[subaru_green]

I have a 2013 outback 2.5. Just bumped it into a car in front of me. The front bumper was not involved because the car in front of me had a high rear bumper. The car can still start and runs, but the coolant leaked empty. The collision happened at a ramp. As a result, right front door is a little stuck and cannot fully open. Other doors open just fine. The frame around the engine compartment (?) is visibly bent. The hood is also a little bent. The collision speed was not very fast (20mph or so?).
Does anyone have similar experience here? My questions include where is the best place to have it fixed? What kind of issues should I expect in the future due to this type of accident? What things I should remember to check?

 

[KansasMatthew]

Your insurance co will probably have a preferred body shop. You can get it fixed anywhere you want, but it's possible the ins co will only pay as much as their preferred shop quotes. Insist on OEM parts, but you might have to pay the difference in cost between OEM and aftermarket. That difference isn't always as bad as you might think

 

[eagleeye]

deleted duplicate

 

[DFW-BDB]

Can't really address your questions but one thing to keep in mind - there is a difference between OEM parts and new OEM parts. Salvage yard parts are now called OEM by most insurance companies because they are original equipment manufacturer parts, they just happen to have been installed on another vehicle first. OEM new is the manufacturer's part that has not been used before. It may or may not matter to you, but many folks don't realize when it says OEM that does not necessarilly mean "new", but the complaining went down when the terminology went from "like, kind and quality" to OEM when referring to salvage parts.

 

[subaru_green]

Your insurance co will probably have a preferred body shop. You can get it fixed anywhere you want, but it's possible the ins co will only pay as much as their preferred shop quotes. Insist on OEM parts, but you might have to pay the difference in cost between OEM and aftermarket. That difference isn't always as bad as you might think

Thanks for the tip. This conversion about OEM parts will be with the body shop or insurance co?

 

[subaru_green]

Can't really address your questions but one thing to keep in mind - there is a difference between OEM parts and new OEM parts. Salvage yard parts are now called OEM by most insurance companies because they are original equipment manufacturer parts, they just happen to have been installed on another vehicle first. OEM new is the manufacturer's part that has not been used before. It may or may not matter to you, but many folks don't realize when it says OEM that does not necessarilly mean "new", but the complaining went down when the terminology went from "like, kind and quality" to OEM when referring to salvage parts.

:29:

 

[DFW-BDB]

Thanks for the tip. This conversion about OEM parts will be with the body shop or insurance co?

Probably both. Some of it depends on your policy or whose insurance is paying. When it is my uninsured or someone else's policy it is much easier to demand "new OEM" as that was what was on your car to begin with. Likewise, it if is a safety item that could fail based on prior abuse/misuse, a wheel, airbag, brake rotor, etc. Otherwise, if it is non-safety issue and you are claiming under your coverage it will be all about the policy language. A good shop, may cover the differential for you if it is not much and the insurance will not just as a customer service, repeat business gesture.

In the case of one of our 2011's with front end damage (hit and run), the only "OEM" vs "new OEM" issue was with a wheel. The body shop spec'd OEM and I demanded OEM "new" as in my opinion a wheel is a key safety item whose past history cannot be determined without a metallurgical survey. When the insurance adjuster's supervisor I was "talking" to about the issue explained I may have to pay the difference, I told him I could get a new wheel from an online Subaru dealer shipped to me for less than the body shop was going to charge him for the salvage wheel. He agreed to cut me a check for the $18 mount and balance the body shop was going to charge to move the tire from my damaged wheel to the salvage OEM wheel (it was only cosmetic damage to our original wheel - curb rash) along with the amount the body shop had on the estimate for the salvage wheel (knowing it was about $10 more than the new wheel was going to cost me) and I could arrange the wheel swap myself. Since one of our kids has the car away at school, I can't recall whether she ever got around to replacing the cosmetically damaged wheel or just bought new shoes with the cash.

 

[KansasMatthew]

The body shop will only be able to give an estimate on what they can see. There may be hidden damage that will be uncovered when they remove parts. They deal with this all the time and generally that's between them and the insurance company.

Depending on the quote and the estimated value of your vehicle, when you get into the 75-80% range, the ins co may total the car.

When you decide on the repair shop, ask about their "painter". The shop will say, "We have several guys. They are all good." Then you say, "I know they are, but you always have an "A" guy. Any way we can work my vehicle into his schedule?" You will have to be flexible, since the "A" guy might be busy, on vacation, whatever.

Paint is generally one thing that body shops are very good at. It's easy to spot mistakes or poor workmanship, so they work very hard to do it right.

Don't he shy about pointing out anything, no matter how small, and give them a chance to fix it. Something simple like a turn signal might mean a connection came loose, or the wiring harness had a nick in it, or a bulb simply burned out. They will go over all that before turning it back over to you, but you might find something over the course of several days. Different sunlight angles and times of day can reveal different things.