Repair Bills Exceed What the Car Is Worth
Several posts express concerns about the high cost and complexity of auto body repairs, particularly for salvaged or damaged vehicles. Users discuss potential repair expenses exceeding vehicle value and highlight challenges related to rust, floor pan damage, and electrical issues.
SOURCES (60)
“It's a Nissan Sentra I'm pretty sure they come from the factory like that. Looks like you got one with the bumper still attached.”
“Second opinion. If the head gaskets have only been leaking and it’s not overheated or hydrolocked then the gaskets can be replaced for 3k give or take. This sounds like a mechanic that’s just going for the biggest payout. An engine is easier to do and pays a lot more.”
“Second opinion, from an independent shop. $10,000 for an engine isn’t impossible, but unless it’s a big engine or a special engine, $5000-8000 is much more common.”
“You have to find a shop that will install a junkyard engine. Might cost $3000.”
“I’d say your best best is to replace the bracket it self and not mess with the bumper. That may be enough to retain everything in place. The brackets are only about $20”
“Obviously this ball joint needs replaced, I didn't realize it was as bad as the mechanic is saying though. Do I absolutely have to do this RIGHT now or can it wait a few weeks? This car only gets driven 2-3 miles down the road for work and back. (It's my husbands POS car 🤣) 2011 Chevy aveo5 with 4 cyl ecotec engine submitted by /u/To0sEaSoNeD [link] [comments]”
“Seen a post recently of a guy complaining about how an $1100 repair wiped his money out. In summary he heard a grinding noise, took it to the mechanic and they charged him $1100 to repair the brakes and replace the wheel bearing. Now, on one hand I typically say well you could have DIY replaced it and saved a ton and people come up with a million excuses why they couldn't do it... so sure lets say you can't DIY do the job. That got me thinking... Even just knowing a bit about car mainten”
“I mean it can be fixed for a price. I fixed my car when it got totaled a pretty similar way. You can check my posts to see the damage and it being fixed. Mine cost me about 5,000 in total maybe a little more to fix (got a good deal) Expect at least that much, if not more, and hope there’s not a lot of damage to your b Pilar or other surrounding areas.”
“2023 GMC Terrain dual phase steel lower A pillar, bit of debate in the shop right now submitted by /u/Bubbly_Heat4579 [link] [comments]”
“The thing is, nobody can tell you what's fair and what isn't. It really does depend on where you live. Go to a few more shops and see what they say”
“Hi, I have had this car for awhile at 175k miles and it's done pretty well all things considered. Recently, the car has faced some overheating issues. I attempted some home-repairs (new radiator cap, new thermostat although I guess I may of installed it incorrectly?, coolant flush, etc.) and no luck. Figured I would take it to a mechanic to try and get some actual info as I am not the most car-savvy and they gave me the below quote and I guess the overheating issues was actually due to a maj”
“time you spend money on tools and materials it will NOT be cheaper then a new hood if you COULD even fix it lol which you cant if your asking sorry (not something that would last)”
“Depends on where you are, but there are a bunch around me according to car-part.com. Have you already scoped them out?”
“Anything is repairable, for enough money. But from These pics, I’d guess something in the $3K-$5K. There’s some light structural damage to the upper unibody. Which is no big deal, just requires time, skill, and parts. Add to the fact it’s a pearl white, makes it a little more involved, paint wise. Take it to a body shop and have them write a preliminary estimate. It’s time to call the insurance company.”
“Give him $1200 and half-ass pop the dent out. Run it with a rippled panel till lil bro can afford something nicer. It's a first car.”
“Can be cleaned and then protected to last quite a long time. But on Finnish prices that would be 1500€, so US prices being double, $3500 job. You want at least $4000 discount. And then first thing is to take it to rust proofer with good recommendations. Sandblast, phosphorus acid, base coat, PU paint, and rust proofer will be a lot of work and cost.”
“Its a 2014 Scion FR-S with 120,000 miles. submitted by /u/Lunokhod-01 [link] [comments]”
“Ok, thanks for the insight, will use that as a bargaining chip if I decide to move forward. Just trying to help my lil bro get a first car.”
