11 Audi A3 a bit squashed

eversmann

Short version of story:

Got a brand new Audi A3 Diesel in April last year. Put 20k miles on it. Went to my local dealer in early December about changing it this year for the same again and was quoted €5500.

Then this happened :mad:



Short story of that:

The farmer didnt tie down his load and the bales fell off the trailer and on to my car...lucky they didnt fall on the front or i wouldnt be writing this :rolleyes: That happened on the 16th December. Needless to say, the farmer is 100% in the wrong and has admitted such.

Story after that:

His insurance co. took away the car, had it assessed and said it was €8k to €9k for repairs. They said they'd repair it and get me back on the road and talk about depreciation then. i told them to rock on...

Christmas Break

Story after that:

Had my own guy look at it (before it left house) and he said 'the shocks were f*cked or misaligned or something (I'm not a mechanic). Heard then that only yesterday did their assessor look at it and it was put up on '4 wheel alignment thingy' No word so far.

Ok, my problem:

The car is almost brand new. I called my local audi dealer and he said from what I told him he would want an extra €6.5k to €7.5k (on top of the €5.5k) to change it for me. In fact, he wouldnt be interested in taking it at all

Ok, my question(s):

Am I to be out of pocket for something that was completely not my fault? At what point will the car be 'wrote off'? What the f*ck am I going to do with a car that a main audi dealer wont take off me? When they say 'talk about depreciation' are they trying to f*ck me over once I've agreed to repairs?

PS:

Been to the doctors twice now with back/shoulder problems, on painkillers, keeping receipts

heate

How did you manage to injure your shoulder if the bales hit the back?
The cost you're quoting is obviously far greater than the picture suggests but you are entitled not to make a loss as a result of the negligent actions of another individual!
As for the car element do you change every year and have a good relationship with the dealer? Is accident damage even noted in Ireland?

Yakuza

A car is an economic write off if the cost to repair is greater than its replacement value. It would be far better for you if it were written off, as most insurance policies have a new for old clause if a brand new car is written off in its first year.

You should be indemnified by the farmer's insurance, i.e. left in the same position as you were before the accident; i.e. with an almost new A3. Obviously a damaged/repaired A3 will be less value than one the same age that has had nothing happen to it, so I'd be showing the insurance company the new quote from the dealer that shows the extra cost to change for a damaged/repaired car as opposed to a pristine one. You should be looking for around that figure in depreciation.

galwaytt

On a car under 12 months old, for damage to that extent, you are entitled to a 'like-for-like' new replacement from most insurance companies - don't take back your car, repaired, from anyone.

Not because it can't be repaired - cos anything can - but can you imagine selling that, down the road, with that history ? No-one would touch it for anything other than 'dirt' money. The cost of the 'repair' is, in fact, the quotes you've got, PLUS the depreciation on the value. Add them together and I'm saying the car is 'uneconomic' (to you), to repair.

Nope, stand your ground, and demand a like-for-like - aka new, replacement.

eversmann

heate wrote: »

How did you manage to injure your shoulder if the bales hit the back?

I have no idea But it happened

heate wrote: »

The cost you're quoting is obviously far greater than the picture suggests

I'll post up some more (they're not great though) quote is from their repair guy.

heate wrote: »

You are entitled not to make a loss as a result of the negligent actions of another individual!

How do they quantify 'not being able to trade in my car

heate wrote: »

As for the car element do you change every year and have a good relationship with the dealer?

Have a very good relationship with the dealer. This is my first new car

listermint

heate wrote: »

How did you manage to injure your shoulder if the bales hit the back?
The cost you're quoting is obviously far greater than the picture suggests but you are entitled not to make a loss as a result of the negligent actions of another individual!
As for the car element do you change every year and have a good relationship with the dealer? Is accident damage even noted in Ireland?

Replacement of all rear windows, Rear Shocks, Springs, Rear Trunk Lid, New Rear quarter panel, Roof Panel. Plus Welds for same, Oh and then paint and labour.

Did i mention chassis allignment ??

The cost is spot on to be brutally honest, your wrong.

George Dalton

That car would never ever be 100% right after being repaired. If I were you there is no way I would accept a repair in that situation.

eversmann

Another pic, which is a bit sh*t to be honest...Didnt really want to be looking at it

ottostreet

Don't back down. Get your car replaced like for like, no repairs.

EPM

Have you spoken to your own insurance company? Have they given advice?

eversmann

EPM wrote: »

Have you spoken to your own insurance company? Have they given advice?

Yes, they were very helpful by telling me to go after the farmer's insurance co. :rolleyes:

opinion guy

Do you have written quotes from your dealer for the first offer ?
IF so get a new quote.

