Gotcha. My apologies for the rash response.

Ard, what did you mean when you said something about not letting her insurance's adjuster tell me what my claim is? My claim is that their driver cut me off and caused an accident. Period. Or were you talking about the repair costs?

Nothing wrong with doing that (^^^). The issue is if he takes off the bumper skin and finds damage underneath....you've already agreed to the cost to repair, accepted the check, and closed your claim.

And what if something goes wrong in a year, maybe there was contamination on a part and you get a paint blister? In your case maybe you are cool with it, but some people may find themselves SOL.

Finally, I take pictures of damage, insurance claims, work orders from the body shop, and stuff them in a folder if I ever sell the car.

I can tell you if you have to tell a potential buyer "A buddy did it" you will suffer more devaluation than having a work order from a recognized high end shop.

Agreed. I have thought of that a bunch of times. I'm still undecided on what I'll do. I, first, need to get the estimate and look at what kind of work is involved. Not only is there the issue of repairing, but I also need a vehicle. I don't want to have to rent a car any longer than I have to - if at all.

I'm thinking I may take a check from the insurance agency and let the money sit in an account until I can get some more time to set aside to deal with the repair issues.

:iagree: Good points.

To me, using a professional shop vs having a friend (or myself) do it, comes down to the nature of the repair. If it is replacing a bumper which comes prepainted, it is easy to decide. If it is a repair that has some complication to it, I would be more likely to use a shop.

These fenders are a thermoplastic. They can be repaired, but some shops won't touch them, as the repair has to be done exactly right. The risk is apparently that the TP plastic fenders include a mold release agent in the plastic, and that means that things don't always adhere when the repair kits are used. Some shops have botched it, and had to go back and put a new fender on afterwards.

If it is getting a new fender, and the friend has access to a proper paint booth, then I would consider it. If the estimate is based on doing a repair, I would lean towards a pro with a warranty that is dealing with the insurance company directly, in case they have to spend more.

Good points as well.

Another aspect- if your insurance has 'preferred shops', and it turns out the best shop you can find is a preferred shop, then often times there is a warranty on the repair.

I once had a windshield replaced as part of a repair. 12 years later I was getting a windshield done and they discovered rust where the old shop had gouged out the adhesive. Transfered the car to a body shop, and the insurer - via the 12 year old claim- paid for it. The company that did the work 12 years ago was gone....

While this is HER insurance, there is nothing wrong with using your insurance to gain this coverage.

Often times the threat of losing the preferred status will help you with the warranty...

Well, ignore all this if it is a lease. ;)

Other option is to phone around and see if there are any 07 - 10 X5 in the wreckers, you might even get lucky and get the right color.

That would be a nice solution that I could take care of myself. Hmm..thanks for that idea!

had similar damage done by the dealer while it was in for regular maintenance. They had their body shop refinish the existing fender and bondo any "tears" and it looks pretty good - amazing what they can do these days. They re-did the entire front on BOTH sides of the vehicle - it looks brand new with no discoloration. I don't know the cost unfortunately since it was covered, but I just wanted to say that it can be repaired without replacement no problem. Hassel BMW body shop in Freeport, NY.

Ok, thanks for the heads up. My truck is actually in the shop (since last Thursday night) for a bad crank shaft position sensor (wouldn't start; iDrive said tranny malfunction; long night on Thursday getting it towed). After that, I'm going to bring it to an indy and see what they say about the damage.

Update: Adjuster just came. I didn't get a chance to go to an indy and get an estimate. The adjuster said I need a new fender, paint, blending. He applauded the design of BMW for the funky fender. As did I when he said I needed a new one.

I'll report back the bottom line price once he calls me later. He said that insurance company prefers to just cut checks so that works out well for me.