First time in 45 years of driving I've turned in an insurance claim to fix my car. What I learned(and many of you probably know) is that they only pay for aftermarket parts, not OEM, unless that is all that is available. However, the price difference to me was negligible so since the car is so new I am going for OEM. The one big OEM-only item that stuck out was the headlight. At $1340 it was equal to all the other bumper, grille, hood and fender parts combined!

 

LED / Jewel headlights are expensive and most times aftermarket isn't available for something like that.

 

I think it also depends on Ins co. some will only put OEM back on, and some to save cost will go for the cheaper, aftermarket pieces

 

I think for most people, you really don't know what your coverage is until you have a claim.

 

Gotta read the Policy Declaration, but alas, you're right..

 

I wish there was an insurance company that uses exclusively OEM parts.

 

Would you be willing to pay extra for that? Because I'm sure that can be arranged..

 

Oh, and I'm super glad you are okay and lived to tell this tale!

 

I'm sure there is a market for that kind of a deal. I'm willing to pay a little more anyway. If the company advertises properly that they use only OEM parts, there will be a good majority of auto enthusiasts / forum members willing to join (I know the general public doesn't care). And if the numbers are large enough the costs will be lower.

 

my insurance company puts on used, good condition, OEM parts. I'll take that over aftermarket, any day.

 

This. Not all insurance companies require you to take aftermarket parts. In fact, you can insist on OEM parts because insurance requires them to return your car to the condition it was in before the accident ... and your car had OEM parts before the accident.

Don't accept aftermarket parts.

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I have hit two deer (only accidents ever) and both times my insurance company did OEM parts. Some were used (side mirror) but that was a perfect match and in excellent condition.

 

I'm actually surprised it "only" cost $1300 or so... I thought I had read those things were around $2000 back when it was released.

Agreed on what Mike_Tx said... I wouldn't want aftermarket stuff on my car unless it's something like wheels that I put on the car.

*EDIT* : ah, ok... I just checked online and each assembly is $1340 for each side (retail). Bernardi sells it for $965 each side online. Maybe that's where I got $2000 from -- the price of both sides combined.

 

That's what I thought, until I had a claim. Check your policy, if you can find it and wade through it!

The crazy thing is, the price difference in parts is not nearly what I thought it would be. They wouldn't need to charge much more for OEM coverage. The fender and hood they found are used Acura parts, considered "Like Kind and Quality". They need to paint them anyway, so I am OK with that.

 

Thanks! Wish I could say the same about the deer. So sorry to see an animal lose its life.

 

That's full retail price.I found them for 1009 dollars on a acura parts dealer site.Still 1000 dollars per assembly...yikes!

 

By aftermarket parts I;m referring to parts made by aftermarket companies, sometimes referred to as "pattern parts". They are supposedly made to the pattern of the original part, but often involve thinner metal and sometimes have small imperfections that you won't find in true Acura parts.

Now, used OEM parts might be approved for use if new ones aren't available or if there is a big price difference. If the work doesn't look up to standard, you can always reject it.

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The available aftermarket parts the insurance company wants to substitute are plastic, like the grill pieces and bumper cover. Once the body shop is done negotiating with Acura though, the price difference with OEM is minuscule. Another example of false economy is the headlight. Insurance company will use "refurb" part that costs $1k. New one is reportedly available from Acura dealer on the web for the same price (Presumably with a better warranty?). If the light goes out in a couple years, is the insurance company going to say "Sorry, that is normal wear."? Insurance company beats the local body shops down on their labor rate, signing contracts to bring them business. Don't they negotiate with the OEMs on parts costs?

As for rejecting work that isn't up to "standard", my standard may be different than the insurance company's. I typically keep a car around 15 years, so getting repairs done to a high standard may be more important than for someone who leases for 36 months. This is a 14 month old Acura, not a 10 year old Hyundai. OK, bad example; The Hyundai would have been totaled for what looks to be cosmetic!

Most people probably don't care about all this and may say "Uh, just fix my car." Acura owners participating on a forum may be more particular and not representative of the general public. My purpose in bringing these issues to light is to let others know what to expect when you have a claim on a typical policy(With apologies to those of you who already knew this). YMMV, but here is how it works with my company/policy: It doesn't matter how long you have been a customer, or how many or few claims you have had in the past. They pay for the cheapest parts available that might fit their standard. If the incoming parts are rejected at the body shop for fit/finish, your car will sit until replacements are approved by the insurance company, ordered, received and tried. The customer for the body shop is the insurance company, not the insured. The insurance company drives the entire repair process, dictating costs. The insured is mostly an observer.

I am trying to reduce potential problems now and later by getting OEM parts the first time, glad to pay the ridiculously minor cost difference. Am I being stupid or unreasonable? Any others have experiences to share with insurance claims, body shops and OEM vs. aftermarket parts for a "premium" brand such as Acura?

I feel better now.

 

I've seen both sides of this scenario. I've been on the forums myself for a couple of years now and definitely would like OEM parts. However, now that I'm working in the insurance industry, I've also seen the arguments that insurance companies have when putting on used oem or aftermarket parts. A lot of times it doesn't matter because shops get OEM parts for such a big discount that the shop can still put OEM parts when insurance pays an A/M part price. But of course that's a decision from the shop. Ultimately it does come down to the contract, and there's no company out there that uses all new OEM parts for every component. Only time all new OEM is used is when no used or a/m parts available(pretty much only for new or rare cars). There are some that go with more oem guidelines(not all) than others for certain parts, and that would be AAA or state farm.