Either way get a letter from the dealer detailing his first quote and a new quote. Then talk to the insurance - you will ahve to be very firm with them I suspect.

Interesting that its been some time and you aren't hearing anytihng. Maybe that its just Christmas/New Years slow down, or maybe its not so easy to fix. Anyhow I wouldn't accept what they are offering you. You'll never be able to sell the thing - at least not till its ancient.

Poor A3:(

si_guru

eversmann wrote: »

Yes, they were very helpful by telling me to go after the farmer's insurance co. :rolleyes:

I would imagine you are fully comp with legal protection????

Tell THEM to go after the farmers insurance!

That is dreadful bad luck you had, sorry to see that.

DonJose

Sorry to hear about your car and hope you get a replacement. Was the driver/farmer charged with driving with an unsecured load, that accident could have been a lot worse, could have hit you smack in the front or it could have been a motorcycle.

"Load security is covered specifically by Road Traffic legislation, which requires that loads carried by vehicles must be properly secured at all times. It is an offence for a vehicle to be overloaded or to discharge material onto the public road."
http://www.rsa.ie/PageFiles/4952/loadsecurity.pdf

si_guru

^^^ good point... wasn't some poor sod killed in the UK a few years back by a digger hoe coming loose?

BrianD3

lucky they didnt fall on the front or i wouldnt be writing this

Off topic but the IIHS have started testing cars for roof strength and there was a dramatic difference between the best and worst

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3TwtrAxua0

If bales fall on your car being in a VW Tiguan instead of a Kia Sportage might be the difference bewtween walking away and being crushed/decapitated

TheZ

Do you have your own insurance assessor?
They charge about 10% of what they get you but usually will be worthwhile

Get a recommendation for a good one and leave them off to negotiate with the insurance company appointed assessor.

partyatmygaff

TheZ wrote: »

Do you have your own insurance assessor?
They charge about 10% of what they get you but usually will be worthwhile

Get a recommendation for a good one and leave them off to negotiate with the insurance company appointed assessor.

10% of a new Audi A3 is a fair bit of money though, isn't it?

si_guru

Just a stark reminder..

Mike Edwards was killed on the A381 between Harbertonford and Halwell near where he lived in Totnes in Devon, on 3 September 2010, when a cylindrical hay bale weighing 600 kilograms (1,300 lb) rolled down a hillside and collided with the van he was driving. As of September 2010, Devon and Cornwall Police and the Health and Safety Executive are investigating the cause of the accident.

for those of us over 40, Mike was the Cellist with ELO.

TheZ

partyatmygaff wrote: »

10% of a new Audi A3 is a fair bit of money though, isn't it?

not sure if that is a standard rate but logic is that they amount you pay is less than the extra they get for you

in the OPs case they should be able to get him cost of a new car and not the cost of the repairs as outlined - if he can do that himself then no need for loss assessor but for a claim of that size I would get a professional involved

If he has personal injuries he also needs to talk to a lawyer

TheZ

si_guru wrote: »

^^^ good point... wasn't some poor sod killed in the UK a few years back by a digger hoe coming loose?

off topic but if you ever see a truck entering a motorway hang back from it

few years ago i saw a line of cars with their windscreens smashed and a truck ahead - some scumbags had put rocks on the top of the trailer which stayed there until the truck built up speed on the motorway.....

I would have thought that car was a right off, I'm no way qualified to say so but I'm struggling to fathom a bodyshop sorting that properly.

listermint

Doable but very very expensive.

I would garner that due to its year thats why it is being considered. an '09 would be straight away written off.

MidlandsM

Op, tell the insurers that you're going to a solicitor is your car is not replaced for it full PAV within 5 working days.

Also, insist on a rental immediately and all associated costs will be charged to them in any settlement (medical bills/consultations,fuel,taxis,whatever)

That'll stir them into action.

dgt

RoverJames wrote: »

I would have thought that car was a right off, I'm no way qualified to say so but I'm struggling to fathom a bodyshop sorting that properly.

You would need to use one of these





Believe me, they ain't cheap even to look at :pac:

You can also buy the quarter panel, c pillar and roof. A quick search threw up this new quarter panel (albeit for the older model) for 120



From here

Then theres fitting the parts, painting the car, checking gaps and tolerances, inspections etc etc etc.... 8 to 9k aint bad considering the parts and work involved

But as mentioned above, mention crash repair and thats it, worthless car. If I were doing this kind of repair I'd keep the car for long and long

opinion guy

si_guru wrote: »

Just a stark reminder..

for those of us over 40, Mike was the Cellist with ELO.

I saw some CLOWN on the M1 a week back with a dumper truck of stacked round bales - unsecured and overloaded in the high winds.

