So I hit a raccoon last night on the interstate coming home from work. It cracked the black lip right under the intercooler, dented in the mesh grill in front of the intercooler, and smashed in the bottom row of the intercooler. My ? Is should I file an insurance claim or just foot the bill myself?

 

i'd do an insurance claim. you're over your $500 deductible just in parts.

 

The money which insurance will give you to fix it will be far less than the drop in vehicle resale value which will occur from the carfax report showing it was in an "accident" when you go to sell it.

Insurance may give you $1000 to fix it, but when you go to sell, people will pull carfax, and will expect you to knock 25% off the sale price.

I'd just pick up some used parts and fix it on my own.

 

Should always try to keep you're comprehensive deductible as low as possible. For instances just like this.


Growing up in an area with a huge deer population you learn this one quick.

Yes I would use insurance to cover this that's what it's there for

 

You have insurance for a reason...

 

I'd use the claim, in fact I did. Mine was vandalism, someone threw a rock or something at it. Didn't raise my insurance (primary concern.) And the whole drops in value thing I didn't really bother to think about. I'm going to be honest when I sell it anyway (in fact it already sold and I now have a new one) so whether it's on the carfax or not became inconsequential. It happened, be truthful and if the work is done right it won't make a different in the end.

If the buyer is going to be picky about buying the car because of the carfax when he knows what happened (no frame damage etc) then the buyer would be picky about buying the car because of the accident even if it's not on the carfax. I'd fix the bumper and pay my deductible and be done with it.

 

File the claim and just take pictures of the damage if it does come up when selling just show the pictures of the damage. As for losing 25% from an accident, not around here. I've seen rebuilt title (previous salvage title) vehicles sell for maybe 20% off fair market value.

 

In my 8, I tapped a deer at about 5mph and cracked one of the headlights slightly. I got $1200 from insurance for it, and just lived with the tiny crack.

 

I doubt it will be on the carfax. I have traded in two previous vehicles with accidents on them, one being an Evo X, and carfax's for both had zero accidents on them. I believe carfax only comes into play when there is a police report.

 

The whole front bumper needs to be replaced, they don't just sell that one piece separately. File it under insurance, the bill will go up quickly. If you want to buy a stock intercooler sent me a pm, I'll hook you up.

 

Does everything get reported to carfax? I took my old car in for repair and it never showed up on car fax. Depending on how much over the deductible, I would report it.

I worked as an auto insurance appraiser a long time ago and you would be amazed at how just a "little damage" adds up. Especially with a lot of these new bumpers where they have to buy everything as a kit, even if you don't need it all. I have seen some bumpers going for 1500$ or more. Although depending on your insurance company (Progressive is one) they can force you to go aftermarket and used if the car is over a certain amount of miles or age.

I used to get yelled at from clients when I told them I was putting used parts on their cars. I would just say, "The damaged part we are replacing is used, right?"

 

I don't think you're going to lose 20-25% value on a simple comprehensive claim. If it had a major accident with a branded title, maybe.

 

Do you have some pics of the damage?

 

I agree 25% way high unless its major damage,

 

Correct