OT auto warranty after an accident

[rwsaunders]

Mrs. RW was t-boned yesterday after a woman ran a light, claiming that her cat jumped on her head and distracted her...no **it, it's in the accident report. Our van is one year old and it had to be towed...air bags deployed, wheels were pushed inward and she has a bruised wrist...a real mess.

Of course the insurance company doesn't want to total it but I asked if Honda will honor the factory warranty after such an extensive repair, as Honda is not doing the work. They don't have an answer that makes me warm and fuzzy.

Any experience out there?

[mike p]

I'm no expert by any stretch but first off anyone who does the work should put the van back to " as new cond " and Honda should still warrantee though they may wish to inspect work? If at all possible I'd have a Honda dearler do the work then Honda would have no excuse not to honor the warrantee.

Mike

[dekindy]

When my Toyota was hit the other driver's insurance company tried their song and dance about getting three estimates, etc. I told them that I was taking to the Toyota Dealer's Body Shop and sending them the bill. That was it. Never thought to ask about warranty though. The car was only 7 weeks old. Food for thought if it happens again. It was repaired with genuine Toyota parts so hopefully that would have taken care of it.

[AngryScientist]

generally speaking, the insurance company is going to want to guarantee the repairs performed to make the car whole again for the life of the car (probably), and Honda should still provide warranty coverage for those items not replaced/affected by the repair work.

as you'd guess, this will leave a lot of grey, in between area, and a lot to prove if something goes wrong a few years down the line. this will be bad news for you. trust me on this one.

you're going to want to push hard to have one of the following done:

1) All repairs by Honda, or directly subcontracted by them
2) Totaled

personally i'd be pushing for #2. if not, i would trade the van in for a new one after the repairs are done and sue the other driver for the out-of-pocket difference. once a car is that thoroughly messed up, it's likely to never drive/feel the same again.

[stuckey]

I have worked in the collision industry for 12+ years, they will honor your warranty. The only time your warranty becomes void after an accident is if your vehicle is totaled by the insurance company and you buy it back and have it fixed. Also if the body shop is any good they will warranty their repairs for the life of the vehicle. I do not know where you are located but if you are outside of Minnesota demand all factory parts since the accident was not her fault. You do not want used junk or aftermarket crap parts.

[Tonger]

My suggestion is to look up and learn all about 'diminished value'. Your car will now have a flag on the Carfax and is worth less on a used car sale or trade in. If you are trading, someone that knows what they are doing will be able to tell that there was extensive bodywork done - all from the appearance of extra seam sealer, no Honda sticker on the replacement panel, uneven panel gaps, non-factory orange peel in the paint, or body putty.

Getting Honda to honor your warranty is the least of your worries. The insurance company may tell you that they are not able to do a diminished value claim but they tell everyone that. Basically what you need is your car fixed to look like new and a separate check for the associated depreciation on the vehicle. It's only fair.

Good luck to you and I hope your wife feels better soon.

Tonger

[tuxbailey]

Cat jumped on her? Who drives with a cat not in a kennel?

You ought to sue her on negligence just because of general principle.

[Louis]

Cat jumped on her? Who drives with a cat not in a kennel?


One of mine doesn't freak out quite as much and doesn't get sick if he's not in the carrier. He's now 20 years old, so he doesn't do anything crazy.

[rwsaunders]

Thanks for the tips, folks. I just sent a letter to the claims adjuster asking about their policy regarding dismissed inherent value. He has been decent to deal with so far, but I realize that our goals may not be the same.

I have been trying to track down the cat for an additional witness statement, but so far, no luck.... :cool:

[zap]

Mrs. RW is fortunate. Hopefully there are no neck or back injuries.

If key structural members (crush zones) are tweaked out of alignment, the vehicle should be totaled. You should inspect the van while it's up on a lift with the insurance adjuster.

If the above is ok, fight hard to get Honda to do the repairs. Based on my experience with repairs done to our cars (2 hit while parked), factory finish is going to be best. Still have to stay on top of the dealer though. We never had a problem with remaining factory warranty but then I never thought to ask.

Agree with previous poster, you should also be compensated for diminished value.

[eddief]

My car was parked on the curb in front of my house. A neighbor drove by, sideswiped my parked car. She was driving with her cat loose on her front seat and it distracted her attention...duh.

Cat jumped on her? Who drives with a cat not in a kennel?

You ought to sue her on negligence just because of general principle.

[stuckey]

My suggestion is to look up and learn all about 'diminished value'. Your car will now have a flag on the Carfax and is worth less on a used car sale or trade in. If you are trading, someone that knows what they are doing will be able to tell that there was extensive bodywork done - all from the appearance of extra seam sealer, no Honda sticker on the replacement panel, uneven panel gaps, non-factory orange peel in the paint, or body putty.

