyshop said min $4k in repairs, my deductible with insurance is $750. What do you suggest?
Should i go with the insurance option or pay out of pocket? First lease, 6 months into a 2020 Tiguan
If going with the insurance route, is it better to take it to the dealership for them to fix? Bodyshop said they may need to change the door and other work, don’t want there to be an issue when returning the vehicle (still have 33 months left on the lease).
I would use insurance, that’s why you have it. If it was a $750 deductible on a $1000 repair I would just pay it. The problem is that once they start the repair, it can go up (my last one went from something like $7k to $10k to $13k+ by the third supplemental), it was 78% of the value and they fixed it (the paint didn’t match, not my problem anymore).
Someone else will help with the term, as long as it’s a licensed/brand approved body shop and they are using oem parts, it shouldn’t matter. I have typically asked the dealership who they recommended (not always a shop their own), never had an issue at lease turn-in.
did your insurance premium take a big hit? what % would you estimate?
why would you use a bodyshop vs. dealership if going the insurance route? isn’t the only thing covered the deductible? Or there could be other charges?
My insurance did not, but I was not at fault. You won’t really know before you renewal, but it won’t go up $3300
I asked the dealer what bodyshop they recommend, sometimes two different dealers, and check the reviews.
As I’ve said here before, I have shopped body damage multiple times in the last 15 years, the estimates only varied by a few dollars. They all use the same software with the exploded BOM (ala Chilton’s manual) showing every part in your car, with the likelihood of what needs replacing and the effort. The only variable seems to be the shop labor rate (and cash is not the lowest).
Good luck getting it fixed. Let us know how they make out. And don’t sweat it, I did the same thing in an underground garage with the first/last new car I owned before leasing. It happens.
My experience has been very different. It’s definitely a binary world of body shops: those who use the software and are indifferent to who is paying; and those who work with people paying cash
I went to a few shops yesterday, the difference was significant. For cash jobs they are charging 50% less. But trying to figure out which route to go, any insight into how much insurance will go up for self inflicted damage to the car with no other vehicles/people involved? The work should be $3-$5k.
There are a half-dozen good threads on auto insurance if you use the search. If your auto rates do go up, you can try shopping a carrier that is more credit score driven.
Should not, but hard to say for certain without a lot more information that shouldn’t be shared here. Everyone’s situation is different. We used to have some insurance brokers here who might know better.
use insurance, that’s why you have it. If it was a $750 deductible on a $1000 repair I would just pay it. The problem is that once they start the repair, it can go up (my last one went from something like $7k to $10k to $13k+ by the third supplemental), it was 78% of the value and they fixed it (the paint didn’t match, not my problem anymore).