[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

I think when the ignition is off the e-brake will be engaged as ZF 8AT goes to P, right?

No. The emergency/parking brake has to be engaged manually.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

No. The emergency/parking brake has to be engaged manually.

I see, e-brake refers to the handbrake, I misread post#17's e-brake as ZF P.

[Shllshck]

I have to agree with the others. You shouldn’t have to talk to the other insurance company. In my accident, the two insurance companies talked. I picked my repair shop. Other driver found at fault, so no deductible for me to pay. Talked to my insurance company twice was very painless.

[YASBBYM3]

Originally Posted by LA1Z24

Fortunately for you, Insurance regulations dictate that YOU get to choose which shop works on your car. Nobody else, except YOU!

https://www.collisionclaims.com/info...repair-rights/

In theory, correct. In practice, not exactly.

You can have it repaired anywhere you want. But you can easily end up paying the difference.

For example, you might want it repaired at a BMW Certified Collision Center. However, their contract with BMW does not allow the use of used parts.

As your car is used, Insurance is only required to find equivalent condition parts. So, if you want it repaired at a certified BMW Collision shop, odds are you will pay the difference in the used part price and the new part price.

In most cases used bumpers, hood and most body parts are never used anyway. But used items such as headlights, taillights etc are often used. In this is the case, you cannot use the aforementioned BMW Certified Collision Shop unless you pay about $1k extra per headlight for a new part.

Furthermore, if the rates for the shop you want used are higher than the standard rates in your area, they will write you a check based on those rates. You can go to the top end shop for repair, but can end up paying the difference.

[YASBBYM3]

Originally Posted by WDE82

You only do that if they're uninsured or uncooperative.

Might be a California law, but that is not true in virtually any other State.

[WDE82]

Originally Posted by YASBBYM3

Might be a California law, but that is not true in virtually any other State.

Nah I'm not from CA and I have no incident experience here. At least in TN and AL it works this way.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by WDE82

You only do that if they're uninsured or uncooperative.

I haven't dealt with other party's insurance as mine allows subrogation claims.

[LA1Z24]

Originally Posted by YASBBYM3

In theory, correct. In practice, not exactly.

You can have it repaired anywhere you want. But you can easily end up paying the difference.

For example, you might want it repaired at a BMW Certified Collision Center. However, their contract with BMW does not allow the use of used parts.

As your car is used, Insurance is only required to find equivalent condition parts. So, if you want it repaired at a certified BMW Collision shop, odds are you will pay the difference in the used part price and the new part price.

In most cases used bumpers, hood and most body parts are never used anyway. But used items such as headlights, taillights etc are often used. In this is the case, you cannot use the aforementioned BMW Certified Collision Shop unless you pay about $1k extra per headlight for a new part.

Furthermore, if the rates for the shop you want used are higher than the standard rates in your area, they will write you a check based on those rates. You can go to the top end shop for repair, but can end up paying the difference.

This just isn't true. I am an auto tech, and my repair shop has a complete body shop attached to it. There is NEVER a remainder for the customer to pay unless they want something extra done to the car. The insurance company covers everything if they are at fault. Yes they will fight kick and scream to pay the least but if you had a mint headlight with no scratches or cracks prior, you get a brand new headlight then...Paid for by the insurance company. If your car had preexisting damage which needs to be repair along side with new damage, then you pay that out of pocket.

[njdangelo]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

I think when the ignition is off the e-brake will be engaged as ZF 8AT goes to P, right?

E brake is manual, not electric. It has to be engaged by the driver.

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by YASBBYM3

For example, you might want it repaired at a BMW Certified Collision Center. However, their contract with BMW does not allow the use of used parts.

Replacement quarter panel on the F30 is cold bonded and riveted to minimize the possibility of corrosion and minimizing heat cycling at replacement seams (the only weld point is at the upper C pillar). A certified shop that does BMW will know this, explain it to insurance, and the car gets a new OEM panel. If this were my car that's the only concern I'd have with someone trying to use LKQ parts. Certified BMW shops will still use LKQ or aftermarket from time to time. Having said that, I don't know what year F30 OP's car is but there is a good chance this one is done for based on what I'm seeing in those photos.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by Chihuahua

Certified BMW shops will still use LKQ or aftermarket from time to time.

When CCRC shops use non-BMW parts, the repair is no longer covered under 2 years/unlimited parts warranty from BMWNA.

