Repair Estimate = Passenger Rear Quarter

[ghuff2]

Well I go smacked into the passenger side rear - I drop the car off on Monday for an estimate/repair - any guess to what to expect? The other driver struck me right at the rear wheel, so the wheel is tilted in some at the top - This will be the 3rd time this part of the car has been repaired -the first 2 times were me hitting poles in parking garages - the last little repair (Fall 2022) was $5,800 to fix. Forgot some details - 2014 A4 S line

[Seal1968]

Assume you mean 2014?

Rear quarter + door (used) + possible rear bumper cover (used) + re and re door interior panel/guts + suspension repair (?) + hidden damage (?) ...my estimate is @ $5,000 - $7,000.

My wife was run into by a deer Xmas Eve in 2021 and it went down the whole right side. Damage total repair was @ $9800...included used replacement doors, new front fender, body work on the rear quarter, re and re door guts/interior panels, a new headlight assembly, used mirror (had lane change/blindspot = expensive) and paint. Son of a bitch eh? She looks new now, mind you but damn it adds up. Good luck.

[4xaudi]

Your not getting that repaired it will be written off as totaled.

[ghuff2]

That's my fear. The car only has 75,000 miles on it and I just spent $5,000 replacing the timing belt and doing a ton of other stuff to make it last another 75,000 miles -

[ghuff2]

yes - I mean 2014 - thanks for catching the typo

The first time I scraped a post in the parking garage the repair was $10k (had the car 2 months!) the body shop repainted the whole back half of the car to make sure the paint blended.

When I scraped the post this past summer, the repair (in November 2022) was $5,800 - all that was damaged was the flare around the wheel - so expensive!

[A4B8 2.0tfsi]

Why ask us what the cost will be? Don't matter on bit.

[2002allroad]

2014 model should qualify for salvage buy back if your ins co totals out the car. Ins co won't factor in the $5k spent as this is considered maintenance and up keep. I've seen lot less damage get totaled out. Its more profitable and easier to total out than to repair these days for an ins co.

[Thumper3]

2014 model should qualify for salvage buy back if your ins co totals out the car. Ins co won't factor in the $5k spent as this is considered maintenance and up keep. I've seen lot less damage get totaled out. Its more profitable and easier to total out than to repair these days for an ins co.

Ins co will repair or total whichever costs less, there's no "profit" in either one, the profit is in their underwriting team properly rating the policy premium. LOL Totaling is a simple formula calculation; how much will it cost to fix vs. how much will it cost to pay the market value and then sell the carcass at auction. If repairing it will cost them less that's what they will do. Been in collision repair on both sides of the aisle for 20+ years now and it never fails that the repairable cars customers WANT totaled and the totaled cars the customer wants to fix it. :D

I cheated, since I write estimates everyday and have the software LOL Quick and rough estimate is $9500, will easily be over $11k after that quarter comes off and see the damage to the inner structure and find out what else is going on with the suspension but will also depend on area as the cost for labor varies wildly. I'm betting Austin has higher rates than here so probably close to a $13k bill easy.

Definitely looking like a gonner and yeah generally services don't add value to a vehicle but if they are really recent and major (like a timing service. Won't get anything for an oil change lol) you can sometimes argue and get them to give you something, won't be much.....like 25% of the parts only if you are lucky but it's something. They like to say they value it for what you could have sold it for just before the loss, well if you had JUST done timing service a month or two before someone is going to pay you more for the car than the same car with same mileage that did not have it done.

[sailboats]

Why ask us what the cost will be? Don't matter on bit.

Another useful post by you! Classic!

OP, I had similar damage at one point + some other area and insurance almost totaled the car. It came shocking close.

[ghuff2]

It's been a day with repair shops and the insurance company. Went to the shop for an estimate this morning - the estimator says.."you need a new quarter panel and a new door, we don't have the proper tools to install the quarter panel - it might be repairable....but can't tell until the fender is off to see the damage to the inner structure" - I spend the day calling around and finding a Audi certified shop - the earliest they can do anything, April 18. They won't even look at it to do an estimate to see if it is a gonner. I haven't been driving as there is a roaring sound coming from the back wheel and when I hit a large bump it go crunch. Not sure if it is the inner fender rubbing on the tire or worse. Now I have to go to the insurance company of the dude who hit me and say...I need a rental for 3 months -

At this point of frustration - someone just total it and let's move on - there's a 2021 CPO A4 on the lot I wouldn't mind - although not sure I like how they have the screen now on the A4 - seems like they could intergrate it in the dash a lot better

[A4B8 2.0tfsi]

Another useful post by you! Classic!

OP, I had similar damage at one point + some other area and insurance almost totaled the car. It came shocking close.

First of all. You need to get a life. Second, I think the TS can do without your amazing reply as well. Will have to block you, to stop seeing your pathetic and tragic trolling.

[Seal1968]

Ouch...roaring when driving. Sounds like Thumper's estimate is closer than my lap diagnosis (lol)...likely a total write off.

When my B7 was written off I gave the claims adjuster a comprehensive list of the recent maintenance and costs done. (timing belt/waterpump, cat back stainless exhaust, brakes front to back).

