Hi,

So update on my 2002 SE stolen headlights saga.

The insurance adjuster looked at my car today and estimated damages at 2800 (less 500 deductible)= $2300. She factored in reconditioned OEM headlights costing 700 each.

Now, she is insisting that I show her estimate to the bodyshop of my choice. Now, my puzzling question is this. Wouldn't body shops just accept her estimate as given, even if they can do it for a lower price? How do you go about bargaining for this.

regards, NN

 

insurance people honestly dont really know the market of body shop.. they estimate on basically of what they've been though.. sometimes a insurance estimate is lower than the actuall cost for repairs..
u have to take Labor cost into consideration also.

for the future.. take your car to a body shop first .. get an estimate and have them call the insurance company for the costs.

 

Have the body shop write up a nice estimate with no corner cutting. BTW, OEM headlights are about $750 each new, so I'm not sure where they are getting that reconditioned cost. Once, you get your check, google the headlights and buy them from an online junkyard for much less. Then put the savings into body work or to cover the deductible.

 

Go to at least two different body shops and compare the estimates. Then reflect back to the adjuster if the estimates are more from the adjuster's. Being that the car is a couple of years old, they are going to use "re-conditioned" or "aftermarket" parts regardless. They only use factory, brand-new parts only if the car is new or the required part doesn't fit correctly. Go to a reputable body shop. I have had a few wrecks with my cars in the past, and found out that they don't always replace parts like they should have. Instead, they repair the part that was already on the car or use different parts of the same vehicle from a junkyard. Just be on your toes and check up on your car regularly when they work on it.

 

There is a site that sells parts wholesale for the maxima as well as other cars. The site is http://www.carpartswholesale.com/ I got that here on the org when my lights were stolen! If you are going to put back in the original headlights then go there you can get both headlights for round 800$ or so for the pair!!! Me I put the projectors from custommaxima.com but jst wanted to offer a little advice. Peace!

 

One other suggestion.

Don't go to any body shop that is under contract with your insurer. Pick your own shop that has no contract relationship with your insurer.

A shop that is under contract with your insurer will tend to try to do the job as cheap as possible in order to keep the insurer happy and keep that contract. Your concerns will come second. At least that is what happened in my case, and in Googling, many others too.

 

I usually take mine to several shops, and then turn in the two highest priced ones.