Hello, I have leased a 2021 BMW 330i and my car was recently hit by a hailstorm in the Austin, TX region. Both my windshield and back glass got shattered and there are dents all over the body. My insurance company (Progressive) has estimated repair costs of around $12,700 and the quote includes a few non-OEM aftermarket certified parts. The aftermarket-certified parts to be replaced are the windshield, rear glass, right fender, and front hood.
My question is - If I decide to go with the aftermarket-certified parts for replacement instead of the OEM parts, would that cause problems at the end of my lease when I return the car?
Can you in theory get penalized for not using OEM? Yes. Will it happen? No, probanly not (asode from glass). Just take it to a certified shop and have the work done.
The only thing that matters is the glass. Glass needs to be OEM, they look for the little BMW logo on lease turnin
Hello fellow Austin hail victim. My leased car was 1 day old when the storm hit.
Ultimately doesn’t matter what the insurance company estimates and what parts they quote you for. Take it to a shop that you know will rebuild it the way it was. Using OEM parts, if they’re available.
That’s the problem I expect we’ll run into (and me, especially, with my very new Mazda that’s never been made before): parts and labor shortages in the region for the coming months.
If none of the reputable BMW body shops in town can you the parts you need in a reasonable amount of time, then I’d say take what you can get to have it put back together.
In the end, this is one of the benefits of leasing, though. The bank isn’t gonna go over the car with a fine toothed comb when you turn it in. They’re gonna look at the car, say, “Yep, that looks like that car we were expecting,” and sell it on to someone else.
Don’t sacrifice safety or functionality, of course. If your car had some fancy acoustic heated glass windshield or whatever, then make sure you get a proper OEM replacement. But if I’m waiting on a fender, and there’s a perfectly adequate fender available off a salvaged car or an aftermarket part, then I say go for it. As long as the material is the same as OEM so that you have hope that paint will be the same, then no your leasing company won’t care and won’t even know.
Glass is the main thing I’d be careful with, but aftermarket isn’t automatically bad in these cases.
Yes, as you guys mentioned, I’m going to replace both glasses with OEMs. I was just concerned about the fender and hood not being OEM. My insurance company is refusing to pay the additional cost for the OEMs. Any idea if they should cover the additional OEM cost or do I have to bear that cost?
I honestly didn’t know they could just refuse. They agree that those parts are damaged. You’re entitled to have the repairs done by any shop you like. You can ask the shop to use OEM parts. Unless there’s something specific to your insurance policy (I, too, am insured by Progressive), then I would think you just let the shop deal with it. They order the parts, they request the addendum from Progressive for the difference, your car gets fixed, you pay the deductible, and everyone moves on.
Can’t wait to deal with this myself. I’m still waiting for them to add the car to my policy so I can file the claim. Reminds me I need to call them tomorrow to get their asses moving with that.
Luckily my damage is all metalwork and trim; glass is okay. But, like, these are huge panels with big dents on curves and seams. The roof, and the side panel that includes the curved edge above the doors, and the A pillar, and the window trim. And the God damned back hatch. It’s a real shame. I told my wife it could be 6-9 months before her brand new car is put back together, just to set expectations. Who knows in reality how long it’ll take.
Good luck with your insurance. They’re just trying to close out all these claims as quickly as they can for as little as they can. Stick with it and make sure they pay for whatever they’re legally obligated to pay to make it right.
That’s what my understanding was, but I called a BMW-authorized collision center and they said they don’t talk to insurance companies about OEM parts and that’s something I’ll have to work with Progressive. They said they’ll only get the parts mentioned in the estimate and if I want OEMs I’ll have to bear the price difference. They’ll only send the supplement requests if they find any additional damage.
In at least 1 state I’ve lived, there is zero grace period, can’t leave the dealership without POI showing the new VIN. From what I skimmed on Texas there is a grace period as long as new VIN replaces old VIN (not an additional new vehicle), otherwise it’s at the carrier’s discretion. On a comp claim like hail damage, were I a shady insurance carrier I’d be chasing every out.
Paging @trism - add this to your running list of “people worry too much about insurable events that are unlikely to happen” list.
You will most likely be fine. OEM endorsements are not common everywhere or don’t make sense everywhere. Where I live a good chunk of the big insurance companies don’t even offer it. Some states require insurance to cover OEM based on the age of vehicle. So I say all that to say that a lot of leased cars are repaired with aftermarket parts and no one cares.
Your insurance and body shop work to ensure that the car is restored to its previous condition, even with aftermarket parts.
What you can do is urge your body shop to go to bat for you. Basically the insurance company is going to source a bunch of aftermarket parts from wherever. But those parts might not necessarily be in, or will take too long to get, or might suck. Your repair shop can say that those parts did not work out, and order from BMW. Also - some shops have very great relationships with the dealerships in the area. So they can get genuine parts for the same price, or in some cases cheaper than aftermarket. And if the body shop also has a great relationship with the insurance person assigned to their territory, they won’t scrutinize it too much.
My dad is recently retired from the auto body repair business in TX, and I worked with him in the office for a bit the last 2 years he was in business. The only way you’ll get the insurance to pay for OEM glass is if aftermarket is not available. You can bitch and moan all you want…they are not going to pay it. When it comes to sheet metal and parts, often times dealers would price match aftermarket parts and we would use OEM even if the insurance company only reimbursed for aftermarket.
The insurance lobby is very strong in TX and line a lot of politicians’ pockets. The likelihood of insurance paying for OEM parts or above “prevailing rate” labor is slim to none. Many of the BMW dealer body shops charge more than the “prevailing labor rate” in your area. So be careful there is not going to be additional labor charges you’ll have to pay. Example, the prevailing labor rate in Austin area is $80/hr but your dealer charges $100. That extra $20/hr will probably be up to you to pay. On top of your deductible.
Every state is different, but generally there is a part of your insurance policy that follows the driver, and part that follows the car. I don’t know Florida law, but my guess is liability and collision would cover a turo, but not comprehensive.
There are three levels of glass:
-OEM - identical from factory with fancy manufacturer logo
-Like-OEM “aftermarket” - identical from factory but without fancy logo - made by same company (PPG, Pilkington, etc)
-True aftermarket - not made by OEM company and not to OEM spec other than fitting the opening
Dealers are fine with the first two but do not want the third on leases/trade-ins.
When I leased an Audi, the lease agreement specifically stated that OEM parts were required. When the windshield cracked, there were no aftermarket windshields available, so I did not have to argue with the insurance company.
On my wife’s Camry (purchased, not leased), GEICO refused to pay for OEM bumpers or new headlights. When I pointed out to the body shop that OEM headlights were available cheaper online from Toyota dealers than they were quoting for used ones, they told me there is no way for them to determine if the online ones will actually fit or be delivered on time. Seemed bogus to me.
Sorry for you with all these mess.
Recently my car (leased bmw) got vandalized by a random person who broke my drivers window. Luckily there is nothing inside for him to take.
When i claimed this incident with statefarm they refused to replace the glass with OEM and didnt honor the quote given by my local dealer(sewell).
Finally i ended up paying out of my pocket for this
