passenger side damage (pic)

"Need" is subjective. If the car doesn't demonstrate any driveability issues and will move you from point A to point B, then you don't "need" to repair it.

Regarding rust, it's not obvious whether the paint undercoat has been scraped off so that the bare steel is exposed. If so, then the steel will rust.

With a $250 deductible, if this were my car I would get it repaired. Looks like the RF fender, the RF door, and the front bumper cover need to be repainted, my guess is that the repair will cost $1,500.

 

yes, you need to fix that. It would bother me very much if I had to drive that, unless I committed the car to being my jalopy which a prius can never be.

 

ouch. It is up to you. But I would get it repaired/replaced as well. Probably have to replace the panel piece, then prime and paint, maybe some blending with the other pieces, and labor will probably run you $1200-$1500.

 

Hell, I just dropped my car off this morning to the body shop to get a scuff that is about the size of a Softball repainted on the front bumper.

$350 out of pocket. Shame that some idiot would hit my car and drive off, especially in the small town I live in.

Can't let things like that build up though. Once people see you don't give a crap about your car, then neither will they.

 

There is an ever so slight chance that you could find a replacment fender in the correct color from a salvage yard. With that, a good buffer, and an afternoon you could make make the car at least 90% as good as new.

 

I don't have a problem with use of a salvage body part, as long as that part is in good condition. It makes sense to recycle parts where there's no adverse impact to functionality or service life, and Prius is supposed to be the ultimate green car.

If you are concerned you could visit the body shop before the part is installed, to determine its condition and decide what you think about it.

 

I would get a new fender and not report it, that way it doesnt show up on carfax.




Another perspective, why else would you have a 250 deduct than to take care of minor issues like this? If you don't fix this drop your deduct and save $$ on insur.

 

on 2nd look, that gets into the door. i would get it fixed by geico...but don't take it to one of their shops. I just got my explorer done by geico after dw got into an accident. The paint they used is so obviously not factory. take it to the best shop you can find and make them pay for it.

 

So now we know why the gecko is cheap. State Farm just paid for an OEM rear passenger door on my '07 -- no questions. Even after the original estimate [agreed to by the shop] thought a new OEM 'skin' on the old door would be sufficient -- till the shop took it apart and decided a full new door would be needed. I guess the money goes into those cute TV ads...

 

Ystasino, Since you mentioned Baltimore, I would recommend Hunt Valley Auto Body on York Rd near Papermill Rd. When my Tacoma was 2 weeks old, a limb fell from the oak tree in our yard and damaged the hood and a fender. Geico paid Hunt valley for repairs and it still looks like new after more than seven years. I still marvel over what a beautiful job they did.

We were just as fortunate here in Western NC with our experience with a local body shop. They say that, if done properly, you can't tell it was ever damaged. If it looks like it was "fixed" you went to the wrong shop.

 

I realize the "fine print" at the bottom of your quote is boilerplate. However, are you getting a salvage part or an aftermarket part?

Forced to choose between the two, I'd prefer the salvage part since some aftermarket body parts don't fit very well.

 

Yes, and will Geico cut you a check for the diminished value of the vehicle as it has now been repaired with aftermarket parts?
Trust me, if you try and trade that Prius in on a new one, the dealer WILL devalue the vehicle accordingly as they will insisit on repairing it with OEM parts and deduct that from trade in value. And the dealer will know this as there will be records of your insurance company paying for the repairs and the exact nature of the repairs.

On a good note, check into it. Your policy probably specifies aftermarket parts, so you may be stuck, but what they are saving the insurance company may not be all that much, maybe $100 or less, depending on the damage. You can dig deeper in your own pocket and pay the difference of the OEM part.

My Prius got hit by a dear.
Fender, emblem, and headlight.
Liberty Mutual specified an aftermarket fender, straightening and re-using old emblem instead of new, and a re-conditioned headlight. The savings to the insurance company in this instance was like $65........My collision guy went to bat for me, and I made calls as well. Even though I was willing to pay the extra $65, they relented and covered it. Especially after I started talking about cutting me a check for "diminished value" due to aftermarket fender.

Most collision shops work for the insurance company, and not for you. They want to remain on the recommended list, as that's where their income comes from. A customer going the extra mile to fight for what's right usually will get what he wants........

 

I question whether that part at $139 is original equipment. It's more likely this is aftermarket since that vendor is selling parts for a wide variety of manufacturers.

MSRP of the correct Toyota part is $249 and you can buy it for $189 here:
Champion ToyotaWorld

(Look up part number 53801-47031)

 

Yes, they will give you an aftermarket part to save $45.
andwhen you go to trade in the car, the dealer will know it was replaced by an aftermarket part. How will they know? The insurance company tracks repairs like this and it will be on a car fax. Then the dealer will devalue your car by several hundred or more.
As for price differences. Don't forget, there is list price (that they charge the customer) and the price they actually pay for a part. When a shop puts on a set of brake pads. They charge you $49 for the part, they paid $19. That goes with everything.

That aftermarket fender I bet is not OEM.

Most places will not under any circumstances replace with any part you bring in. because then they don't make money on the part.

 

Those prices for the aftermarket fender are way too high. When I repaired our salvage '08 I bought a new aftermarket fender from a body parts distributor for $39. Also, I just check Parts.com and they sell OEM Toyota fenders for about $170. Personally I would call someone like Steve Woodruff at autobeyours.com and see if he has a used one in the right color.