Understeered and crashed, looking for advice moving foward

[kellyreno]

What percent increase did you see your monthly premium go up?

Ins paid $4200. 6 month payment went from $500 to $650. $4200 divided by $300 a year they make it back in 14 years. Wife pays $800 a year for a new Lincoln Corsair. S..t happens that why you have it. Use it don't fret. Get a good repair and carry on. Good luck.

Sponsored

 

[Cobra Jet]

OK, so you're "young" but clean driving record (no accidents or claims) and you're paying $1500 every 6 months for a policy with a $2000 deductible? I think you need a new insurance company too.

This is merely a guess but I’m assuming the OP has a higher deductible and elected to do so in order to keep the annual premiums a little lower. Usually, with some Insurance Companies the Insured can request a higher deductible, which will in many instances lower the overall premium. Not like lower it by thousands or anything like that, but a couple hundred or so and if paying monthly it can help.

If the Insured has expendable cash, or some money in the bank that is set aside for “emergencies”, that is the only time anyone should have a deductible that is $2k or more… (even a $1k deductible is a lot of instant cash to some folks). If the Insured can’t afford the Insurance to begin with, playing with deductibles to lower costs is very risky when time comes to having to poke out that deductible.

Most Auto Insurance Companies have the standard $500.00 deductibles for Comprehensive or Collision and most folks just go with that and don’t ask any questions.

There are other ways to lower your Insurance Premiums too. I was told by an Insurance Rep. that if you already have Health Insurance Coverage, you can opt out of the medical portions of Auto Policies which also lowers the overall Premium. I forget exactly which portion it was that was referenced and I never looked into it myself, but that is another way to lower premiums.

—-

If the car is paid off, the OP could just unload it and sell it “as is”, which would nix the whole Insurance dilemma if not wanting rates to get jacked. I mean, if the car is still drivable and just needs the headlight to be functional for safety/night driving, then he could still get decent $$$ for it, cash. He surely won’t get any value close to actual cash value, book, or retail, but there’s not many choices left.

—

If the car is drivable, the whole getting body shop quotes is easy enough to do. Heck, if there is a local Ford Dealer, go there and ask if they can give a quote (if they have their own body shop on site as some do), or they can give you the name of their shops they use for crash repairs.

If this is the OP’s first accident, shit happens, he’s ok, no one got hurt and a car is repairable/replaceable while a human life isn’t. BUT it’s now an opportunity to learn from it and also learn what is involved with the repairs, costs, and price quoting etc.

I would hit at least 3-5 shops minimum and see what the quotes come out to be AND ask for a printed copy of the quote that lists all parts being replaced, materials and shop labor. You as the Insured can also request that all parts being replaced are genuine Ford and/or you can also authorize the use of used Ford parts (body panels, lights, etc). There’s nothing wrong with used parts as long as they are damage free.

 

[Tommy]

You have certainly got lots of feedback and advice. I believe if you go through your insurance company and a body shop the incident will show up on your CARFAX down the road which will impact the value of your car at some point. Many things to consider on the path you choose, good luck!

 

[Garfy]

This is merely a guess but I’m assuming the OP has a higher deductible and elected to do so in order to keep the annual premiums a little lower. Usually, with some Insurance Companies the Insured can request a higher deductible, which will in many instances lower the overall premium. Not like lower it by thousands or anything like that, but a couple hundred or so and if paying monthly it can help.

If the Insured has expendable cash, or some money in the bank that is set aside for “emergencies”, that is the only time anyone should have a deductible that is $2k or more… (even a $1k deductible is a lot of instant cash to some folks). If the Insured can’t afford the Insurance to begin with, playing with deductibles to lower costs is very risky when time comes to having to poke out that deductible.

Most Auto Insurance Companies have the standard $500.00 deductibles for Comprehensive or Collision and most folks just go with that and don’t ask any questions.

There are other ways to lower your Insurance Premiums too. I was told by an Insurance Rep. that if you already have Health Insurance Coverage, you can opt out of the medical portions of Auto Policies which also lowers the overall Premium. I forget exactly which portion it was that was referenced and I never looked into it myself, but that is another way to lower premiums.

—-

If the car is paid off, the OP could just unload it and sell it “as is”, which would nix the whole Insurance dilemma if not wanting rates to get jacked. I mean, if the car is still drivable and just needs the headlight to be functional for safety/night driving, then he could still get decent $$$ for it, cash. He surely won’t get any value close to actual cash value, book, or retail, but there’s not many choices left.

