Began a lease for a 2019 X3 M40i in late June. Beginning of last month was hit head on by someone who lost control of their car. I was sitting at a red light and was hit roughly at 35 mph. Her insurance has admitted fault, State Farm.
Initial estimate was 16k that went up to 22k after was taken to a shop. SF is allowing the authorized shop to complete the repairs. I know it won’t drive pristine but they are replacing the lower reenforcement and impact bar. With that type of frame damage… should I be more worried? Majority of damage estimate is cosmetic.
Should I get my insurance involved to inspect the car? I rather not have a total loss but would take it over a car that can’t perform like it’s supposed to.
One of the essential parts is backordered until middle of October… should I be pursuing damages/monthly payments from the person who hit me?
Sorry for the long winded post but just in between a rock and hard place.
Your insurance isn’t going to care or want to inspect.
Rarely does anyone double check the body shop (though they should). They’ll be able to tell you about any damage and repairs. Go visit it while they’re working on it.
they find more damage to get you to the threshold to total (my last lease was 78% damaged, 2% shy of total loss).
They should keep you in a loaner but you have to keep making your payments.
Who has chosen the shop, SF ? Is it an authorized BMW shop?
You don’t want to find out at the end of the lease that there are objections to how the work was done.
Personally (unless you paid down $$$ on the beginning) I would wish for a total loss.
It’s called rental coverage. Look at your policy; you should have a line item for it. If you don’t, you should call your agent and have it added.
If your car is inoperable after an accident, the rental insurance will kick in, and cover your rental car until your car is repaired (up to a certain dollar amount per day…again, it’s on your policy).
Be glad you leased. If it’s not totaled, you’re only stuck with it for another couple years, then you can give it back to BMW, and it becomes their problem. Had it been yours, you would’ve been screwed.
I have this, dunno what I can get for $30 a day in NYC but I’m gonna call enterprise soon because, turns out, I’ll be waiting 2 more weeks for the parts + repair. 4/30 days and my lease payment comes up soon, gotta love drunk drivers :DDDDDDD
You’ll get stuck in a Versa, unless you pay the difference out of pocket. It’s better than walking though…well, being a Versa, I actually question that.
SF has been covering mine since Aug 13th because I wasn’t at fault. They actually stuck me in a Versa from Hertz but the check engine light came on when I got home. Complained enough to get a Jeep Compass. Due to a radiator backorder, my x3 won’t be ready until October. SF advised they would cover my rental until the repairs are complete.
Protip: if you don’t like what the in town Enterprise gives you, take it to the airport (more inventory) and swap for something else in the same class. Not a BMW but you should get something you can abide.
That’s what I though, going to a different rental for better inventory. Unfortunately only few selected locations dealt with Geico (not all rentals have a signed agreement with insurance companies) and I had to choose from their lot. I did however score a brand new Pathfinder while my X5!was being repaired.
This is a REALLY BAD situation for you. Unfortunately for you, because you have no experience, you’re being screwed from every direction. Here are your mistakes:
While you’re trying to figure out if your car is a TL or can be repaired, you should be in a comparable rental vehicle paid for by SF (at fault driver’s insurance). A cheap Japanese compact car IS NOT a comparable car. Make sure SF pays for the correct luxury class vehicle.
You should be choosing the body shop that is repairing your car. Best to go with a BMW dealership’s body shop. This way, they’ll only use dealer parts and they will charge top dollar for them and top dollar on labor. This way, the car becomes a TL very quickly or if it’s repaired–it’ll be repaired in the best manner possible
Time for you to wrap your hands around this situation before you get shafted completely. Remember, you’re the victim here and nothing is your fault. You have every right to ask for whatever you feel is fair/just. Good luck fellow hacker
One more thing
Body shops like to stretch the repair bill to be as close as possible to the TLT (total loss threshold) in order to get a long term repair with high profit margins. They will order recycled parts and use low level assembly line body shop laborers to piece your car back together. Meanwhile, you are making lease payments on a fine German luxury vehicle that is sitting in the body shop for months, driving a substandard car that doesnt match your lease payments, AND your X3 is getting pieced back together by a HACK. Don’t be a fool–make SF total loss the car and move one with leasing another X3. Repairing the car is a LOSE LOSE situation for you.
they find more damage to get you to the threshold to total (my last lease was 78% damaged, 2% shy of total loss).
