Car reversed into a lamppost

tart29016

I reversed my car into a lamppost yesterday, I know I am an idiot.

The lamppost is ok in case anybody is wondering.

Damage to the car are -- rear light cover is gone, a dent about approx 2'', some scraches, and the parking sensor needs to be looked at as it has a long beep.

The car is an audi A4 2013 and I do have a comprehensive insurance cover and around 4 years no claim bonus attached to it.

I am devastated to say the least.

anyone has any advice? Should I go to my insurance company? or should I take the hit myself?

Gutted..:(

antodeco

Take the hit yourself. The excess on the insurance could be a large portion of what the repair could actually cost you!

colm_mcm

Stick a light on it and get a 'smart' repairer to look at the bumper with a view to repairing it.

It looks like you didn't do any body damage.


You have parking sensors?

bazz26

Go get a quote for the repair work then decide if you want to pay for it yourself or go through your insurance.

colm_mcm

Is it an LED rear light?

tart29016

Thanks guys, wondering should I go to the dealer or try a local body repair shop first?

@ Colm -- it is an LED light but the light is not broken, just the plastic cover.

Miike

tart29016 wrote: »

Thanks guys, wondering should I go to the dealer or try a local body repair shop first?

@ Colm -- it is an LED light but the light is not broken, just the plastic cover.

Body shop if it was me. Bumper is repairable to a near perfect condition. Parking sensor is mostly likely beeping since it's knocked in and acutely angled towards the bumper, fixing its placement would more than likely sort that.

http://www.micksgarage.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=5449523&modelid=6418 for the rear light.

tart29016

Miike wrote: »

Body shop if it was me. Bumper is repairable to a near perfect condition. Parking sensor is mostly likely beeping since it's knocked in and acutely angled towards the bumper, fixing its placement would more than likely sort that.

http://www.micksgarage.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=5449523&modelid=6418 for the rear light.

Thanks Miike, really appreciate your advice.

greasepalm

are lamps not all in one with led built in?

Miike

greasepalm wrote: »

are lamps not all in one with led built in?

Thankfully the way OP's has been damaged he can just transplant the LED unit in to the new housing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMTF9_0eUTI

punisher5112

Op make sure that light is taped over and no moisture gets in or new complete light will be needed.

Atlantic Dawn

Some nice repairs done here in this post, maybe see who did this job and how much...

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=102435102&postcount=3512

greasepalm

knowing my luck it would crack.

Miike

greasepalm wrote: »

knowing my luck it would crack.

Well known mine it would be robbed out of it while I'm waiting to get it fixed.

Make sure it's taped off as suggested above OP. LED Units arent cheap :rolleyes:

tart29016

Cheers guys for all the response.

I've thought about it last night and called my insurance company this morning.

So I do have a NCB protection which allows me to make 2 claims within 3 years. And the excess on my policy is €250.

I called the audi dealer as well and without seeing the car the ballpark figure cost is 1Kplus.

do ya all rekcon it is worth while to go through the insurance then?

run_Forrest_run

tart29016 wrote: »

I called the audi dealer as well and without seeing the car the ballpark figure cost is 1Kplus.

do ya all rekcon it is worth while to go through the insurance then?

even if the insurance covers it I couldn't sleep at night knowing the main stealers were getting that sort of money for the work.

lawred2

tis but a scratch

worded

From what I've heard people regret going via insurance for small claims

Your premium can go up even if your Ncb is intact. You can't easily move ins co and they can hike Ind premium - what will you do then?


Get it repaired via a non dealer IMHO

oinkely

And your NCB is most likely useless come renewal time if you try to move to another company. They will ask you have you a claim, you will say yes, and they will laugh at your protected NCB. A good indy will repair it for a fraction of what the main dealer will charge and that will be less than it will impact on your insurance renewal next year.

IMO you would be daft to go through insurance, all you would be doing is putting off paying out the money until next year, and the year after, and every year after until you can say no to the 'any claims in the past 5 years' question.

lawred2

Anyone considering using an insurance company for a new taillight and some paint work is bonkers

ohnonotgmail

Given that your excess is 250 it might only cost you another 250 to get it done in an indy. As others have said you might not lose your NCB but effectively you do as you are stuck with your current insurer.

