Geico repair for accident??

[jhbaik]

I had relatively light accident.
Hit from backside while I was driving 55miles/hr by stupid drunken driver.
my 01's spinned twice and rear bumper hit the gardrail (~ 30miles/hr), and stopped by scratching front bumper at gardrail. No damage on metal part of the car! Damages are scratch on front bumper, dent on rear bumper, and dislocated front driver side tire. The car wasn't movable since the front tire. It was towed.
Car initially sputtered a little (10sec??)and then starts well.
all the electronics works.

GEICO wants me to select two options. One is to bring the car to their certified shop to be repaired under lifetime warranty. The other is to choose my own shop, inspect the car with Geico inspector and let them do the job, but warranty is soley up to the shop. What should I do? Also, which parts needs to be carefully inspect in this damage? I want to hear from lots of experienced friends here. Thanks.

[eightsandaces]

I'm not sure I totally understand your paragraph but in general I would choose my own repair shop and press Geico hard on making ALL the repairs that shop says it needs. The tire damage you describe will have suspension implications, make sure you get what you deserve, the shop they steer you to will be working for them, I'd avoid that for sure. If they give you any back talk you can always contact the state AG, good luck.

[mptoledo]

Always choose your own shop as geico isn't your friend. They might/probably will cut corners.


You might be suprised at how much damage is actually done. I don't know what the amount they consider your car totalled, but you might want to be prepared. The rear bumper painted and installed through a repair shop could run you $1500 to $2000(I priced one for mine). The wheel could be the expensive part if its suspension damage. You could easily be at or above $5000 depending on how much damage to the front bumber. IE, is the plastic damaged also or just the paint? You got new rim, rubber, 2 bumpers, paint, and misc damage. Maybe motor mount, who knows.

If they do total it ask them how much for you to buy the car back from them. I got my rear bumber on ebay in my color (used but nice) from ebay for $300. I think that was just luck.

pretty sure you have a third option..

Get a quote from any shop you want...present it to geico. Have them cut you a check. Get the work done (or not get the work done, the choice is yours, and so is the money) and is anything else accident related pops up in the fix, they're bound by law to cut you another check.

Originally Posted by jhbaik

I had relatively light accident.
Hit from backside while I was driving 55miles/hr by stupid drunken driver.
my 01's spinned twice and rear bumper hit the gardrail (~ 30miles/hr), and stopped by scratching front bumper at gardrail. No damage on metal part of the car! Damages are scratch on front bumper, dent on rear bumper, and dislocated front driver side tire. The car wasn't movable since the front tire. It was towed.
Car initially sputtered a little (10sec??)and then starts well.
all the electronics works.

GEICO wants me to select two options. One is to bring the car to their certified shop to be repaired under lifetime warranty. The other is to choose my own shop, inspect the car with Geico inspector and let them do the job, but warranty is soley up to the shop. What should I do? Also, which parts needs to be carefully inspect in this damage? I want to hear from lots of experienced friends here. Thanks.

[Paul]

Get a quote from your dealer's body shop if you can since insurance companies cannot dictate where you get the work done.

[SoCalKen]

Originally Posted by Paul

Get a quote from your dealer's body shop if you can since insurance companies cannot dictate where you get the work done.

They cannot dictate shop but they still wield a lot of influence. They typically account for a lot of the reciepts a body shop takes in. That's why the first thing a body shop asks when you walk in the door is "who'd paying the bill?". Once they hear "insurance co" they price out used parts and other such Tom Foolery. Make sure you pick a shop that will fight for you and not the ins co.
Ken

[mikefocke]

I'd bet you have ~$6k worth of damage to the bumpers and their support structures alone. Muffler bent, etc. To repair my rear after a rear-ender (at a stop light, no dispute who was at fault) cost $3k+ and there was no paint to the body or bodywork or electrical, lights etc. If I showed you a picture of the before-repair view, you couldn't even see damage. It was all bumper cover repair and repaint, bumperettes and the bumper support structure which had to be new to be safe for the next possible crash.

The girl that hit me had GEICO and I went to the local Porsche shop, got a quote, went to Geico's drive in claim, they estimated about half the quote. Let them work it out. They made the shop rebuild the bumper cover and repaint instead of replacing it. Also they quarreled over the reuse of rusty screws and bolts where the body shop wanted to use new ones. Not a terribly pleasant experience.

Then if you hit something hard enough to bend a wheel, you may have frame damage, and surely suspension components and steering components damage. So your shop needs to look at this before they begin any work which is why they have to have a frame analysis capability. Now I'm easily up to seriously double digit territory and since the car is only worth $15k (sorry, I have a '01S) and they total the car when the estimate comes to 80-85%......(been there and done that to a Boxster too...I though the repair would be $5k, the body shop stopped estimating at $26k).

You better ask what the best body shop in town with lots of Porsche experience is if you are to try and save a car worth driving in safety. The good news is there are a million replacements out there and they are reasonable.

Glad you are OK...that is the important thing.

[jhandy]

Just to scare you a little. When my car was new, a light rain and my inexperience allowed me to shift hard into second and the rear spun around on me, The car rotated on its center mass and the spinning was exciting to say the least.

I digress.....So I ended up jumping the curb backwards (about 10 mph) on the rear drivers tire. Bent a rim and some suspension parts. NO BODY DAMAGE at all.
Drove the car to the dealer for insurance estimate......

Repairs where 19,000$ and change. Lucky for me the car was new so it was not totaled.

When I asked why it was so much, the dealer told me that all bent parts and possible damage was replaced. The total rear suspension....He said that if I drove the car 100 mph I should not expect some hidden damage to cause a crash.

You will be surprised how much parts cost and just how fragile aluminium is on these cars.

[bkc888]

Something similiar happened to me too jhandy. There was light rain and I was making a left turn out of a driveway. I didn't push it to hard but I still spun out 180 degrees and it seemed like I gently bumped the rear of my car in to the curb on the other side of the road. Net results:

1. Transmission Pan got damaged and was leaking transmission fluid and it cost around: $2000 to repair
2. Paint Damage to the bumper: $400
3. Wheel alignment: $99


So the minor bump cost me $2500 :ah:

Should I have put the claim through insurance? How much would that have raised my premium?