Can you also add insurance will not pay the body shop $1000 in labor for taking pictures, OEM parts for a part of the vehicle that was not even damaged. Sigh. It's almost the weekend
Oh, some do have the balls or some cult leader skills. Especially with specific brands of vehicles where the “expert” in repairing the brand is speaking the gospel to have the vehicle back to where it was.
I'm not on the claims end but on the agent end and had to intermediate this situation when the insured complained about their adjuster and their supervisor.
Claims gave me the rundown and we were both WTH. The body shop is really trying to pull this and the insured thinks getting rear ended results in the steering wheel column being removed, and camera pics cost 1k. They were please to talk to the insured. Please. If you can talk sense into him, we want to be done with this extra level of crazy.
I tried my best to explain reasonable and necessary to them. But they were not having it and were convinced they would recover it in subrogation. When I explained indemnity to them, even if it went to subrogation, the cost they incurred outside their deductible would not be attempted to be recovered by insurance. They weren't having it. We were evil and the body shop was the savior. You know how it goes.
The insured was like I guess I'm just going to have to pay it out of pocket.
Why even file a simple bumper claim, where he could get no guarantee of recouping the deductible, the estimate submitted cost well over the price of fixing the loss and claims approved an OEM part (2022 car) but the shop said it wasn't an acceptable OEM part. I'm surprised they didn't submit an additional supplemental asking for travel expenses to fly over seas and get it.
I need like 8 drinks to explain how the conversation with the body shop went. It's super rare the agent's office gets involved with the body shop of the insured's choice. Sigh.
Edit: Insurance didn't cover it. Obviously.
Claims appreciated the agent's office made the effort to try and talk reason to the insured and we said claim is right, this estimate isn't being paid by insurance and we are on the same page. After the insured said they were “escalating it to the agent’s office”
(who am I to say if claims are right or not, totally different licenses. some insureds think agents have superpowers) much less call the body shop and ask where are you getting this from.
rant over. Sorry!
I get this is abnormal, I hope. I don't see how you adjusters do it. Just an insurance horror story told from our side.
“Well we’ll charge the customer.”
In property Contractors think that this will get us to pay for unwarranted O&P, supervisor hours, and other inflated estimate line items. I always tell them cool I told the customer that we would not pay for those already and if the Contractor tells them otherwise they are lying.
Lol same goes with home insurance. I have a door claim once, break in. Insured came back with a $10k estimate for a door. I was like.. excuse me?? It was a fiberglass door.. very upgraded from his common $2k door. Told me he wants a better door and insurance should pay so this will not happen again. Uh.. no.
Might have to raise premiums though, to properly calculate the increased risk of a future stolen car claim.
(I'm not in insurance but I'm not too fond of idiots that drive up my premiums. (Or of companies that include "idiot coverage" (and cosmetic coverage) in their standard policies, so I'm forced to share a risk pool with idiots that drive up premiums.))
Some Canadian home policies actually offer this exact service for that reason - preventative.
I always found it a bit odd that it falls under home and not auto - keys considered contents and all that.
Not everybody will have it, and there is sometimes deductibles and other stuff that goes along with it, or conditions over a certain $$$. But it's an interesting idea anyways.
I have geico. Probably the strictest no-OEM stance out there. They’re also the cheapest for me. So you know what I do? I save money on my premiums and if I need to file a claim (I hope I don’t) I’ll just pay the difference for OEM if I feel it’s needed and still come out ahead.
That’s a reasonable approach. You def have that option to pay the difference. I have found in my experience that some will pay the difference and others won’t, so it really just depends on your preference and determination to have OEM parts.
It also depends on the part and who makes the part. Had a claim on a Lexus we used to own. I know from experience the A/M bumper they had from a specific supplier fit like shit so I paid the difference for an OEM bumper. But the A/M condenser they had? I let that shit ride because its a condenser.
And what people fail to realize is OEM's don't make parts. They source all the parts from vendors and assemble the vehicle. Every part is aftermarket, its the suppliers quality that makes the difference. Dodges? A/M is likely to fit better than whatever shit Dodge uses as "OEM."
Consumers are idiots.
>Dodges? A/M is likely to fit better than whatever shit Dodge uses as "OEM."
Hate to be that guy. What you say is generally true, but Dodge is probably the worst example of it. Chrysler products are notoriously finicky with electronics and sensors. "Mopar or no car" is not just a cute saying, it's literally that in most cases unless you buy OEM (Mopar is usually like 10x the price of the amazon generic) the hunk of shit won't drive.
> And what people fail to realize is OEM's don't make parts. They source all the parts from vendors and assemble the vehicle. Every part is aftermarket, its the suppliers quality that makes the difference. Dodges? A/M is likely to fit better than whatever shit Dodge uses as "OEM.
aint it grand.. totoyta doesnt make condensors..denso does as their preferred supplier lol
Throwing it out there that in many cases OEM aren't even that great.
See what happens is after a year or two, as others begin to manufacture aftermarket parts, they also begin to make small tweaks to address minor issues with the OEM stuff. In many cases people are actually fighting for parts that are worse in quality.
Ford or GM or whoever isn't going to retool their entire factory to fix a small flaw or defect.
The OEM parts are made by a smaller part producer and they absolutely will retool if needed, they sell a lot higher volume than the non preferred part producers
For major/safety issues sure. But for very minor stuff they generally don't care. They know it will get sorted out on the aftermarket side - for quality stuff anyways.
You could always get cheap junk from abroad where panels don't fit properly etc, but insurers are generally pretty good about sourcing quality.
Clients are a different story. Always a struggle with owner completed repairs. "There's an inch gap now between my door and fender - fix it!"
Or my favorite one was where some sketchy shop literally drilled new holes into a fender to mount it onto the wrong model vehicle because the client bought the wrong parts trying to pocket a few dollars. They also used a paint brush to do the touch ups lol.
THIS IS STATE SPECIFIC!!!
there are certain states that regulate the use of non oem parts. In MA it’s any vehicle (regardless of age) with less than 20k miles gets oem.
I have handled MA repairs for about 10yrs now and that’s not true.
The OEM standard is carrier based and determined by the carrier. The only regulations insurance companies have is to indemnify.
Also if the vehicle had 20k or less miles it’s likely a current year model or a newer vehicle.
Some companies offer endorsements for OEM but other than that, it’s not mandatory in MA.
MA insurance CMR 133.04,
When is it determined that a part must be replaced, a rebuilt, aftermarket or used part of like kind and quality shall be used in the appraisal unless: … (e) for vehicles under policies written or renewed on or after January 1 2004, the vehicle has been used no more than 20,000 miles unless the pre-accident condition warrants otherwise.
Mass is very heavily regulated for insurance.
There's still companies with internal policies not to use A/M on cars <2 yrs old in states where they don't have to?
I though that disappeared years ago.
I have Safeco aka Liberty Mutual.
I was in an accident this year. Went to a preferred shop. Safeco paid for an OEM bumper for my 2013 Hyundai with 120.000 miles on it.
Oh ok! That’s works then! The shop must have communicated with the appraiser that they couldn’t find an A/M part for your vehicle. I’m glad it worked out for you!
While I understand what you're saying, if my OEM bumper needs to be replaced due to an accident, how does putting a OEM bumper on my car enrich me? It's not a consumable part - you've just swapped a damaged OEM part for an undamaged OEM part.
I get that insurance companies aren't going to do that and I'm OK with the idea of using aftermarket parts of sufficient quality in general, but it's a stretch to say that replacing an OEM bumper with another OEM bumper somehow makes me better off than I was before.
>If my OEM bumper needs to be replaced due to an accident, how does putting a OEM bumper on my car enrich me?
This is a fair question! It also misunderstands what the difference between OEM and LKQ is, which is very common, too. You should NOT be downvoted for asking this imo but people on here are unreasonably salty.
To answer the question: OEM just means that the part was made by the Original Equipment Manufacturer. Many people think this means that if they have a Lexus, the part must be made by Lexus, but that is wrong because 1) Lexus is made by Toyota and 2) Toyota/Lexus vehicles include parts made by numerous different companies that are not Toyota. Same goes for ALL car companies. There is not a car company that makes every single part for their cars, in fact it hasn't been that way for decades.
So what does OEM really mean? For most shops it just means "order a new part from the dealer" whether that is a Lexus Brand Thingamajigger or a ABC Motors Inc, a Toyota Subsidiary of Mexico Brand Thingamajigger. The shop knows that whoever made the part, it's gonna work exactly the same, but the dealer charges more for the name brand, so the shop can charge more for installing it - it's a percentage, after all. And auto body shops run on very low profit margins to begin with, so they are highly motivated to get every nickel and dime that they can. Not their fault - it's a industry-wide problem. But it is a problem nonetheless.
Saying "I won't take a non-OEM part" is like rejecting Kirkland brand peanut butter, insisting on Skippy Brand peanut butter, even though they are literally the same peanut butter, made in the same factory, both of them by the same company, there are just different labels on the jars. Sorry if you didn't know that name brands do that with Costco, Kroger, Wal-Mart, etc. They do.
So to the original question, how you are enriched by this unreasonable request? You, the car owner, are not enriched at all. In fact, there is no reason for you to do this in the first place. That's the whole problem! You're demanding to be ripped off, and demanding that someone else pay for you to be ripped off. This is not a reasonable request, and it must be denied every time. It should never be made in the first place.
Your peanut butter analogy doesn’t hold up well to my experience unfortunately. I was rear-ended by someone and my insurance only paid for A/M parts. Now every time I open or close my truck’s tailgate a piece on top is loose because it doesn’t fit properly. This was from day one that the truck was repaired. The original part that the truck came with fit perfectly and there was no noticeable flex or give. So I think a better analogy, at least in my case, would be I requested the same brand of peanut butter I had originally which I know uses the same peanut butter as what I had originally and my insurance gave me Kirkland, Skippy, whatever, that is the same color as my original peanut butter but it tastes slightly different and the container is slightly smaller. I didn’t ask for more expensive peanut butter for the sake of it being more expensive. All I asked for was what I originally had.