—

If the car is drivable, the whole getting body shop quotes is easy enough to do. Heck, if there is a local Ford Dealer, go there and ask if they can give a quote (if they have their own body shop on site as some do), or they can give you the name of their shops they use for crash repairs.

If this is the OP’s first accident, shit happens, he’s ok, no one got hurt and a car is repairable/replaceable while a human life isn’t. BUT it’s now an opportunity to learn from it and also learn what is involved with the repairs, costs, and price quoting etc.

I would hit at least 3-5 shops minimum and see what the quotes come out to be AND ask for a printed copy of the quote that lists all parts being replaced, materials and shop labor. You as the Insured can also request that all parts being replaced are genuine Ford and/or you can also authorize the use of used Ford parts (body panels, lights, etc). There’s nothing wrong with used parts as long as they are damage free.

Understood, but I guess they have a lot of cash for the deductible. I don't so I have $100 deductible on collision and $0 on comp because for me the difference between say $250 and $0 on comp is peanuts (I think it was only a $20 difference and I'd rather have insurance pay for my windshield repair of $75 than me paying for it if I had a higher deductible; same goes if someone slashes a tire for fun). I'm old so I only pay around $320 for 6 months of that full coverage.

 

[Oakley]

You think they have some kind of check box they check that totally screws you and it's up to you to plead and beg them not to check it? They don't care, it goes off to underwriters and gets processed with everything else. If you start getting cagey or lie things get bad or fraudulent fast.

where did you get this fantasy from? cause it can't have been my post.

 

[leroychickencurry]

You have certainly got lots of feedback and advice. I believe if you go through your insurance company and a body shop the incident will show up on your CARFAX down the road which will impact the value of your car at some point. Many things to consider on the path you choose, good luck!

Yeah that is another con of going the insurnace route. But they should pay you for lost value due to collision on the car right?

A pro of me repairing it is that I'll be able to do it 1 part at a time. Vs taking it to a body shop and waiting 1-2 weeks. Car is drivable right now and I can slowly repair the bumper area as parts come in. Rear bodywork is gonna be shop required, but that is not affecting drivability at all.

Thanks for everyone writing! This has been very helpful hearing everyone's thoughts and cautions.

 

[leroychickencurry]

This is merely a guess but I’m assuming the OP has a higher deductible and elected to do so in order to keep the annual premiums a little lower. Usually, with some Insurance Companies the Insured can request a higher deductible, which will in many instances lower the overall premium. Not like lower it by thousands or anything like that, but a couple hundred or so and if paying monthly it can help.

If the Insured has expendable cash, or some money in the bank that is set aside for “emergencies”, that is the only time anyone should have a deductible that is $2k or more… (even a $1k deductible is a lot of instant cash to some folks). If the Insured can’t afford the Insurance to begin with, playing with deductibles to lower costs is very risky when time comes to having to poke out that deductible.

Most Auto Insurance Companies have the standard $500.00 deductibles for Comprehensive or Collision and most folks just go with that and don’t ask any questions.

There are other ways to lower your Insurance Premiums too. I was told by an Insurance Rep. that if you already have Health Insurance Coverage, you can opt out of the medical portions of Auto Policies which also lowers the overall Premium. I forget exactly which portion it was that was referenced and I never looked into it myself, but that is another way to lower premiums.

—-

If the car is paid off, the OP could just unload it and sell it “as is”, which would nix the whole Insurance dilemma if not wanting rates to get jacked. I mean, if the car is still drivable and just needs the headlight to be functional for safety/night driving, then he could still get decent $$$ for it, cash. He surely won’t get any value close to actual cash value, book, or retail, but there’s not many choices left.

—

If the car is drivable, the whole getting body shop quotes is easy enough to do. Heck, if there is a local Ford Dealer, go there and ask if they can give a quote (if they have their own body shop on site as some do), or they can give you the name of their shops they use for crash repairs.

If this is the OP’s first accident, shit happens, he’s ok, no one got hurt and a car is repairable/replaceable while a human life isn’t. BUT it’s now an opportunity to learn from it and also learn what is involved with the repairs, costs, and price quoting etc.