“If you want to have it fixed correctly be prepared to spend a few thousand dollars. If anyone is willing to take it on and parts can still be found it could be done. Looks like a 25-ish year old Lexus so you might have to go with a used quarter panel which comes with it's own headaches and expenses.”
“Looking to potentially buy this car, which has this damage that I'd like to fix eventually, but if this is even worth it to try and fix. Asking price for the vehicle is $4500 with very low miles for the year. Thanks in advance! submitted by /u/jcrivas86 [link] [comments]”
“is this a decent price for the work?? ac blowing warm air 2013 hyundai sonata limited 2.4l engine submitted by /u/Think-Environment359 [link] [comments]”
“2007 Toyota Avalon 3.6 v6 I really want to buy but doing my research the car isn’t in the best shape and asking a bit much for its state BUT I want to get it restored if financially is not a bad choice. My theory is the car was outside on a bad weather day(I looked up the city and weather that day and matches report) and I assume the seal wasn’t properly on or window was down. After that I was sold to insurance and salvaged then a new owner got it. I really want this car in specific because I ca”
“This is correct. It will probably cost more to fix than it would to replace the bumper. There won't be any "long term impact" as it's plastic and not metal or chrome. You can try your hand at sanding it down and painting it the factory color, but it takes years of experience to get close to decent at. I'm sorry this happened to you, especially the no note part, but I would just drive it as is. I live in a city where people park by ear. I have so many dings and scratches it&”
“i think you should call these guys [ahautorepairs.com]() [nsaautorepair.com]() [shahsautomotive.com]()”
“hello, not a mechanic here, I accidentally damage my 2019 Nissan Titan Platinum Reserve rear bumber. I'm planning to buy a new rear bumber in ebay to save money, rather than paying a lot in an auto body shop. How do you remove the sensors from the rear bumper? After removing them, do I need to calibrate them? For holding the rear bumper, do I need a jack stand, hydraulic floor jack or both? Since I got no one to help me hold it while removing/putting the bolts. Thank you in advance! su”
“The exchange rate is 1.16 lol. So it’s not much different You won’t fix this vertically you want to do the repairs while it’s on the car or bolted down horizontally. The hood will move around unbolted but also it has a natural curve to it. You won’t be able to see feel or work that curve if it’s vertical on a rack. I know it unbolts, I was able to tie my shoes this morning I’m not that fucking stupid. The braces are holding some tension also you would use them as prying access against the dent.”
“Its gone past repair.. can see the support structure through the rips. Your cheapest option is a 2nd hand door but given how fresh the car is it might be hard to find. Even the cost of the work for a body shop would make it cheaper to get a new door. Cheapest option is the sharp decal. Seal the holes in the skin and send it”
“++RECOMMENDED++ REAR BRAKES (3.OMM ROTORS RUSTED) - $893.57 RADIATOR (LEAKING COOLANT REC. ASAP) - $1643.97 OIL PRESSURE SWITCH (LEAKING REC. ASAP) $353.96 TIMING COVER RESEAL (LEAKING// CAN MONITOR) $6693.66 RACK AND PINION (LEAKING// CAN MONITOR) $3824.51 POWER STEERING FLUID (TO DO WITH RACK AND PINION) $179.95 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT (TO DO WITH RACK AND PINION) $149.95 RIGHT FRONT FOG LIGHT BROKEN - $641.96 CABIN AIR FILTER - $48.04 ENGINE AIR FILTER $38.33 submitted by /u/rewrew2020”
“Hey guys, I know that most people would just ignore these, but considering I overpayed for the car just because it had absolutely no dents or dings in body work (now 16 years old wow), parked in the back of the parking lot for 5 years now, park underground, hand wash my car etc just to keep it that way, these dents are now constantly on my mind, especially since they were caused by a hysteric person jumping and latching on the hood. Considering their size (about the size of an average elbow) and”
“totally fixable for a cheap amount. I’d take it to a locally owned body shop and ask what they would charge if you aren’t comfortable doing it yourself. I would focus on the hood over the bumper first. (The bumper can be buffed out) hood can’t.”
