Well 300 miles and I tested the Airbag
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 07-05-2008
Posts: 5,464
From: Akron Ohio
I was stunned and yelled what the hell were you thinking [I think that is what I said]
I then had a group of witnesses come to help me.
By then I was in EMS unit and I decided to keep away as I might say the wrong thing.
The one Female officer was fired up and saw my Ray Bans were bent. She said claim them on him.
I would like to know from anyone who has experience in this area if it realistic that I could get them to replace the HHR. To me it seems like a long shot but I don't feel I should pay for his error. I now have a wrecked car with 300 miles.
Senior Member
Joined: 07-29-2008
Posts: 727
From: Mass
Just to follow up.
If the cops cite him and place him at fault.
deal with your insurance company only.
tell them your concerns, new car, 300 miles, soon to be bad carfax, diminished value.
see if they will replace the car, and then go after the other guys insurance to get their money back.
you dont have to do anything with the other guys insurance, except give them a statement of what happened.
If the cops cite him and place him at fault.
deal with your insurance company only.
tell them your concerns, new car, 300 miles, soon to be bad carfax, diminished value.
see if they will replace the car, and then go after the other guys insurance to get their money back.
you dont have to do anything with the other guys insurance, except give them a statement of what happened.
I was stunned and yelled what the hell were you thinking [I think that is what I said]
I then had a group of witnesses come to help me.
By then I was in EMS unit and I decided to keep away as I might say the wrong thing.
The one Female officer was fired up and saw my Ray Bans were bent. She said claim them on him.
I would like to know from anyone who has experience in this area if it realistic that I could get them to replace the HHR. To me it seems like a long shot but I don't feel I should pay for his error. I now have a wrecked car with 300 miles.
I then had a group of witnesses come to help me.
By then I was in EMS unit and I decided to keep away as I might say the wrong thing.
The one Female officer was fired up and saw my Ray Bans were bent. She said claim them on him.
I would like to know from anyone who has experience in this area if it realistic that I could get them to replace the HHR. To me it seems like a long shot but I don't feel I should pay for his error. I now have a wrecked car with 300 miles.
Senior Member
Joined: 02-06-2008
Posts: 177
From: Hilo, HI
So, it basically comes down to repair cost. If you get multiple quotes, you increase the likelihood of reduced repair costs, which effectively lowers your chances of replacement. You should also consider whether you really want the lowest bidder to do the repairs on your vehicle. Currently I am with Progressive. They offer a lifetime warranty on repairs done at any of their contracted shops.
You could try getting quotes only from Chevy dealers. The problem is that insurance companies don't like to play this game. So, before they let you file a claim you usually have to let their shop and adjuster examine the vehicle. Their shop will say which parts require replacement, and the adjuster will issue their allowed replacement price for those parts. On a first-year vehicle, I guarantee you will be waiting a long time for some of those parts.
The other route would be to insist that it be repaired by the dealer (which is likely to be the most expensive, so has the most likelihood of warranting replacement). You can try things like it's the SS's first model year. It only has 300 miles on it, and now it's trashed, etc. Ask the adjuster what he would do if it was his/her brand new vehicle. If the adjuster won't play, you can always think about bypassing the insurance company, but that will cost a fair amount of cash. To go this route, you only get estimates from repair shops that charge a premium. I would try to get quotes from 2 different Chevy dealers. Then you sue the guy in court. You may have to explain to the judge, mediator, or arbitrator that you aren't comfortable with anyone other than a GM-certified Chevy dealer repairing your brand new vehicle that you are planning to drive for the next 10 years. His insurance company may try to settle if your suit is reasonable, as they will have to pay if he loses in court. If your suit is too high, they will send in on-staff lawyers who specialize in this type of thing. If you lose you might be screwed. Not sure about legal fees. If you have to go this route I would talk to an attorney first and discuss likelihoods of possible outcomes. Also consider what you will drive until it is resolved.
It might be easier to try and work something out between the insurance company and the dealer, where the insurance company repairs the vehicle, and you sell it back to the dealership. If the insurance company and the dealership both give you some wiggle room you might be able to do it for nothing. The insurance company won't have to contend with a big fight. The dealer already made money on the first vehicle, and will make money again selling it used. They'll probably get a great price if they sell it GM-certified. As long as the insurance payment is as much as the difference between the buy-back and the new order, you're only out transportation while waiting for the new vehicle.