He bumped up his first offer (which tends to be the lowest, always) and I was happy. The final payout was equal to what the market would pay with the upgrades as Thumper said.

Damn. Very frustrating that there's the delays.

ps...do your market research for similar cars to familiarize yourself with what's available for a point of reference. Lots of info helps.

[Theiceman]

Your not getting that repaired it will be written off as totaled.

my thoughts exactly when I saw the pics

Sent from my SM-G973W using Audizine Forum mobile app

[pseudoseed]

Just went through a similar insurance claim as I was tboned. They totaled it as the estimates I got were close to $20k just for body work (not bent subframe etc)
I had a ton of work done 2 months prior too and they wouldn’t cover it. If the accident isn’t your fault, small claims court may be the best route to recover those costs. :( sorry to see your car that way!

[ghuff2]

Yikes - glad your car protected you

[ghuff2]

Just got the report back from the independent shop checking to make sure it is okay to drive - they say yes for a short period of time.

Items needing replacement:
Upper control arm
Strut
Track bar
Wheel bent
Wheel baring
Thrust arm ball joints
Thrust arms

Transmission mount has a "really good scrape"

[MongoMcG]

Just got the report back from the independent shop checking to make sure it is okay to drive - they say yes for a short period of time.

Items needing replacement:
Upper control arm
Strut
Track bar
Wheel bent
Wheel baring
Thrust arm ball joints
Thrust arms

Transmission mount has a "really good scrape"

That news is not too bad. I expected the rear diff carrier and maybe the subframe to be bent. The upper control arm will require dropping the subframe to get at the interior bolt, but I think that might be the toughest part of the job.

[Seal1968]

A contributing factor to why damage like the OPs causes a write off is that repair shops tend to quote with new OEM replacement parts versus sourcing good used parts. This skyrockets the billing to the insurance company.

When my car was damaged by the deer, they checked Audi for the passenger mirror (lane assist/blindspot/heated/tinted) and a new one was something like $3500...a good used one was $400.

My body shop guy asked me if it was OK for them to quote/fix with good used parts, and I was OK with it given they warranty their repairs for as long as I own the car. The shop also bought good used door shells and put my interior bits in them after they were painted inside/out to match the car. They ended up having to buy a new headlight unit from Audi as the other one was damaged, and of course it did not come with bulbs or ballasts which were transferred.

It would be worthwhile to ask what their quote entails. Not sure on your rights regarding insurance claims in the USA, but in Canada you can get this information if you ask the repair shop.

Given I maintained the car, the timing chain was done, the brakes were new, no rust, interior is like new, everything works, I opted to try and get the car fixed vs collecting a cheque and having to find another car in as good condition.

Just my 2 cents...oh wait, inflation in Canada is skyrocketing...just my 1.5 cents FWIW. Good luck to the OP.

[E36kirby]

Id say it really depends what state you live in. Makes a big difference for cost as well as insurance laws/rules & regulations.

I live in NY right outside NYC and work at a high end shop as an Auto Damage Appraiser. Anything is realistically fixable if its worth the time and effort. The things that will make a difference is the value of the vehicle, the laws applying to insurance companies in your area, and the shop you choose to repair with.

In NYS an insurance company is required to declare a vehicle a Total Loss if the cost of the repairs exceeds 75% of the determined value of the vehicle. Basically a $10,000 car total losses with $7,500 in damages. If a vehicle is older than 7 model years (might be 8 can’t recall) then the vehicle can be repaired up to 100% of its value at the discretion of the insurer really.

From what I can see off these pictures that would be a total loss at my shop. Personally I would be opting for a replacement of that Quarter Panel as its beyond my reasonable point of repair. Basically repair wouldn’t be cost effective nor would it be warrantable as it would be excessive. Their is absolutely going to be damage to the Outer Wheelhouse as well just based off the damage around the wheel opening. The Bumper and Door are difficult to determine off your pictures but from what I think I see looks repairable. I would estimate the repairs to be in the area of $10,000-$15,000 cause I cant see the Door too well and as you stated you have suspension damage as well. Cost will vary greatly on how your shop chooses to repair the vehicle and the presiding labor rates in that area.

In many states you have the option to keep your vehicle with a clean title even if it is deemed a Total Loss by your Insurer. This is how I obtained my 2011 A4. A customers vehicle was a Total Loss and he chose to retain the vehicle from his Insurer. They paid him out for the value of his vehicle minus the “salvage bid”. This is the amount they would have received from auctioning the vehicle off to salvage yards. After he realized that it still wasn’t worth the repair he sold it to me for a bit more then what he paid in salvage. It was a win for us both. I had similar damage to yours only more rear end of the Quarter Panel. Chose to repair with a Used LKQ Quarter Panel but I would never offer this to a customer as its not really the proper repair to warranty but its my car so nobody to complain.

If you need help fighting the value message me I have a guy who does that.

IMG_1275.jpg
IMG_1277.jpg
IMG_1278.jpg
IMG_1279.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum

[ghuff2]

After an initial estimate of about $6,000, the body shop sent a revised estimate and the insurance company called today to tell me the car has been totaled. The revised estimate is $13,791, more inline with my expectations. Off to buy a new car this weekend. I am interested in electric - I need to hop into the e-tron forum.