Got t-boned the other day

[thecakeisalie]

Was driving down a residential street, minding my own business. Some random guy saw me, but just had an urge to exit his driveway as I was passing, anyway The good news is that his insurance will cover the repairs since it was deemed his fault. The bad news is that I'm guessing I just lost a bunch of resale value for absolutely no reason. New door, possibly new sideskirt (doesn't seem fully attached at the back anymore), and who knows how much paintwork

I'm kinda worried about what will have to be done to fix it, given that the metal around the door looks a bit warped (see behind the door handle and the trim around the doorsill). Anyone have any idea how these things are corrected? I'll talk the body shop to make sure they saw the warped bits, but I just wanted to have a general idea so I know what to expect.

[GVIFlyer]

Bad luck. Glad you weren't hurt.

[Helmsman]

Oh man, things like this makes me more and more careful in the traffic, some people simply shouldn't sit behind a wheel.

I'm sure it will get sorted and look new though, good luck.

[M3Bimmer77]

Good thing that's not that bad. For sure it can get fixed but it will be $$$$$. Needs to be fixed by a dealer. Edit or a really good collision shop

[Chin180sx]

You can talk to the insurance company that is covering the costs and ask for lost residual value to be taken into account. They will fight you on it, but since it is a low production vehicle (generally speaking) They will some times cut you an extra check for the loss value. Best of luck.

[DSilk]

Originally Posted by M3Bimmer77

Good thing that's not that bad. For sure it can get fixed but it will be $$$$$. Needs to be fixed by a dealer.

I would NEVER let the dealer fix it. Most don't have body shops and will farm it out cheaply. The ones that do have body shops on premises are still looking to do the repairs cheaply. Find a body shop in your area that does high end restorations and have them look at it.

[BimmerRookie]

Originally Posted by DSilk

I would NEVER let the dealer fix it. Most don't have body shops and will farm it out cheaply. The ones that do have body shops on premises are still looking to do the repairs cheaply. Find a body shop in your area that does high end restorations and have them look at it.

This is totally true, I learned this the hard way. They do large volume fixes and cut corners wherever they can.

[M3Bimmer77]

Originally Posted by DSilk

I would NEVER let the dealer fix it. Most don't have body shops and will farm it out cheaply. The ones that do have body shops on premises are still looking to do the repairs cheaply. Find a body shop in your area that does high end restorations and have them look at it.

Agree 100% but there are BMW dealers with collision certified centers which I still think it's the best way. The suggestion of a good high end restoration shop is also a good one. Either way find a very good one. Needs to be BMW experience to give all the final measurements and paint quality. Don't forget that when you sell the car the new owner will most probably ask for reapirs or repainted panels. Be prepared for this and get as much pics before during and after and as much documentation to show the extent of the damage. Ask to see the car before painting. No filling!!!! And ask for warranty

[CosmosMpower]

File a diminished value claim against their insurance once repairs are done.

[Leonardo629]

I will try to take the car to a certified BMW collision center.

[burtonsbs5114]

Yikes, glad to hear you are OK.

[SilberSurfer]

I got into a very very similar accident a month ago. PM me if you want to know how much the cost, dim value, time frame was.

[IIAp3x]

Sorry to hear,

No worries man, I had similar damage in the exact same spot on my E46 M3 after an elderly lady decide to rake the left front corner of her crown victoria down the side of my car as she was backing out of the spot next to me... New fender, door, and some minor body work on the right quarter... I took it to the most reputable pro body shop and it came out looking bran new again... You could not even tell it had been damaged, even years after...

Have a reputable luxury car body shop do the work... BMW dealerships usually only use professional shops, and your local dealer can probably get you in the right direction...

[thecakeisalie]

Thanks guys. I picked a random shop in my area that seemed good, so we'll see what happens after I drop off my car on Wednesday.

Originally Posted by M3Bimmer77

Agree 100% but there are BMW dealers with collision certified centers which I still think it's the best way. The suggestion of a good high end restoration shop is also a good one. Either way find a very good one. Needs to be BMW experience to give all the final measurements and paint quality. Don't forget that when you sell the car the new owner will most probably ask for reapirs or repainted panels. Be prepared for this and get as much pics before during and after and as much documentation to show the extent of the damage. Ask to see the car before painting. No filling!!!! And ask for warranty

Great tip with seeing the car before painting. I will try to get that, as I'm curious to see what they'll do.

