[KTE]

Long story short, slow speed ~10mph shunt, no doubt about the “formalities” or blame so to speak, few dash cam recordings will be made available if required, via witness etc

The big question like everyone has to contemplate is.. go ahead and repair privately or go through insurance… third party advised they would prefer to go private to avoid insurance costs rising for the both of us.. I replied that would be entirely dependent on the extent of damage to the headlight.

It’s too dark to thoroughly figure out extent of damage, but a very small scratch (size of a tic tac maybe) on the wing, with the majority of damage being on the near side bumper.. feeding into the left headlight. It does not *seem* cracked, but at 11 degrees and only a few minutes in the car I am unsure why there is so much condensation in the unit compared to the right side.

Can headlights be polished/“buffed” out, and if so what potential issues could I face? (Somewhat aware of the UV protection).

Other thing to note, they are adaptive xenons so a replacement used unit probably throws the “private” repair route out the window, if one is needed.

Headlight “hit” showing extra condensation (even after arriving to destination)

Have 8/9 years NCB, they are protected.. unsure how much more renewal would be as a result of this.

[MY340i]

Go through insurance. Peace of mind.

[xenon]

No way would I go through insurance for that - smart repair paid for by other driver would be my preference. If you go through insurance then you'll get loaded come renewal - unfair, but it is what it is.

[ABall]

Originally Posted by KTE

Long story short, slow speed ~10mph shunt, no doubt about the “formalities” or blame so to speak, few dash cam recordings will be made available if required, via witness etc

The big question like everyone has to contemplate is.. go ahead and repair privately or go through insurance… third party advised they would prefer to go private to avoid insurance costs rising for the both of us.. I replied that would be entirely dependent on the extent of damage to the headlight.

It’s too dark to thoroughly figure out extent of damage, but a very small scratch (size of a tic tac maybe) on the wing, with the majority of damage being on the near side bumper.. feeding into the left headlight. It does not *seem* cracked, but at 11 degrees and only a few minutes in the car I am unsure why there is so much condensation in the unit compared to the right side.

Can headlights be polished/“buffed” out, and if so what potential issues could I face? (Somewhat aware of the UV protection).

Other thing to note, they are adaptive xenons so a replacement used unit probably throws the “private” repair route out the window, if one is needed.

Headlight “hit” showing extra condensation (even after arriving to destination)

https://share.icloud.com/photos/082i...380_2qWS_ZUGCw

Other headlight:

https://share.icloud.com/photos/07cU...mdgBD0jIigbt-Q


General pics:

https://share.icloud.com/photos/06d5...n__ts7dPoMx4uA



Have 8/9 years NCB, they are protected.. unsure how much more renewal would be as a result of this.

Have you tried doing a new insurance quote? I always use more than one comparison site, you can check prices and see how much if any extra adding a claim will cost. Unfortunately even non fault claims on a 3rd parties insurance will increase your insurance, its madness, this happened to my boss, someone hit his parked car when his insurance was due, the third party told there insurance and he didnt bother to claim but his new insurance company called him and threatened to cancel because he didnt declare it, thats how he found out the 3rd party had informed thier insurance, even though no claim was made they made him pay about £30. He speant so many hours and aggro geting it sorted out, I wouldnt take his extra payment as too much of a guide, insurance companies are a law unto themselves, good luck.
I would get a couple of quotes and pass the costs on to the 3rd party for a private repair.

[Eddamoo]

If you read the T&C's of Car insurance, it says ALL accidents need to be declared. That means whether you've claimed or not. By that logic, you might as well go through an accident management company at least.

We once used SytnerDrive which is a branded subsidiary of a major accident management co. At the time it was a godsend as we had a newborn and they actually took care of you (at home collection & delivery of the cars, BMW repair guaranteed, same-class courtesy car, quick turnaround).

Acc management companies dont ask for your insurance details and will go straight to the at-fault driver before proceeding. They work with you directly so its up to you about informing your insurers so you get the same level of discretion as 'agreeing to leave it' or a peer-peer arrangement in my experience. Thats not to say your insurance will be happy though if you omit mentioning it to them...

One more benefit i feel of doing that way, is that you at least get an on-record proof of liability somewhere. This would provide 'some' safety, should the at-fault party decide to try-it-on later down the line.

[KTE]

There is damage beyond what meets the eye, like the bonnet and alloy. Can comfortably fit a finger in between bonnet and headlight when opening/closing. Evident misalignment/movement.

Alloy shaved off up a noticeable chunk of metal.. not like normal “curb rash”. Hello renewal price increase my new friend.

What would a 20/30/40mph hit look like?? Do I need a Jeremy Clarkson top gear edition Volvo 😂.

Originally Posted by ABall

Have you tried doing a new insurance quote? I always use more than one comparison site, you can check prices and see how much if any extra adding a claim will cost. Unfortunately even non fault claims on a 3rd parties insurance will increase your insurance, its madness, this happened to my boss, someone hit his parked car when his insurance was due, the third party told there insurance and he didnt bother to claim but his new insurance company called him and threatened to cancel because he didnt declare it, thats how he found out the 3rd party had informed thier insurance, even though no claim was made they made him pay about £30. He speant so many hours and aggro geting it sorted out, I wouldnt take his extra payment as too much of a guide, insurance companies are a law unto themselves, good luck.
I would get a couple of quotes and pass the costs on to the 3rd party for a private repair.

