Repair question

C

Clem

Well-known member
My father in law has a little 2012 Acura RDX. It was a lovely little car with only 35k on it and not a scratch.

He got side/rear ended on the left back and it damaged the suspension and wheel.

He he is with TD and they are specifying that the body shop use recycled parts, which means parts from a junk yard. My biggest concern is that there is a piece about 30x30 mm broken out of the rim and the rim is bent. TD are going to repair the rim rather than replace it.

im not too familiar with Ontario insurance practices but does this sound right? I'm most worried about the wheel. How would you even fix that? Build it up with weld and try to machine it?

He did talk to TD and they said that their default policy specifies used parts. It costs more if you want the body shop to use new parts. I have never heard of such a thing, but beware if you have TD insurance

Does any of this sound right. Or did TD have him towed to a chop shop.

I also can't help thinking that there is an opportunity for an enterprising thief to supply this market
 
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Most Acura/Honda dealers can price match junk yards/aftermarket, find out if your bodyshop is on the program. http://autopartsbridge.com/

Majority of rims repaired in the City are done by Carcones, they wouldn't repair something if it wasn't safe.
 
Clem said:
I also can't help thinking that there is an opportunity for an enterprising thief to supply this market
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That's an interesting point. I have never thought of this and I'm not saying this is the case but if stolen parts end up on your car through no Fault of yours can you still be charged with receiving stolen goods.
 
I've always thought that insurance companies would only accept new OEM parts and nothing else. If the car is repaired and then a used part fails then you'd have recourse to go back to the insurance company. If you're doing it on your own, then you have a choice, but with a 2012 I'd go OEM only.
 
I don't see how an adequate repair on that rim would even be possible
 
Thanks for their replies.

i called TD on his behalf and according to them it's now written into all policies and approved by FSCO that used parts are to be used when available except when you pay for replacement. The options are 2 years and 5 years for OEM replacement but only if you buy the vechile new and pay. Apparently insurance coverage for any company in Ontario is the same.

They warranty the repair as long as you own the car but as soon as you sell it that warranty is gone and so if it fails you could be liable.

This is what they told me

The body shop where the car was towed Is a "TD preferred shop" and have not heard of Autopartsbridge. I suggested they check it out.

I agreed about the wheel. At minimum he should just buy a new wheel and tire himself. I wouldn't want him driving on something that has been welded and bent back into shape. I told him to also replace the tire as well as there is no way to tell if there is any damage.

its bad having fully comprensive coverage and still be out money from your own pocket for a not at fault accident.

I also agree that this could be exploited by theft rings, etc. I seems very short sighted by the insurance industry.
 
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Jayv said:
Most Acura/Honda dealers can price match junk yards/aftermarket, find out if your bodyshop is on the program. http://autopartsbridge.com/

Majority of rims repaired in the City are done by Carcones, they wouldn't repair something if it wasn't safe.
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I don't think Carcone's would repair the rim as OP described, I've had lesser damaged rims returned by them. Insurance guy that OP is speaking with likely doesn't know what is possible and what isn't, and is just repeating their SOP. They're likely going to replace it with a refinished used rim.

If you don't trust the bodyshop, and they haven't started the repair yet, you are able to pull the car and take it to a body shop of your choosing. Doesn't have to be TD Approved, though I'm sure most large bodyshops are.

PS, the warranty on the repair, is strictly on the "quality" of the repair. Say if one of the used parts that they installed wears out (say a suspension bushing on the control arm) at some point down the road, they have zero liability. ****** situation, but not much that you can do.
 
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regder said:
If you don't trust the bodyshop, and they haven't started the repair yet, you are able to pull the car and take it to a body shop of your choosing. Doesn't have to be TD Approved, though I'm sure most large bodyshops are.
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This is a very important fact that many people don't understand. You are under NO obligation to use the bodyshop your insurance company would prefer, or the tow truck operator towed you to. It's YOUR choice where it goes, and if getting the work done at an Acura dealer makes you feel better, take it there. That said, there's lots of horror stories about dealership bodywork vs a specialized body shop that does nothing but, so you'd be better to look at reviews vs just assuming that the dealership is better because...it's a dealership.

As for scrapyard or aftermarket parts vs factory new, that's quite common practice and there's not much you can do about it short of paying the difference for the new parts if you really want them.

However, When the work is done, inspect it carefully before you accept the car back from the shop. If the work or the parts are not to your expectations or are clearly subpar afterwards do NOT take the car back - leave it at the body shop and call your insurance company and tell them such - they should send an adjustor to remedy the situation. Just because they choose aftermarket or scrapyard parts doesn't mean the car shouldn't be leaving the body shop with a shoddy or poor repair.
 