(Sidenote: I already had a 2001 Audi A4 on Factory order when I got hit, so the timing worked out great that I didn't have to sell the 90. They just cut me a check. But I did have to drive my friend's seriously old and beat-up Prelude for about a month until my new ride finally made it over from Germany. Cause of accident: ***SHAVING ON THE FREEWAY*** Actually, he had finished shaving and was applying his aftershave. Traffic stopped up ahead, and I braked from 45-50 to 0, which takes a couple of seconds. Numbskull missed all of that, allegedly while checking his blind spot in preparation for a lane change. I had taken my foot off the brake pedal after being totally stopped to vent the rotors, and he never even saw my brake lights. He tried to claim later that my brake lights never worked, but unfortunately for him they still worked after he hit me. He got a big fat ticket, but this was in WA, where tickets are invalidated if not filed within 48 hours of issuance. The trooper who issued it submitted it late, so shaving man beat the ticket rap. It ticked me off cuz it messed up my neck and back for years. I wished I hadn't vented the rotors, as it allowed higher acceleration when he crashed into me, knocking me into the vehicle ahead of me, and knocking that vehicle into the one ahead of it. Now I never vent after hard braking if there might be traffic behind me. Wish I had thought of that before.)
Senior Member
Joined: 06-26-2008
Posts: 164
From: Corona CA
As I understand it, practices and standards can vary across the insurance industry. I remember I got nailed in my old 1990 Audi 90 by a guy going about 40-ish in an old Mercedes Benz. The Audi 90 had kind of a cult following as this particular trim had an in-line 5-cylinder engine (and Quattro, of course, prior to Audi bastardizing the name by deceptively using it for the TT's VW Golf platform part-time AWD system.) I was lucky in that the adjuster really liked the car. He seemed to work on the ratio of repair cost to blue book value. He said 80% was almost always a total, and less than that was a repair, but there was some leeway between 60-80%. Other insurance agencies may work totally differently.
So, it basically comes down to repair cost. If you get multiple quotes, you increase the likelihood of reduced repair costs, which effectively lowers your chances of replacement. You should also consider whether you really want the lowest bidder to do the repairs on your vehicle. Currently I am with Progressive. They offer a lifetime warranty on repairs done at any of their contracted shops.
You could try getting quotes only from Chevy dealers. The problem is that insurance companies don't like to play this game. So, before they let you file a claim you usually have to let their shop and adjuster examine the vehicle. Their shop will say which parts require replacement, and the adjuster will issue their allowed replacement price for those parts. On a first-year vehicle, I guarantee you will be waiting a long time for some of those parts.
The other route would be to insist that it be repaired by the dealer (which is likely to be the most expensive, so has the most likelihood of warranting replacement). You can try things like it's the SS's first model year. It only has 300 miles on it, and now it's trashed, etc. Ask the adjuster what he would do if it was his/her brand new vehicle. If the adjuster won't play, you can always think about bypassing the insurance company, but that will cost a fair amount of cash. To go this route, you only get estimates from repair shops that charge a premium. I would try to get quotes from 2 different Chevy dealers. Then you sue the guy in court. You may have to explain to the judge, mediator, or arbitrator that you aren't comfortable with anyone other than a GM-certified Chevy dealer repairing your brand new vehicle that you are planning to drive for the next 10 years. His insurance company may try to settle if your suit is reasonable, as they will have to pay if he loses in court. If your suit is too high, they will send in on-staff lawyers who specialize in this type of thing. If you lose you might be screwed. Not sure about legal fees. If you have to go this route I would talk to an attorney first and discuss likelihoods of possible outcomes. Also consider what you will drive until it is resolved.
It might be easier to try and work something out between the insurance company and the dealer, where the insurance company repairs the vehicle, and you sell it back to the dealership. If the insurance company and the dealership both give you some wiggle room you might be able to do it for nothing. The insurance company won't have to contend with a big fight. The dealer already made money on the first vehicle, and will make money again selling it used. They'll probably get a great price if they sell it GM-certified. As long as the insurance payment is as much as the difference between the buy-back and the new order, you're only out transportation while waiting for the new vehicle.
(Sidenote: I already had a 2001 Audi A4 on Factory order when I got hit, so the timing worked out great that I didn't have to sell the 90. They just cut me a check. But I did have to drive my friend's seriously old and beat-up Prelude for about a month until my new ride finally made it over from Germany. Cause of accident: ***SHAVING ON THE FREEWAY*** Actually, he had finished shaving and was applying his aftershave. Traffic stopped up ahead, and I braked from 45-50 to 0, which takes a couple of seconds. Numbskull missed all of that, allegedly while checking his blind spot in preparation for a lane change. I had taken my foot off the brake pedal after being totally stopped to vent the rotors, and he never even saw my brake lights. He tried to claim later that my brake lights never worked, but unfortunately for him they still worked after he hit me. He got a big fat ticket, but this was in WA, where tickets are invalidated if not filed within 48 hours of issuance. The trooper who issued it submitted it late, so shaving man beat the ticket rap. It ticked me off cuz it messed up my neck and back for years. I wished I hadn't vented the rotors, as it allowed higher acceleration when he crashed into me, knocking me into the vehicle ahead of me, and knocking that vehicle into the one ahead of it. Now I never vent after hard braking if there might be traffic behind me. Wish I had thought of that before.)
