A truck blew it's tire right into my car

[Gus23J]

Man that sucks, I would definitely get the dealer to inspect the intercooler, not good if that let’s go, did you get the truck details?

No I didn’t. It was on the highway and he kept driving on while I had to pull over

 

[jdouga]

If your gonna go through your insurance and pay such a high deductible I would demand the intercooler be replaced, be very thorough in your inspection. Make sure your there with the adjuster too. I was tboned 2 months into my stinger, luckily airbags went off but no frame damage, b pillar had to be fixed along with the doors and upholstery. Point is make sure they fix everything like new or else the insurance isnt complying with their obligations.

 

[Gus23J]

If your gonna go through your insurance and pay such a high deductible I would demand the intercooler be replaced, be very thorough in your inspection. Make sure your there with the adjuster too. I was tboned 2 months into my stinger, luckily airbags went off but no frame damage, b pillar had to be fixed along with the doors and upholstery. Point is make sure they fix everything like new or else the insurance isnt complying with their obligations.

That's the thing though is that I don't know if I am going to go through insurance. My stepdad is a mechanic and has a TON of experience (even had his own shop) and said it is fine and to leave it alone. His friend owns a Kia dealer and can get the parts to me for a big discount, so if I go that way I wouldn't go through insurance and just pay for it but he's telling me to only pay for the new grill and then buff/fix the bumper instead of replacing it. The thing is though is this car is only 4 months old and I know a repair is going to drive me insane knowing it's not new or as nice as I want it to be. Personally, I want a new inter cooler, bumper, and grill along with an inspection of the rest of the car to make sure it's all 100%, but obviously that's going to cost a lot, which means going through my insurance and dealing with premiums and other stuff. I just don't know what to do at this point...

 

[Stinger GT SS]

No I didn’t. It was on the highway and he kept driving on while I had to pull over

I would now invest in a good quality dash cam, saves a lot of heartache & well worth the outlay.

 

[MerlintheMad]

That's the thing though is that I don't know if I am going to go through insurance. My stepdad is a mechanic and has a TON of experience (even had his own shop) and said it is fine and to leave it alone. His friend owns a Kia dealer and can get the parts to me for a big discount, so if I go that way I wouldn't go through insurance and just pay for it but he's telling me to only pay for the new grill and then buff/fix the bumper instead of replacing it. The thing is though is this car is only 4 months old and I know a repair is going to drive me insane knowing it's not new or as nice as I want it to be. Personally, I want a new inter cooler, bumper, and grill along with an inspection of the rest of the car to make sure it's all 100%, but obviously that's going to cost a lot, which means going through my insurance and dealing with premiums and other stuff. I just don't know what to do at this point...

I'm imagining myself in your place. It sounds like you feel about your car very much like I do for mine. I'd hate a half-assed cosmetic repair. Is the bumper merely creased? If it hasn't been gouged through, but only surface marred, I bet an invisible repair can be affected. You could get your dealer to check out the car thoroughly so that nothing mechanical is overlooked. An inspection of all the area systems wouldn't cost much, I'm thinking.

 

[AV8R]

Intercooler needs replacing . As soon as you damage the cooling fins its stuffed.

 

[jdouga]

That's the thing though is that I don't know if I am going to go through insurance. My stepdad is a mechanic and has a TON of experience (even had his own shop) and said it is fine and to leave it alone. His friend owns a Kia dealer and can get the parts to me for a big discount, so if I go that way I wouldn't go through insurance and just pay for it but he's telling me to only pay for the new grill and then buff/fix the bumper instead of replacing it. The thing is though is this car is only 4 months old and I know a repair is going to drive me insane knowing it's not new or as nice as I want it to be. Personally, I want a new inter cooler, bumper, and grill along with an inspection of the rest of the car to make sure it's all 100%, but obviously that's going to cost a lot, which means going through my insurance and dealing with premiums and other stuff. I just don't know what to do at this point...

Well depending on your coverage, because of the unusual circumstances of the accident, your premium should not be affected, i felt the same when i got hit, luckily they went over everything with me and with a lifetime warranty i felt better about having the insurance cover everything. Hopefully u can take care of everything, oh also, again depending on your coverage. You can have your insurance pay your dads shop directly and then have your intercooler upgraded instead.

 

[scharn]

Meh this stuff happens you just have to make the best of it. I'd go with with a better aftermarket intercooler.

