GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: dipstick on 28 November 2017, 14:32
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Hi guys and gals.
It's been a while since I've been on, but there's nothing like a crash to bring me back and share.
Someone drove into my pride and joy on Friday night whilst it was parked outside my house. I was in, heard the crash, and got all insurance details etc.
The other driver was a gentleman in an adapted VW Caddy who said he just didn't see my car and literally drove into the rear off side with his front near side.
I'm still awaiting the collection of my car for any possible repair.. but how bad is the damage?!
(http://imgur.com/TfsDVJT.jpg)
(http://imgur.com/B4o4Lot.jpg)
(http://imgur.com/DLtAbRR.jpg)
The rear bumper, rear quarter panel, fuel cap and rear driver side door are all damaged, along with the driver side brake light unit, a flat tyre and heavily scratched alloy - but clearly the main damage is where the wheel currently is, compared to where it should be.
So what are we thinking? Repairable? Write-off?
Thought appreciated. It's quite cathartic just typing this up :angry:
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What a shame. Lucky you were in and got the blokes details.
I’d want it written off if it were mine. The pick up points for the rear suspension have likely taken a big impact and having a rear quarter cut out wouldn’t really appeal to me either.
That car would never be the same again IMO so wouldn’t want it back.
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I very much doubt that they would wright off for that kind of damage.
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That's my feeling too - I have GAP vehicle replacement plus insurance and so I think that a write-off would be the best solution for me.
I've taken good care of the paintwork (not to Booth standards though!) with only one or two minor swirls and stone chips, so the idea of a cutout saddens me.
However with the car only 19 months old I'm not sure that the repairer/insurer will necessarily agree...
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Easily repairable but probably quite costly to sort that wheel alignment issue out. The replacement alloy will probably cost at least £500 on its own (unsure of current prices). However, the other parties insurance should cover it all.
I'd just push to make my own repair arrangements directly with an official VW bodyshop once you have approval. I wouldn't want the 'local recommended' authorised repair shop to do it as I'd want to ensure they used the correct paint, parts and so on. The insurer will always arrange what's best for them & not you unless you push for it.
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Bad luch dipstick, you must be gutted :sad: As above, I'd expect it will be repairable. An older car perhaps not just because of value to cost. I hope it gets sorted quickly and to your satisfaction :smiley:
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Ouch, that looks pretty bad tbh :sick:
That said, I'm sure body shops see far worse every day.
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If it was mine, I'd want it written off.
However, the damage doesn't look bad enough to write it off. So you may be in for a fight for what you want.
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Very bad luck, feel your pain. Really painful to see. But easily repairable by a reputable body shop but will be costly.
Just over a year ago I got hit on a roundabout (hit and run) in the rear and bumper, rear quarter, wheel, tyre all damaged (car was only 11 months old at the time). All repairable.
Rear quarter repaired and resprayed/blended
New bumper and brackets
New vent panel (behind bumper)
New sill mouldings
Pretoria wheel refurb (at Lepsons)
Hunter 4 wheel alignment
Paint
Cost was £3.5k but car as good as new. I chose my own bodyshop rather than the insurers as had experience of their work.
This is how it looked after the crash.
(https://s33.postimg.org/yfcdreqfj/427392_D1-_FB6_E-4_AD8-_A0_F9-_DA5180839_E95.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://s33.postimg.org/rovwhyg4f/51_C1_EB32-_A50_C-4_C3_A-_A29_F-5_CB0_AC851_E45.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://s33.postimg.org/lny7kz18v/6_A3_EBCFA-_CF89-42_FA-_AF64-_D64_CA21291_C8.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://s33.postimg.org/nsikm2alb/A30324_D4-0_ECB-4_AE4-_BBA5-83_FB352_AD523.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://s33.postimg.org/lf0muj15r/0_B1_FC34_E-_F389-49_BC-_AD6_E-5154984_E65_D1.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
This was after repairs.