Approx £300-£400 additional.. with recent double ups/increases will be paying more than I was in my early 20s

Lights positioning/alignment alone is a big hassle as it’s linked to the camera for the “special effects” of adaptive, or maybe that’s just the HBA.. either way something is out of place. Not to mention the condensation which may lead to a “premature” death at some point in the future.

Originally Posted by Eddamoo

If you read the T&C's of Car insurance, it says ALL accidents need to be declared. That means whether you've claimed or not. By that logic, you might as well go through an accident management company at least.

We once used SytnerDrive which is a branded subsidiary of a major accident management co. At the time it was a godsend as we had a newborn and they actually took care of you (at home collection & delivery of the cars, BMW repair guaranteed, same-class courtesy car, quick turnaround).

Acc management companies dont ask for your insurance details and will go straight to the at-fault driver before proceeding. They work with you directly so its up to you about informing your insurers so you get the same level of discretion as 'agreeing to leave it' or a peer-peer arrangement in my experience. Thats not to say your insurance will be happy though if you omit mentioning it to them...

One more benefit i feel of doing that way, is that you at least get an on-record proof of liability somewhere. This would provide 'some' safety, should the at-fault party decide to try-it-on later down the line.

Scanned the T&Cs, mentions to call the claims specialist for a claim. Nothing about declaring ‘accidents’ with no intention to claim? Not sure if this is an industry norm, first time being involved in a minor accident.

Fortunately I’m with a good insurer (time will tell, fingers crossed!), approved bodyshop with lifetime guarantee etc… like for like car.. going down this route is less hassle for when I encounter any shoddy workmanship, or excessive orange peel and need to rely on the motor ombudsman, which reading up online has little to no say over these incident management companies.

Originally Posted by xenon

No way would I go through insurance for that - smart repair paid for by other driver would be my preference. If you go through insurance then you'll get loaded come renewal - unfair, but it is what it is.

Whilst I would normally agree…you’d be surprised how much can go wrong with a little ‘bump’ as I’ve come to learn.. getting loaded one way or another unless the plan is to get rid of the car shortly after.

(Bonnet misalignment, potential xenon failure, suspension alignment?)

Bonnet retainment catch is a MOT fail even if one of the pair fail, which is happening regularly unless I slam down hard. Depends on the day… is the tester willing to slam it down, or will they pick up on it and fail, or class it as a secondary “catch”.. too many ifs

Lights = ££££ including respective re-alignment with adaptive/HBA, including physical position if moved (maybe, maybe not)

It’s a lose lose… just two various combinations. Little to no financial cost, with various potential issues beyond “repainted” bodywork, or increased costs for 5 years and a car covered by warranty..

[xenon]

OK the damage may be more significant than it appeared in the photos. I broke my adaptive xenon (full dancing lights; not just HBA) and the lamp unit was about £1200 main-dealer fitted, so if it's damaged beyond just a scuff you are probably best off with insurance

[TurboWeasel]

Have a look at the back of the headlight for damage. They are very deep and any knocks to the wing or bumper can crack the housing.....which would explain your condensation.

Last winter I slid my car into my garden wall, at like 3 mph. 7 year old P Zeros on icy block paving....say no more.

Car dropped off for repair for what I assumed would just be a wing (no other visible damage) but was told a £1500 headlight needed adding to the bill as the back of it was cracked.

One thing I would say about getting one headlight replaced is the lense clarity difference between old and new will forever bug you if you are picky about the car's appearance.

Even polishing my old one didn't match the new one. The polycarbonate just ages and discolours over time.

[Armaan]

Originally Posted by Eddamoo

If you read the T&C's of Car insurance, it says ALL accidents need to be declared. That means whether you've claimed or not. By that logic, you might as well go through an accident management company at least.

We once used SytnerDrive which is a branded subsidiary of a major accident management co. At the time it was a godsend as we had a newborn and they actually took care of you (at home collection & delivery of the cars, BMW repair guaranteed, same-class courtesy car, quick turnaround).

Acc management companies dont ask for your insurance details and will go straight to the at-fault driver before proceeding. They work with you directly so its up to you about informing your insurers so you get the same level of discretion as 'agreeing to leave it' or a peer-peer arrangement in my experience. Thats not to say your insurance will be happy though if you omit mentioning it to them...

One more benefit i feel of doing that way, is that you at least get an on-record proof of liability somewhere. This would provide 'some' safety, should the at-fault party decide to try-it-on later down the line.

Whilst I agree this may have worked for you, the cost of using such companies is nothing short of extortionate - yes they sort everything, but they make huge amounts of money in the 3rd party claim for that. A private claim for £1-2k in this instance will comfortably triple.

Armaan