[TrevorM3]

all of this talk about a "bmw certified shop" it's cute. just bc they send their cars to a certain shop and tag it as certified, doesn't mean the work is good. or up to par with bmw. i've had several cars come to me in which bmw "certified" shops couldn't match paint etc.. not saying they are all like that.. but just keep your eyes open and do your hw.


as for repairs, new door, repair the 1/4 panel, and also the rocker looks repairable. due to the door being replaced they will have to blend that fender. so the entire side of that car will be refinished when all is said and done. any questions about repairs, pm me.

[socalm3lover]

Originally Posted by M3Bimmer77

Good thing that's not that bad. For sure it can get fixed but it will be $$$$$. Needs to be fixed by a dealer.

I could not let it pass....., my dealer has a terrible collision shop, do not assume it is good because of the dealer. I am going to a higher end, Porsche/etc for a scratch repair (they also have the best BMW guy in the area).

John

[Beemdog]

For some reason getting T-boned sounds a whole lot better than getting rear-ended....

Sorry, just sayin'!

[Flying Ace]

Ouch!

[thecakeisalie]

Originally Posted by Beemdog

For some reason getting T-boned sounds a whole lot better than getting rear-ended....

Sorry, just sayin'!

Haha! Touché... I was pretty upset about the whole thing, but slowly calming down...

Originally Posted by TrevorM3

all of this talk about a "bmw certified shop" it's cute. just bc they send their cars to a certain shop and tag it as certified, doesn't mean the work is good. or up to par with bmw. i've had several cars come to me in which bmw "certified" shops couldn't match paint etc.. not saying they are all like that.. but just keep your eyes open and do your hw.


as for repairs, new door, repair the 1/4 panel, and also the rocker looks repairable. due to the door being replaced they will have to blend that fender. so the entire side of that car will be refinished when all is said and done. any questions about repairs, pm me.

Yeah, that's what it sounded like re: new door, 1/4 panel, rocker panel, plus a lot of paintwork. Actually the guy mentioned possibly repainting the fender too which seems a bit excessive, given it wasn't touched. Maybe he meant just blending the paint, not sure. I'll definitely reach out to you if I've got questions since it sounds like you've got a lot more experience with this kind of stuff than me

[Minator]

Whatever collision shop you took it to make sure they're using new not used parts a lot of insurance companies will have the collision shop search the local area for a used door a used quarter panel also inquire about the paint that they use PPG or glasurit... they will have to blend the entire side of the car... once completed search your local area for a good auto appraiser and file a diminished value claim if your state allows it.. it's always good to ask the local Ferrari dealership who they use for paint work locally in a lot of cases they have their own body shop nearby but sometimes they use local

[TrevorM3]

Originally Posted by Minator

Whatever collision shop you took it to make sure they're using new not used parts a lot of insurance companies will have the collision shop search the local area for a used door a used quarter panel also inquire about the paint that they use PPG or glasurit... they will have to blend the entire side of the car... once completed search your local area for a good auto appraiser and file a diminished value claim if your state allows it.. it's always good to ask the local Ferrari dealership who they use for paint work locally in a lot of cases they have their own body shop nearby but sometimes they use local

depends on his insurance, it's in his policy. op always has the choice to pay the difference to get brand new parts.

PPG, Glasurit, spies hecker.. blah blah, doesn't matter what paint they use unless the people using them know what they are doing.


and fyi, bmw doesn't use any of those paints. Again, proper APPLICATION of quality products results in a quality finish.

https://www.bmwusfactory.com/manufac...ss/paint-shop/


lexus however, does indeed use glasurit. when i tell people lexus has the best paint quality out of the "base" manufactuers they are surprised.


Bentley being the best.

[Yoddha]

Originally Posted by thecakeisalie

Was driving down a residential street, minding my own business. Some random guy saw me, but just had an urge to exit his driveway as I was passing, anyway The good news is that his insurance will cover the repairs since it was deemed his fault. The bad news is that I'm guessing I just lost a bunch of resale value for absolutely no reason. New door, possibly new sideskirt (doesn't seem fully attached at the back anymore), and who knows how much paintwork

I'm kinda worried about what will have to be done to fix it, given that the metal around the door looks a bit warped (see behind the door handle and the trim around the doorsill). Anyone have any idea how these things are corrected? I'll talk the body shop to make sure they saw the warped bits, but I just wanted to have a general idea so I know what to expect.

The first bit of good news is that you walked away from an accident without an injury to yourself. The second (possible) bit of good news is that some states have adopted "Diminished Value Claims" that allow you to be reimbursed for the value lost due to an accident caused by the other individual. Each state uses a different formula to calculate the reimbursement amount...but at least you will get a fair sum of money back in your pocket to ease the quantitative losses to your vehicle. Best of luck mate, do let us know what the body shop says