HD? Ran 3500 into ditch = $5000 repairs

[c5dura]

Well, the dealer got my truck running again after my deer/ditch mishap. It is now sitting at the body shop for the non-mechanical portion of the repair.

The tab from the dealer was $2230. They had to replace the following:

PS Pump $ 384
PS Hose $ 50
Serp Belt $ 58
ECM $ 1272
Fluids $ 13
Labor $ 453

They believe that when I tried to get myself unstuck, I blew the PS hose, which in turn took out the pump. They also believe that the PS fluid all over the driver side of the engine compartment took out the ECM. Is that like the main unit that contains the PCM?

I ordered up an oil sample kit to ensure that there is not some unknown issue with water/mud getting past the K&N as they did say they found dirt past the filter when they took it apart.

Anyway, these trucks don't appear to be all that HD after all. I mean, I have gotten my old '81 F150 4x4 w/ 33x12.5's stuck much much worse on many occasions and never broke anything.

Oh, and the body shop repairs will be around $2700, which includes the following new pieces:

Front bumper $ 367
Bumper brackets (2) $ 218
Fog lamps (2) $ 164
Deflector $ 82

And rather than a new rear composite fender, they are going to repair the existing one, which I'm going to talk to the body shop about Monday, because I don't really want this truck to be a bondo sled already.

All this from a simple run into a ditch at maybe 10-15 mph. :rolleyes:

[ 10-27-2002: Message edited by: c5dura ]</p>

[FirstDiesel]

They should be able to fix the rear fender and you will never know. These are plastic fenders and they will not use Bondo. They will bond new plastic into the crack. It's like melting 2 pieces of plastic together. It becomes 1 solid piece just like new. I had a crack in my fender when I got my turck. They had tightened an inner liner screw too tight and it put a crack in the fender. They took the fender off and bonded it and painted it and you can't see it at all.

[mackin]

What can be said beside...WOW !!!!!!!
That's a lot of cost associated with a 10 MPH crash.....
Hope for you sake all is covered under your insurance minus the deductible.....Either your right and they aren't so HD or its like when the toast falls off the counter and lands jelly down, you hit it in just the right sweet spot .......Hope all is repaired to your liking.....

MAC

[GMCTRUCK]

You could probably get a decent aftermarket front bumper instead of putting the same flimsy crap back on the front for not much more $. That might save you some damage if there is a next time.

[c5dura]

FirstDiesel, I'll be sure to talk to them about bonding new plastic into the crack. Allstate did estimate 7 hours to repair the fender, another 4.7 hours to paint it, and 3.5 hours to remove and reinstall. So hopefully it will look great when they're done!

Allstate also estimated 6 hours to clean inside and out, and another hour to clean the PS fluid mess under the hood. (This truck was DIRTY when the Allstate dude wrote the estimate)

Other than the $500 deductable, there is no other cost to me. Also, being that a deer was involved, my premium won't go up as a result of this.

I think I'll stick with the OEM front bumper as I have a Warn 15000 w/ the Rio Grande mount on my mod list.

C5dura

[FirstDiesel]

c5dura

I think you'll find that is the only way the fender gets fixed. Bondo style repairs won't work on this type fender since it has flex to it. If your shop has a dsecent body guy there is no way you can tell the fender has been repaired. I can't tell on my truck. Best thing about this repair is that they take the fender o0ff the truck and do it on a bench, then repaint it off the truck. No chance of any overspray etc.

[Paintdude]

7 hrs of repair on a composite fender is alot of time..My guess is the fender is boarderline for replacement..

It can be fixed if the Tech knows what to use on it. I personally would not stand for it and make them put a new(like kind and quality)fender on MY truck..The fender wasn`t broken and repaired before the accident..

Just remember new is new and repaired is repaired..

My 2 cents..

[c5dura]

Spoke to the adjuster and the shop this morning. The crack in the fender is about 4 inches long and is midway between the top of the wheel and the bed rail.

Adjuster and shop both felt 7 hours was very generous and that the repair would probably take a lot less. I argued for 10 minutes with the adjuster explaining this is a brand new truck and that new is new and repaired is repaired and bla bla bla. But it boils down the the fact that the piece is repairable and as such their policy is that it gets repaired, not replaced.

7 hrs @ $36 = $252 vs. new fender which is $644.24. I can pay the $392.24 difference and have a new fender, but I don't feel that is worth it since the shop feels the repair will be perfect inside and out.

The shop has been around since 1964 and they are one of the best in town and have a lot of experience working on composite pieces.

Life goes on...

C5dura

[Heavy Duty Neil]

Aim for the deer next time.

[xpladox]

heheheh

[c5dura]

Once I get that Warn M15000 mounted, you bet ya. A little powerwashing afterwards, and she'll look good as new (the truck that is).

C5dura

[Paintdude]

Let them repair it and if you can see the repair or if it shows up later, then they will have to replace it..that is about all you can do...Get it in writing...3 yr 36,000 mile warrenty on repaired fender..Just like your truck had on it new..

Then you can change your insurance company...Allstate is not one of our favorate companies around here..Is this a Allstate prefered shop?

My labor rate is 42 per hour..

Any shop owner that wants to help his customer(keep him happy) would ask you, if he sold you a new fender for his COST would you pay the difference? My guess is the new fender cost him just over 400 bucks..

I will not put on generic parts if I can cost out a OEM one for the same money...It just saves problems later down the road..

customer is always right,,right?

[c5dura]

It is NOT an Allstate prefered shop. I learned to stay far away from those after I had one 'fix' my corvette after another mishap. They cracked my kick panels from improper lifting, used a generic nose piece so the fog lights don't line up anymore, and did a poor job on the fiberglass repair in the trunk. Not to mentioned one of the front fender bolts fell out from underneath the car within a week, and to top it off, they forgot to install a underside panel trim piece. I got into it with the adjuster (different guy) and he basically told me that I had to go back to the same shop to have the repairs corrected. I have not gone back yet because I felt they were incompetent. This was just over 12 months ago now.

I'll be sure to look over the repair very closely when I pick the truck up and be sure to get the 36k/3 year thing in writing. That's a great idea.

I went with the biggest shop in town for my corvette repair, but what a mistake that turned out to be. I hope the current shop will do a better job on my 3500.

C5dura

[mackin]

I'm wondering if we 01/02 Chevy owners will be paying higher Ins. premiums due to lack of or limited stock OEM parts and after market parts due to the rapid changing in design as seen in the 03's.....Especially in frontal collisions.....Or be forced to take non OEM parts....

After seeing this I'm especially kicking my self in the a$$ for not picking up that complete white dually bed for 650 clams this past summer sitting in that guys yard....Hell I could have parted it out made my cash back.....

MAC

[ 10-28-2002: Message edited by: mackin ]</p>

[Paintdude]

A oem Gm part has a 50,000 mile warrenty on it..

Oem parts will be readly available for 10 yrs after production..

This stuff does not generally affect insurance rates..they don`t raise rates from common sence..but they should decrease rates on older units at the rate of depreciation, but they don`t..

[Blacktruck-1]

Don't feel too bad--check out this guys Lightning. Made it's own ditch, Totaled!

http://floridasportsman.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=18694