Advice wanted re probable car write-off - should I claim or not?

[Sue]

I had a horrid incident on Monday afternoon - when driving quite fast in the middle lane of the M40 my bonnet suddenly flew up and smashed the windscreen. I was by myself. Managed to get onto the hard shoulder despite no visibility, miraculously with no collisions with anything else :(

(The last time the bonnet was up was a homestart mechanic last week who came out to investigate a very loud rattling noise (loose outside cover of heat exchanger as it turned out - which he removed). GRRRRR)

Anyway. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Possibly one or both of the bonnet catches suddenly became faulty :(

The windscreen has now been replaced (insurance) but I need to decide whether or not to put in an insurance claim for the totally mangled bonnet (presently temporarily but securely held down). I have a protected no claims discount, so any claim would not affect next year's premium, and the windscreen replacement doesn't either.

It's a 1998 Micra GX, low mileage, regularly serviced, just MOTed and (was) in pretty good nick for its age. However clearly it would be a write-off were I to claim as it would be considered beyond economical repair.

I've spoken to the insurance company and asked what they would value the car at, and they basically said they couldn't say, but that if I claimed they'd look at available market info etc..

But once I've claimed their engineer will presumably look at it, and I imagine I can't withdraw the claim once it's been written off and valued.

I've done some googling, but the lowest price was a valuation site which gave the value at ?262 whilst the highest was a garage which is selling an identical car (same spec, same colour, similar mileage) for ?1100. That's a very huge range :(

My excess is ?250 and the ?75 excess for the windscreen (already paid) would be deducted from that if I claimed, ie I'd have to pay another ?175.

I don't want the hassle and expense of buying another car, and I'm getting a quote shortly to replace the bonnet. I'm assuming that the insurance company would let me keep the car if they write it off, but don't know if I'd have to pay anything for it.

What should I do? If I claim, after I've paid the excess I could end up with nothing from the insurance company to spend on the repairs. On the other hand I could get sufficient to pay for the repairs.

It all depends on how they value the car :(

Is there something I've missed? Should I just not risk making a claim?

[Alan Medic]

Your lucky to be alive by the sound of it. Just do the lottery and buy a new car with your windfall.

[Sue]

LOL.

Do the lottery already, never won more than ?60!

Yes I'm extremely lucky, and even more so because a very short way ahead there was a slip road with cars entering the M40 and if it had happened there I'd have had another lane of traffic to get across :(

[Lowlander]

The insurance company will always offer something desultory, so do your homework, get a good market value, and be prepared to haggle with them if you decide to claim. I know many people who've accepted the first offer the insurance co. have made and lost hundreds.

For the ?1100 one, print it, make sure it's a close match, and prepare for a few weeks of negotiating; you should get something close. And be ruthless - they are, so should you!

Good luck - hopefully someone with recent experience will be on soon to give more advice.

[SLad]

The insurance company will send an assessor to view the car and produce a brief report giving pre-accident market value mostly based on Glasses (I think) and cost of repairs. BTW i'm not sure the insurer would accept the retail value of the car as they'd probably be looking at trade value as the true representation of price.

If the cost of repairs are more than a certain percentage of the market value (I can't remember what it is but remember thinking it was low) then the car will be a category C or D write off (again, I think). You will then be offered the pre-accident value of the vehicle minus your excess minus any deemed salvage value and the car should then be yours to dispose of as you wish or repair knowing that it has a category write off against it's name. I don't know what the category does to your insurance premium when it comes time to renew and/or whether you can renew so it would be worth checking that out via the internet before doing anything else.

Having said all that, I would also check your insurance policy terms and conditions to see whether you have to report the damage to them as there is a requirement of utmost good faith in all first party insurance contracts so if there is something material you're supposed to tell an insurer during the insurance period and you don't they can, if it's sufficiently material that they would have done something differently, use it to not pay out on any claim.

Good luck.

[Sue]

Thanks Lowlander and SLad, that's all very useful.

The insurance company already knows about the incident because initially my recovery service passed my call to them on the grounds that it "wasn't a breakdown" and that they should recover my car.

The insurance company of course then said that it "wasn't an accident." There was then quite a long period of to-ing and fro-ing whilst it was getting darker and the rush hour traffic starting.

Not that this was adding to my stress at all :))

Eventually the rescue service recovered me free of charge.

My insurance company have all the details, but haven't seen the damage. They have just asked me to let them know "as soon as I can" whether or not I intend to pursue a claim.

[Jeremy]

Good luck Sue, but honestly - ?1100 for a '98 Micra is far, far too high. I'd be amazed if you got anywhere near that.

If you DO accept their write-off payment, the car becomes property of the insurer - if you want to keep it, they will deduct the scrap/salvage value from the payout: http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/technical_notes/motor-valuation.html#16

[Sue]

Yeh, thanks Jeremy.

I had a car written off once before, years ago - also on a motorway, somebody drifted into my lane and bounced off me twice side on, but didn't stop. Possibly they had fallen asleep.

