| namegoeshere |
On a recent trip to NYC, I got a 3 feet X 4 inch wide scrape on the lower panel below the lower door crease on the driver side. The scrape almost equally spans both the driver and the passenger doors. I got my midnight blue X in January so this really irked me.
I want to get this fixed. Here are my questions.
1. How important is it that I return to the dealership body shop to get this repaired? I know that for warranty work and difficult mechanical repairs, then certainly the dealership. However, for bodyshop repairs where I'm paying my own dime, can I use other body shops which I know have done good work on other cars? In terms of getting paint to match and such, do dealership body shops have exclusive factory paint or is it pretty common nowadays for all bodyshops to have access to the same paint? I suspect that with computer matches and such it 's fairly easy to get the paint right.
2. I estimate the repair will talke about $1500. I have a $500 deductible for insurance. I was told that if I claim it that my premiums will go up and it may be better to eat the $1500 and get the cheaper premium. Is this true?
Thanks in advance. |
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| catzx6 |
I wouldn't take my X into the dealership for bodywork. I'd find a very reputable shop to repair it. (just my $0.02);)
Good luck with the fix, let us know what you end up doing. |
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| HARDROCK |
| I got a nasty dent in my right rear quarter panel just a couple of months after getting my" X". I called the dealer to see what shop they used on the theory that the dealer dings and otherwise screw up alot of cars before they see them and I wanted a repair shop experienced with working on the "X". I probably paid a little more but I am very happy with the results. |
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| JTM |
Some dealership bodyshops have great facility and they could probably mixed the paint right in the first shot, while general bodyshop might have tried few times.
If I am in your situation, I will try to check out few bodyshops (includes dealership's) and get some estimate on it.
Does the premium go up if you claim this? This will depends on the insurance company and your record. I had an accident few years back, which costs 3K-4K to repair (Just on my car). I filed the insurance claim, and my premium didn't go up. |
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