I have a 2008 Subaru Impreza, Outback Sport that I bought new. In 2010, I had an accident but chose to not get it fixed because I didn’t want my insurance to go up (I had a minor fender bender 2 years previous and was still paying increased rates from that accident). The damage from this most recent accident was mostly cosmetic. The hood is bent but operable, the grill is gone and one headlamp is out of whack. A couple of weeks later, I hit a pillar in a parking garage (I’m not a bad driver, just some unfortunate circumstances!!! REALLY!!) and did damage to the left front quarter panel. Again, chose not to get it fixed.
The car is paid for, has 82,000 miles and I plan on driving it for a long time (I think), however, the damage is not growing old gracefully. My question is, at this point, should I pay out of pocket to get it fixed, leave it as is or sell it/trade it in and buy a new car (I really like the new Subaru XV Crosstrek)??? I never got an estimate so I have no idea how much it would cost to fix it.
Consider using USED parts to fix it when paying out of pocket .
Even if they’re a different color from the wrecking yard…oh, ‘scuse me…’‘recycling center’’…they’ll be perfectly functional.
Whether you fix it or not, you will pay for the body damage when you sell it or trade it in. I’d fix it. That way you can control cost. Get 3 itemized estimates to fix it.
Used parts is the only way to go. I’d also recommend fixing your vehicle.
I’ve had the same situation in the past with older cars in good condition and paid for the parts myself and got used body parts. When the deductible starts nearing the resale value of the car, it makes sense to pay for it yourself. Insurance companies fully support this.
Did the same thing with a 66 Caddy I owned. I have 3 different door colors…and not one was the color of the rest of the car. Also a different color on the trunk hood. Kinda Rainbow color Caddy. It ran very well…was functional…and very comfortable. Just a royal pain to parallel park.
IMO, if you have not yet done so, this would be a good time to cancel your collision and increase your deductible to $1000. It appears that your accidents are such that it would be inapproriate to rely on your insurance and you would save a few hundred bucks on premiums,