James Bond Junior

Find a good indie body crash repair place. Chances are Audi will farm the work out to an indie place anyway and you'll pay twice in effect.

JohnBoy26

tart29016 wrote: »

Cheers guys for all the response.

I've thought about it last night and called my insurance company this morning.

So I do have a NCB protection which allows me to make 2 claims within 3 years. And the excess on my policy is €250.

I called the audi dealer as well and without seeing the car the ballpark figure cost is 1Kplus.

do ya all rekcon it is worth while to go through the insurance then?

I wouldn't go through insurance nor would I go to an audi dealer to get it repaired. I would get a good bodyshop to repair it.

goz83

DO NOT GO THROUGH INSURANCE.

For less than your excess, you can get this done yourself.

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/AUDI-A4-B8-2014-PASSENGER-SIDE-REAR-LIGHT-WITH-BULB-CLUSTER-8K5945095AA-/142249944271?hash=item211ec1e4cf:g:5f4AAOSw44BYf0ri

Buy that light. Ship it to Parcel Motel up north to get shipping down to £5 plus Parcel Motel fee (€5.50). The whole thing will be just over €60.

Install yourself, of get installed by indy garage while the sort the bumper out. If you are in Dublin, I recommend you go to GVD Autos. I have had these guys do lots of work for me. Tell them the guy with the blue fto sent you. George will look after you. The fitting of the light and bumper repair should cost under €150 there...but don't hold me to it.

Going through insurance will mean a higher premium. Your NCB is worth very little when it's only discounting a massively raised base premium.

StiffOldMan

Ok, I'll be the elephant in the room. How did you manage to crash with parking sensors?

tart29016

ok, here are some updates.

phoned around to a couple of local garages and was quoted from 700 -- 1300 (not audi dealer). This price includes fixing the bumper NOT replace it. But was suggested that if might be worth while to replace it and this will cost an extra 600-700.

The price quoted to me are way higher then suggested here. Am I being ripped off here?

goz83

tart29016 wrote: »

The price quoted to me are way higher then suggested here. Am I being ripped off here?

see post number 24

a snap of the damage will get you a quote

elperello

tart29016 wrote: »

ok, here are some updates.

phoned around to a couple of local garages and was quoted from 700 -- 1300 (not audi dealer). This price includes fixing the bumper NOT replace it. But was suggested that if might be worth while to replace it and this will cost an extra 600-700.

The price quoted to me are way higher then suggested here. Am I being ripped off here?

You really would be better going to the guy Goz recommended or similar with the replacement lamp and showing them the job. When they actually see the car in the flesh you will get a proper quote.
Good luck.

9or10

tart29016 wrote: »

Cheers guys for all the response.

I've thought about it last night and called my insurance company this morning.

So I do have a NCB protection which allows me to make 2 claims within 3 years. And the excess on my policy is €250.

I called the audi dealer as well and without seeing the car the ballpark figure cost is 1Kplus.

do ya all rekcon it is worth while to go through the insurance then?

Yep the theiving baskets insrance company will let you keep your NCB but next year your premium will go up big time - been there got the t-shirt

Arcade_Tryer

Car reversed into a lamppost

Damn driverless cars...

Miike

goz83 wrote: »

DO NOT GO THROUGH INSURANCE.

For less than your excess, you can get this done yourself.

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/AUDI-A4-B8-2014-PASSENGER-SIDE-REAR-LIGHT-WITH-BULB-CLUSTER-8K5945095AA-/142249944271?hash=item211ec1e4cf:g:5f4AAOSw44BYf0ri

Buy that light. Ship it to Parcel Motel up north to get shipping down to £5 plus Parcel Motel fee (€5.50). The whole thing will be just over €60.

Install yourself, of get installed by indy garage while the sort the bumper out. If you are in Dublin, I recommend you go to GVD Autos. I have had these guys do lots of work for me. Tell them the guy with the blue fto sent you. George will look after you. The fitting of the light and bumper repair should cost under €150 there...but don't hold me to it.

Going through insurance will mean a higher premium. Your NCB is worth very little when it's only discounting a massively raised base premium.

