I personally would tell them to go jump in the lake and take the reconditioned parts with.
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The adjuster for the woman who rear-ended you is telling you this? Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but I believe in this instance you have the right to new OEM parts. If this was your adjuster and your policy allowed the use of reconditioned parts that would be a different story.
As far as substituting new parts I don't see why you wouldn't be ahead doing that. Get an estimate or two and explain your situation.
I bet the adjuster realizes that if they have to spend much more than $2500, company policy is to total it. In order to keep it from being totaled, they are cutting a few corners to keep the price down. If Alen pushes too hard, I can see the adjuster saying take this, or we total it and you get a check for $4000.
That may be true, but if so then the adjuster needs to splain the big favor he's doing him. Then take that $ and shop some body shops.
But then you'll have to spend money to buy the car back and it will forever have a salvage title which sucks. Either way it's now going to have a wreck on the Carfax report. If it wasn't such a clean R I'd let them total it in a heartbeat and whore it out for as much money as possible to start fresh.
You could come out ahead if you buy your parts from a salvage yard, ebay, forums... etc. There's a place on Harry Hines called New World that sells body parts pretty cheap.
Aftermarket parts are crap!
I have Farmers, used one of their "special" drive through and get fixed places...they screwed me 9 ways from sundown (just me experience)
I have full coverage on a salvage title car, asked about all the additional money I had spent on the car they told me keep the paperwork and I would be compensated for the higher priced parts in addition if the car was filed on.
Dropped off the car at Frisco Paint and Body yesterday. It is going to be at least 2 weeks for the repair. Hopefully it will come back as new.
Alan,
As everyone else has already said, sorry.
I have used Caliber Collision Centers, the one in West Fort Worth. The repaired hail damage on my Kia Amanti. So far (6 months) I am pleased with the quality of the work...
RedHot-n-Red