my boyfreind got into a fender bender and hit out the plastic covering on the headlight of the other guy's car. there are some minor scratches and a ding on the hood. the guy said he would have an estimate and it came out to about 1,600 dollars. the thing is the guy took it to his uncle's repair shop and i beleive they are in cahoots together. by law i beleive you have to get more than one estimate and he is pretty reluctant to do so. my boy is willing to pay for the repairs and they agreed not to contact the insurance company. last month my boyfreind's sister got into an accident and the whole front was destroyed and that alone is 2,000 dollars. how much should it cost on average? this guy is smelling pretty fishy.....
2007-05-25 07:03:09 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
they are definetely trying to rip you off. call up the auto dealers in your area with the year/make/model of the car and get a part price estimate. after you have that, offer them about $100 more for labor for someone to install. headlights are pretty easy to install. I have installed some myself. (and no i am not referring to just the bulb, but the entire lens / headlight assembly.) Installing definetly takes less than 1 hour so $100 for labor is more than generous.
2007-05-25 07:33:57 · answer #1 · answered by Mr. RN 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This other guy is trying to cheat you. He is either padding the bill, or planning to have you pay the money and never have the work done.
And the law does NOT require more than one estimate, but it's always a good idea. Tell the other guy to meet you at at least two body shops you know and trust, so that you can get a couple of estimates. If he complains, tell him that it's not too late to call the insurance companies, who will want police reports, and the whole nine yards. Pick reputable, well-known body shops in your area, so that he doesn't complain that you're trying to get off with cheap, shoddy work.
Once you've got a fair estimate, tell him that if he wants his uncle to do it for the lowest estimate, that's fine. Tell him that when the work is done, you want to see the receipts for the parts, the labor that was used, etc, and that you'll compare them to the estimates from the other shops. If the part lists from the estimates don't match the parts actually used, ask why, and don't pay a dime until the work is actually done. When he complains, pull out a cell phone and start calling your insurance agent.
2007-05-25 07:19:57 · answer #2 · answered by Ralfcoder 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably about $300 if it's easy to install yourself and isn't an HID. If it's HID or tough to install, you could be looking at 4 digits, it might even start with a 2. Here's some good news, if it's expensive, your accident would be covered by your collision coverage. It would be an "at fault" accident but it could save you well over a grand to report. More good news, you should be able to find a generic replacement that looks just like the real thing. Keystone automotive is a big aftermarket headlight supplier - contact them. I've never seen a headlight available as a lens and housing sold separately and headlights might be a hundred bucks on a ten year old ford but they aren't on a Volvo.
2016-05-17 21:25:31 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If he is going to get the hood repaired as well as the head light that is not that bad of a price. what people don't realise is you just can't spot paint a auto panel! what ever panel it is that is to be repaired must be completely painted NOT just spot painted....AND Yes he needs to get three estimates unless the insurance company has there own auto repair shop ...when people have a little scratch on a fender and go to get it repaired they are SHOCKED to find out that it is going to cost them a arm and a left foot big toe. The people that already know this are the people that park way away form other people that do not know this....Like me
2007-05-25 07:24:35 · answer #4 · answered by spence51@sbcglobal.net 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, get a new boyfriend, and then go to Napa or AutoZone and get a new headlight for the make and model of your car.
They are more than likely giving you an estimate to either paint and repair, or replace all the damaged panels of your car.
Headlights shouldn't cost more than 20 dollars as long as you're not driving a Rolls Royce.
2007-05-25 07:10:03 · answer #5 · answered by its2aminphoenix 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah, I would question it also. the plastic over the headlight is Lexan and they run from around $125 to $800 per headlight.
2007-05-25 07:12:12 · answer #6 · answered by dulcrayon 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