So, it basically comes down to repair cost. If you get multiple quotes, you increase the likelihood of reduced repair costs, which effectively lowers your chances of replacement. You should also consider whether you really want the lowest bidder to do the repairs on your vehicle. Currently I am with Progressive. They offer a lifetime warranty on repairs done at any of their contracted shops.
You could try getting quotes only from Chevy dealers. The problem is that insurance companies don't like to play this game. So, before they let you file a claim you usually have to let their shop and adjuster examine the vehicle. Their shop will say which parts require replacement, and the adjuster will issue their allowed replacement price for those parts. On a first-year vehicle, I guarantee you will be waiting a long time for some of those parts.
The other route would be to insist that it be repaired by the dealer (which is likely to be the most expensive, so has the most likelihood of warranting replacement). You can try things like it's the SS's first model year. It only has 300 miles on it, and now it's trashed, etc. Ask the adjuster what he would do if it was his/her brand new vehicle. If the adjuster won't play, you can always think about bypassing the insurance company, but that will cost a fair amount of cash. To go this route, you only get estimates from repair shops that charge a premium. I would try to get quotes from 2 different Chevy dealers. Then you sue the guy in court. You may have to explain to the judge, mediator, or arbitrator that you aren't comfortable with anyone other than a GM-certified Chevy dealer repairing your brand new vehicle that you are planning to drive for the next 10 years. His insurance company may try to settle if your suit is reasonable, as they will have to pay if he loses in court. If your suit is too high, they will send in on-staff lawyers who specialize in this type of thing. If you lose you might be screwed. Not sure about legal fees. If you have to go this route I would talk to an attorney first and discuss likelihoods of possible outcomes. Also consider what you will drive until it is resolved.
It might be easier to try and work something out between the insurance company and the dealer, where the insurance company repairs the vehicle, and you sell it back to the dealership. If the insurance company and the dealership both give you some wiggle room you might be able to do it for nothing. The insurance company won't have to contend with a big fight. The dealer already made money on the first vehicle, and will make money again selling it used. They'll probably get a great price if they sell it GM-certified. As long as the insurance payment is as much as the difference between the buy-back and the new order, you're only out transportation while waiting for the new vehicle.
(Sidenote: I already had a 2001 Audi A4 on Factory order when I got hit, so the timing worked out great that I didn't have to sell the 90. They just cut me a check. But I did have to drive my friend's seriously old and beat-up Prelude for about a month until my new ride finally made it over from Germany. Cause of accident: ***SHAVING ON THE FREEWAY*** Actually, he had finished shaving and was applying his aftershave. Traffic stopped up ahead, and I braked from 45-50 to 0, which takes a couple of seconds. Numbskull missed all of that, allegedly while checking his blind spot in preparation for a lane change. I had taken my foot off the brake pedal after being totally stopped to vent the rotors, and he never even saw my brake lights. He tried to claim later that my brake lights never worked, but unfortunately for him they still worked after he hit me. He got a big fat ticket, but this was in WA, where tickets are invalidated if not filed within 48 hours of issuance. The trooper who issued it submitted it late, so shaving man beat the ticket rap. It ticked me off cuz it messed up my neck and back for years. I wished I hadn't vented the rotors, as it allowed higher acceleration when he crashed into me, knocking me into the vehicle ahead of me, and knocking that vehicle into the one ahead of it. Now I never vent after hard braking if there might be traffic behind me. Wish I had thought of that before.)
Good info....
There would have to be close to 20K worth of damage for the insurance company to total the car. I imagine the repairs will be closer to 5-7K unless there is some major engine issues or frame damage.
Glad to hear your OK. HHR is supposed to do fairly well crash wise
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 07-05-2008
Posts: 5,464
From: Akron Ohio
Well I just came back from the dealer and took a good look at the HHR.
Here are my finding and just what I can see it will need.
The damage is all infront of the main core support and the manager looked under with me and said he thougth it did not effect the sub frame. This is good news as most of all the parts in the front are bolt on parts.
The parts in front that are damaged are The intercooler, AC condenser, Bumper cover and all related plastic brackets, delflectors, covers, other related hardware and fog lights.
The fenders are a little tweeked since they were spung up when the cover was pulled down. I am usure if they can be moved back. But they are thin and can be adjusted faily easy so I may not need fender either.
Wheels and tires are fine as well as all underbody parts as it did not drag anything between the bumpers.
The interior needs a airbag and I assume a new computer controler as someone told me this is also a one use item. I will also need the two covers over the shoulder harness adjusters. How they broke I do not know.
My seat belt is locked and I am unsure they will fix it as with belts it is policy to replace them if they had been used in a accident.
