wit2pz

I got sideswiped by a young driver a couple weeks ago. He hit the driver's side rear door and slid up to the front door. I scheduled a visit with the insurance estimator this past Friday. He said he will have the front door replaced, the back door repaired, and the rocker trim repaired. He wrote a check for about $2500 and told me I could have the repairs done at a shop of my choice.

I am undecided on whether to have a MB Dealership do the work or to take it to a shop I used near home who did great work on the roof of my Corvette.

The dealership draw is that (in my mind) they are certified MB mechanics and will do the best work with quality parts. My fear is that the dealership I went to before seemed to be more focused on how fast they could get the product out the door instead of the quality of the work.

As well, I want to get the rear bumper and hood repainted while they have it. The paint on the top surface of the bumper is fading, and the hood paint is in need of attention. I don't want to get raped, but I do want to get these issues addressed.

I feel like the shop near my house may give me the better price overall, but I don't want parts that are not OEM used in the repairs.

What would you guys do/ recommend?

Quadcammer

any reputable shop will use OEM body parts. If it costs more than the estimate, they will file a supplement. If the other guy's insurance balks, file a claim with your insurance and they will subrogate with the other ins. company.

good bodywork is nearly impossible to find. If you find a good shop, stick with them.

vettdvr

USE an in house MB dealer that your the ins will warranty the work. I own a vet too and VERY picky on who works on it, but the MB has foreign parts and my last non MB dealer repair left something to be desired.

eatcake

You want an indy body shop that specializes in foreign cars. They'll use MB parts and will haggle with the insurance company if the $2500 is not enough to get the repair done properly.

The body shop's job is to repair the car to the condition it was before the accident so that it can sustain a similar accident the way the manufacturer has designed the car to.

The dealer most likely does NOT do the body work in-house but they send it out.

You can also ask the dealer what shop they recommend you take the car to because that's where they're just going to send it anyway.

How do I know all this? I have a friend who does work on Japanese and German cars. Most of the time the customers bring the car directly to him as recommended by the dealers, but sometimes they decide to just drop it off at the dealer and my friend will go get the car from there then deliver it back there.

homeofstone

Ditto

wit2pz

Thanks for the responses guys. According to my normal dealership, MB of Alexandria, they recommended I go to MB of Arlington because they do have a body shop in-house. I have no doubt they can hang the new front door with no problem. My worry is how they'll "fix" the rear door and the rocker panel. I guess I'll just have to go in and ask...

I really *think* I want to sell the car or trade it in on a nice used Hyundai Sonata Limited, like from 2007 to 2010 model year. Between this and the shift valve issues, plus all the miles (almost 95,000) I've accumulated because of trips to NYC to help my mom and my (now deceased) uncle, my faith in the product is starting to wane a bit!

Somebody out there got some encouraging facts to keep me on track?

AMGAffalterbach

I know vettdvr will continue to dispute my points on this as he has had an awful experience with the pre-facelift W211, certainly not his own fault, but really ask yourself if you're willing to trade in the luxury and exclusivity of a Mercedes W211 for a Sonata. Now I know that Hyundai has improved drastically within the past several years, but for the most part I still feel that their interiors are of sub-par quality. A neighbor of mine has a 2008 and despises its grotesque interior and dated electronics.

Despite some issues with the M272 I give you this video of encouragement. Obviously a million kilometers is unheard of on a road-driven car, but apparently it works on a dyno.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfMHOkZYt2Q

homeofstone

I of course have my 2005 E500, however, my main car now is a 2011 Hyundai Genesis 4.6 tech pkg., purchased new sept. 2010 and now has 68k miles on it. The Genesis has been near perfect and is faster with more room than the E500. Very low maintenance cost and no failures of anykind.

AMGAffalterbach

Hyundai killed my dog.

homeofstone

Was that your dog? Sorry

AMGAffalterbach

Long Islander

Sorry to hear about your accident. Based on what you describe, $2500 is about half of what it will cost to get the job done right. And what about rental car coverage while your car is in the shop (should be around two weeks). In the future, I suggest not going in to the drive-in claims center. They are there to write low ball checks to people who are going to pocket the check and not get the car repaired.

Pick out the body shop of your choice, get a rental car, and have the body shop deal with the insurance company.

homeofstone

Good advice ^

wit2pz

I'm doing exactly that, guys. Tyson's Corner Collision Center took a look at the adjuster's write-up and determined the rear door couldn't be fixed. He's got the supplemental costs turned in to the insurance co. and is waiting for response.

Thanks for all your input! Next move, to my service dealership to get the 7G-Tronic transmission problem(s) fixed under warranty.