got into a small accident with the x

[mp3province]

Guys,

I had an accident last night. I am feeling so bad and have lost my appetite

BMW said they do not repair but will replace parts. the major parts they said that would be required to be changed are

1. front left fender = 40 k INR = 800 dollars
2. left headlamp = 90 k INR = 1800 dollars
3. front bumper = 40 k INR = 800 dollars

Labour is about 150 dollars.

Insurance says they will only cover 50 % of the cost because the parts involved are plastic.

Shall I just go to a bodyshop and get the fender and bumper fixed and painted? I have gotten a quote for the repair of the front bumper and the front left fender for about 600 dollars. BMW said I will loose some body and paint warranty if i do it outside of BMW.

I will need to purchase a new headlamp though..

what shall I do? go through BMW and pay through my nose or go to a reputable body shop and get the front bumper and left fender repaired?

They body shop dude said the fender can be repaired....look at the pic, there is a crack in it...

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Guys!

[Denalio]

Originally Posted by mp3province

Guys,


Insurance says they will only cover 50 % of the cost because the parts involved are plastic.

I never heard of such a load of BS before...can't cover because of plastic? Is this standard in India? Sorry to hear about the accident. I hope everyone is O.K.

[providenceleaf]

I would go to the reputable body shop if you are paying. A good shop will make it so you won't even notice the difference. Wow that's terrible insurance. Is that a normal policy over there? I have a $200 deductable...my insurance pays the rest.

At least you're ok!

BTW...we can't see the pics

[Zoich]

Repost the pics (can't see them) and will let you know whether it's a repair or and replacement for your fender. Replacing an entire fender takes some parts reassembly, also the welding markings on the inside make it easily identifiable when you open the hood. I'd avoid it if the accident is minor.

[mp3province]

Originally Posted by Zoich

Repost the pics (can't see them) and will let you know whether it's a repair or and replacement for your fender. Replacing an entire fender takes some parts reassembly, also the welding markings on the inside make it easily identifiable when you open the hood. I'd avoid it if the accident is minor.

Guys,

I really appreciate all the help I am getting here.

The pics are directly viewable at: car photos

Make sure to click on "full size" when your going through the pics.

About the insurance being standard, I'm not sure. I wish there was something a little more comprehensive. Now I will definitely check the different types of insurance available here.

BMW has told me that if I get this repaired/replaced from any non bmw party, then my "paint and bodywork" warranty is void. Is this something that is important to me? Will I regret my decision if I get the work done from a non BMW bodyshop?

My main question is can the crack in the fender be fixed up? Please check the picture of this crack.

There is also a depression in the fender, about the size of a quarter. the bodyshop dude said that can be fixed up by filling it with something. I do not know anything about fixing up cars, but I just want to make sure this guy knows what he is doing. The only way to know is by asking you friendly bunch.

Thanks again for any help!!

Thanks guys!

[rh71]

cracks are re-bonded but for my small crack you can still tell if you're looking for it. As for the depression, that can be fixed to look 100% new. See my "dealer scratched my car" thread to see how my damage was... and now it's 100% except for the small crack which is about 99% fixed. All in all I think it was still better than getting a whole new fender replaced (people can tell if replaced as mentioned above and it also needs to be paint-matched which involves painting over the existing good parts to blend it as far as I know).

[LeMansX5]

BMW is right about paint warranty...normal practice everywhere.
You need new fender. That's what i will do if its my car. repairs are not good on those cracks in that area.

[FunfDreisig]

Originally Posted by LeMansX5

...
You need new fender. That's what i will do if its my car. repairs are not good on those cracks in that area.

This crack is at a very poor location for a long term repair. I'd replace the fender. Since it is composite it will probably be a bolt on install. No welding to show the repair. I'd have the fender painted OFF the vehicle to avoid over spray and 'blending'. Yes the paint might not match exactly but the transition is at a gap between the fender and all other parts.

Ironically, the reason the damage doesn't look so bad is because the fender is composite (AKA plastic). So it 'bounced back' to approximate it's original shape. But the crack shows that the composite was taken passed it's deformation limits and failed.

FWIW we have had two horrendous hail storms (baseball and bigger) this year. Most of the vehicles in stock at the local BMW dealer were severely damaged -- fist size dints every 3-6", windshields and back glass smashed or missing, etc. The X5's looked like thugs had taken baseball bats to everything except the front fenders

Funf Dreisig

[jeep]

I would not bother getting the fender replaced unless insurance is covering 100%, but that will probably impact your insurance premium. It seems to be a minor damage, I would get it fixed from a place which has a good paint shop and can exactly match the paint. As far as the light assembly goes you can probably get an aftermarket from Taiwan or Hong Kong shipped to you for less than 1800.

[jamesboags]

I feel your pain.. my car has similar damage and I have to pay $1000 AUD excess (I am at fault) but all damage is covered... My bumper and headlight will also need replacing as well as the passenger side arch which is plastic and ripped in several places... angel eye and fog are not working and the windscreen washer looks damaged.. Good luck woth your repairs...