I would hit at least 3-5 shops minimum and see what the quotes come out to be AND ask for a printed copy of the quote that lists all parts being replaced, materials and shop labor. You as the Insured can also request that all parts being replaced are genuine Ford and/or you can also authorize the use of used Ford parts (body panels, lights, etc). There’s nothing wrong with used parts as long as they are damage free.

Yes you got it right on. Paying the higher deductible is doable for me so I try to get my premium as low as possible.

I think the most "confusing" part of this situation is the actual repair costs. Many members think it will be high enough for going the insurance route while a few think it could be cheaper doing it myself (no accident on record nor carfax, and no premium increase). Once shops open back up i'll know for sure their quotes.

 

[ice445]

Yes you got it right on. Paying the higher deductible is doable for me so I try to get my premium as low as possible.

I think the most "confusing" part of this situation is the actual repair costs. Many members think it will be high enough for going the insurance route while a few think it could be cheaper doing it myself (no accident on record nor carfax, and no premium increase). Once shops open back up i'll know for sure their quotes.

It's going to be pretty expensive. The main issue is that rear quarter, it's not even remotely simple to repair. If it were just front end stuff I could see fixing it cheaply, but the overall picture when you factor in parts costs isn't looking that great.

 

[Skye]

Lot's of good insight and things to think about.

If a claim is filed, it's a given you'll be paying higher premiums. But how much more for how long, I couldn't guess. The hit on CarFax and other systems, that'll never go away. Balancing that against no-claim, out-of-pocket costs and financing options with a repair business, I'd have to sit down and ponder which might ultimately be cheaper. Every situation will be different.

Fact-checking this AM, I confirmed we all have an insurance score, which works like a credit score. Insurance companies provide claims information to a system called "CLUE" (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange), run by LexisNexis. Just as your credit score impacts so many things, your insurance score directly impacts your premiums.

The CLUE exchange allows insurance carriers considering writing a policy to see your previous claims. The record goes back seven years. While the information is publicly available for seven years, I'm under the impression, like credit history, your claims history is never aged out. Insurance companies might not see the eight year-old claim, but it's there in LexisNexis.

An exercise I go through at least once a year is reading my insurance policy and every option available. Most insurance companies allow policy holders to play "what if" scenarios on-line with their coverage, to see how different variables affect premiums. Some have little to no impact. Other changes can be significant. Options and impacts can change year-to-year, so it's always worthwhile to review and confirm.

Good Luck in what happens next. When you have time, please let us know how things went.

Edit:

I review my credit history once a year, to confirm the history itself (accounts, loans, balances, etc.) is accurate.

https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action

Still studying this, but it looks like we can also request CLUE reports, to confirm their accuracy. Most peoples' credit history is accurate, but some have inaccuracies which are directly impacting their financial lives. I'd imagine CLUE is not 100% accurate either.

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/con...ist/comprehensive-loss-underwriting-exchange/

Tickets can also impact this topic. The state of CO makes ticket information available for seven years.

https://dmv.colorado.gov/purchase-motor-vehicle-record-mvr-letter-clearance

 

[ORRadtech]

You have certainly got lots of feedback and advice. I believe if you go through your insurance company and a body shop the incident will show up on your CARFAX down the road which will impact the value of your car at some point. Many things to consider on the path you choose, good luck!

Yeah that is another con of going the insurnace route. But they should pay you for lost value due to collision on the car right?

There is a thing called "Diminished Value" that compensates you for that very reason. It's worth seeing if your state/insurance policy has it.

 

[Torched10]

What percent increase did you see your monthly premium go up?

Had my first accident last year.totalled car 26k.state farmr ssaid they don't change rates on 1st accident at least on Georgia

 

[Cobra Jet]

Yes you got it right on. Paying the higher deductible is doable for me so I try to get my premium as low as possible.

I think the most "confusing" part of this situation is the actual repair costs. Many members think it will be high enough for going the insurance route while a few think it could be cheaper doing it myself (no accident on record nor carfax, and no premium increase). Once shops open back up i'll know for sure their quotes.

Your largest expense will be that rear 1/4 panel.

Some shops that can do Paintless Dent Repair could work that panel to remove a majority of the damage. However it’s on a complex curve, it has that straight, sharp “ridgeline” and when trying to do PDR, the process is actually stressing/stretching the metal as it’s worked. They will NEVER get that type of damage to be totally popped out like a door ding, not possible. There would be body filler (pro stuff, not just “mud/bondo) to level the surface.