 

[eflyguy]

My stepdad is a mechanic and has a TON of experience (even had his own shop) and said it is fine and to leave it alone. His friend owns a Kia dealer and can get the parts to me for a big discount

I know exactly how you are feeling. I am an experienced wrencher (personal, not trade) and can assess damage and feel confident in what needs to be done. My GF's son, however, is not mechanical at all, and the C4 he's driving is a solid car, but has a couple of issues now and then that have him thinking it's a dud. I'd buy it from him and drive it in a heartbeat, except it's not a very desirable - or fast - car.

The bumper cover can be easily repaired, it's not hard to patch "plastic" and, as it will be painted, it's also easy to blend the repair into the original material. I'm not an expert, but I've made repairs vanish to where you'd have to look closely to tell - there are plenty of youtube videos out there. A pro could respray a removed, repaired and then prepped part like that for very little $$. A friend of mine will do it for friends and family for cost of materials - he enjoys helping people out.

In your situation, I would trust your stepdad's advice. You'll pay a lot less than the $1000 deductible.

Intercooler needs replacing . As soon as you damage the cooling fins its stuffed.

Not true at all. Nothing flows thru the inside of those fins, they simply dissipate heat conducted from the (in this case) horizontal passages as air flows between them. Even if one of the passages was cracked, it would be simple to seal up, it's not under (much) pressure, and airflow isn't an issue because it is being forced by the turbo. Fins can be straightened, they sell simple tools (like combs) to slot in. Do it all the time with traditional radiators with stone damage, oil/transmission coolers on cars & trucks, etc.

 

[Gus23J]

So I got the grill, 2 splash aprons, intercooler brackets, side vents, and the wheel well for $700, all OEM. They're going to repaint and rebuild the bumper and keep the intercooler alone. All in total it's going to be $1050, so it's not worth going through insurance at this point. Once everything is done, I might still get an aftermarket intercooler or a replacement OEM one and a new bumper because I'm super picky about my stuff, but after a full 100% inspection at a Kia dealer and his shop, I feel confident in what's being done for now. Does anyone know if a better intercooler for a 2.0?

 

[Mach_Tuck]

If going through insurance, i would have anything even remotely touched by that damage replaced. Makes no sense not too. IF you will DIY, then its a cost/value game and no one but you can really make that determination.

Time to look at dash cams now...

EDIT - You posted at same time i did...appears you went the non insurance route. Nice deal on the parts!

 

[Gus23J]

Well depending on your coverage, because of the unusual circumstances of the accident, your premium should not be affected, i felt the same when i got hit, luckily they went over everything with me and with a lifetime warranty i felt better about having the insurance cover everything. Hopefully u can take care of everything, oh also, again depending on your coverage. You can have your insurance pay your dads shop directly and then have your intercooler upgraded instead.

My insurance company said since the tire was on the road and I hit it, it would fall under my fault collision and be treated like any other accident on the road.

 

[eflyguy]

That sucks! That would be like saying if someone hit you in a parking lot, you could have been the one to hit you, so it's your fault!

 

[Joseph Spiegel]

My insurance company said since the tire was on the road and I hit it, it would fall under my fault collision and be treated like any other accident on the road.

Also time to shop another insurance company. Things flying off another vehicle isn’t your fault because you couldn’t avoid it.

 

[Joeh1974]

Also time to shop another insurance company. Things flying off another vehicle isn’t your fault because you couldn’t avoid it.

Worked as an adjuster for a few years. Hate to tell you, but *all* reported claims on your policy will affect your premium, regardless of your stance on liability...especially collision claims. It also gets reported into a national database, so if you try and switch to a different insurance company, they will have record of the claim and base your premiums accordingly.

Also, just a word of advice to everyone...*always* carry uninsured motorist coverage. Even if it's otherwise just a liability policy. It's one of the cheapest coverages you can have, but it will take care of property damage and medical bills if your not at fault and the at-fault party drives off or flees.

 

[RVance]

So I got the grill, 2 splash aprons, intercooler brackets, side vents, and the wheel well for $700, all OEM. They're going to repaint and rebuild the bumper and keep the intercooler alone. All in total it's going to be $1050, so it's not worth going through insurance at this point.

That is a good deal. You might want to check the charge for lowering your deductible to $500. Repairs can easily get crazy, but it seems you have a reasonable alternative to high er costs.

 

[jdouga]

My insurance company said since the tire was on the road and I hit it, it would fall under my fault collision and be treated like any other accident on the road.

Damn, thats messed up, i thought it would be under comprehensive, well good luck man