I phoned it in the the cops but was too afraid to get close enough to get the licence plate.

Actually that reminds me this incident made me decide to get a dashcam......toddles off to ebay...

CamperMan

eversmann wrote: »

PS:

Been to the doctors twice now with back/shoulder problems, on painkillers, keeping receipts

back & shoulder injuries, surprised you didn't call the fire brigade to come and cut you out...

CamperMan

RoverJames wrote: »

I would have thought that car was a right off, I'm no way qualified to say so but I'm struggling to fathom a bodyshop sorting that properly.

that can be repaired if you have the proper facilities, I worked in the panel beating business years ago and saw cars worse than than being repaired

MidlandsM

CamperMan wrote: »

back & shoulder injuries, surprised you didn't call the fire brigade to come and cut you out...

hows your sex life OP? :pac:

Many peoiple in accidents like yours suffer from "issues" resulting from the trauma/stress and use these "issues" for more leverage on payout for a claim.




.

eversmann

opinion guy wrote: »

Do you have written quotes from your dealer for the first offer ?

Yep, I have that done mate.

DonJose wrote: »

Was the driver/farmer charged with driving with an unsecured load?

I havent heard anything.

TheZ wrote: »

Do you have your own insurance assessor?

The assessor for my co. and theirs turned out to be the same guy :rolleyes:

MidlandsM wrote: »

Op, tell the insurers that you're going to a solicitor is your car is not replaced for it full PAV within 5 working days.

Also, insist on a rental immediately and all associated costs will be charged to them in any settlement (medical bills/consultations,fuel,taxis,whatever)

PAV?

I didnt want to take a rental as that would be possibly agreeing to their repair solution. Anyways, they said I could only have it for 10 days and I'm not back to work till Monday.

MidlandsM

eversmann wrote: »

Yep, I have that done mate.



I havent heard anything.



The assessor for my co. and theirs turned out to be the same guy :rolleyes:



PAV?

I didnt want to take a rental as that would be possibly agreeing to their repair solution. Anyways, they said I could only have it for 10 days and I'm not back to work till Monday.

PAV, pre-accident-value.

Re; the rental, you should take it, just tell them in writing you'll agree to taking one on a "without predjudice" basis.
And re; the 10 days, thats bollox, you keep it as long as you need it, just don't give it back till your sorted. It's up to them to get it sorted within the 10 days.

eversmann

MidlandsM wrote: »

hows your sex life OP? :pac:

Many peoiple in accidents like yours suffer from "issues" resulting from the trauma/stress and use these "issues" for more leverage on payout for a claim.

If my sex life was a movie, the title would be...

'Alone in the Dark'

Whats the craic with the preexisting Audi warranty after the repairs are done?

thebiglad

Unless the repair costs exceed 60% of current market value the car will be repaired.

If you want the new for old replacement you must claim on your own policy, the other party's insurer will only give you the market value if they accept it is a write off - on a car under 1 year old you may get a shock at what that actually is.

Regarding car hire - it is not a simple as I had a car therefore they must give me a car, you will need to demonstrate the need for a car - do you drive to work etc - if not then proving a need may be difficult - you are duty bound to minimise your losses.

Best bet is to put the claim through your own policy, get the car repaired (if that is the recomended solution by accident repair specialists). Then if you are not happy sell the car noting the loss on the sale and bundle that loss in with your injury claim. My personal view though is that you will not achieve anything like the amount you want and will end up out of pocket (which for right or wrong will be offset by compensation for 'injuries').

opinion guy

eversmann wrote: »

If my sex life was a movie, the title would be...

'Alone in the Dark'

Whats the craic with the preexisting Audi warranty after the repairs are done?

AFAIK the warranty is intact if genuine audi parts are used. However in this case with signficant structural damage I'm not so sure. You'd better check that with the dealer

MidlandsM

....to be honest, I'd not want that car back, it'll never be right.

Press for it to be wrote off is my advice.

theaceofspies

A solicitors letter usually enhances the processing speed of such matters

eversmann

thebiglad wrote: »

Unless the repair costs exceed 60% of current market value the car will be repaired.

Dealer quoted me €5.5k to change 1 week before crash pricing my car at €22386, so any repairs would have to be €13431 ? :mad:

Who the **** would want to buy or trade in my car from me with €8 - €10k s worth of work done? Answer = No-one

Going to pick up a rental today, Garage has been told not to touch the car without my express permission.

MidlandsM

eversmann wrote: »

Dealer quoted me €5.5k to change 1 week before crash pricing my car at €22386, so any repairs would have to be €13431 ? :mad:

Who the **** would want to buy or trade in my car from me with €8 - €10k s worth of work done? Answer = No-one

Going to pick up a rental today, Garage has been told not to touch the car without my express permission.