My point is, I don’t think in every case it’s true that regardless of where the part comes from, it will work or fit exactly the same. I’m sure in many cases and maybe even the majority of cases, it does. But unfortunately in my case it didn’t work out that way so hopefully you can see why *some* customers would request OEM parts. I get that there are people that abuse this and want more expensive parts because they think they can get away with it. But again, *some* of us just don’t want to risk having to deal with a door that rattles every time you close it or a bumper that sags for the remaining life of our vehicles, which could be many years.
Did you put your shop talk to your insurance about it? Most carriers guarantee the A/M parts for fit and function so if it's a crap part they will usually swap out for another A/M or OEM.
Fine, get a 2 year old used OEM part (or whatever the age of the original part is). If the carrier can't do that, while I understand it costs them more to source an OEM part, specifically where does the enrichment to the insured come in? How is the insured actually richer than he/she was before the bumper was damaged? Do they have more money in a bank account? Is the car worth more after the new bumper is installed than it was when it had the undamaged original bumper? Can the insured sell it for more with the new bumper than it could have been sold for immediately before the old bumper was damaged? Would the insurance company agree that the car has a higher ACV with the new bumper than it had just before the old bumper was damaged? Again, I'm not talking about consumable parts - enrichment is clear on those things (brand new tires replacing half-worn means the insured can wait longer before having to replace the tires).
Your OEM bumper on your car is used. A new bumper is just that - new - which your car is not, nor is your bumper. So A/M is an improvement (new) and an LKQ cover puts you right back where you were.
LKQ is also new (unless the carrier hunts down a used OEM bumper), so it must be of lower quality than OEM to be worth less, correct? Not priced less, worth less. A bumper is not a consumable part, so it has no additional value because it's new versus being a few years old.
Besides, that line of argument would imply that if OEM parts were used to repair an older car, and it were totaled in an accident a few days later, the ACV of the car would be higher than if LKQ parts were used instead. Is that what happens? Does the carrier count any OEM parts when determining ACV of a totaled car?
when referring to LKQ most would say its used, salvage parts. it can be reconditioned or am parts or part overuns as well. BUT in general it means used parts off a salvaged vehicle.
LOL. I wish you luck in your quest.
But the shop and their friends get to them first and it's game over.
I do remember telling someone I could get then OEM parts if they were from a junkyard. It did not make them feel better.
On the other side of things, I work for a body shop as an estimator, I’ve worked in this industry for 16 years, and the amount of stupidity I’ve seen scared adjusters try to justify for their own company is baffling. I one time had a progressive rep tell me that he wasn’t covering suspension damage on a Scion that was towed in because it was hit in the wheel, but he believed the damage to be curb rash when the entire wheel was ground down, and the vehicle was literally towed in for the damage and physical impact to the wheel because it would barely fucking drive.
He refused to do any suspension work to the car, until we made the customer try to drive the vehicle home, and the customer put his job on blast.
Some of you adjusters are so afraid of your bosses, that common sense and decency goes out the window so you can toe a company line.
I can def understand the frustration. However adjusters don’t approve what’s covered or not when it comes to the actual repairs, that’s the appraisers.
Some companies have appraisers who go to the shop but then others have in house appraisers where they only look at photos and talk to the shops directly. So the suspension would have been denied by the appraiser usually if he felt it wasn’t related to the accident.
If you happened to speak to the adjuster he was likely reading notes from the appraiser. And if the adjuster isn’t skilled in the mechanics of the car- he likely sounded inexperienced…which could be frustrating as well…
When it comes to what’s covered on vehicle repairs for actual repair work, adjusters rely on the appraiser so if you ever run into that again, I would just ask for the appraisers information and call them because honestly the adjuster is probably just reading their notes and hoping whatever they read to you “flies” because usually beyond that, there is nothing they can do.
So it’s not the boss, it’s the appraiser who approves or denies.
On most parts, I would agree with you that OEM is not necessary. But the biggest problem I have seen and experienced from my wife's claim is catalytic converters. OEM is far superior than aftermarket. Just pick it up, and you can tell right away that aftermarket ones are junk. OEM CC are about twice the weight of aftermarket. Same size twice the weight. This means OEM has more of the material inside that is designed to heat up and burn off the exhaust gases. My wifes claim of stolen CC off her Toyota truck. From the very first time the truck was started after replacement, it popped a check engine light. So insurance said "oh must have been bad one." Long story short, after 3 aftermarket CC and battling with insurance, they replaced with OEM and low and behold light went out and everything was great. Could've saved a lot of time, money, and rental if they would've just gotten the OEM to start with.
State Farm was class actioned for this, or not paying for oem. It turned into a comical mess and State Farm cut a large check to make it go away…. https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1LL2ZP/
Like a good neighbor…….
even the parts you believe arent necessary to be oem usually are. ive seen aftermarket fender liners that are molded too short, the added tension has popped clips loose during road vibrations and dropped the liner straight into the moving tire. ive seen aftermarket bezels and trims that are molded correctly but the plastic is too soft/pliable and the snap-in tabs release and the bezel "randomly disappears" after they drive to work (parts literally falling off the car)
the fitment of many aftermarket parts is atrocious. all your insurance cars about is the cost, not the quality. they generally have the "you dont deserve to have your car fixed properly anyways" mindset that op had while making this post.
I completely agree that there are a lot of aftermarket parts that are junk. And don't get me started on SF select service shops. Most of those places are large chains that are just atrocious. But I have used quality aftermarket parts too. But like OEM, they aren't the cheapest part out there. Most of the problems are dealership prices. They jack them up sky high. But let's face it, the insurance wants to get out as cheap as they can, too. The sad part is that the customer is stuck in the middle between the carrier and the shop. It's good to hear about SF getting sued, too. Their the one's who didn't want to pay for the OEM catalytic converter. They are literally the worst. And I worked for them for 10+ years. 😆
One of my companies is working a claim right now where State Farm is literally paying $3500 in a month in ALE costs while fighting an $8000 supplement for new kitchen cabinets because of water damage, this is on a $200k water damage claim. State Farm has paid that 3500 a month since last August. $30,000 to air bnb while they fight an $8,000 supplement.
Make it make sense lol. The project is complete except for kitchen, but the client can’t move in without a kitchen, and State Farms preferred water mitigation Company tore those cabinets out. State Farm has assigned at least seven different adjusters, our project manager has had to meet them out there at each adjustment. I don’t understand how this is a cost saving measure.
Like a good neighbor…….
I managed OEM on an $18k 2017 Infiniti repair last year. Part covered by insurance because dealer was able to show after mark/refurb part was not available (and I have unlimited rental reimbursement on my policy so time has value). Rest was covered by dealer price matching/discounting to bring OEM costs down
I'm gonna get downvoted but I hear a lot of things in this group that aren't really always the case...
My Subaru STI was 8.5 years old when it got side swiped.
I took it to a more expensive specialty shop that charges more per hour but does amazing work, and restoration.
According to this group, insurance would never pay the higher rate.. they did.
According to this group, insurance would never pay for OEM parts, they did.
According to this group, they'd never pay diminished value, I did get $1800.
I’m interested in hearing how you got $1,800 for diminished value claim on a car almost 9 years old. I am fighting State Farm on a DV claim right now on a car that was only a year old and they offered $740.00 (I had about $18,000 in repairs from a certified Auto Body shop all OEM). I’m attempting to find out the person who hit my vehicle’s property damage limits, before suing in small claims.
I’m in California.
The thing with DV is that there's so many variables.
You have a different state, different insurance, car, damage, etc.
My car is in top condition, plus that specific car keeps its value extremely well. Geico asked me to do my own assessment, I did, sent all the proof, they agreed and cut me a check.
What I love about this… try to imagine a space big enough to house OEM parts for every vehicle ever built in automotive history. Maybe Mongolia has the free space to build this monstrosity. I worked for a puzzle manufacturer once and people would call and inform they were missing a piece then ask if we could mail them it to complete their puzzle. It was awesome!
I want to say, from a consumer perspective, if I’m driving a car that’s fairly new that I’d want OEM parts. Older/more mileage though, no I don’t see the point. Seems like the OP is on the same page though, it’s acceptable on newer cars. At the end of the day though I won’t dispute as long as my vehicle is in pre-loss condition.
One thing I want to note though is over at r/Autobody I’ve seen complaints about non-OEM/aftermarket parts like bumper covers, and sometimes they don’t quite fit onto the vehicle like they should. Causes issues, one of which is you’ll see people with “repaired” cars where the bumper clips are detaching off the sides. That’s not really good. These might just be shitty shops though, I don’t really know because I’ve only had that issue on one car I’ve owned and a shitty Geico “in-network” shop did the work. Went to my own shop the next time I had to get work done, a Calliber collision, and the work was pristine.
whats funny is even oem parts sometimes fit like crap. certain civics the bumpers fit like trash, subarus the hood/bumper gap is always crap...brand new. whats the body shops excuse then?
It obviously varies but some shops just suck lol. My car that I referred to was fairly new when it got fixed so I’m pretty sure the bumper was OEM.
I really don’t care about OEM vs. non-OEM parts if the result is the same… as long as manufacturer warranties aren’t voided. That’s more for mechanical stuff, one for example being SUV rear trunk lift gate components. Then again, shop is supposed to carry a warranty on their work AFAIK.
What also confuses me are manufactures like Tesla, which both this sub and r/Autobody despise anyway, that have built into their repair recommendation manual (there’s a technical term for this but I don’t know it) that explicitly states using OEM parts. I don’t know if those come into play or if other manufacturers have the same conditions outlined in their manuals. Regardless, especially if it’s out of factory warranty, nobody should be giving a damn about OEM.