“Anybody have an idea how bad this damage might be? Car is a Tesla model 3. Is it worth overlooking if the price is good and everything else check out? submitted by /u/MapDue8506 [link] [comments]”
“I don’t see why it wouldn’t be worth it but that dent at the top concerns me. If repairable how would they fix it submitted by /u/Proof_Cartographer50 [link] [comments]”
“Everyone here is gonna tell you wont be able to do it yourself and they are right. Idk how common wreckings of these are where u live but try find a replacement fender. As for the doors and bumper see how much you can buff out yourself and then maybe talk to a pdr guy and use a touch up pen yourself. Itll look shit compared to when you first got the car but a lot better then it does rn. Also did your bonnet release thing go off? Your bonnet looks raised”
“was looking to pop this thing out on my own. i'm not looking for perfect. any recommendations? thank you! submitted by /u/Middle_County8387 [link] [comments]”
“This car isnt worth much, so is there anyway i can pull this out myself without replacing the whole trunk or going to an autoshop? submitted by /u/Giangi_on_crack [link] [comments]”
“Certain ones will only pay the "Hypothetically you COULD repair it for this" price. Say a used fender local average cost is $150, but there is one random selling it on there program across the country for $50, they'll pay $50. They don't care about the shipping logistics, downtime, or hassle of return in the event the part is unusable (it almost always is). If it COULD be done for that price, that's what they'll pay, they expect you (the shop) to do the "figuring i”
“The previous owner treated it like a joke and did some questionable repairs on most of the car unfortunately. Thanks for your help :) ill look around”
It is fixable but it would probably be cheaper to throw on a used fender.
“My car had the same exact damage from a wreck, both doors needed replaced, b pillar pulled out a little, and rocker replaced, and it’s 100% fine now after being repaired. I wouldn’t worry about the previous damage if it was repaired well enough by a reputable shop and have proof of that”
“Dude, i was searching for a car for weeks and the phoenix marketplace is FULL of these. They all say its salvage just for a fender bender, then u google the VIN and see insane damages. 'Trust me bro professionally repaired'.... in their garage.”
“An older X5 is worth more in the junkyard than putting back on the road - Honda seems to be much newer so the threshold is higher and the cost of parts is much lower lol.”
“Yes you can and should take it to multiple body shops for free estimates. If multiple shops give you the same repair and about the same price it’ll have your answer. Absolutely shop around and pick where you want your vehicle to go.”
“Yes you can and should take it to multiple body shops for free estimates. If multiple shops give you the same repair and about the same price it’ll have your answer. Absolutely shop around and pick where you want your vehicle to go.”
“Well I read that the overall cost of repairs yearly shouldnt go past half the value of the car, and when I checked this car is around 5k to 6k. So even though I keep the engine and such in good working condition, I know it's not worth keeping if it's too expensive.”
“Not worth 5k at all, not even for drivetrain. I hate them but Premium Recycled Parts network can get you that drive train for 3-4k depending on miles, some assembly required. Your better off finding another, or finding with a blown engine that someone cant stand to deal with anymore, order up a used engine and get it swapped by some good ol boys.”
“If is free then it's a solid perhaps. Do not part with any money for this unless you need the engine or gearbox for another car.”
“The body looks good from what i can tell. Its really hard to tell without messing with it. The frame might be OK if the rest isnt too deep. The steering, brake, and suspension components need to be replaced imo. It might need a new frame :idk: Will you be paying for this labor or do you plan on doing it for the next 2 years?”
“Hey everyone, Got into a bit of a scrape recently and looking for some realistic feedback before I decide whether to take it to a body shop, or tackle it myself. It’s an 09 Ford Fusion with 115k miles and paid for. It runs great so I want to try my best to take care of her. Thanks everyone! submitted by /u/MrRossy1992 [link] [comments]”