On that occasion the insurer gave the salvage value as ?0 :)) Can't remember what the car was. Presumably not the new Volvo I once won in a competition :)

I agree ?1100 is a ridiculous amount, and more than I paid for the Micra about eight years ago :) albeit I bought it from a friend of a friend at a good price.

But my concern is that I don't seem to be able to find out the insurer's valuation before I go forward with a claim, and once I've made the claim I'm stuffed if the valuation is very low.

[SLad]

As before most of the engineers uses Glass' guide values for pre-accident values. You might be able to get some idea of the value off their website.

[Sue]

Thanks SLad, I will look.

ETA: That's very useful and the prices are higher than I thought - from dealer ?900 and that's with average mileage.

Private sale over ?500 ditto.

Looks like it might be worth going ahead with a claim, but I need to have another conversation with the insurer first probably ..... hey ho.

[ruffers]

I'd just get a garage to fit a second hand bonnet from a breakers, assuming the rest of the car is ok.

[Jeremy]

Yep, I'd do the same... if you are confident there's still life in the old dog, just get it fixed as cheaply as you can out of your own pocket.

Your renewal premium rockets up after making a claim... in fact, I probably wouldn't have even told the insurer in the first place.

[Sue]

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Yep, I'd do the same... if you are confident

> there's still life in the old dog, just get it

> fixed as cheaply as you can out of your own

> pocket.

>

> Your renewal premium rockets up after making a

> claim... in fact, I probably wouldn't have even

> told the insurer in the first place.

My premium won't be affected as I have a protected NCD. I have already double checked this with the insurer.

I did not contact the insurer. That was the last thing on my mind. The insurer was contacted by the rescue service shortly after I phoned them, because the rescue service initially said they would not recover the car because it was not classified as a breakdown, however they did in the end, though at one point they tried to charge me (later retracted).

I use an excellent mobile mechanic who is coming to look at the car this morning. I had already looked online for a bonnet but there aren't many about and none the right colour, however that's a minor detail. Provided there is no other damage, it looks to me just a matter of unscrewing and then screwing up four screws.

Having researched prices more (thanks for the reminder about Glass's Guide) it looks to me as if it would be worth making a claim even if they go by private sale prices, provided I get to keep the car, which I'm sure I will.

Thanks everybody.

[Jeremy]

Good luck, hope it all gets sorted.

[Otta]

Nothing to add, but bloody hell, that sounds scary. Glad you managed to get out of it unscathed.

[Sue]

Thanks all.

Bad news, mechanic has just looked at it and the damage is worse than I thought because the hinges have moved.

He can't do it, so I'm going to go and get a quote for repair elsewhere (been recommended someone in a PM).

May have to get a new car (sod's law has just been serviced and MOTed and had new brake pads).

But hey as the guy who replaced the windscreen said, it's only a car.

At least I'm still alive :)

[Sue]

Damn can't get hold of place I was recommended.

Anybody know a cheap body place? (No cheap jokes please :)) )

[ruffers]

JS Coachworks just over in Forest Hill - top guy. Did a similar job for us.

http://www.jscoachworks.co.uk/

[Sue]

Thanks Ruffers :)

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Can't remember the name, but the first garage under the arches as you drive down Blenheim Grove in Peckham (from Bellenden Rd).

Also, the chap opposite the corner gift shop in Bellenden Rd (the one with the art deco stuff above its door) - he's by a post box.

Both are reasonably reasonable.

[Sue]

Thanks PGC.

Went to one place this afternoon, they quoted ?200 plus VAT just for repainting a bonnet if the one I got was the wrong colour ...... that's on top of fitting it and not including the cost of the bonnet.

Hmmm.

Think I can live with a white bonnet on a dark green car. Maybe I can put some creative graffiti on it :)

ETA: Before somebody else does, LOL :))

[ruffers]

What was the cost to fit?

If you go here Sue - http://www.breakeryard.com/ - and register what you want breakers with it will get in touch with you, you can specify the colour.

[Sue]

Thanks ruffers, I've already registered on several sites including that one.

There don't seem to be any green bonnets around, and very few in other colours either :( Somebody did contact me with a pale green one :(

Cost to fit they reckoned would be ?67.50 plus VAT.

Bonnet from scrappy would be up to around ?50, then delivery if not in London.

Can't really understand how it can cost ?200 to spray a bonnet, I wouldn't have thought it would take very long? It won't even be on the car, so they wouldn't have to mask anything :(

In any case, given the age of the car, it won't match the rest of the car (though will look better than a blue, silver, pale green or white one which is all I've managed to find so far :)) )

ETA: Just got notification of a black one ....

[Sue]

One star review about a place in Chadwick Road (only review in fact) :(

"Didn't listen or do anything I asked

Rude, slow, shoddy & unprofessional

SWORE AT ME DURING TELEPHONE CALL"

Won't be getting an estimate from then, then :))

[intexasatthe moment]

red bonnet with the green body would look nice and festive ....or maybe you could paint it yourself ,add a few swirls and curlicues ?