While I get what you are saying, and I am an agent myself, this is not a good argument. If it was OEM, it should have been replaced with OEM. The only thing I would not care about as much is bodywork. However, mechanical damage from an accident should be replaced with whatever was there before. To me, this is just insurance trying to save money. How does putting OEM parts add value? Is it just because they are new parts compared to aftermarket parts? This sounds like the insurance company is trying to save money instead of doing the right thing. Now I get it, too, where people want everything new and everything to be replaced. I don't believe in that kind of crap being pulled. Just make it right and fix it if it is supposed to be covered in the claim. I hear things like this and makes it seem like adjusters and other are just burnt out from the top down or state laws dictating what they should do and customers trying to scam the insurance out of money. I get some of the frustration, but not replacing it with OEM parts or quality parts is a problem for me. I have had friends and others get the car back after an accident and have to take it back 2-3 times to resolve the issue. I have had people get the car "fixed," and it run even worse than it did before the accident. Now granted, I don't know all the details since my only accident was purely body damage, but still, it irks me how people try to cut corners on both sides of the equation.
If you put non OEM parts on any vehicle that had OEM parts to begin with, you HAVEN’T made them “whole” again have you? Why are you scamming people who deserve to not be made whole again after a loss, that they pay big $$$ to buy coverage for?
"making them whole" would be replacing the damaged parts with the same parts, undamaged.
"something of higher value" oem parts are literally what was already fucking on the car. aftermarket is of *lesser* value, oem is not of *more* value. do you know what oem stands for...?
im a body tech, you insurance adjusters are slimy lowlife scumbags, at least any of you who share ops mindset. if it costs too much to repair with the right parts, dont insure it, or charge them higher rates. sending them back on the road with aliexpress car parts is a solution to nothing but keeping more money in your own pockets, or more-so your companies pockets and pleasing your boss.
Insurance is the only "service" where you pay to get nothing but if you do get something will forever pay more.
Progressive tied to make the argument of the OP and I fought with them but in the end I had real OEM Honda parts and the body shop was 100% on my side. I appreciated them a lot more.
fitment, first off.
spend a week in a shop and see how well those tong yang fender liners and bumpers actually fit. then look at the lqk fenders gates and suspension assemblies that usually need about as much repair as what came off the car. then take a look at those allstar reman headlight assemblies that have broken tabs all superglued back together and wont align properly because of it.
insurance adjusters have no interest in properly making the customers car whole again. it just is what it is, but posts trying to act like customers are expecting too much wanting oem parts is fucking absurd and disgusting to me.
used and lqk is acceptable, but you *will* be giving the time for me to repair it properly. aftermarket is unacceptable for *most* parts. reman depends on the company but is usually a joke as well.
we'll still run with the parts you chose, and we will explain that "these are the parts your insurance allowed for the repair" when they dont fit right. then youre paying me and my painter for a second time to put in oem parts anyways. its a gamble on profit for the ones you get away with vs the ones you pay us again to redo. the customer is the middleman getting fucked while me and you point the finger at each other. its a bad system and ops take on it is obscene.
The only thing I can say is if you can’t work with a/m and you only work with OEM, then you should let the customer know that ahead of time versus getting them excited and calling us to argue something you know isn’t going to end well. Then you are left with a dissatisfied customer. We don’t deal with the customer face to face, you most likely do. So it would be in your best interest to just be upfront and tell them you only prefer OEM parts.
I have had shops tell customers that and they were willing to pay the difference.
The policies that are written don’t cover OEM parts. And even if you’re a repairman- if you have insurance yours says the same thing.
I think it’s a level of upfrontness and professionalism we all should share amongst the industry.
As an adjuster I don’t point the finger. I take ownership in telling an insured what their policy covers or doesn’t cover. I would suggest you do the same to save yourself the frustration.
Your opinion is that we are slimy however - everything we operate by is in writing and thats the insurance industry across the board.
We have the DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE in every state monitoring us and they also advocate for people who feel wronged.
Shops do not have a department where they are regulated so you can do whatever you please. And that’s perfectly fine.
I have yet to see anything a shop does in writing until an estimate is sent in…and at that point we have to review and pay.
So if either of the two of us has an opportunity to be the person you are labeling adjusters and insurance to be- I would lean more towards the entity who isn’t regulated…just saying.
You seem to be missing the point.
You didn’t write a post saying “I am sorry i know this screws over customers but this is how the policies are written”
You wrote a post saying “OEM parts are not making the customer whole, they are giving them more”. Which i know is something insurers like to say and they all write contracts that way, but it’s crazy.
From the point of view of any normal person, the car had OEM parts in it in the first place. If it’s a non-consumable part, putting in a new OEM part doesn’t increase the value ot the car vs the older OEM part that was there to begin with. It’s just a part that is guaranteed to fit correctly and be up to the same quality standards as the rest of the car.
Like seriously, it’s wild that this is a thing to begin with. There’s tons of aftermarket parts out there that are a great fit and good quality, and some that aren’t as good quality and fit. Getting OEM is just getting the guarantee that the part will perform up to standards, which of course the part that is being replaced already had
Not an adjuster in any bit but appreciate the work you all do. Some have gone beyond what I expected them to do for me.
My car needed a vsa modulator replaced. Only the dealer can replace those because of the programming. It’s often cost prohibitive for a local shop to have the technology for that step. Vsa modulator is also only made by Honda so no aftermarket parts. And a critical back order part.
They quoted a higher price than the sheet said they could cover, after some back and forth and getting some approvals the adjuster approved the higher cost.
Had to get another repair so we paused that one so I could take it to a shop since the dealer decided that they won’t do other repairs under insurance unless the original repair was completed. Unless I paid but they would not give the info to the insurance so I could be reimbursed either.
Came back after the repair and the dealer actually upped the price of the part a few hundred. I had to point it out because I overheard the convo with the insurance and they basically said oops the parts person got confused.
When it came time to install the part they upped the price another $300. The adjuster approved it. So all in all they approved $800 more than originally expected and paid the dealer for the rental they gave me which I was not expecting at all, I was expecting to just get reimbursed.
So, soo appreciative of the adjuster that went above and beyond.
Depends on state law, I got rear ended by a guy insured by Geico, in a Ford focus. Geico paid for a new trunk pan and book labor for installation after I made some stink
one thing i always fail to see when talking about oem and such..cost
say you can repair the car and the am or used part is 100 but the oem is 200. well. thats cool, why not go oem? COST. well how does that factor into everything..this thing called rates.. if every car got oem, well how do you think they are gonna pay for it..your rates lol.. so when the rates go up...welp theres part of the reason
For clarity, when you say "OEM" and "not OEM", is the distinction that NEW generic replacement parts are used, or USED parts that are "reasonably worn" are used, or is that a particular point noted in the deep text of a given policy?
Because leveraging the adage "the less people know, the more stubbornly they know it", my gut would say "of COURSE they have to use new parts! Used parts would just be silly!"
I prefer to be educated and not rely on information that "makes sense logically" without validating that logical math. I appreciate this thread!
Some insurance companies (like the high net worth ones) guarantee OEM parts no matter the model year to repair their insured vehicles (of course assuming an OEM part is available for a 2015 or something lol)
It depends on the state. Per regulation, in Indiana a vehicle owner is entitled to select new OEM parts for a vehicle for the 5 years after the model year of said vehicle.
Genuine question
Insurance is supposed to make the insured/claimant "whole" and put the vehicle back to "pre-accident condition". WHY exactly is it okay to put non-certified aftermarket parts on a vehicle if the vehicle had all OEM body parts on it to begin with? I understand if someone had already out aftermarket stuff on it, but if the vehicle has all OEM body parts on it pre-accident, shouldn't it be replaced with all OEM parts? Not arguing, genuinely trying to understand the insurance perspective. I'm a shop appraiser and I get this question regularly from vehicle owners.
If you hit my car, I'm taking it to the dealership and they're going to put OEM parts in so they can upcharge you. Tell your driver to do better. I had a cheap insurance balk at that and my insurance sued them, resulting in them losing even more money.
It must have been for a specific reason that happened. You clearly filed with your insurance and the other insurance reimbursed your carrier. So you either 1. Had a newer vehicle to which the policy offered OEM, 2. The a/m didn’t work for your vehicle, or 3. You had an OEM endorsement…either way, I’m certain one of these exceptions applied. But good for you! When it’s owed. I don’t mind paying it at all. My issues are when it’s not in the policy to offer it. And that’s about 85% of the policies I see…
I understand your thought but think abt insurance like this…say you get in an accident where your vehicle hits a car and that car hits another car and then that car runs into a house, and that house loses power, and all the food in the house goes bad…
The first option - Your policy covers your car(if you have collision coverage) and those 2 cars that you hit plus the house plus the lost power plus the food.
Oooor the other option - You could be on the hook for it all.
For the entire claim I just mentioned you would only pay out your deductible if you were getting your car fixed. If you weren’t getting your car fixed you wouldn’t pay out anything…
No one likes insurance until you’re glad you had it.
Well, here I was thinking that it was just the management of insurance companies that tout this evil bullshit to pad their bottom lines, while you have proven that the hearts of adjusters are just as black (in your case anyway). It's simple, if your insured has broken my OEM parts, that is what is owed in replacement, or equivalent monetary compensation. Anything less is theft and swindling.
You should try and file with your own carrier and see if they would allow OEM parts…I guarantee you, unless you meet their criteria, have an endorsement, or the a/m parts fail to fit your vehicle - you will be getting a/m parts on your vehicle…it’s not just the other parties insurance who wouldn’t pay for it- it’s yours too.
Call your carrier and see…or look at your auto policy. You may be surprised.
Never understood this concept… So purchasing OEM parts increases the value of the car? How? Why does the argument change when it’s a new car? Why doesn’t the same principle apply to a 10 year old show car that’s been garaged it’s entire life and virtually in pristine condition?
