Body repair at 170,000 miles - to repair or run into the ground?

I recently brought my 2005 Prius to a shop to get an estimate on a repair to resolve issues with a former repair completed after an accident in 2008 at 34,000 miles. (Driver in opposite lane swerved into my lane - I avoided a head on by steering off the road but not enough for him to catch my front fender, wheel and door. Nearly 9,000 in damage back then. Most parts were replaced except the rocker panel replaced which was "patched" instead. Currently, the anterior rocker panel close to where it joins the front post is beginning to bubble and the body filler on the lower panel has cracked and is beginning to lift. I was advised to let the car rot out due to its age and mileage. I was taken back by that response. I have kept my cars well past 300,000 miles and close to 18 years. The car is in excellent condition, runs and looks great! It's only a matter of time before the rocker panel repair work worsens and becomes obvious. I'd like to get this done at an early stage. What would you do? Replace the panel or allow it to rust through? I keep my cars in excellent condition. Pics of accident from 2008 attached. I will try to get current pictures of the rocker panel and the specific damage that needs repair ASAP.

 

Any intermediate repair would give the same results and only last a year or two. The rest of the car is rust free as I flush all wheel wells, panels and any seams/overlays where debris and/or water can collect year round. I also keep the drain holes clear on all doors and panels. I had contacted the insurance company of the responsible party about 2 years after the accident. They stated that the claim was paid and the case closed. No luck there. I wouldn't bring it back to the shop that did the work because I was not happy with the initial results. Since this accident, I have switched insurance carriers and have found a much more reputable body shop!

 

The car was purchased new in November of 2005. It is currently 7.5 years old. I recently bought a nice fully loaded 08 (in service date Sept '08) with low miles. The thought of selling / trading the '05 Prius has crossed my mind but it runs / looks nearly flawless. All of my vehicles are in the same condition. Of course, a dealership would love to get their hands on any of my cars as they need nothing as far as reconditioning is concerned. They would, of course, low ball me on a trade in which would force me to walk away.

I know what I have and how it has been cared for. I am sure the parts alone are worth more than what I would get for the car as as a whole. The interior is as clean as it was the day I bought it not a spot or mar on the bisque interior or leather seating. The exterior panels are dent free, clean and straight. In retrospect, I may do better parting out the car due to its condition.

I appreciate all the replies and will just "drive it 'til it drops".

 

I have a thorough knowledge of bodywork and was quite proficient at one time - including paint. Things have changed a lot since the 80s and 90s and there have been many advancements in both materials and equipment. I am aware of EXACTLY what needs to be done but do not have the time to get it done myself. To "repatch", I would have to grind down the existing bodywork to bare metal. I don't know what's underneath. Assuming that the panel is not yet rusted through, it would be an easy fix - repatch, prime and paint. Rust out requires cutting away the old portion and adding new sheet metal. No guarantees that the old rocker panel is not deteriorating in other areas as well. The labor to do this would be more intensive than simply replacing the rocker panel. Not to mention - a repatch would only hold up for another year or two as water trapped within and behind the panel would eventually cause the filler to lift over time from behind. JMDs suggestion does make sense in that the car has 170,000 miles and anything could go wrong at any time - transmission, hybrid battery, engine, etc. Sinking money into it at this point might not make sense. The sum of all the parts ARE worth more than the car itself at this point in time. I may be better off just driving it until it needs major repair and then parting it out.
I did send the above pics to a bodyshop close to home that has done minor jobs for me in the past. Although he initially thought it not worth the expense (to patch the panel) due to the car's mileage and the fact that he did not know the extent of damage when the car was hit back in '08. I am curious to hear if his opinion has changed after seeing the above pictures of the accident. We did not discuss replacing the panel when I initially spoke to him last week - only patching what was there. The damage is not really noticeable and totally undetectable unless you get on hands and knees and look at the bottom of the rocker panel. There is slight rust and bubbling of the sill plate.

I'll make a final decision after getting an estimate but I am leaning toward leaving it alone.

Just added a few close ups of the rocker panel. The sill plate makes me cringe - the "repair" bodywork that the shop redid was awful - pinholes in the bodyfiller and painted over roughly sanded bodyfiller!
The interior still looks new - the dark spots on the interior floor are shadows. Couldn't use the flash or it would have overexposed the shot.

 

Currently, I am putting about 30,000 miles per year on the car 90% "highway" miles at 50mph+ with only 4 stops round trip from my house to work daily. Other trips are long distance to visit family (500 mi round trip). Maybe that's the reason for the hybrid battery holding out - constant use and long trips. At the rate I'm going, the car should reach 300,000 miles by the summer of 2017 (In service date for me was 11-05-2005). Did you purchase your '04 new? That's a lot of miles in 9 years!

 

That's why I am taking everything into consideration. I will get the estimates, and weigh the pros and cons of getting the work done vs the age, mileage, and potential problems that may arise in the near future. After all, no car payments and low maintenance costs so far. Since I bought the car new and have been diligent with maintenance, oil changes, etc., I know what has gone into the car. That's why it's a tough decision. I'll be doing some routine maintenance in the coming month (plugs, PCV valve, trans drain and refill, and brake line flush). No "known" problems that I know of... If the estimate is reasonable, I will get it done before the end of the summer. If not, I'll drive it until the day I decide to part it out.

 

If I could get that kind of work done in this country for $1,200 I'd be following in your footsteps. However, in the northeastern U.S., we get a lot of snow and ice. The roads are covered in sand and salt for 6 months of the year which causes the vehicles to rust rather quickly. As technology has improved and sheet metal has been replaced by plastics, the rusting is not as severe as it had been 20 - 30 years ago but the frame and supports are remain vulnerable. To give you an idea of the cost of autobody repair in my area, I was quoted a price of approximately $275 per panel to repaint. That is, of course, under the condition that there are no dents or dings - only mild surface scratches! The pictures that I posted of my car from the collision in 2008 show damage that cost over $9,000 to repair here in the U.S... Quite a difference, isn't it?

Your car looks great! Good job!