His lights are LED, That's not the correct lamp. I linked the right lamp and he can transplant the LED Unit into it with 30 seconds work

goz83

Miike wrote: »

His lights are LED, That's not the correct lamp. I linked the right lamp and he can transplant the LED Unit into it with 30 seconds work

Ah yes, that'll do the job. Didn't realise the one I linked was not LED. Some people are afraid to touch the stalk to turn their lights on, let alone pry the glass off the unit to do a repair. The OP could get that unit from Micks and then get a body shop to sort it.

Mary63

I wouldn't go through the insurance company if its less than a thousand euros.

I wouldn't go through the Audi dealer either, they will rob you.Can you not go to a good panel beater.

goz83

Mary63 wrote: »

I wouldn't go through the insurance company if its less than a thousand euros.

I wouldn't go through the Audi dealer either, they will rob you.Can you not go to a good panel beater.

Not sure a panel beater would be any good with plastic

delly

Hi OP. I think it's clear that the overwhelming consensus is not to go through the insurance, although I get the feeling that you might have a compulsion to do so for some reason.

Cheapest option is to fix the light yourself, then drive to a few places and get a quote for the bumper repair. Quotes over the phone are generally going to be higher than what they would be in person.

JoeA3

Main dealers generally don't do body work. Certainly not shiny Audi dealerships. So if you're pricing the job with "Audi", they will be sending the car down to their preferred local body shop. Possibly adding their own slice onto the price.

Go direct to a reputable local bodyshop. There's no way that job should cost more than €5-600 tops. If it wasn't for the taillight I'd say 300 would do it.

tart29016

Miike wrote: »

His lights are LED, That's not the correct lamp. I linked the right lamp and he can transplant the LED Unit into it with 30 seconds work

Miike, sorry for asking a dumb question. You are suggesting that I get the light you had linked in your previous post and transplant the lights in my car into the housing?

The lights in your link looked lightly different to what I have on my car, does this matter?

Sorry, think I am just being stupid.

tart29016

I've actaully been told that the whole tail light needs to be replaced by a carbody shop. Is this true? Or can they not just replace the outer.

MarkR

http://www.micksgarage.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=5449523&modelid=6418

I did it for a focus before. Same problem. Damn lamp poles!

Fix the light and get a dent doctor type guy to sort the bumper.

Miike

goz83 wrote: »

Ah yes, that'll do the job. Didn't realise the one I linked was not LED. Some people are afraid to touch the stalk to turn their lights on, let alone pry the glass off the unit to do a repair. The OP could get that unit from Micks and then get a body shop to sort it.

To be totally honest on second thought I think I'd be a bit scared of taking the glass off too incase it didn't reseal! :eek:

I think these untis can separated totally from the back without the need to tear the glass off.

Having looked around on the internet they are made as a totally sealed unit as some other poster has said. You need to removed the outer lens with a heat gun and then hope you can reseal the unit!

tart29016 wrote: »

Miike, sorry for asking a dumb question. You are suggesting that I get the light you had linked in your previous post and transplant the lights in my car into the housing?

The lights in your link looked lightly different to what I have on my car, does this matter?

Sorry, think I am just being stupid.

Without comparing the two units it's hard to say. Someone on here is definitely much smarter than I when it comes to this. I'd do a bit of googling and comparing before you make any purchases though

See what I said above about the sealing of the unit.

Kevwoody

OP you should definitely go to a car body repair shop for this, they will fix the light too. It's all very well people here suggesting you fix the light yourself, but I get the feeling you wouldn't be as hands on as some people here!

My mrs was parked up one day and came back to find a note on the widescreen. Someone had scraped the front corner while reversing into the spot beside her. Rang the number, she was all apologies and said she'd pay cash. The Mrs didn't tell me as I was away at the time, she went to the main dealer and got a quote for €750 to repair the scratch.
So she rings me and tells me what happened, and I rang my mate who works in the same main dealer as a mechanic. He told me they do the work but send it to a local crash repair guy.
I came home, took the car up to him and got it fixed to perfection for €150!

Do NOT go to a main dealer!

CiboC

OP, where are you based?

I can recommend these guys:

http://www.allensgarage.ie/index-2.html

Between myself and extended family we have used them on a number of occasions over the years. Always been very satisfied with their work.

At least get a quote from a body shop before you decide. As said above, your dealer will send this job out to a body shop anyway and just slap a margin on the cost for themselves, they will not be repairing it in their own garage so you may as well cut them out of the picture at least.