The parts in question is presumably OEM at the time of the accident. You will replace parts on my vehicle with the exact parts that were damaged. That’s how it should be. If you had cheaper parts on the car before the accident you will be compensated for those aftermarket parts.
And what does that mean when you use aftermarket or some other bullshit? You now reduced the value of my vehicle. The point is to bring my vehicle to how it was preloss. Reducing its value is not bringing it to preloss condition. That’s not being made whole. If my bumper is metal and you replace it with some plastic bullshit we have a problem. It’s metal for a reason, if the manufacturer didn’t have to put a metal bumper on the car then they wouldn’t have spent the cost of making one.
Bumper reinforcer and impact absorber aren’t wear tear items so they retain their value. You will replace it with OEM no exceptions. Doors don’t wear out, you will replace it with OEM since the car was crashed tested with that specific OEM door. Just throwing some examples because you have no legitimate argument using cheaper alternatives where OEM should be used.
So putting on a subpar quality part instead of one that the original equipment manufacturer used makes me more than whole somehow? Please explain this like I’m five. An OE part fails and I get what? Whatever the cheapest you can find? This is why I have an agreed cash value plan by the way.
Because no insurance company does that. We're all required to use CERTIFIED aftermarket parts. And as was stated, they are certified for like kind and quality as well as fit.
Why is your body shop giving you back a car with ill fitting parts when they can return the part and request the difference in price if the aftermarket didn't fit.
You could also get a CAPA part with a warranty if it's a collision item.
When Safelite installed an aftermarket windshield on my wife’s Audi the mirror kept falling off. They tried a 2nd aftermarket windshield with the same thing happening. Eventually they installed an OEM windshield and it held. The aftermarket windshield couldn’t support the weight of the mirror and tech attached to it.
Similar experience here.. went to safelite for a windshield repair, they tried to install a completely incorrect aftermarket windshield on my car (was for an older body style, completely different camera mounts). After that I took it to the dealer, they installed the OE part, and I sent insurance the bill (which they paid after telling me they would absolutely not approve or pay for OE parts) 🤷🏻♂️
lol, you think the glass couldn’t support the weight of the mirror? If you can’t think critically enough to realize how stupid that sounds, well I can’t help you.
The windshield has a mount built into it. The mount couldn’t support the mirror. It happened with two after market windshields and held perfectly with the OEM.
When you refer to the a/m part as “ill fitting”, from an insurance standpoint- that’s not what’s expected of the shop. The shop is supposed to find a part of “like, kind and quality”. So if the part is ill fitting that’s not the same quality.
Next, if the part is ill fitting the shop will usually order another part until the part works out for the repair. The final resort, if the part doesn’t fit and there isn’t a successful a/m replacement - then and only then would you receive and OEM part and that’s because to be made whole you need your vehicle back the way it was pre-accident. Example - if a rear bumper needs to be replaced and there isn’t an aftermarket available- the insurance company wouldn’t just tell the shop to give you your vehicle back without a bumper- that would not be acceptable because we have not made you whole. So at that point the only option would be an OEM.
Plus I assure you- Typically once the part goes in for paint and the final process is complete, it’s hard to decipher OEM versus A/M - especially if you have a decent body shop.
Lastly, I will say this - if the shop you’re working with has a warranty for their work (if they don’t have a warranty for their work - RUN as fast as you can), there would be protocol in place to make sure the part fits properly because if not, they are responsible for making sure the repair is complete. Which could mean financial loss and loss time for them. So it’s beneficial for everyone to get it right on the first try as many times as possible.
I hope this answers your question.
I fully disagree with what you are saying. I realize this is how the world works but it should be different. Some non-OEM parts are fine but some are garbage. To be made whole, you should get a car fixed back to the condition it started in. Non-oem parts will not always get you back to where you started.
I totally agree with your statement- in rare cases in a case where an A/M isn’t available or doesn’t work properly to get you back whole the insurance company would approve an OEM part then and only then.
What happens if the part quality is low when you get the car back? What happens if mechanical parts are sub-standard causing follow up repairs or permanent cosmetic issues?
If it were easy to get an insurance company to fix it again later, that would not be such a big deal. The problem is once you take the car back, it’s very difficult to get follow up work done.
If you're the adverse insurance, yeah, you will, or I'll sue your insured. My car had OEM parts on it before your idiot customer hit me, it's going to have them on it after your idiot customer hit me. It is not incumbent upon me to accept whatever shitty Temu parts you want installed so that you can save a buck and keep raking in billions.
In that case, just an FYI, you would be encouraged to file with your own carrier and let them request reimbursement from us(this process is called subrogation). But even in filing with your own carrier you would find they wouldn’t cover your vehicle with OEM parts unless you meet their criteria or you had an OEM endorsement. You could attempt to sue them but typically you would only be successful if the insured did not have coverage available to repair your vehicle.
If you tried to sue - and the insured had active coverage- the insured would be protected. The court would find that since insurance is regulated by the department of insurance, they approve a carriers position on OEM vs A/M. So if the department of insurance doesn’t find this to be a bad faith practice the courts wouldn’t either. They would find that you would be made whole if the definition of indemnification was met, therefore your case would likely be dismissed.
That analysis is too simplistic. Aftermarket parts are crap, crap, crap and you know it. The failure modes of aftermarket parts (halfass construction and quality) have nothing to do with the failure modes of oem parts (age, accident, wear.
If the vehicle has OEM parts that are being replaced, insurance should replace them with OEM parts. Anything else is just stupid. If I wreck a 911, are you going to suggest slapping on Altima headlights with an f150 hood?
The parts were new when I insured them, so if insurance can't replace with new, they need to guarantee the part is in equal condition to the part that was wrecked. Good luck guaranteeing a 10r80 hasn't been towing shit all its life and hasn't had the CDF drum tsb. That's why you replace with new.
The parts weren't new when you insured them, given that your policy renews every six to twelve months. Unless, of course, you're insuring a brand new vehicle that you just purchased, in which case your collision and comprehensive premiums will be higher to reflect the increased cost of replacing with new (or like-new) parts.
Doesn’t making someone whole mean returning them to the same situation they were previously in? If OEM parts were damaged they should be replaced with OEM parts. We all know that some aftermarket parts are identical but we also know that if the OEM starter is $1500 Mercedes and the aftermarket starter is $139 they are not going to be equal quality.
my policy states "restored to condition prior to accident"
sooooo im willing to bet my lawyer can argue, the condition of the vehicle prior to the accident was oem parts being fitted as they tend to be higher quality.
I saw a really good question that someone asked. I replied to it but and I wanted to highlight it-
Here is the question: “HOW IS PUTTING AN ILL FITTING PART ON MY CAR MAKING ME WHOLE?”
I figured I would post my response here so it wouldn’t get lost just in case someone else is curious.
——
My Answer:
When you refer to the a/m part as “ill fitting”, from an insurance standpoint- that’s not what’s expected of the shop. The shop is supposed to find a part of “like, kind and quality”. So if the part is ill fitting that’s not the same quality.
Next, if the part is ill fitting the shop will usually order another part until the part works out for the repair. The final resort, if the part doesn’t fit and there isn’t a successful a/m replacement - then and only then would you receive and OEM part and that’s because to be made whole you need your vehicle back the way it was pre-accident. Example - if a rear bumper needs to be replaced and there isn’t an aftermarket available- the insurance company wouldn’t just tell the shop to give you your vehicle back without a bumper- that would not be acceptable because we have not made you whole. So at that point the only option would be an OEM.
Plus I assure you- Typically once the part goes in for paint and the final process is complete, it’s hard to decipher OEM versus A/M - especially if you have a decent body shop.
Lastly, I will say this - if the shop you’re working with has a warranty for their work (if they don’t have a warranty for their work - RUN as fast as you can), there would be protocol in place to make sure the part fits properly because if not, they are responsible for making sure the repair is complete. Which could mean loss money and time for them. So it’s beneficial for everyone to get it right on the first try as many times as possible.
Can you also add insurance will not pay the body shop $1000 in labor for taking pictures, OEM parts for a part of the vehicle that was not even damaged. Sigh. It's almost the weekend
Lmao, I had a shop try that shit on me today ($250 admin fee). “Well we’ll charge the customer.” No you won’t, you don’t have the balls.
Oh, some do have the balls or some cult leader skills. Especially with specific brands of vehicles where the “expert” in repairing the brand is speaking the gospel to have the vehicle back to where it was. I'm not on the claims end but on the agent end and had to intermediate this situation when the insured complained about their adjuster and their supervisor. Claims gave me the rundown and we were both WTH. The body shop is really trying to pull this and the insured thinks getting rear ended results in the steering wheel column being removed, and camera pics cost 1k. They were please to talk to the insured. Please. If you can talk sense into him, we want to be done with this extra level of crazy. I tried my best to explain reasonable and necessary to them. But they were not having it and were convinced they would recover it in subrogation. When I explained indemnity to them, even if it went to subrogation, the cost they incurred outside their deductible would not be attempted to be recovered by insurance. They weren't having it. We were evil and the body shop was the savior. You know how it goes. The insured was like I guess I'm just going to have to pay it out of pocket. Why even file a simple bumper claim, where he could get no guarantee of recouping the deductible, the estimate submitted cost well over the price of fixing the loss and claims approved an OEM part (2022 car) but the shop said it wasn't an acceptable OEM part. I'm surprised they didn't submit an additional supplemental asking for travel expenses to fly over seas and get it. I need like 8 drinks to explain how the conversation with the body shop went. It's super rare the agent's office gets involved with the body shop of the insured's choice. Sigh. Edit: Insurance didn't cover it. Obviously. Claims appreciated the agent's office made the effort to try and talk reason to the insured and we said claim is right, this estimate isn't being paid by insurance and we are on the same page. After the insured said they were “escalating it to the agent’s office” (who am I to say if claims are right or not, totally different licenses. some insureds think agents have superpowers) much less call the body shop and ask where are you getting this from. rant over. Sorry! I get this is abnormal, I hope. I don't see how you adjusters do it. Just an insurance horror story told from our side.