Having said that, many insurance network shops have lifetime warranty, so one option is to find CCRCs(BMW parts + processes) that are also insurance network shops(lifetime warranty).

Currently there is one(maybe 2?) dealer sponsored CCRC that is also in my insurer's network, the dealer-owned CCRCs that I used to work with are no longer network shops though.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Chihuahua

Replacement quarter panel on the F30 is cold bonded and riveted to minimize the possibility of corrosion and minimizing heat cycling at replacement seams (the only weld point is at the upper C pillar). A certified shop that does BMW will know this, explain it to insurance, and the car gets a new OEM panel. If this were my car that's the only concern I'd have with someone trying to use LKQ parts. Certified BMW shops will still use LKQ or aftermarket from time to time. Having said that, I don't know what year F30 OP's car is but there is a good chance this one is done for based on what I'm seeing in those photos.

I checked his profile. It’s a 2016. That may increase the odds of it being totaled, but with values in this market I’ll be surprised if it’s totaled. Unless the suspension damage is just really bad.

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

When CCRC shops use non-BMW parts, the repair is no longer covered under 2 years/unlimited parts warranty from BMWNA.

Having said that, many insurance network shops have lifetime warranty, so one option is to find CCRCs(BMW parts + processes) that are also insurance network shops(lifetime warranty).

Currently there is one(maybe 2?) dealer sponsored CCRC that is also in my insurer's network, the dealer-owned CCRCs that I used to work with are no longer network shops though.

Yep, they still do it though...

You're absolutely spot on too. At the end of the day, the person doing the repair is much, much more important than where it's being done.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by Chihuahua

Yep, they still do it though...

You're absolutely spot on too. At the end of the day, the person doing the repair is much, much more important than where it's being done.

Yes I had bad experience with CCRC too, and had to return for whole bumper respray.

I was specific in the 2nd attempt that I was ready to report to BMWNA, and the foreman took over and the result was factory-like.

There was also one repair at a top-rated Euro body shop that went wrong. They had too many jobs at the time, so my car plus the replacement parts sat in the shop for a month. When they got to do mine, the booth filters weren't replaced, so the finished paint had particles embedded below the base coat.

Recently coworker did have a frame damage that other Euro shops just said it could be pulled out, but a CCRC wrote a detailed estimate with photos to backup the repair, and insurance just totaled the car with a great payout.

[BradNC]

I grew up working in an independent body shop and was an estimator there for a time. You can go to any shop you choose. You don't even have to go get their estimate. Take it to the shop you believe will fix it right. You will not get left with any portion of the bill unless you choose to do extra work beyond that caused by the accident.

By law you can go to any shop you want and it will be covered. You aren't required to get any estimates, including theirs. They just know if they can get it towed there the odds are higher it'll get repaired there, where they've negotiated better rates.

If your car is in really good shape you can press the body shop to press the insurance company to use all OEM parts.

My experience is that dealership body shops are usually quite poor. The best are the higher end independent shops with a great reputation.

Good luck.

[YASBBYM3]

Originally Posted by LA1Z24

This just isn't true. I am an auto tech, and my repair shop has a complete body shop attached to it. There is NEVER a remainder for the customer to pay unless they want something extra done to the car. The insurance company covers everything if they are at fault. Yes they will fight kick and scream to pay the least but if you had a mint headlight with no scratches or cracks prior, you get a brand new headlight then...Paid for by the insurance company. If your car had preexisting damage which needs to be repair along side with new damage, then you pay that out of pocket.

BMW Certified Collision Centers have a signed agreement with BMW not to use any used parts. Period. They lose their certification if caught. Using any LKQ parts and they are history. Not worth it to them. Remember, very few Dealership have BMW Certified Collision Centers, though most all have their own Collision Centers.

Your shop is clearly not a BMW Certified Collision Center.

That’s just an example of why the broad and generic statement “you can get your car repaired wherever you want” is true in principle, but one has to pay attention to the details.

There are very few instances where insurance will pay for all new OEM Parts where suitable used parts are available. The consumer ends up paying the difference if they want new parts (or OEM).

As there are ridiculous markups on OEM Parts, if the overall job is worth enough to them, they will take the job and use new parts discounting them internally. But they do not have to do that. And if they are swamped and not enough hours on job, they will not match the estimate.

So you an have your car repaired there, however, you owe the difference.

Just one example of how the generic saying is true, but the devil is in the details.