Both sides of the HHR look fne and no damage.
The rear only needs a new bumper cover and we are good as new.
The important thing to note I did not see any visable chassis damages. All damages looked to be with mainly bolt on parts and should be a straight forward fix. I do not antisipate any frame machine work needed.
Note till the tear down is done we will not have all the accurate assesment for a few days. This was just a look over by me and the manager.
I would peg this to be arounf 7K of damage and a good part of that is going to be the airbag system.
All in all I have seen much more damage than this in the past and it all come together fine.
The dealer body shop manager not only is the manager but also works on the cars and will do mine. He said he will get it to the point that it was new. He said if Nation Wide give us any grief he will deal with it. He said I should not have to worry about fighting them and they will fix this with all new GM parts only and not take any short cuts.
Also if I am not happy with anything they will fix till I am.
To be honest I do not see them totaling this car as there is not that much damage. IF they did It would end up costing me a few thousdand dollars some where for the same vehicle.
The smart thing to do is just let them fix it and fix it to my standards. The HHR is well under warranty and if I have any problems it was repaired by the dealer and they will fix what ever at no risk to my wallet.
If this thing had a bent chassie or major stuctual damage that would be a different story. I have seen many crashed cars over the years and while this is not great it is far from bad.
I have proof that a bad crash is not the end of the world in my Garage. Back in the 80's I had a van pull out infront of me from a drive and I hit him. It was $6K of damage but most of it was all plastic body and brackets.
Today 22 years later I still have this car and have many first place awards at many different Pointiac National events and have been in a couple magazines.
I will be at the Pontiac Nationals going for my 6 first place in class at the largest Pontiac show in the world. And yes the car runs great yet today.
1987 after the crash with a Dodge van.
And today as it will show this weekend.
This week marks 24 years of ownership.
Here are my finding and just what I can see it will need.
The damage is all infront of the main core support and the manager looked under with me and said he thougth it did not effect the sub frame. This is good news as most of all the parts in the front are bolt on parts.
The parts in front that are damaged are The intercooler, AC condenser, Bumper cover and all related plastic brackets, delflectors, covers, other related hardware and fog lights.
The fenders are a little tweeked since they were spung up when the cover was pulled down. I am usure if they can be moved back. But they are thin and can be adjusted faily easy so I may not need fender either.
Wheels and tires are fine as well as all underbody parts as it did not drag anything between the bumpers.
The interior needs a airbag and I assume a new computer controler as someone told me this is also a one use item. I will also need the two covers over the shoulder harness adjusters. How they broke I do not know.
My seat belt is locked and I am unsure they will fix it as with belts it is policy to replace them if they had been used in a accident.
Both sides of the HHR look fne and no damage.
The rear only needs a new bumper cover and we are good as new.
The important thing to note I did not see any visable chassis damages. All damages looked to be with mainly bolt on parts and should be a straight forward fix. I do not antisipate any frame machine work needed.
Note till the tear down is done we will not have all the accurate assesment for a few days. This was just a look over by me and the manager.
I would peg this to be arounf 7K of damage and a good part of that is going to be the airbag system.
All in all I have seen much more damage than this in the past and it all come together fine.
The dealer body shop manager not only is the manager but also works on the cars and will do mine. He said he will get it to the point that it was new. He said if Nation Wide give us any grief he will deal with it. He said I should not have to worry about fighting them and they will fix this with all new GM parts only and not take any short cuts.
Also if I am not happy with anything they will fix till I am.
To be honest I do not see them totaling this car as there is not that much damage. IF they did It would end up costing me a few thousdand dollars some where for the same vehicle.
The smart thing to do is just let them fix it and fix it to my standards. The HHR is well under warranty and if I have any problems it was repaired by the dealer and they will fix what ever at no risk to my wallet.
If this thing had a bent chassie or major stuctual damage that would be a different story. I have seen many crashed cars over the years and while this is not great it is far from bad.
I have proof that a bad crash is not the end of the world in my Garage. Back in the 80's I had a van pull out infront of me from a drive and I hit him. It was $6K of damage but most of it was all plastic body and brackets.
Today 22 years later I still have this car and have many first place awards at many different Pointiac National events and have been in a couple magazines.
I will be at the Pontiac Nationals going for my 6 first place in class at the largest Pontiac show in the world. And yes the car runs great yet today.
1987 after the crash with a Dodge van.
And today as it will show this weekend.
This week marks 24 years of ownership.
Senior Member
Joined: 02-06-2008
Posts: 177
From: Hilo, HI
The dealer body shop manager not only is the manager but also works on the cars and will do mine. He said he will get it to the point that it was new. He said if Nation Wide give us any grief he will deal with it. He said I should not have to worry about fighting them and they will fix this with all new GM parts only and not take any short cuts.