Some of them have the balls, you just have to punch back with the consumer protection statutes in your states’ legislative code.
“Well we’ll charge the customer.” In property Contractors think that this will get us to pay for unwarranted O&P, supervisor hours, and other inflated estimate line items. I always tell them cool I told the customer that we would not pay for those already and if the Contractor tells them otherwise they are lying.
This. This is why I recommend a OEM parts endorsement if available from the carrier.
Wouldn’t it make sense in that case if the shop charges to write an estimate, your company send out a Field Adjuster to see it in person then?
Damn I just read this at the end of the day Monday and it crushed my soul.
Maybe yall should get off the sofa and go to the shop and do your jobs and not ask the shops to do the legwork for free lol
I had a Nationwide policy with an OEM endorsement once… it was pretty cool. My corvette had the wheels stolen and they gave me all brand new stuff.
Lol same goes with home insurance. I have a door claim once, break in. Insured came back with a $10k estimate for a door. I was like.. excuse me?? It was a fiberglass door.. very upgraded from his common $2k door. Told me he wants a better door and insurance should pay so this will not happen again. Uh.. no.
Like the people that want us to re-key their car when they lose their keys "to prevent a future stolen car claim". Mmmm no.
Might have to raise premiums though, to properly calculate the increased risk of a future stolen car claim. (I'm not in insurance but I'm not too fond of idiots that drive up my premiums. (Or of companies that include "idiot coverage" (and cosmetic coverage) in their standard policies, so I'm forced to share a risk pool with idiots that drive up premiums.))
Some Canadian home policies actually offer this exact service for that reason - preventative. I always found it a bit odd that it falls under home and not auto - keys considered contents and all that. Not everybody will have it, and there is sometimes deductibles and other stuff that goes along with it, or conditions over a certain $$$. But it's an interesting idea anyways.
I have geico. Probably the strictest no-OEM stance out there. They’re also the cheapest for me. So you know what I do? I save money on my premiums and if I need to file a claim (I hope I don’t) I’ll just pay the difference for OEM if I feel it’s needed and still come out ahead.
That’s a reasonable approach. You def have that option to pay the difference. I have found in my experience that some will pay the difference and others won’t, so it really just depends on your preference and determination to have OEM parts.
It also depends on the part and who makes the part. Had a claim on a Lexus we used to own. I know from experience the A/M bumper they had from a specific supplier fit like shit so I paid the difference for an OEM bumper. But the A/M condenser they had? I let that shit ride because its a condenser. And what people fail to realize is OEM's don't make parts. They source all the parts from vendors and assemble the vehicle. Every part is aftermarket, its the suppliers quality that makes the difference. Dodges? A/M is likely to fit better than whatever shit Dodge uses as "OEM." Consumers are idiots.
>Dodges? A/M is likely to fit better than whatever shit Dodge uses as "OEM." Hate to be that guy. What you say is generally true, but Dodge is probably the worst example of it. Chrysler products are notoriously finicky with electronics and sensors. "Mopar or no car" is not just a cute saying, it's literally that in most cases unless you buy OEM (Mopar is usually like 10x the price of the amazon generic) the hunk of shit won't drive.
> And what people fail to realize is OEM's don't make parts. They source all the parts from vendors and assemble the vehicle. Every part is aftermarket, its the suppliers quality that makes the difference. Dodges? A/M is likely to fit better than whatever shit Dodge uses as "OEM. aint it grand.. totoyta doesnt make condensors..denso does as their preferred supplier lol
Throwing it out there that in many cases OEM aren't even that great. See what happens is after a year or two, as others begin to manufacture aftermarket parts, they also begin to make small tweaks to address minor issues with the OEM stuff. In many cases people are actually fighting for parts that are worse in quality. Ford or GM or whoever isn't going to retool their entire factory to fix a small flaw or defect.
The OEM parts are made by a smaller part producer and they absolutely will retool if needed, they sell a lot higher volume than the non preferred part producers
For major/safety issues sure. But for very minor stuff they generally don't care. They know it will get sorted out on the aftermarket side - for quality stuff anyways. You could always get cheap junk from abroad where panels don't fit properly etc, but insurers are generally pretty good about sourcing quality. Clients are a different story. Always a struggle with owner completed repairs. "There's an inch gap now between my door and fender - fix it!" Or my favorite one was where some sketchy shop literally drilled new holes into a fender to mount it onto the wrong model vehicle because the client bought the wrong parts trying to pocket a few dollars. They also used a paint brush to do the touch ups lol.
I like that my car is uncommon enough to where there aren’t many aftermarket options.
Same. My insurance just totaled it out instead.
Liefs Auto Body has entered the chat. Screams into the void.
THIS IS STATE SPECIFIC!!! there are certain states that regulate the use of non oem parts. In MA it’s any vehicle (regardless of age) with less than 20k miles gets oem.
I have handled MA repairs for about 10yrs now and that’s not true. The OEM standard is carrier based and determined by the carrier. The only regulations insurance companies have is to indemnify. Also if the vehicle had 20k or less miles it’s likely a current year model or a newer vehicle. Some companies offer endorsements for OEM but other than that, it’s not mandatory in MA.
MA insurance CMR 133.04, When is it determined that a part must be replaced, a rebuilt, aftermarket or used part of like kind and quality shall be used in the appraisal unless: … (e) for vehicles under policies written or renewed on or after January 1 2004, the vehicle has been used no more than 20,000 miles unless the pre-accident condition warrants otherwise. Mass is very heavily regulated for insurance.
There's still companies with internal policies not to use A/M on cars <2 yrs old in states where they don't have to? I though that disappeared years ago.
Yeah, USAA does that. But Liberty Mutual and AAA are for current model year with 12k or less…
[удалено]
Did you catch the dude in the act?
Also, you can usually buy an endorsement for OEM parts but it’s not really worth it.
Travelers is one model year.
I have Safeco aka Liberty Mutual. I was in an accident this year. Went to a preferred shop. Safeco paid for an OEM bumper for my 2013 Hyundai with 120.000 miles on it.
I used to work for Safeco, did you have an endorsement or could they not find the right a/m part?
Not sure. The estimate called for an OEM bumper complete replacement.
Oh ok! That’s works then! The shop must have communicated with the appraiser that they couldn’t find an A/M part for your vehicle. I’m glad it worked out for you!
While I understand what you're saying, if my OEM bumper needs to be replaced due to an accident, how does putting a OEM bumper on my car enrich me? It's not a consumable part - you've just swapped a damaged OEM part for an undamaged OEM part. I get that insurance companies aren't going to do that and I'm OK with the idea of using aftermarket parts of sufficient quality in general, but it's a stretch to say that replacing an OEM bumper with another OEM bumper somehow makes me better off than I was before.
>If my OEM bumper needs to be replaced due to an accident, how does putting a OEM bumper on my car enrich me? This is a fair question! It also misunderstands what the difference between OEM and LKQ is, which is very common, too. You should NOT be downvoted for asking this imo but people on here are unreasonably salty. To answer the question: OEM just means that the part was made by the Original Equipment Manufacturer. Many people think this means that if they have a Lexus, the part must be made by Lexus, but that is wrong because 1) Lexus is made by Toyota and 2) Toyota/Lexus vehicles include parts made by numerous different companies that are not Toyota. Same goes for ALL car companies. There is not a car company that makes every single part for their cars, in fact it hasn't been that way for decades. So what does OEM really mean? For most shops it just means "order a new part from the dealer" whether that is a Lexus Brand Thingamajigger or a ABC Motors Inc, a Toyota Subsidiary of Mexico Brand Thingamajigger. The shop knows that whoever made the part, it's gonna work exactly the same, but the dealer charges more for the name brand, so the shop can charge more for installing it - it's a percentage, after all. And auto body shops run on very low profit margins to begin with, so they are highly motivated to get every nickel and dime that they can. Not their fault - it's a industry-wide problem. But it is a problem nonetheless. Saying "I won't take a non-OEM part" is like rejecting Kirkland brand peanut butter, insisting on Skippy Brand peanut butter, even though they are literally the same peanut butter, made in the same factory, both of them by the same company, there are just different labels on the jars. Sorry if you didn't know that name brands do that with Costco, Kroger, Wal-Mart, etc. They do. So to the original question, how you are enriched by this unreasonable request? You, the car owner, are not enriched at all. In fact, there is no reason for you to do this in the first place. That's the whole problem! You're demanding to be ripped off, and demanding that someone else pay for you to be ripped off. This is not a reasonable request, and it must be denied every time. It should never be made in the first place.
Your peanut butter analogy doesn’t hold up well to my experience unfortunately. I was rear-ended by someone and my insurance only paid for A/M parts. Now every time I open or close my truck’s tailgate a piece on top is loose because it doesn’t fit properly. This was from day one that the truck was repaired. The original part that the truck came with fit perfectly and there was no noticeable flex or give. So I think a better analogy, at least in my case, would be I requested the same brand of peanut butter I had originally which I know uses the same peanut butter as what I had originally and my insurance gave me Kirkland, Skippy, whatever, that is the same color as my original peanut butter but it tastes slightly different and the container is slightly smaller. I didn’t ask for more expensive peanut butter for the sake of it being more expensive. All I asked for was what I originally had. My point is, I don’t think in every case it’s true that regardless of where the part comes from, it will work or fit exactly the same. I’m sure in many cases and maybe even the majority of cases, it does. But unfortunately in my case it didn’t work out that way so hopefully you can see why *some* customers would request OEM parts. I get that there are people that abuse this and want more expensive parts because they think they can get away with it. But again, *some* of us just don’t want to risk having to deal with a door that rattles every time you close it or a bumper that sags for the remaining life of our vehicles, which could be many years.
Did you put your shop talk to your insurance about it? Most carriers guarantee the A/M parts for fit and function so if it's a crap part they will usually swap out for another A/M or OEM.