Man, its a pisser alright, such a PITA.

Still, it's only metal and plastic, it'll be sorted soon enough, be thankfull one of those bales did'nt kill you!

As an aul fella told me years ago, "Any accident you can walk away from, is a good one"..!

so true.....

dgt

dgt wrote: »

...........

You can also buy the quarter panel, c pillar and roof. A quick search threw up this new quarter panel (albeit for the older model) for 120 ...............

Ah yeah I know quarter panels are available, I wouldn't have thought a roof was though, I know some cars have rood skins that can be replaced but if an actual replacement roof was required I would have thought you'd be at Cat B stage to be honest

mickdw

eversmann wrote: »

thebiglad wrote: »

Unless the repair costs exceed 60% of current market value the car will be repaired.

Dealer quoted me €5.5k to change 1 week before crash pricing my car at €22386, so any repairs would have to be €13431 ? :mad:

Who the **** would want to buy or trade in my car from me with €8 - €10k s worth of work done? Answer = No-one

Going to pick up a rental today, Garage has been told not to touch the car without my express permission.

The repair cost could easily climb over 60% of value should any additional issues be found with the car.
get a private engineers inspection. A slightly twisted sub frame and a pile of suspension arms or something like that might make it an economic write off on top of the bodywork damage.
I figure the value they will have for the car will be much lower than 22.5k too so that will take you closer to 60% again.
A Dealer who is interested in salvage/repair and new car sales would be the man to deal with. They would assist in using every legal trick in the book to get the car written off so that both you and themselves come out well out of this.
Defo get an engineer/ assessor working for you. He/she might find a lot of things that have been overlooked.

Big Nasty

eversmann wrote: »

Dealer quoted me €5.5k to change 1 week before crash pricing my car at €22386, so any repairs would have to be €13431 ? :mad:

Who the **** would want to buy or trade in my car from me with €8 - €10k s worth of work done? Answer = No-one

Straw-Man argument! :pac::pac::pac:

eversmann

mickdw wrote: »

The repair cost could easily climb over 60% of value should any additional issues be found with the car.
get a private engineers inspection. A slightly twisted sub frame and a pile of suspension arms or something like that might make it an economic write off on top of the bodywork damage.
I figure the value they will have for the car will be much lower than 22.5k too so that will take you closer to 60% again.
A Dealer who is interested in salvage/repair and new car sales would be the man to deal with. They would assist in using every legal trick in the book to get the car written off so that both you and themselves come out well out of this.

Anyone got an idea of the 'book value' of an 11 Audi A3 1.6 Diesel with 20k km?

eversmann

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Straw-Man argument! :pac::pac::pac:

Angryman argument :pac::pac::pac:

listermint

eversmann wrote: »

Anyone got an idea of the 'book value' of an 11 Audi A3 1.6 Diesel with 20k km?

TBH alot of them seem to go on carzone and the likes. but they would have a book value i suppose for 2011.

RustyNut

eversmann wrote: »

Anyone got an idea of the 'book value' of an 11 Audi A3 1.6 Diesel with 20k km?

The vrt people put it at just over €18,000 omsp. That might be a starting point.

eversmann

RustyNut wrote: »

The vrt people put it at just over €18,000 omsp. That might be a starting point.

If I could buy one for €18k i'd get a spare one :rolleyes:

listermint

eversmann wrote: »

If I could buy one for €18k i'd get a spare one :rolleyes:

Well thats a fair estimate for insurance companies, id get that on a print out and work with that towards your end.

Jimdagym

CamperMan wrote: »

back & shoulder injuries, surprised you didn't call the fire brigade to come and cut you out...

If I was the Op and thought they might leave me with a patched up car I couldnt sell, I'd make sure the firebrigade was there to cut me out...

mickdw

eversmann wrote: »

If I could buy one for €18k i'd get a spare one :rolleyes:

If you could get a total loss payout of over €19k you wouldnt work out too bad.
Going in with cash as opposed to a trade in, the new car would be discounted significantly, something like 2k off. That is taking you close enough to where you were before the accident.

Again, do everything in your power to have it written off.

heate

I couldn't tell from the photos initially but with the list of items needing replacement I would have assumed a definite write off - replacing the rear suspension and straightening the car out - it will never be the same!
An all new A3 is on its way soon enough you might benefit if your gonna buy new again - as things go it may well be cheaper with better specs and even lower emissions if that sort of thing grabs you.
Otherwise you're going to have to fight your corner on making the car a w/o and getting a fair settlement for the damage done.
On the subject Glad your okay and as someone tried to remember it was ELO's Mike Edwards that was killed when a hay bale hit his van.

eversmann

Its all in the hands of the solicitor now :pac: