2008 Prius hit curb pretty hard, wheel/suspension damage

Just submit a damage claim

 

If your total damage is under $1000, I would not file a claim with a $500 deductible. That would just increase your future premiums. Just have to suck it up and repair it.

Get a 2nd opinion on the Sear's damage report. They might be pulling your leg to get money

 

It's unfortunate the Body Shop didn't think to tell you the car looked damaged beyond the wheel and tire. But faced with where you're at now, I would call your insurance company and ask them the following:

1. Will the claim on hitting the dear a couple months ago affect your future insurance rates?
2. That now you got into a problem of hitting a large gigantic pot hole and the suspension is damaged and needs repair. How will this affect future insurance rates if you put in a claim for that?

 

save the receipt for the wheel and tire, show them to the insurance adjuster and explain you had to do them right away just to drive. they should be willing to include them in the claim. get 3 estimates on the suspension repair and show the highest one to the insurance adjuster.

 

would it strip a spare tire? which is smaller in size than the regular tire?

 

Your going to need an alignment as well.

 

well just make sure you have all the right tools and possibly a torque wrench so you know how tight to get it. You wouldn't want to save a few bucks and have your front end come off while you drive.

 

That's just a suggestion and no I don't do anything that requires me to lift the car off the ground. I have a mechanic that does that stuff

 

Easy....
You Don't.

Or....at least I wouldn't.

1. You have to come out of pocket for the deductible.

2. Your insurance will almost certainly go up, and you'll wind up paying the insurance company back for the claim with interest.

3. People don't write things down any more. They generate records in the cloud. This incident will be on your record forever. Sure.....they "say" they only go back 5 years......

4. People don't write things down any more. They generate records in the cloud. Insurance companies drop people who file claims. If this is the first one? You're probably cool, but what if an insured motorist hits you next week, and you get broken into the week after that?
Ask your insurance company how much they charge people who got dropped by their last insurance company.

5. People don't write things down any more. They generate records in the cloud. Just in case you ever go to sell your car, it will have a damage claim in its pedigree. Yeah......I know you're going to tell whoever buys the car about the minor suspension damage.... but remember......having a wreck is like having a social disease.
There are no minor social diseases......there are no 'minor' wrecks. If your car has an insurance claim in it's CARFAX report? It's been wrecked. I'll buy a car whose owner admits to a curb strike.
I won't buy a previously wrecked car.

Smart money says you pay for insurance to cover you for losses that you cannot afford.
Since you've been "presumably" cash flowing this incident, I'm thinking that it's not an unaffordable loss.

I keep 1,000 dollar deductibles and don't file.
Your car.
Your call.

 

oh CARFAX.....yeah that's a no no reported on there

 

Good to hear.

Start a repair fund and up your deductible to $1000.
In a few years you can eliminate comp and collision and then you'll have cheap insurance and cheap transportation!!

Good Luck!

 

replacing the control arm isn't difficult, and especially since you can watch someone else doing it on youtube. if you have all the right size metric wrenches and sockets, jack stands and a cheater bar, you can do it in an afternoon. just make sure you get all the bolts tight, and when you go for your alignment, mention that you replaced it and could the tech take a look at it and make sure its all tight.