I'm really sorry this happened to you/your MINI...good luck with the repair. That's one sweet looking ride.

 

I thought the same, but I don't see any marker light debris from the Toyota near the MINI...and no apparent dark scuffing to the Toyota bumper skin, which would've had to protrude into the MINI. And no apparent tire scuffing to the Toyota to match the rubber transfer on the left rear wheel of the MINI.

 

My street is notoriously tight for parking on both sides so you would think people would be extra careful. Nope. Also, they keep tearing down single family dwellings to make McCondos which crams more people/cars into the same area. I noticed the toyota in the picture but that thing has been around, dents included, for a long time.

I was gonna take her on a road trip to Montana for a fishing trip in two weeks. Probably gonna have to postpone or cancel which sucks 'cause the less traveled roads in Montana are soooo sweet. Oh, and the fishing is good too.

Another thing that sucks now is I drive around with car shame. People look at it and think I'm the idiot who did it. I can't even wave to other mini's right now.

 

That sucks, but I can tell you what you are doing wrong.

You are only supposed to get hit BEFORE you own a mini. That is how we became a 2 mini family. The wifes car was totaled while parked on the street. She got a mini, then I got one. So my experience is with people hitting my (pre-mini) car is quite pleasant.

I'm sorry for your ordeal, but thought I would share.

 

I knew I was doing something wrong.

 

That is terrible, but I would definitely follow the excellent advice offered here. Idiots like the parents of the kid who hit your MINI are the reason that I will personally be teaching my little sister to properly parallel park in the next few weeks. That poor kid is probably beating himself/herself up over this. Good luck with the insurance company, repairs, etc. I too would insist on getting something for diminished value.

 

Never heard of diminished value - nice to know. I've never had an accident that didn't total my car - thankfully none were my fault and injuries were minor.

Kevin

 

Can you guys help me find a rear bumper for a 2007 Astro Black MCS? It has the sport package too. I've been googling but can't find it. Thanks in advance.

 

You're probably going to have to get the OEM bumper for an MCS and get it painted, either at a mini dealership or through an autobody shop.

 

Had that been my MINI, he wouldn't have had to worry about beating himself up because *I* would have beaten him up.

 

So I got an estimate at my insurance company's preferred body shop which was $2500.00 They want to fix the rims rather than replace them. I can't really blame them since they are some sort of Discount Tire cheapies (they came with the car when I bought it used). They also said they want to salvage some of the rear bumper cover pieces like the backup light lens, the fake grille thingy's etc. which sucks if I have some shiny new black trim bits with my somewhat faded originals. I'm definitely gonna fight that one.

I asked them about the diminished value aspect and they told me those are "murky waters" as this is "not really" enforced in this state.

So I called the Mini dealership who recommended a shop that they send all their body work to. This shop specializes in BMW and Mini. When I asked the guy at this body shop for a damage estimate the first thing he asked me was if it was a regular estimate or a diminished value estimate. Murky waters my ***.....

Any one have any success at this?

We'll see what the "real" estimate is tomorrow. I'm still waiting for the kid's insurance company to gather all their info. Should hear from them tomorrow too.

 

From my experience, if I cause the accident, my car gets fixed with after market parts and parts are reused. If someone else hits my car, it gets put back to how it was before. Putting it back to how it was before does not include a "fixed wheel" and a mix of old and new parts. You should fight for 2 new replacement wheels and new everything that was damaged. Simple as that.

 

I tend to agree with you but that was the estimate from my company and their preferred shop. We'll cross that bridge only if I have to. As far as I'm concerned my company shouldn't even be involved. I'm just lining up the ducks right now. I'm hoping the kid's company will step up. I'm pushing either way.

 

I have been wondering about this diminished value thing. I am like the previous poster and fortunate to not have had any two vehicle accidents for quite some time, so this concept is new to me. I really hadn't heard it brought up until now. My daughter had an accident a few years ago driving through a diesel spill on the highway. In that case there was no one to go after and our insurance fixed us up, but we will end up eating the diminished value portion. I am no expert on this, but if there are any lawyers on the forum maybe someone can help...if you feel strongly and the insurance company doesn't come through maybe consult a lawyer about a small claims case. The fact that a teenager was driving the truck, especially if other adults were involved would probably help your case in court. Just a thought, if you hadn't considered it already.

 

If it was coming out of your pocket, I would say to fix the tires. Because it will be his insurance, get new rims.