I had an accident about 3 or 4 years ago when I was covered by TD Home and Auto. It was a horrible experience. I feel his pain. They good cop you first hoping you will settle quickly, and it rapidly turns to bad cop when you won't.

I personally wouldn't trust a wheel that's been repaired like that. I was in the same situation earlier this year where I damaged my rim on a pothole. I bought a use one and had it refinished at a place in Windsor. They did a good job and it still looks good. I can get you the name if he decides to go that way.

OEM rims are just a crazy price. I could have bought 2 really nice aftermarket rims for what they charge for one OEM
 
I just wanted to close this out by saying check you policy. Just because you have comprehensive insurance it doesn't mean that your insurance company will assume liability for the full repair of your car.

TD offered my Father in Law $150 to have his rim repaired, $50 for a used tire and $190 for a complete rear left suspension. All they are obligated to do is to return the car to the state it was in before the accident.

I went and inspected the suspension parts that came from the junk yard and the bushings were cracked and the hub bearing was a bit notchy. He ended up paying $170 for new installed bushings, $325 for a hub/bearing, $400 for a wheel and $240 for a new tire. I even had a fight with TD over replacing a couple of self locking nuts, which the adjuster assured me could be used an unlimited number of times.
 
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This sounds so sketchy I almost can't believe it. I've done the ombudsman thing before to fix an insurance history mistake (being credited for an accident which I was not responsible before) but I've forgotten everything about the process... I would look into it. Used parts are one thing, used wear items are another

The adjuster and/or the shop are playing a game
 
Well. If it were me I would definitely have taken it further. He just wanted his car fixed. I guess they depend on 90% of people having that mind set. I guess they see someone older, or a woman coming and screw them for all they are worth.
 
Been there, done that :(

The problem is that most of those adjusters are clueless when it comes to mechanical things. Their role is to save the company as much money as they can and get you to bugger off. The whole thing is a scam.

I'm not saying it happens but it wouldn't suprize me if some of those shops were taking a backhander.

For a couple of $100 there is not much you can do either. A lawyer will not want to take it on. Ombudsman may be able to do something and its worth a phone call.

FWIW, I'm living in San Francisco for a bit and my policy specifies that all replacement parts must be new. I guess they are so litigious in the US that if they put on a used part and it failed, they would have their *** handed to them by some ambulance chaser :)

Funny though, my insurance is 1/3 of what I was paying in Ontario but my coverage is way better.
 
I think this also illustrates the importance of having proper collector car/bike insurance for vintage or collector cars. A regular insurance company will not restore it properly
 
Delboy said:
I think this also illustrates the importance of having proper collector car/bike insurance for vintage or collector cars. A regular insurance company will not restore it properly
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A "regular" insurance company won't even insure it under a normal policy. You always get asked what the vehicle is worth - if that is out of line with either normal human money, or the value deviates from what pricing guides say it's worth, then you get shunted down a different track
 
Delboy said:
I think this also illustrates the importance of having proper collector car/bike insurance for vintage or collector cars. A regular insurance company will not restore it properly
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It's always a good idea to talk to a broker about classic or
Vintage coverage and what it entails.

Typically a professional appraisal at the insured' expense. Lots of current pics. They also stipulate usage. Low kilometres etc. How can they prove it? That is another thing. But some folks will brag about their upteenth time they were on a vintage poker run across the country and had it stolen or wrecked and then it bites them in the ass when they said it's only trailered to shows etc.




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TorontoBoy said:
I've always thought that insurance companies would only accept new OEM parts and nothing else. If the car is repaired and then a used part fails then you'd have recourse to go back to the insurance company. If you're doing it on your own, then you have a choice, but with a 2012 I'd go OEM only.
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New or nearly new car gets new parts. Older car gets used parts. 2012 car does not qualify as being new or nearly new. If you want new parts, you would have to pay a "betterment" charge, the difference in cost between new parts and used parts.
 
griff2 said:
New or nearly new car gets new parts. Older car gets used parts. 2012 car does not qualify as being new or nearly new. If you want new parts, you would have to pay a "betterment" charge, the difference in cost between new parts and used parts.
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So a 2015 model should be more expensive to insure than a 2012 using that logic.

But unfortunately it doesn't work like that with the scamming insurance co's.
 
Jayv said:
So a 2015 model should be more expensive to insure than a 2012 using that logic.

But unfortunately it doesn't work like that with the scamming insurance co's.
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The cost of parts is one of the smaller inputs into the cost of most insurance policy premiums. Labour remains the same whether for new or used parts. Administrative costs remain the same. Accident benefit costs are no different, and neither is the cost of liability insurance.
 
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