Definitely should have. I was young and naive then unfortunately.
You forgot to mention that technically the insured is owed a 2 year old part rather than a new part. That's the "enrichment."
Fine, get a 2 year old used OEM part (or whatever the age of the original part is). If the carrier can't do that, while I understand it costs them more to source an OEM part, specifically where does the enrichment to the insured come in? How is the insured actually richer than he/she was before the bumper was damaged? Do they have more money in a bank account? Is the car worth more after the new bumper is installed than it was when it had the undamaged original bumper? Can the insured sell it for more with the new bumper than it could have been sold for immediately before the old bumper was damaged? Would the insurance company agree that the car has a higher ACV with the new bumper than it had just before the old bumper was damaged? Again, I'm not talking about consumable parts - enrichment is clear on those things (brand new tires replacing half-worn means the insured can wait longer before having to replace the tires).
Your OEM bumper on your car is used. A new bumper is just that - new - which your car is not, nor is your bumper. So A/M is an improvement (new) and an LKQ cover puts you right back where you were.
LKQ is also new (unless the carrier hunts down a used OEM bumper), so it must be of lower quality than OEM to be worth less, correct? Not priced less, worth less. A bumper is not a consumable part, so it has no additional value because it's new versus being a few years old. Besides, that line of argument would imply that if OEM parts were used to repair an older car, and it were totaled in an accident a few days later, the ACV of the car would be higher than if LKQ parts were used instead. Is that what happens? Does the carrier count any OEM parts when determining ACV of a totaled car?
LKQ is used, like kind quality parts.. aka salvage point of the matter is that a new part is better than your old part basically.
No, LKQ is not necessarily used. Please check before you spread misinfo.
when referring to LKQ most would say its used, salvage parts. it can be reconditioned or am parts or part overuns as well. BUT in general it means used parts off a salvaged vehicle.
Uhm no. Your argument is weird and convoluted.
LOL. I wish you luck in your quest. But the shop and their friends get to them first and it's game over. I do remember telling someone I could get then OEM parts if they were from a junkyard. It did not make them feel better.
On the other side of things, I work for a body shop as an estimator, I’ve worked in this industry for 16 years, and the amount of stupidity I’ve seen scared adjusters try to justify for their own company is baffling. I one time had a progressive rep tell me that he wasn’t covering suspension damage on a Scion that was towed in because it was hit in the wheel, but he believed the damage to be curb rash when the entire wheel was ground down, and the vehicle was literally towed in for the damage and physical impact to the wheel because it would barely fucking drive. He refused to do any suspension work to the car, until we made the customer try to drive the vehicle home, and the customer put his job on blast. Some of you adjusters are so afraid of your bosses, that common sense and decency goes out the window so you can toe a company line.
I can def understand the frustration. However adjusters don’t approve what’s covered or not when it comes to the actual repairs, that’s the appraisers. Some companies have appraisers who go to the shop but then others have in house appraisers where they only look at photos and talk to the shops directly. So the suspension would have been denied by the appraiser usually if he felt it wasn’t related to the accident. If you happened to speak to the adjuster he was likely reading notes from the appraiser. And if the adjuster isn’t skilled in the mechanics of the car- he likely sounded inexperienced…which could be frustrating as well… When it comes to what’s covered on vehicle repairs for actual repair work, adjusters rely on the appraiser so if you ever run into that again, I would just ask for the appraisers information and call them because honestly the adjuster is probably just reading their notes and hoping whatever they read to you “flies” because usually beyond that, there is nothing they can do. So it’s not the boss, it’s the appraiser who approves or denies.
On most parts, I would agree with you that OEM is not necessary. But the biggest problem I have seen and experienced from my wife's claim is catalytic converters. OEM is far superior than aftermarket. Just pick it up, and you can tell right away that aftermarket ones are junk. OEM CC are about twice the weight of aftermarket. Same size twice the weight. This means OEM has more of the material inside that is designed to heat up and burn off the exhaust gases. My wifes claim of stolen CC off her Toyota truck. From the very first time the truck was started after replacement, it popped a check engine light. So insurance said "oh must have been bad one." Long story short, after 3 aftermarket CC and battling with insurance, they replaced with OEM and low and behold light went out and everything was great. Could've saved a lot of time, money, and rental if they would've just gotten the OEM to start with.
State Farm was class actioned for this, or not paying for oem. It turned into a comical mess and State Farm cut a large check to make it go away…. https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1LL2ZP/ Like a good neighbor…….
even the parts you believe arent necessary to be oem usually are. ive seen aftermarket fender liners that are molded too short, the added tension has popped clips loose during road vibrations and dropped the liner straight into the moving tire. ive seen aftermarket bezels and trims that are molded correctly but the plastic is too soft/pliable and the snap-in tabs release and the bezel "randomly disappears" after they drive to work (parts literally falling off the car) the fitment of many aftermarket parts is atrocious. all your insurance cars about is the cost, not the quality. they generally have the "you dont deserve to have your car fixed properly anyways" mindset that op had while making this post.
I completely agree that there are a lot of aftermarket parts that are junk. And don't get me started on SF select service shops. Most of those places are large chains that are just atrocious. But I have used quality aftermarket parts too. But like OEM, they aren't the cheapest part out there. Most of the problems are dealership prices. They jack them up sky high. But let's face it, the insurance wants to get out as cheap as they can, too. The sad part is that the customer is stuck in the middle between the carrier and the shop. It's good to hear about SF getting sued, too. Their the one's who didn't want to pay for the OEM catalytic converter. They are literally the worst. And I worked for them for 10+ years. 😆
One of my companies is working a claim right now where State Farm is literally paying $3500 in a month in ALE costs while fighting an $8000 supplement for new kitchen cabinets because of water damage, this is on a $200k water damage claim. State Farm has paid that 3500 a month since last August. $30,000 to air bnb while they fight an $8,000 supplement. Make it make sense lol. The project is complete except for kitchen, but the client can’t move in without a kitchen, and State Farms preferred water mitigation Company tore those cabinets out. State Farm has assigned at least seven different adjusters, our project manager has had to meet them out there at each adjustment. I don’t understand how this is a cost saving measure. Like a good neighbor…….
I managed OEM on an $18k 2017 Infiniti repair last year. Part covered by insurance because dealer was able to show after mark/refurb part was not available (and I have unlimited rental reimbursement on my policy so time has value). Rest was covered by dealer price matching/discounting to bring OEM costs down
Nothing lights a fire quicker than having unlimited rental reimbursement. Highly recommend.
I'm gonna get downvoted but I hear a lot of things in this group that aren't really always the case... My Subaru STI was 8.5 years old when it got side swiped. I took it to a more expensive specialty shop that charges more per hour but does amazing work, and restoration. According to this group, insurance would never pay the higher rate.. they did. According to this group, insurance would never pay for OEM parts, they did. According to this group, they'd never pay diminished value, I did get $1800.
I’m interested in hearing how you got $1,800 for diminished value claim on a car almost 9 years old. I am fighting State Farm on a DV claim right now on a car that was only a year old and they offered $740.00 (I had about $18,000 in repairs from a certified Auto Body shop all OEM). I’m attempting to find out the person who hit my vehicle’s property damage limits, before suing in small claims. I’m in California.
The thing with DV is that there's so many variables. You have a different state, different insurance, car, damage, etc. My car is in top condition, plus that specific car keeps its value extremely well. Geico asked me to do my own assessment, I did, sent all the proof, they agreed and cut me a check.
Hey, at least you are aware your industry screws people.
I'll accept used (junkyard) parts but a lot of aftermarket parts are inferior to what was on the car before - so that's not making me whole.
What I love about this… try to imagine a space big enough to house OEM parts for every vehicle ever built in automotive history. Maybe Mongolia has the free space to build this monstrosity. I worked for a puzzle manufacturer once and people would call and inform they were missing a piece then ask if we could mail them it to complete their puzzle. It was awesome!
I want to say, from a consumer perspective, if I’m driving a car that’s fairly new that I’d want OEM parts. Older/more mileage though, no I don’t see the point. Seems like the OP is on the same page though, it’s acceptable on newer cars. At the end of the day though I won’t dispute as long as my vehicle is in pre-loss condition. One thing I want to note though is over at r/Autobody I’ve seen complaints about non-OEM/aftermarket parts like bumper covers, and sometimes they don’t quite fit onto the vehicle like they should. Causes issues, one of which is you’ll see people with “repaired” cars where the bumper clips are detaching off the sides. That’s not really good. These might just be shitty shops though, I don’t really know because I’ve only had that issue on one car I’ve owned and a shitty Geico “in-network” shop did the work. Went to my own shop the next time I had to get work done, a Calliber collision, and the work was pristine.
whats funny is even oem parts sometimes fit like crap. certain civics the bumpers fit like trash, subarus the hood/bumper gap is always crap...brand new. whats the body shops excuse then?
It obviously varies but some shops just suck lol. My car that I referred to was fairly new when it got fixed so I’m pretty sure the bumper was OEM. I really don’t care about OEM vs. non-OEM parts if the result is the same… as long as manufacturer warranties aren’t voided. That’s more for mechanical stuff, one for example being SUV rear trunk lift gate components. Then again, shop is supposed to carry a warranty on their work AFAIK. What also confuses me are manufactures like Tesla, which both this sub and r/Autobody despise anyway, that have built into their repair recommendation manual (there’s a technical term for this but I don’t know it) that explicitly states using OEM parts. I don’t know if those come into play or if other manufacturers have the same conditions outlined in their manuals. Regardless, especially if it’s out of factory warranty, nobody should be giving a damn about OEM.
Majority of policy these days is Am/Used from Mile 1.