Getting Honda to honor your warranty is the least of your worries. The insurance company may tell you that they are not able to do a diminished value claim but they tell everyone that. Basically what you need is your car fixed to look like new and a separate check for the associated depreciation on the vehicle. It's only fair.

Good luck to you and I hope your wife feels better soon.

Tonger


Carfax is pretty much a joke, I have come across 100's of cars with a clean Carfax that have had lots of damage repaired. Replacement parts have a Honda RDOT sticker on them if they are factory replacement parts. Diminished value usually is only recognized and titles dinged when the damage exceeds a certain threshold. Any body shop that should be in business will be able to repair a car so you can not tell it was repaired. You make it sound like all body shops do is hack sh-t together with no cares.

[rice rocket]

My car was totalled and it didn't show on Carfax after I bought it back from the insurance company. :banana:

[Tonger]

Carfax is pretty much a joke, I have come across 100's of cars with a clean Carfax that have had lots of damage repaired. Replacement parts have a Honda RDOT sticker on them if they are factory replacement parts. Diminished value usually is only recognized and titles dinged when the damage exceeds a certain threshold. Any body shop that should be in business will be able to repair a car so you can not tell it was repaired. You make it sound like all body shops do is hack sh-t together with no cares.

I know you're in the business but I stand by my post.

1. Carfax does miss many accidents but if the car is 'positive', you are still out of luck. Even if Carfax doesn't list the repair, I'd still feel compelled to tell the truth when trading or selling the vehicle.
2. According to the OP, both airbags deployed and wheels out of alignment indicating suspension or unibody damage. Where I come from, that qualifies as both expensive and significant.
3. Honda painted and finished original OEM panels have the vehicle's VIN number on them. The replacement stickers on the unpainted OEM replacement panels don't. This is a really easy way to tell that the panel was replaced.

http://honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=1796761

4. I disagree very much about your comment about virtually any reasonable body shop making perfect repairs. That has not been my experience at all, even at the dealer. While all your cars may look perfect, I'll bet that most other people in the business, and even I, can still tell - even if it's something as subtle the color sanded panel not matching the factory orange peel or a panel gap being slightly off.


To the OP, getting a check for diminished value is only fair. Your vehicle is worth less now even if repaired perfectly. I don't know why Stuckey would want to withold what is rightfully yours...

[soulspinner]

I have worked in the collision industry for 12+ years, they will honor your warranty. The only time your warranty becomes void after an accident is if your vehicle is totaled by the insurance company and you buy it back and have it fixed. Also if the body shop is any good they will warranty their repairs for the life of the vehicle. I do not know where you are located but if you are outside of Minnesota demand all factory parts since the accident was not her fault. You do not want used junk or aftermarket crap parts.

I fought for OEM parts(radiator for instance). The hitters ins wanted a lot of parts non Toyo. After a big to do they put Toyota parts on most places. It happened long ago and at 127 k the radiator is original. Look at every part in the estimate.

[stuckey]

I know you're in the business but I stand by my post.

1. Carfax does miss many accidents but if the car is 'positive', you are still out of luck. Even if Carfax doesn't list the repair, I'd still feel compelled to tell the truth when trading or selling the vehicle.
2. According to the OP, both airbags deployed and wheels out of alignment indicating suspension or unibody damage. Where I come from, that qualifies as both expensive and significant.
3. Honda painted and finished original OEM panels have the vehicle's VIN number on them. The replacement stickers on the unpainted OEM replacement panels don't. This is a really easy way to tell that the panel was replaced.

http://honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=1796761

4. I disagree very much about your comment about virtually any reasonable body shop making perfect repairs. That has not been my experience at all, even at the dealer. While all your cars may look perfect, I'll bet that most other people in the business, and even I, can still tell - even if it's something as subtle the color sanded panel not matching the factory orange peel or a panel gap being slightly off.


To the OP, getting a check for diminished value is only fair. Your vehicle is worth less now even if repaired perfectly. I don't know why Stuckey would want to withold what is rightfully yours...

Yes I am personally withholding peoples rights, I have that much power, ha, ha. I am just stating the facts... It is worth going after diminished value if your car was super messed up. There is so much to this that is not worth getting into, forums are ridiculous.

[Tonger]

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/car-wreck-reimbursed-lost/story?id=10713550#.T1z0J8zPX5Q




...forums are ridiculous.

Finally, we agree. :rolleyes:

[rwsaunders]

Photos from the body shop...

[rice rocket]

Those suspension pickup points are most definitely moved, and although frame shops can do magic things, I'd get a second opinion to make sure you can hit the original alignment numbers before you declare it good to go. $75 or so to put it on an alignment rack is cheaper than burning through hundreds of dollars of tires.

Sucks that it's a BRAND NEW car. :crap: