A moving truck backed up into my 2009 Prius (26,000 miles) and destroyed the driver side door and window. I filed a claim with my insurance company (Geico) and the mover's insurance company (Progressive) has already agreed to pay my deductible. The adjuster's estimate is based on a "quality recycled" (ie used/salvage) door to replace my door and he pushed pretty hard for me to accept that. Is that pretty standard even for a relatively new car like my 2009 or is it likely to be much worse than my original door? How hard should I push for a new door? If I have to pay the difference out of pocket, might that be worth it if I think it is likely that Progressive will reimburse me or is it not much better to go new and not worth the risk of being stuck with the extra ~$1000 or so of parts and labor costs? Or is a used door really just as good? (I know my door was used, but it also hadn't been in any accidents where it might have been damaged.) Thanks! Ari
Hell no Why would you accept a used product. I would tell them you want a new OEM door from Toyota. Since it was not your fault you are allowed to have it repaired by who ever you want. I personally would have it done by Toyota since you are not paying for it.
Find a new insurance company. I was run into a few years back. GEICO was the insurer of the person who hit me. They insisted that I replace the damaged parts (not my Prius) with aftermarket parts. I called my insurance company (AMICA) and they said no way. AMICA told me to get it fixed with OEM parts and they would handle GEICO. They did and my cost was zero. GEICO may have cute commercials, but they offer bad service (my opinion).
A used door is fine. It might take 3 months for Toyota to find and ship you a "new" door. Then it will be just the metal outer door part. Do you want some jerk to bolt together some of your old parts and some new parts with-out instructions? The "used" door was assembled at the factory and will work just fine.
Considering your vehicle is 2 years old, a used replacement isn't a big deal. Why? They could find a door from a vehicle with less mileage than yours. Or, they could find a door from an '08, not a big difference. I also have this attitude because my insurance company did basically the same thing. I had a Taurus and someone backed into the door. They asked if they could replace it with a used door and I said sure. When I got the car back I couldn't even tell it had been repaired. The repair was flawless and I was totally impressed. You couldn't tell it wasn't a brand new door. As long as a reputable body shop is doing the work, you'll be fine. I'll bet you won't be able to tell the difference after the repair is done.
A door is a door is a door! Just make sure the color when repainted looks like the rest of the car. Also make sure the interior side of the new door matches the rest of the interior!!! You also have to consider the speakers that are in the recycled door, are they OK?
Everyone has stated valid points. You may want to check out a dealership body shop to see what the standard repair procedure is for your damaged door? Would the dealership do a simple outer door skin replacement? OR is the damage so extensive that the dealership would replace the entire door? Then there is the question of parts availability from Toyota brought up by XPCMAN. The required parts (door skin OR new complete door) may be on a long backorder. If this is the case, a used door makes sense. Just be sure that it is completely colormatched (inside, outside, and jambs). I'm sure the used door will be saving them a lot of money. Ask them for some of this savings, say 1/2. Everyone will win. If they say no, you can change your mind and demand a new door, since their insuree crashed into you. But then this would depend on Toyota NEW parts availability. Good luck.
If my choice were having a new outer skin put on the door by a body shop or a good used door, a used door would win every time. I would also rather have good used door than have body shop assemble a door from a new door stamping using all my old internal parts. The insides of the doors are relatively complex with lots of opportunity for shoddy workmanship that you might not find out about for years. Reserve the right to inspect the door before they start work so you can be sure they aren't starting with a used door that has rust or other damage.
I would get a used door. A new door will not have the seam sealer, the sound dampeners, and most importunately will not have the dipped body primer. The body shop may put the seam sealer in but it will be nothing like the way the factory does it. The new door will also have to have all of the parts from the old door installed were as the used door will most likely come complete. Chances are that the bodyshop can find a good used door in the correct color so when they spray it the color and overall quality of the repair will be much better.
My 2004 was hit on the side a couple of years ago and a new left front door outer skin was installed. As jelloslug suggested, there is a seam on the door, located near the trailing edge of the window, which was sealed on the factory-constructed doors but was left bare on the repaired door. Hence I agree with the suggestion that a used door which does not have rust or other damage would be fine serving as the basis for the repair.
Patrick, When you got your used door, what did you need to do to make the smart key system compatible? David
Hi David, I did not have a used door installed. Rather, a new outer skin was welded on the existing door. Regarding the Smart system, I believe that if the replacement door did not come from a Smart-equipped vehicle then the door handle with the touch sensitive mechanism and the Smart system receiver/antenna would have to be swapped in. That's about it.
To the OP: Why is Progessive just liable for your deductible? Their insured was at fault, so should be liable for the total of the damage, either out of their own pockets or that of their insurance carrier. OTOH, if you have a problem getting them to pay, you can go to your own insurance carrier, Geico, pay your deductible and have them pay to fix your car. Once Geico has paid on your behalf, they have by right of subrogation, the right to collect from the responsible party's insurer. Once they collect, they will refund your deductible. Also, it is pretty standard now for insurance companies to have a list of body shops to whom they refer work. The shops and the insurer then guarantee your satisfaction with the repair. The bottom line is to not let anybody push you around. I would agree with several posters here that a properly installed and refinished used door is probably your best bet, assuming the guarantee described above.
Unfortunately a 2009 is now 2 model years old, on paper. Hard to argue that your original door was "new". What you basically want, is your vehicle restored to pre-crash condition. I see no reason to believe this can't be done by a reputable quality bodyshop using an aftermarket "recycled" door. In my opinion? The work of the bodyshop is the most important aspect. You could demand a "new" door, and if the bodyshop doesn't do quality work? You are going to run into problems. I'd have no problem with a good bodyshop using a used door. I would however search for a bodyshop that I felt good about doing the work.
A used door should be fine if it is straight and in good condition. Ask the insurance company to sign a waiver such that if any problems arise from their use of a used part (eg rust from not being sealed, etc), that they will rectify the problem. Remember your car is still under warranty and the that your warranty may be affected by the use of used/non-OEM parts.
A used door may be a better way to go. Miracle of miracles, it is the same color! Other than that, when I got the car back, I would actually lay down on the ground and look at the underside of the door to see if the color matches there as well as everywhere else you can look. Around the door panel, in the door jamb, the hinges, etc. Be sure and check if the manual key works as well! Listen to the radio, check window operation etc. A Qualified body shop will get it right. A quickie joint trying to satisfy the insurance company so they remain on the "preferred" list, will cut corners. An adjuster will go with used or re-conditioned parts even if it saves the insurance company a single dollar. A used door thouogh, is much better than an aftermarket replacement part. And a replacement skin may not be a Toyota part, but a cheap aftermarket replacement piece. A "new" complete door assembley, will come bare, just the metal, all glass and window tracks would need to be transferred, as well as all power components. Beleive me, if you have ever tried changing the guts out of a door to another, it is very time consuming to get it right. I would choose a used one!
I had a hit and run and they needed to replace the fender and do a paint job. Geico would only get me a used part and I went to a private party. They got the paint job right, but the fender (which I was told would be new) is not 100% perfectly fitted and makes a barely noticeable aerodynamic whistling sound. Had I known I would have gone with the Toyota-backed Geico-salvaged bender rather than the private party "new".