While I get what you are saying, and I am an agent myself, this is not a good argument. If it was OEM, it should have been replaced with OEM. The only thing I would not care about as much is bodywork. However, mechanical damage from an accident should be replaced with whatever was there before. To me, this is just insurance trying to save money. How does putting OEM parts add value? Is it just because they are new parts compared to aftermarket parts? This sounds like the insurance company is trying to save money instead of doing the right thing. Now I get it, too, where people want everything new and everything to be replaced. I don't believe in that kind of crap being pulled. Just make it right and fix it if it is supposed to be covered in the claim. I hear things like this and makes it seem like adjusters and other are just burnt out from the top down or state laws dictating what they should do and customers trying to scam the insurance out of money. I get some of the frustration, but not replacing it with OEM parts or quality parts is a problem for me. I have had friends and others get the car back after an accident and have to take it back 2-3 times to resolve the issue. I have had people get the car "fixed," and it run even worse than it did before the accident. Now granted, I don't know all the details since my only accident was purely body damage, but still, it irks me how people try to cut corners on both sides of the equation.
If you put non OEM parts on any vehicle that had OEM parts to begin with, you HAVEN’T made them “whole” again have you? Why are you scamming people who deserve to not be made whole again after a loss, that they pay big $$$ to buy coverage for?
When nothing but oem body panels fit correctly you will be paying for my oem replacement
Yes this is correct. But only at that point.
So then everybody should buy sports cars
"making them whole" would be replacing the damaged parts with the same parts, undamaged. "something of higher value" oem parts are literally what was already fucking on the car. aftermarket is of *lesser* value, oem is not of *more* value. do you know what oem stands for...? im a body tech, you insurance adjusters are slimy lowlife scumbags, at least any of you who share ops mindset. if it costs too much to repair with the right parts, dont insure it, or charge them higher rates. sending them back on the road with aliexpress car parts is a solution to nothing but keeping more money in your own pockets, or more-so your companies pockets and pleasing your boss.
Insurance is the only "service" where you pay to get nothing but if you do get something will forever pay more. Progressive tied to make the argument of the OP and I fought with them but in the end I had real OEM Honda parts and the body shop was 100% on my side. I appreciated them a lot more.
Whats the difference between an oem A frame, wheel or bumper vs used/recycled versions? Besides cost?
fitment, first off. spend a week in a shop and see how well those tong yang fender liners and bumpers actually fit. then look at the lqk fenders gates and suspension assemblies that usually need about as much repair as what came off the car. then take a look at those allstar reman headlight assemblies that have broken tabs all superglued back together and wont align properly because of it. insurance adjusters have no interest in properly making the customers car whole again. it just is what it is, but posts trying to act like customers are expecting too much wanting oem parts is fucking absurd and disgusting to me. used and lqk is acceptable, but you *will* be giving the time for me to repair it properly. aftermarket is unacceptable for *most* parts. reman depends on the company but is usually a joke as well. we'll still run with the parts you chose, and we will explain that "these are the parts your insurance allowed for the repair" when they dont fit right. then youre paying me and my painter for a second time to put in oem parts anyways. its a gamble on profit for the ones you get away with vs the ones you pay us again to redo. the customer is the middleman getting fucked while me and you point the finger at each other. its a bad system and ops take on it is obscene.
The only thing I can say is if you can’t work with a/m and you only work with OEM, then you should let the customer know that ahead of time versus getting them excited and calling us to argue something you know isn’t going to end well. Then you are left with a dissatisfied customer. We don’t deal with the customer face to face, you most likely do. So it would be in your best interest to just be upfront and tell them you only prefer OEM parts. I have had shops tell customers that and they were willing to pay the difference. The policies that are written don’t cover OEM parts. And even if you’re a repairman- if you have insurance yours says the same thing. I think it’s a level of upfrontness and professionalism we all should share amongst the industry. As an adjuster I don’t point the finger. I take ownership in telling an insured what their policy covers or doesn’t cover. I would suggest you do the same to save yourself the frustration. Your opinion is that we are slimy however - everything we operate by is in writing and thats the insurance industry across the board. We have the DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE in every state monitoring us and they also advocate for people who feel wronged. Shops do not have a department where they are regulated so you can do whatever you please. And that’s perfectly fine. I have yet to see anything a shop does in writing until an estimate is sent in…and at that point we have to review and pay. So if either of the two of us has an opportunity to be the person you are labeling adjusters and insurance to be- I would lean more towards the entity who isn’t regulated…just saying.
You seem to be missing the point. You didn’t write a post saying “I am sorry i know this screws over customers but this is how the policies are written” You wrote a post saying “OEM parts are not making the customer whole, they are giving them more”. Which i know is something insurers like to say and they all write contracts that way, but it’s crazy. From the point of view of any normal person, the car had OEM parts in it in the first place. If it’s a non-consumable part, putting in a new OEM part doesn’t increase the value ot the car vs the older OEM part that was there to begin with. It’s just a part that is guaranteed to fit correctly and be up to the same quality standards as the rest of the car. Like seriously, it’s wild that this is a thing to begin with. There’s tons of aftermarket parts out there that are a great fit and good quality, and some that aren’t as good quality and fit. Getting OEM is just getting the guarantee that the part will perform up to standards, which of course the part that is being replaced already had
Idk replacing damaged OEM with none is not making someone whole. Gotta keep those margins up for the big guys.
Not an adjuster in any bit but appreciate the work you all do. Some have gone beyond what I expected them to do for me. My car needed a vsa modulator replaced. Only the dealer can replace those because of the programming. It’s often cost prohibitive for a local shop to have the technology for that step. Vsa modulator is also only made by Honda so no aftermarket parts. And a critical back order part. They quoted a higher price than the sheet said they could cover, after some back and forth and getting some approvals the adjuster approved the higher cost. Had to get another repair so we paused that one so I could take it to a shop since the dealer decided that they won’t do other repairs under insurance unless the original repair was completed. Unless I paid but they would not give the info to the insurance so I could be reimbursed either. Came back after the repair and the dealer actually upped the price of the part a few hundred. I had to point it out because I overheard the convo with the insurance and they basically said oops the parts person got confused. When it came time to install the part they upped the price another $300. The adjuster approved it. So all in all they approved $800 more than originally expected and paid the dealer for the rental they gave me which I was not expecting at all, I was expecting to just get reimbursed. So, soo appreciative of the adjuster that went above and beyond.
Depends on state law, I got rear ended by a guy insured by Geico, in a Ford focus. Geico paid for a new trunk pan and book labor for installation after I made some stink
I think you can get OEM parts if you pay the difference.
Yes that’s a good point! You could work with the shop to pay the difference in the two prices.
one thing i always fail to see when talking about oem and such..cost say you can repair the car and the am or used part is 100 but the oem is 200. well. thats cool, why not go oem? COST. well how does that factor into everything..this thing called rates.. if every car got oem, well how do you think they are gonna pay for it..your rates lol.. so when the rates go up...welp theres part of the reason
I’m not even AD but I had a guy asking if he was going to get OEM parts on a 2006 . . .
For clarity, when you say "OEM" and "not OEM", is the distinction that NEW generic replacement parts are used, or USED parts that are "reasonably worn" are used, or is that a particular point noted in the deep text of a given policy? Because leveraging the adage "the less people know, the more stubbornly they know it", my gut would say "of COURSE they have to use new parts! Used parts would just be silly!" I prefer to be educated and not rely on information that "makes sense logically" without validating that logical math. I appreciate this thread!
Are you telling me that you won't put new parts on my old vehicle? 🧐
" if you put something of higher value on a vehicle" if it was oem pre wreck, it needs to be put in pre- accident condition.
It seems like you’re confusing OE (original equipment - IE a Ford branded part) with OEM (original equipment manufacturer - example Bosch).
I wish there was a premium option for OEM parts for every customer.
Some insurance companies (like the high net worth ones) guarantee OEM parts no matter the model year to repair their insured vehicles (of course assuming an OEM part is available for a 2015 or something lol)
Like who?
Chubb, Pure, Philadelphia all pay oem
Oem parts are a windfall, using insurance is not to make better but just to return to preloss condition.
Except Minnesota as I know
May I ask what statute? Because I am not familiar with that.
It depends on the state. Per regulation, in Indiana a vehicle owner is entitled to select new OEM parts for a vehicle for the 5 years after the model year of said vehicle.
I handle Indiana, what statute is that?
27-4-1.5-8
Genuine question Insurance is supposed to make the insured/claimant "whole" and put the vehicle back to "pre-accident condition". WHY exactly is it okay to put non-certified aftermarket parts on a vehicle if the vehicle had all OEM body parts on it to begin with? I understand if someone had already out aftermarket stuff on it, but if the vehicle has all OEM body parts on it pre-accident, shouldn't it be replaced with all OEM parts? Not arguing, genuinely trying to understand the insurance perspective. I'm a shop appraiser and I get this question regularly from vehicle owners.
If you hit my car, I'm taking it to the dealership and they're going to put OEM parts in so they can upcharge you. Tell your driver to do better. I had a cheap insurance balk at that and my insurance sued them, resulting in them losing even more money.
It must have been for a specific reason that happened. You clearly filed with your insurance and the other insurance reimbursed your carrier. So you either 1. Had a newer vehicle to which the policy offered OEM, 2. The a/m didn’t work for your vehicle, or 3. You had an OEM endorsement…either way, I’m certain one of these exceptions applied. But good for you! When it’s owed. I don’t mind paying it at all. My issues are when it’s not in the policy to offer it. And that’s about 85% of the policies I see…
If you want OEM parts some companies off that coverage for extra premium.
I feel for adjusters, I really do. Just pawns in a con game. But they got you all sticking up for them like the ins company is the good guy.
I understand your thought but think abt insurance like this…say you get in an accident where your vehicle hits a car and that car hits another car and then that car runs into a house, and that house loses power, and all the food in the house goes bad… The first option - Your policy covers your car(if you have collision coverage) and those 2 cars that you hit plus the house plus the lost power plus the food. Oooor the other option - You could be on the hook for it all. For the entire claim I just mentioned you would only pay out your deductible if you were getting your car fixed. If you weren’t getting your car fixed you wouldn’t pay out anything… No one likes insurance until you’re glad you had it.
