It is common knowledge that automobile accidents can be quite expensive, and damage from car accidents and other situations can add up quickly. This is one of the reasons that car insurance is extremely important. Things that seem like they could be extremely to easy to fix can end up costing a lot more than one might expect. Also, there are some things that seem like they will be a lot more expensive to fix than they actually are. Knowing some of the costs of common auto body repairs can be useful, and prices can range anywhere from $50-$2000 and more, depending on the damages.
Some of these costs are determined by new manufacturing technology, materials cars are made of, and a number of other factors. Depending on your deductible, how much your car insurance could go up, and whether or not you have both the money and need to get the damage fixed, you may decide to file a claim with your car insurance company or not.
Sometimes it simply does not make sense to file a claim, which will be touched on later. There are a number of common auto repair scenarios, and knowing whether or not it makes sense to file a claim starts with awareness. Here are a few of the situations that you might encounter.
Costs For Dented Bumpers
Dented bumpers can happen for a number of reasons. Whether you are slowly driving when an ice patch helps you swerve into a pole, or any number of other situations occur, if your bumper is dented, the costs can vary pretty drastically.
Both the severity of the damage to the bumper, as well as the type of vehicle you are driving, impact costs in this situation. Since many vehicles have additional technology in the bumper, including sensors that help people avoid collisions, the range of costs for bumper repair can be quite large. On the low end of the repair spectrum, people can expect to pay a few hundred dollars to replace a bumper. Of course, with higher end vehicles the cost of a bumper could be $1000 or more.
Some people do choose to fix this type of damage themselves when they can, and you will want to compare the cost of the repair to your deductible, as well as potential increases in your insurance premiums, before making a decision to make a claim to repair a dented bumper. In any case, unless you are in an accident that is the other driver’s fault, in which case their insurance will pay for the damage, or unless you have collision coverage with a low enough deductible, you may want to fix the damage yourself or pay for the cost out-of-pocket.
Costs For Deep Paint Scratches
Another thing that is quite common in terms of vehicle damage is deep paint scratches. If you misjudge the spacing of a pole, you may find yourself brushing against it in a way that creates deep paint scratches on your vehicle. There are many other reasons that scratches can occur, but regardless of how they happened, the scratches may need to be fixed.
Depending on how many scratches there are, the company you choose to repair the damage, and other variables, the repairs for paint scratches that are deep can range anywhere from $300-$4,000 or more in some extreme cases. If the vehicle that is damaged is a luxury vehicle, it can cost even more. If you have comprehensive coverage, and the damage is due to vandalism, the repairs can be covered by simply paying your deductible. Comprehensive insurance is not required in any state, so you will need to have purchased it as an add-on.
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for expenses that are related to covered perils. These perils can include vandalism, fire, falling objects, civil disturbance, damage done to your car by animals, and more. Be sure to look over your comprehensive insurance policy so that you know precisely what it covers. A police report may be required for filing a comprehensive coverage claim.
If the damage to your vehicle is a lot more than your deductible or more than you can afford to pay out-of-pocket, it may be a good idea to file a claim. Comprehensive insurance claims are most often not considered to be your fault, meaning that your insurance premium will not go up if you file a claim.
Costs For A Cracked Windshield
This is relatively common, with small rocks being flung up by semi-trucks, cars, minivans, and any other type of vehicle, towards your windshield. In most cases, damaged windshields are easy to fix. The costs, however, can range from $100-$500 or more in the cases of luxury vehicles. Often, auto insurance companies offer a different deductible, or no deductible at all, for cracked windshield repair services. Check with your car insurance company as to whether or not this type of repair is included in your coverage. If it is, there is a likelihood that the deductible will be lower to fix this type of damage than your standard deductible.
Costs For Suspension Damage
No one enjoys potholes, and they can inflict a lot of damage to your vehicle. If you hit a large pothole, or your suspension is damaged for other reasons, you may be able to file a claim to get it fixed. Costs can have a large range, depending on how severe the damage is. Replacing an entire suspension can cost up to $5,000 or more. Most often, a wheel alignment, shock absorber replacement, strut replacement, ball joint replacement, or some combination of these things, is all that you need. This is generally covered under your collision insurance policy, damage from potholes, which is not required by law to have. This means you will need to have purchased collision coverage as add-on coverage to file a claim.
Unless there is significant damage, and you cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket, the majority of the repairs will generally be under your deductible cost. You will want to keep in mind that filing a claim on collision coverage often results in a higher car insurance premium.
Costs For Rear End Damage
Rear end damage can also be quite expensive, depending on if the frame of your car is bent. If it is not, a few hundred dollars might cover your expenses. If your car frame is bent, you can expect to be paying quite a bit more than that. In some cases, on standard cars, the expenses could get as high as $9,000 or more. If the damage is caused by another driver, his insurance company might cover the costs. This would come out of his property damage liability insurance. If the other driver does not have insurance, and you have purchased collision coverage, your collision coverage can help cover the costs to repair your vehicle. Some people choose to get uninsured motorist coverage, or underinsured motorist coverage, to help pay for expenses if the other person does not have insurance, or does not have enough protection to cover your costs.