(https://s33.postimg.org/iwextx00v/153_E986_E-1_C22-41_D4-_B415-_A5455_DC87410.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/pmvf3cn6j/)
(https://s33.postimg.org/77ay5wr1r/2211_EF8_B-7324-4_D44-870_A-2_F810_EA17_B5_A.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/5s9dh6pyj/)
(https://s33.postimg.org/j96c03xq7/5838_B480-_DE0_B-44_C6-84_FE-_DEACC0_A61_C3_F.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/ena7rrc6z/)
(https://s33.postimg.org/uyabo21jj/8_ED94589-_C29_D-4949-8115-_AA5_EB27_CB45_A.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/cipuqnnez/)
(https://s33.postimg.org/yunnk21yn/9_C3_E552_D-_AD41-4_F6_A-_A9_D9-1_E1_DC2_F1_EB5_E.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/n5jnw3azv/)
(https://s33.postimg.org/okl8ktrin/FA742708-78_CC-47_FC-_A198-_B2490304_A2_C2.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/b3oa1yh6z/)
Sorry for all the pics but just to demonstrate that such damage is repairable and your car can be back to its best in the care of a good bodyshop.
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The bodywork is one thing but the bent suspension is something else altogether IMO
You have gap insurance so I would be pushing to have the car written off personally.
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That is awful, I'm thinking a £5K job so unlikely a write off on a 16 plate, but worth pushing it. Rotten luck mate.
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An assessor and good body shop looks beyond the bodywork and will assess any damage to suspension etc and advise accordingly.
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Sorry to see your accident. It's an awful feeling. Some of my previous cars have been driven into a number of times. One time I got rear ended again just a few days after it came back from being repaired after an initial rear end collision.
I agree with the others. Although it looks bad I doubt it's a write-off. If it comes back from repair, make sure the bumper is properly fitted with no sticking out bits and check the panel gaps as well are ok.
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Aren't there criteria beyond cost that cause a writeoff? Roof or pillar damage for example that compromises structural integrity?
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Aren't there criteria beyond cost that cause a writeoff? Roof or pillar damage for example that compromises structural integrity?
Absolutely yes.
In my instance I'm not sure there's such damage that would apply, the only question is what if any damage has been done to the underside - suspension, arms, chassis etc?
All doors and boot open and close fine and there doesn't appear to be any rippling to the floor, so I don't think there's any major/unrepairble structural damage really.
I'll see what the repair shop says - it's now going to my local approved VW place. If it wasn't leased I would be more specific about where it goes, but now I'll definitely be handing it back in 18 months time and because of that it needs to be up to spec to prevent any potential penalty fees when it comes to handing it back.
If there is any chance of a write-off, I'll be going for it - I just don't think there will be.
Thanks all for the kind words, I'll update when I know more.
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The pick up points for the suspension are designed to be stronger than the control arms so that they don’t get damage hitting curbs etc. The control arms are sacrificial to some e tent
That wheel has been pushed forward enough to distort the wheel arch liner, blow out a tyre and damage a wheel
I would be worried about how much strain was transferred to these mounting points. Personally I wouldn’t want it back
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All this talk of write off is nonsense, that'll be repaired with absolutely no issues whatsoever.
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OP; it’s never nice when your car gets damaged, especially when it’s not your fault. IMO it looks like it’s repairable. Most insurers use a write off repair to value threshold of 50-60%, so if repairs don’t exceed 50-60% of the car’s value, then it’ll be repaired rather than written off.
Currently, early 16 plate non performance pack 5 door manual GTI’s are up for sale on VW’s website for £20k - £22k. Using a £21k value figure and a write off to repair threshold value of 50%, repairs would need to cost more than £10.5k for the insurer to write the car off. Based on your pictures, I wouldn’t expect repairs to cost that much; just my opinion though, and I’m not an motor insurance damage assessor!
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All this talk of write off is nonsense, that'll be repaired with absolutely no issues whatsoever.
Agree with you on that I see worse everyday being repaired and most cars on the road these days have probably seen worse yet most people wouldn't know
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Don't have X-ray vision but as far as the alignment is concerned I can't see it wanting any more than a offside rear trailing control arm and possibly the upper control arm and at a push an anti roll bar too. The strength of the control arms is deliberately weakened in ways to fold under strain from the wrong direction. These parts aren't normally excessively expensive or labour intensive to fit. It'll be a bolt together process and alignment can be done by a specialist afterwards.