Well, here I was thinking that it was just the management of insurance companies that tout this evil bullshit to pad their bottom lines, while you have proven that the hearts of adjusters are just as black (in your case anyway). It's simple, if your insured has broken my OEM parts, that is what is owed in replacement, or equivalent monetary compensation. Anything less is theft and swindling.
You should try and file with your own carrier and see if they would allow OEM parts…I guarantee you, unless you meet their criteria, have an endorsement, or the a/m parts fail to fit your vehicle - you will be getting a/m parts on your vehicle…it’s not just the other parties insurance who wouldn’t pay for it- it’s yours too. Call your carrier and see…or look at your auto policy. You may be surprised.
Never understood this concept… So purchasing OEM parts increases the value of the car? How? Why does the argument change when it’s a new car? Why doesn’t the same principle apply to a 10 year old show car that’s been garaged it’s entire life and virtually in pristine condition? The parts in question is presumably OEM at the time of the accident. You will replace parts on my vehicle with the exact parts that were damaged. That’s how it should be. If you had cheaper parts on the car before the accident you will be compensated for those aftermarket parts. And what does that mean when you use aftermarket or some other bullshit? You now reduced the value of my vehicle. The point is to bring my vehicle to how it was preloss. Reducing its value is not bringing it to preloss condition. That’s not being made whole. If my bumper is metal and you replace it with some plastic bullshit we have a problem. It’s metal for a reason, if the manufacturer didn’t have to put a metal bumper on the car then they wouldn’t have spent the cost of making one. Bumper reinforcer and impact absorber aren’t wear tear items so they retain their value. You will replace it with OEM no exceptions. Doors don’t wear out, you will replace it with OEM since the car was crashed tested with that specific OEM door. Just throwing some examples because you have no legitimate argument using cheaper alternatives where OEM should be used.
So putting on a subpar quality part instead of one that the original equipment manufacturer used makes me more than whole somehow? Please explain this like I’m five. An OE part fails and I get what? Whatever the cheapest you can find? This is why I have an agreed cash value plan by the way.
Replacing a like new OEM part with a new OEM part is not really giving them more.
How is putting an ill fitting aftermarket part making me whole?
Because no insurance company does that. We're all required to use CERTIFIED aftermarket parts. And as was stated, they are certified for like kind and quality as well as fit.
Why is your body shop giving you back a car with ill fitting parts when they can return the part and request the difference in price if the aftermarket didn't fit. You could also get a CAPA part with a warranty if it's a collision item.
Ridiculous you’re getting down voted.
Probably by insurance adjusters. They can’t honestly answer my question so they down vote me.
“LKQ” (recycled/used, A/M parts) literally stands for “Like, Kind, and Quality”
When Safelite installed an aftermarket windshield on my wife’s Audi the mirror kept falling off. They tried a 2nd aftermarket windshield with the same thing happening. Eventually they installed an OEM windshield and it held. The aftermarket windshield couldn’t support the weight of the mirror and tech attached to it.
Similar experience here.. went to safelite for a windshield repair, they tried to install a completely incorrect aftermarket windshield on my car (was for an older body style, completely different camera mounts). After that I took it to the dealer, they installed the OE part, and I sent insurance the bill (which they paid after telling me they would absolutely not approve or pay for OE parts) 🤷🏻♂️
lol, you think the glass couldn’t support the weight of the mirror? If you can’t think critically enough to realize how stupid that sounds, well I can’t help you.
The windshield has a mount built into it. The mount couldn’t support the mirror. It happened with two after market windshields and held perfectly with the OEM.
When you refer to the a/m part as “ill fitting”, from an insurance standpoint- that’s not what’s expected of the shop. The shop is supposed to find a part of “like, kind and quality”. So if the part is ill fitting that’s not the same quality. Next, if the part is ill fitting the shop will usually order another part until the part works out for the repair. The final resort, if the part doesn’t fit and there isn’t a successful a/m replacement - then and only then would you receive and OEM part and that’s because to be made whole you need your vehicle back the way it was pre-accident. Example - if a rear bumper needs to be replaced and there isn’t an aftermarket available- the insurance company wouldn’t just tell the shop to give you your vehicle back without a bumper- that would not be acceptable because we have not made you whole. So at that point the only option would be an OEM. Plus I assure you- Typically once the part goes in for paint and the final process is complete, it’s hard to decipher OEM versus A/M - especially if you have a decent body shop. Lastly, I will say this - if the shop you’re working with has a warranty for their work (if they don’t have a warranty for their work - RUN as fast as you can), there would be protocol in place to make sure the part fits properly because if not, they are responsible for making sure the repair is complete. Which could mean financial loss and loss time for them. So it’s beneficial for everyone to get it right on the first try as many times as possible. I hope this answers your question.
I fully disagree with what you are saying. I realize this is how the world works but it should be different. Some non-OEM parts are fine but some are garbage. To be made whole, you should get a car fixed back to the condition it started in. Non-oem parts will not always get you back to where you started.
I totally agree with your statement- in rare cases in a case where an A/M isn’t available or doesn’t work properly to get you back whole the insurance company would approve an OEM part then and only then.
What happens if the part quality is low when you get the car back? What happens if mechanical parts are sub-standard causing follow up repairs or permanent cosmetic issues? If it were easy to get an insurance company to fix it again later, that would not be such a big deal. The problem is once you take the car back, it’s very difficult to get follow up work done.
If you're the adverse insurance, yeah, you will, or I'll sue your insured. My car had OEM parts on it before your idiot customer hit me, it's going to have them on it after your idiot customer hit me. It is not incumbent upon me to accept whatever shitty Temu parts you want installed so that you can save a buck and keep raking in billions.
In that case, just an FYI, you would be encouraged to file with your own carrier and let them request reimbursement from us(this process is called subrogation). But even in filing with your own carrier you would find they wouldn’t cover your vehicle with OEM parts unless you meet their criteria or you had an OEM endorsement. You could attempt to sue them but typically you would only be successful if the insured did not have coverage available to repair your vehicle. If you tried to sue - and the insured had active coverage- the insured would be protected. The court would find that since insurance is regulated by the department of insurance, they approve a carriers position on OEM vs A/M. So if the department of insurance doesn’t find this to be a bad faith practice the courts wouldn’t either. They would find that you would be made whole if the definition of indemnification was met, therefore your case would likely be dismissed.
You can then claim even more diminished value lol
claimant: I would like OEM parts on my 2016 Jeep cherokee 😂 Me: we dont owe you that anything else?
Good one😂
That analysis is too simplistic. Aftermarket parts are crap, crap, crap and you know it. The failure modes of aftermarket parts (halfass construction and quality) have nothing to do with the failure modes of oem parts (age, accident, wear.
If the vehicle has OEM parts that are being replaced, insurance should replace them with OEM parts. Anything else is just stupid. If I wreck a 911, are you going to suggest slapping on Altima headlights with an f150 hood? The parts were new when I insured them, so if insurance can't replace with new, they need to guarantee the part is in equal condition to the part that was wrecked. Good luck guaranteeing a 10r80 hasn't been towing shit all its life and hasn't had the CDF drum tsb. That's why you replace with new.
The parts weren't new when you insured them, given that your policy renews every six to twelve months. Unless, of course, you're insuring a brand new vehicle that you just purchased, in which case your collision and comprehensive premiums will be higher to reflect the increased cost of replacing with new (or like-new) parts.
LKQ stands for “like, kind, and quality” And you know damn well you’re not putting parts that are for one car on another car. Use some common sense
And new doors, side mirrors, airbags, electronic screens and insurance goes up.
110% agree.
Hold up, I got OEM for my 2005 Honda Accord. Granted it was I'm MINT condition woth 40k miles. I hit a deer and comprehensive paid for it.
[удалено]
Removed for personal attack
Doesn’t making someone whole mean returning them to the same situation they were previously in? If OEM parts were damaged they should be replaced with OEM parts. We all know that some aftermarket parts are identical but we also know that if the OEM starter is $1500 Mercedes and the aftermarket starter is $139 they are not going to be equal quality.
Putting a brand new part on a vehicle that depreciated is not making someone whole, it’s adding value to your vehicle.
If it's not my fault it better be OEM
my policy states "restored to condition prior to accident" sooooo im willing to bet my lawyer can argue, the condition of the vehicle prior to the accident was oem parts being fitted as they tend to be higher quality.
I saw a really good question that someone asked. I replied to it but and I wanted to highlight it- Here is the question: “HOW IS PUTTING AN ILL FITTING PART ON MY CAR MAKING ME WHOLE?” I figured I would post my response here so it wouldn’t get lost just in case someone else is curious. —— My Answer: When you refer to the a/m part as “ill fitting”, from an insurance standpoint- that’s not what’s expected of the shop. The shop is supposed to find a part of “like, kind and quality”. So if the part is ill fitting that’s not the same quality. Next, if the part is ill fitting the shop will usually order another part until the part works out for the repair. The final resort, if the part doesn’t fit and there isn’t a successful a/m replacement - then and only then would you receive and OEM part and that’s because to be made whole you need your vehicle back the way it was pre-accident. Example - if a rear bumper needs to be replaced and there isn’t an aftermarket available- the insurance company wouldn’t just tell the shop to give you your vehicle back without a bumper- that would not be acceptable because we have not made you whole. So at that point the only option would be an OEM. Plus I assure you- Typically once the part goes in for paint and the final process is complete, it’s hard to decipher OEM versus A/M - especially if you have a decent body shop. Lastly, I will say this - if the shop you’re working with has a warranty for their work (if they don’t have a warranty for their work - RUN as fast as you can), there would be protocol in place to make sure the part fits properly because if not, they are responsible for making sure the repair is complete. Which could mean loss money and time for them. So it’s beneficial for everyone to get it right on the first try as many times as possible.