I would definitely fight the trim pieces. It is pretty common to use pieces from a bumper cover if they aren't damaged. I would let them use the backup light lens, but voice your concern about the small fake grilles. Diminished value isn't really "enforced" in any state that I know of, but if it is a bigger insurance company, they shouldn't fight it because it is true that cars lose value after an accident, no matter how great the body work on it it.

Again, make sure they use OEM Mini parts. Nothing aftermarket.

Glad to hear the other shop asked right away about the Diminished Value estimate. If you take it to a body shop, make sure that if you get a diminished value assessment on your estimate, the body shop gives you that money. Don't forget and let them keep all of it. You should have $0 in out of pocket expenses, except the gas to drive it to the body shop and your time.

If they fight you too much on the Diminished Value, you might want to talk to a local attorney. I don't know in this case if you would go after the insurance company or the person at fault. I would imagine the insurance company, especially because he wasn't listed as the driver of the vehicle.
You could have the attorney draft up a short letter stating that you will take them to small claims court and they will have to pay the damages plus your time, plus court costs when they lose the case. Shouldn't cost you more than $75 for an attorney to draft it up and send it out certified to the insurance company. Just call a couple and ask them how much they would charge for something like that. This is only if the insurance company fights it.

 

Ouch! I am so sorry. That guy must have really slammed into you. How he did that when parking is beyond me.

I got rear ended / side swiped last year by a dude coming out from an intersection (he had a red light) and slammed into my rear end and spun me round. I expected to see damage like this then, but all that happened were some scratches on the bumper and a busted fender reflector. I think the wheel took most of it and he must have hit it at an angle that there was no damage to it, which to this day amazes me.

 

Hope the kid's insurance is good.
One of the reasons I don't mess with changing insurance is how Travelers has treated me in the past on claims. Their attitude has been if it is a legit claim they want my repair to be good. They have preferred body shops, but I could use any shop I wanted. No problem what parts to replace as long as the shop agreed with me (I used their preferred shop and they did great work).
USAA has also been great to work with.

 

Sorry to hear. Point blank... there was nothing wrong with your MINI BEFORE the accident. There should be nothing wrong with it AFTER the repairs. NONE of this was your fault. ANY damaged parts should be REPLACED.

As for the rim... does the repair company have a machine to test for bending? How about sonic testing? Even if the wheel is repaired and properly balanced, you will still get uneven tire wear.

Some additional advice. Don't EVER talk to their insurance company or the people involved. That is the job of your insurance adjuster. However much they call, just ignore them.

 

Well the news isn't good. In fact it is totally !@%#$$!!

I've initially been denied by both party's insurance companies. The kid who drove and the person who rented the truck. Since this is fast becoming a legal issue my responses will be limited at best...just in case. I'll be talking to a lawyer tomorrow.

Thanks again for the good vibes.

I wonder how much money they saved by not paying for the rental insurance?

 

Sorry to hear that, hope it gets straightened out to your satisfaction.

 

Let your insurance company fix it, then they'll go after the kid who wrecked it.

Dave

 

Great advice but useless.... unfortunately.

It's late and I'm tired but here's the bottom line.

Most insurance companies pay a "diminished value" based at about 20% of the damages.

The difference between what a dealer/carmax, etc, etc will give you for it before it was wrecked and afterwards NO MATTER how well it has or hasn't been fixed (assuming it's just not a complete butcher job) is based soley on the stigma that in most states you have to declare damage.

That is a double edged sword, meaning....

Some insurance companies won't even pay if you are the insured. Many policies have it written that they do not pay diminished value on their own insured. (some do, some don't... more often not)

The other thing is, depending on the state (I have no idea about yours) some states have rules as to if you even have to declare damage.

Here in NC, if you have less than 25% damage and the car is less than 5 model years old, you don't have to disclose damage.

Point is, if in the state you're in doesn't force you to disclose it or the car is over 5 years old (AGAIN, it depends on the rules for your particular state... laws and rules vary... I'm just giving you a "general" rule of thumb) then the insurance company will use that against you saying they don't have to pay.

I agree with Viper, get as much as you can and don't settle for the first offer if they do offer anything. Having said that, unfortunately, I have yet to see anyone walk in with a value based on the stigma that it has been wrecked and received that amount. (hey, ya never know, maybe you'll be the first... not saying it doesn't happen, I've never seen it in all these years)

On another note... if that was my car and I was to take it to a competent bodyshop, I would (based on the pic I saw) have the qtr panel repaired rather than replace.

A good bodyman will work the metal out and put nothing more than glazing in there. I ASSURE you if they replace the qtr, you'll have 4 times the amount of bondo, seam sealer and you'll have to cut open a factory seam potentially allowing rust later if not sealed correctly.