It would take a PDR Pro most likely 12+ hours or more to work that 1/4 panel back just so it’s able to have filler applied for the leveling process to look “factory”.

Labor isn’t free. Most shops won’t invest in the PDR time, because it’s easier for them to cut the panel off the car, put on a new (or good used replacement) and then do the remaining body work.

To do that rear 1/4 right, requires the removal of the rear tire, rear bumper cover, rear taillight assembly, rear trunk interior panels, the 1/4 glass, possibly rear window, possibly trunk lid, all rear interior parts on that side of the vehicle, and other misc. labor intensive work such as drilling spot welds, removing seam sealer, etc. Not to mention the installing of the replacement panel, any welding/body panel glue, etc. before paint, then the whole prep to paint process.

That is where your expense is going to be and even just doing that rear 1/4 at a good shop, it is still an easy $7k +/- job.

—-

Now you can do some of the fix on your own and for less than the cost of retail.

Shop on this site (classifieds), eBay, local salvage yards and any social media you belong to. You can find replacement S550 body panels (fenders, hoods, doors, bumper covers) in your exact factory body color - and without damages. Look for your body color and get those used parts to do your repair.

Same is true with the light assemblies. Ford retail on the S550 headlights at one point was in excess of $1k per side. Prices have come down, but it’s still a lot of money to buy new from Ford. You can get used damage free headlights anywhere from $250ea upwards of $500ea depending on who’s selling it. Same is true with rear tails, they too used to be in the $800+ range from Ford, now you can scoop those up used for anywhere from $100-$200 a side or even as low as $300 for a set.

You’ll find you can fix a majority of that (excluding rear 1/4) by getting good used parts - and there isn’t a thing wrong with getting used factory original parts to save $$$.

There’s many threads on here and YT vids to show how to do a lot of the R&R on an S550, so there isn’t any shortage of the “how tos” to do things in your driveway.

 

[2morrow]

Yeah that is another con of going the insurance route. But they should pay you for lost value due to collision on the car right?

A pro of me repairing it is that I'll be able to do it 1 part at a time. Vs taking it to a body shop and waiting 1-2 weeks. Car is drivable right now and I can slowly repair the bumper area as parts come in. Rear bodywork is gonna be shop required, but that is not affecting drivability at all.

Thanks for everyone writing! This has been very helpful hearing everyone's thoughts and cautions.

1. Diminished Value Claim

2. This will take months. Something similar but with less damage happened with a friends BMW 8 series in September and it's still in the shop. She opened a diminished value claim on the car as well FYI. However the pace of repairs is yielding a truly top notch restoration.

 

[Jaymar]

where did you get this fantasy from? cause it can't have been my post.

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear enough. You suggested we all knock it off with our advice of telling the insurance company while simultaneously advising that people should carefully frame their story but don't lie. That diametric juxtaposition aside, I'm telling you the insurance company doesn't care what happened. They toss your claim on the pile and you get factored into a risk-loss calculator while they determine your future rates. It's all based on how much money you cost them. Wreck your car messing around or while swerving to save a box of kittens it's all the same to them. You're going to get higher rates when you cost them more money and you pay them to cover out-of-pocket expenses you can't afford to cover immediately.

 

[Oakley]

Your largest expense will be that rear 1/4 panel.

Some shops that can do Paintless Dent Repair could work that panel to remove a majority of the damage. However it’s on a complex curve, it has that straight, sharp “ridgeline” and when trying to do PDR, the process is actually stressing/stretching the metal as it’s worked. They will NEVER get that type of damage to be totally popped out like a door ding, not possible. There would be body filler (pro stuff, not just “mud/bondo) to level the surface.

bondo/mud is body filler. there are many types. a skilled craftsman can get the fender to appear perfect but these things are always about trade offs. the best thing is to replace the whole quarter. the most cost effective might be to pull it out and if the guy is good enough you won't be able to tell the diff... but if he ain't you'll always see it.

a little filler is fine, that's what its for. more than 1/16 inch and you're making me uncomfortable.

the complex curve is a curse and a blessing. on the one hand it is complex. on the other... its complex so any variation from the other side will be hidden by the complexity of the curve as long as it doesn't look like shit. the real tricky part will be

A. making sure that fender is at the same distance as the other side (to within .5 mm spec, that's how i roll) and ...

B. making sure those sharp edges are identical to the other side. not too sharp and not too rounded. identical. this is where most people fail.

Sponsored