[kbillie]

Hello everyone,

I am the owner of a 2014 Chevy Cruze. A few weeks ago, I was involved in a car crash that wasn't my fault. My car was rear-ended while I waited for a red light to turn green. The driver behind me was probably driving at 25 mph and she didn't use her brakes in time. My car can still be driven, but the rear bumper might fall off in the future if nothing is done.

Now I need to get my rear bumper replaced. The insurance company of the at-fault driver has given me an estimate of approximately $1,500. Is this amount of money accurate? The total cost would obviously cover parts, labor, and paint for the new bumper (Atlantis blue).

I am curious to know what the estimate was for someone in a similar situation.

For reference, below are some pictures of the damage to my car.

 

[Eddy Cruze]

Drop by a body shop or the Dealer and get an estimate as that is not a fair offer. If you were rear ended and suffered any injuries you might be due some additional cash!ccasion14:

 

[jsusanka]

Get your own estimates. Go to three or four different places. Probably make two of the estimates from dealers. Just make sure there is no metal damage like to the quarter panels and make sure they use genuine parts that are the same as when the car was new. Make sure whoever does the repair gives you a warranty. Just because you see the plastic cover falling off doesn't mean that is the only damage, there may be more damage that cannot be seen. Got to make sure it is safe to take another hit down the road because it may just save your life.

 

[NickD]

While I can't say much about the service department at the Chevy dealer in town, sure like their body shop and the manager is an old time friend. Floor is so clean, you can eat off of it, and all the later frame checking equipment, and most important is their paint booth. Using all water based paints now, color of our Cruze is white, over a hundred different shades of white, have the latest computerized color matching equipment.

Other body shops in town, want to have my own body disinfected just by visiting them. This is the kind of shop you should be looking for.

I rate insurance adjusters as I do building inspectors, not the more intelligent or honest people in the world, you want your Cruze to be exactly the same it was before this so-called accident. Chevy body shop in town is certainly busy, seem to have an excess of idiots driving today. Surprised they didn't tell you, you are 30% guilty for just being there.

Be darn slow to sign that release, dealing with crooked insurance companies now, the worse ones are the ones have TV ads on every two seconds.

 

[anthonysmith93]

In my experience the insurance adjusters were honest...it was my old car and had front bumper damage, seemed very minor as it was just cracked plastic and my headlight was broken. he took on look at it and said new headlight, bumper cover, and all the crap behind the bumper cover was replaced too. Was 1900$ in damage. Same stuff when I was rear ended in the same car (not my fault) damage here was a little more severe but everything was replaced...even non visible items even though the adjuster didn't look behind anything. I think they just assume most things are damaged.

 

[winks79]

My daughter got hit with her 2013 LTZ/RS last fall. Similar damage, but was only hit on driver side rear. Car was still drivable also, but had to cut out and replace left rear quarter, tail light, bumper cover, repair damage to trunk floor, and paint. Rear glass had to be removed and reinstalled to have this done also. Cost was right at $4600.00. I did not think it was that bad, but was worse once things started coming off, plus I used genuine GM replacement parts, which is your choice also. A lot of insurance companies will try to save some money by adjusting with aftermarket parts, some are good, but a lot can be junk. You have to be careful. Just make sure when you get your own estimate that you know what brand parts they are using to make quote, because it makes a big difference in price.

 

[kbillie]

Thank you everyone for the advice. I intend to get a few estimates, since the initial amount of $1,500 clearly sounds too low. Also, in response to Eddy Cruze, no one was injured in the car crash.

 

[boraz]

who cares how much it costs?

or are you trying to take the $, fix it and pocket some?

 

[NickD]

who cares how much it costs?

or are you trying to take the $, fix it and pocket some?

Ha, already did that when my kids cars were banged up, cheated and used Bondo and used that money to help pay for their college. But when my one kid was reared ended by drunk and couldn't close the rear doors, that was to much for me, so it went to the shop.

See the trunk lid is bent up and question that left quarter panel, looks more like a 4,500 buck job at current body rates.

 

[Patman]

who cares how much it costs?

Let them fix it. Get several estimates and get the car repaired correctly. Fixing it yourself, chances are it will look "OK" but still it will probably be obvious it was in a wreck. Unless you have all the equip and work in auto body yourself. FYI you can buy the bumper for couple hundred:BUMPER & COMPONENTS - REAR for 2014 Chevrolet Cruze. Don't forget the other things like the rear sensors etc.

Do your self a favor and let them fix it.

 

[NickD]

Ha. ever since they invented roadsalt been doing a ton of bodywork myself, namely rust repair.

Did instead of watching stupid sports on TV, drinking beer and getting fat. Could only do this in the warm summer months, would line my garage with plastic. But can't do this anymore because I do not have water based painting equipment, and pricing it is rather expensive.

Also do not like using Bondo on my newer cars, our Cruze was already hit when hardly two months old, insisted on all brand new OE parts. Not only painting the outside on tin, inside must also be undercoated to GM specifications. Most recent hit, it was totaled.

One thing that seems to work if you see some ahole driving half way up your exhaust pipe, switch on your hazards, they may back off a foot or two.

ABS creates over confidence, have to be especially careful at intersections, aholes will skid right through them on ice or snow packed roads. Sure an over abundance of aholes, ha, from the top down.

 

[atikovi]

My car was rear-ended while I waited for a red light to turn green. The driver behind me was probably driving at 25 mph and she didn't use her brakes in time.

That damage is a lot less than a 25 mph hit. Guess 10 mph tops. Maybe she was going 25 when she first hit the brakes but the impact was at 10? Did her airbag blow?

 

[BlueTopaz]

I had to replace the rear bumper cover on my daughters 2012 Cruze. I have a body shop that I use all the time. He sold me the cover at his cost plus let me use his shop to remove and replace the cover. He painted and buffed out the new cover and once I installed it he went over it again along the rest of the rear sections. It cost me $500 total. The car was down for 2hrs on a Saturday afternoon. It is nice to have a body shop that will work with you on a personal level.

If they are at fault then let them pay for it, find a shop that you trust with quality parts.

 

[atikovi]

It cost me $500 total.

Ouch! I could buy a new CAPA cover and get it painted all for under $200. Did he have to repair the bumper too?

 

[Christopher_2]

Looking at the body lines or the gaps between them the trunk lid is not aligned either. Look at the gaps at the rear doors to see if they are even all the way around. When I look at wrecked cars that have been fixed I always look at body gaps to see how well they are aligned. Incorrect gaps tell me two things, the technician did not care enough to fix it correctly or the car has other issues that could not be fixed.

Also don't agree to the use of after market body parts. I have had them used in the past and the panels that were newer rusted out and the factory panels did not. This was on a 15 year old truck.

 

[BlueTopaz]

Ouch! I could buy a new CAPA cover and get it painted all for under $200. Did he have to repair the bumper too?

I don't have that kind of connections. PPG paint and materials was close to $100. I'm just unlucky I guess.

 

[Merc6]

The shop near my old dealer in Bedford Auto Mile said hand carry a bumper in and they could have it back to me for $200. Looking at your pictures, you exceeded a bumper swap. You just about exceeded a $1000 deductible if that's your policy set up.

If the person has Progressive and you decided to hit up the Beta Drive location be aware the shop is "Unknown" until the paperwork comes back. The shop they picked for me sucks at painting and they used reman wheels that peeled faster than the OEM wheels already peel dealing with Cleveland winters. I ended up going back to the concierge service center 5 more times to fix the shops issues they caused from repairing the 1 accident.