Daughter got first car....daughter also had first car accident. :(
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Seriously, take that her to a gocart track and let her drive around that track in a rental gocart for about 15 minutes.
Repeat at least once a week. Until she has driven gocarts for enough times that it's no challenge for her to not wreck them.
Only then get her something to drive on the roads.
Repeat at least once a week. Until she has driven gocarts for enough times that it's no challenge for her to not wreck them.
Only then get her something to drive on the roads.
All my kids and myself got into minor accidents soon after starting driving. Yours is worse but still be glad it's just sheet metal and another driver wasn't involved. The Subaru I'd fix to make driveable myself and worry about cosmetics later. The Tiguan is beyond DIY for me and I bet is going to be $10k or something, beyond out of pocket.
That Tiguan looks like a 5 figure repair to me, 50/50 chance of being a total loss.
But the labor rates out here are a lot higher, so older vehicles do get totaled more easily.
But the labor rates out here are a lot higher, so older vehicles do get totaled more easily.
Easily
10k damage.
I doubt it will get totaled and to my limited eye the B Pillar still seems straight and untouched. I do expect it to be close to 10k though. Used doors are approaching the $1k per door and still not the metallic blue with the right trim. Insurance will fix her car at some point. The Subaru will be fixed by me.
I think your situation is not as clear-cut as many have assumed. If you file a claim for the Tiguan against your insurance, they will repair it and then go-after your in-laws insurance for subrogation since the at fault Subaru was covered by their policy at the time of the accident. As such, the only way to not impact your in-law's insurance policy is to pay for everything out of pocket.
This is a time to carefully evaluate how this unfortunate event will impact your family. A poor decision on how to move forward could send the wrong message/lesson to your daughter. A good decision will help guide her values and mold her character as an adult.
Wishing you all the best in this difficult situation.
The one bummer with Subarus is that they really are built to fold up. That said, it can probably be repaired. I deal with a lot of repairs like this, as long as everyone understands perfection is not the goal.
One key for me was stumbling onto an indy body guy who paints panels for cheap. He wants them installed on the vehicle so he can try to blend, and he's fine with only painting what's visible from the exterior, ie open the hood and it's a different color.
I agree finding matching panels is ideal but for me that almost never works out, at least not for every panel.
I also agree with The Critic that the Tiguan could exceed $10k. Seen it recently on a Mini. It REALLY depends on the adjuster -- this guy threw in a dozen pieces that were obviously not damaged in a deer strike. He got within $500 of book value and then declared it totalled. For some reason this adjuster this time just had it out for this Mini -- he was determined to total it
One key for me was stumbling onto an indy body guy who paints panels for cheap. He wants them installed on the vehicle so he can try to blend, and he's fine with only painting what's visible from the exterior, ie open the hood and it's a different color.
I agree finding matching panels is ideal but for me that almost never works out, at least not for every panel.
I also agree with The Critic that the Tiguan could exceed $10k. Seen it recently on a Mini. It REALLY depends on the adjuster -- this guy threw in a dozen pieces that were obviously not damaged in a deer strike. He got within $500 of book value and then declared it totalled. For some reason this adjuster this time just had it out for this Mini -- he was determined to total it
Sports and academics are more important . A better job my daughter had in high school was chasing scholarships. She ended up with $10k/year x4 and additional $6k first year of college researching and applying away.
It’s lol people don’t like to use insurance.
Ours did not raise when daughter got hit (backed into with hitch) mauling a door similar to yours .
A $300 used door ballooned to $3200 when done. Yours has two. No increase in insurance
Look, it happens. My daughter backed into a stone wall while she was learning. An old girlfriend hit the gas instead of the brake and creamed her grandmothers Dodge colt with my 1980 Impala. Colt we fixed ourselves for a grand. The impala just a buff out. I hit a fire hydrant and sardine canned the rear quarter of my van. I dont know any better so fixed that as well with a slide hammer, bondo and rattle can paint. Minimize it and pay however is agreeable out of pocket. There is a reason WHY insurance is so expensive for the inexperienced. Because almst all have a claimable accident.
Agree. Yes I backed into the neighbors 2000's blazer. Hit it on the rubber trim and pushed it in an inch. He said dont worry about in. I said no please get an estimate and well settle. the estimate was 3500.00.Estimate said" Remove entire front end remove door replace door reassemble. blend paint. Not Pull dent, resurface with bondo and repaint door. With todays weldable pull pins, they dont leave holes like the old screw in slide hammers did
Have you tried row 52 I think? They have a database of junkyards around the country and can send someone out to pull and ship parts.
My mom had a similar sized accident and we went junkyard shopping. Turns out the "frame" of the car is slightly bent, and we ended up having to bent the door slightly to seal it up. The wheel bearing went a few months later probably due to that T bone, and obviously need an alignment.
It is not a big deal for a beater, but if it is a relatively new car I would get a body shop to fix it.
It is not a big deal for a beater, but if it is a relatively new car I would get a body shop to fix it.
