Above all glad the wife is safe!

Road debris that fell off of a truck did damage to like 4 or 5 cars not including our G. It appears it was maybe an oil can or something as it sprayed oil all down the underside.

At first I thought it cut a CV joint boot or something else but all fluids full. If this piece had hit the oil pan it would have torn it in half.

It demolished the driver side stabilizer bar link bracket and crushed the bushing around the stabilizer bar. It also cracked part of the weld that holds the control arm to frame.

I’m gonna repair the stabilizer bar pieces but need to take to someone for welding the control arm piece. Other than a few other scrapes and a small dent in exhaust system underneath I couldn’t see any other damage and wife said car didn’t drive any differently.

Too little damage for insurance. The parts for my repair are only around $40. I decided to order an extra bushing for other side stabilizer bar. They probably would have needed to be changed at 100K miles anyway. It also damaged the plastic cover underneath slightly but just a little bit. The 3rd picture is what I need welded. I can’t imagine that being over $200 but will pay whatever it takes.

Stabilizer bar shows no signs of damage and see nothing on frame other than control arm mount that it is damaged.

 

So glad your wife wasn't injured!! If you have insurance why not let them take care of what you pay them for?? Doesn't matter how little the cost w/b, this accident wasn't your fault.
Gary

 

That part that you want to weld is part of the engine subframe, I'm positive insurance would want to replace. I'm guesstimating in the 1-2k+ range. If it were just the sway bar bracket whatever but with that crack I'd let insurance fix it for me.

 

Agreed, Gary put it best. You pay them for a reason

 

This kind of accident in no fault on your behalf and shouldn't go against your record, like a hit n run. Yes it might show up on your cars history but at least it will be fixed correctly as in replacing your sub-frame rather than welding it...etc.
Gary

 

Ah crap treach, that sucks man. (Glad your wife is ok though!)

I think you'd do well to consider an insurance claim, but only after you do what you're already doing; which is quantifying the true costs to you either way. If you have a decent insurance agent, you should be able to call and ask them hypothetically what would happen to your policy after a claim such as this. As far as diminished value, I think that may be over-estimated. If you have sufficient receipts showing the proper repair and replacement of parts, a simple explanation and some pics could/should allay any fears from a prospective buyer. I don't see any value hit there to worry about. Heck, if you hit a pothole and fragged a rim on a new car, then used insurance to fix it; I don't think any reasonable person is going to expect a price reduction for that.

And honestly, I think the discovery of a welded repair to something as majorly structural as a cross-member, as opposed to the outright replacement of it, would raise more flags in my mind as a potential buyer. I'd be instantly concerned about the skill of the repairman and quality of the weld, not to mention wondering what else was 'scrimped' on as far as repairs go. If I were a prospective buyer and that came up in a pre-purchase inspection, I'd walk. (Just saying )

btw, I think I'd be concerned about the end links on that sway bar too, or at least the one on the impacted end.

 

Make sure they know the date / time / location. Like you said there where other vehicles involved and they could be claiming the same sort of damage.Sure they have different insurance companies but worth the try. One might have more information on the incident than you, hell the Police might already have a report?

 

+1 to this^^