Not to mention you'll now be forced to blend the door (more paintwork) blah, blah, blah....

Just a suggestion, a good bodyshop will look out for you.


Last but not least, I am TERRIBLY SORRY to hear this. I personally am **** as hell about my car and would be pissed if it got damaged like that. (obviously so, the dealer scratched my '08 on a fender, I painted it and traded it in immediately...lol. **** doesn't begin to describe me)

But hey, at least I know myself....


Good luck, keep us informed.



This is what I would do at the moment. Your insurance company will subrogate the other insurance company if they can. If they succeed, your rates will go back down (if they went up) and you'll get your deductible back.

MANY insurance companies as a courtesy will waive the deductible if a case that is clearly not your fault but technically still not uninsured (meaning the other party)

I'm still lost as to why the driver wasn't written up. (even if they weren't, if you have their insurance information, you can still file a claim against them... sometimes it works)





Mark

 

Well I took Margaret to the "Mini recommended" repair shop last Monday. The estimate has grown from $2,500 (my insurance co.'s estimate) to a hair over $5000. Mainly because they want to replace the panel instead of pulling/pounding it. Apparently their are risks to both solutions such as replacing the panel suggested by Orange's previous post and the fact that sometimes, when fixing rather than replacing, they have to push and pull. In some cases this can warp other parts of the panel and cause bad alignment for the other body parts. The wheels are being sent to a "specialist" to see if they are worth fixing.

I don't feel uncomfortable with this shop since all they work on are BMW and Mini autos. I've driven by this place for years on my way to work and seen nothing but high end Bimmers, more recently Mini's, and occasionally a high end Porsche. Not the most glowing report but according to web reviews and some locals they come highly recommended.

Not only that but the owner is a wealth of legal information. More on that later...

The initial estimated time to be done was tomorrow but since the wheels are being shipped out it has now been extended to Wednesday. This will be a week and a half of Margaret down time.

In the meantime I've been given a manual '08 MCS from the repair shop to drive around. I could have opted for a BMW but I wanted the chance to compare a newer model to my own '02 MCS. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I thought my 100k mileage meant my soon-to-be-replaced shocks were totally doomed but the '08 feels almost identical. The newer one has a little better small bump/low speed sensitivity but not by much which makes me happy. I've read some think the steering is different but it seams right on with mine. I suppose it could be my older shocks versus newer but perhaps the tires too (although the specs are the same: 205/45/17). The only real performance difference is the turbo lag and the sport button issue. But when it kicks in it's nice.

My only real gripes are the lack of an auto-open sunroof (holding the button sucks) and the blinkers. Did they try to reinvent the blinker switch or am I a big dummy? It seems you push it down but it doesn't stay. Then you have to push it one way or the other if you don't turn sharp enough to bring it back on it's own. I've been driving down the highway going back and forth between blinkers. Sheesh!

Sorry for the rambling post. I've been drinking a lot lately.

 

I've been following your saga, I hope this works out for you, I'll keep checking in. I really wish the best for you MINIstrater, this is so inconceivably unfair (my father would've have grounded me til I was 21 if I would've done something as reckless as this). The guilt alone would've killed me, I bet this kid is just simply annoyed with it all the hassle..blargh! Good Luck.

 

From a bodyshop owner's financial standpoint, there is more profit margin in "straightening" a part than there is in part replacement in general. (depends on the part)

Also, ask the manager/owner that you're dealing with and explain to them you want the "best" repair for your car. What I mean by that is they may get that car on the frame machine and start pulling the qtr. (most likely it will need to be pulled prior to replacing anyways)

My point is, once they "pull" it, it might come out and they will have minimal bodywork to do. It happens all the time... our intention is to replace a panel and when it gets pulled first, it actually becomes straightenable. So just tell them you want the best fix. (besides, if they pull it and it does work, they should be giving you a refund because the labor may increase but the 600-700 part is now non existant)

I'm lost, which is it? Not glowing reports or highly recommended? Hopefully one outweighs the other.

Easy fix if you ever get one. You can buy aftermarket control units that fix that problem. I use it on mine.


[quote\and the blinkers. Did they try to reinvent the blinker switch or am I a big dummy?[/quote]


Yes, I'm afraid so....

Operator error...

Seriously, in the owner's manual, you can program the turn signals to blink once when you tap the stalk or 3 times. Other than that, you physically have to "push" down on the stalk.

Keep us updated....


Mark