Car Issue

[[LaW]Maverick]

I know there's a car section, but I'm posting it here so it gets some quick views. Basically my insurance company is trying to screw me. I just wrote a mechanic about the problem when it occurred to me that we have at least one gc mechanic! So I will just paste the E-mail here:

 

I have a 2006 Grand Prix GXP. That's the 5.3L V8 model with the Bilstien gas charged struts, sports suspension, and Alcoa wheels. I give you this detail because it pertains to my question.

 

Basically, I hit a pothole on a left turn with my front right tire. It was a long, fairly narrow, and deep hole that my tire fit into like an oversize quarter. It bent the wheel in and after that, I would hear a horrible noise every time I hit even a minor bump with that wheel. It was like someone slamming a bat into the frame of my car, and impacts became jarringly bad to myself and passengers.

 

I took it to my mechanic and he found that the bracket holding the strut assembly on that side was broken. He replaced it, and I drove off. A few days later, I hit a minor bump (I think it was a sewer plate), and the same noise was still there. I took it back to my mechanic and he eliminated everything but an internally damaged strut as there was no severe damage visible with the wheel off.

 

I decided...well, that's what I have insurance for, and filed a claim. Today, the adjuster came out, looked underneath the car, and, because he didn't see anything bent, declared that this was normal wear and tear and thus not covered. When I told him that struts don't magically go bad on just one side instantly, rather they wear down gradually, he would not listen. The car has 80,000 miles on it, and I'm anal about taking care of it. The mechanic keeps asking me if I've already replaced the struts as they look new to him--I have not.

 

I apologize for the lengthy background story, but that leads me to my question. Do you think the impact depicted above could have caused internal strut damage without any other overt damage visible outside of the assembly in my car? It's a sports suspension that doesn't have a huge stroke, and normally rides rough, but I'm sure you already knew that.

 

 

What do you guys think? The insurance agent even sounded weasely on the phone, trying every loophole she could think of to try to get me to back down. Thanks for any help/advice!

[Flitterkill]

80,000 is a lot miles + the pothole = I think you are getting new struts on your own dime.

 

if it was 20,000 + the pothole = Insurance (manufacturer warranty?) would pay.

 

How much are new struts anyways? Unless these are super special they ain't that much. Also, what kind of deductible are we talking about here?

 

-Fk

[Jibbajabba]

I doubt you will be able to get the insurance to pay without any actual damage to be quantified. Some insurance companies are good and others are bad about claims. In this case they are calling it wear and tear since there is no other visible damage imo. Did you call the insurance company right away after hitting the pothole? Doing that would have helped for verification. You would have probably been best not to have any repairs done too before doing a claim too. To me it sounds like the insurance company is just hoping you will go away. Flitterkill has a good point, it usually isn't worth turning minor repairs into insurance. I have no idea how much the struts would cost to be replaced though. As to the actual mechanical problems of your car, I couldn't help you. Clueless may be able to though.

Edited February 24, 2010 by Jibbajabba

[[LaW]Maverick]

The repair would cost around $1,050 to do both sides from what I'm told. That's why I original brought it in. They have now decided that only one side needs to be done. The insurance company called me back after I raised quite a bit of ruckas and they are willing to pay for the right side, but if I do the left, it's out of my pocket.

 

My mechanic says that my struts are in such good shape (other than the broken one) that it should be fine to only replace one side vs. both.

 

They are gas-charged Bilstien struts...kind of pricey...they're the ones they design for high performance German sports cars . . .Grand Prix came with them stock.

 

All said and done the repair to the one side including what I've already paid, would be right around $900, plus I needed a car for work and I have rental coverage on my plan. That's why I claimed it.

Edited February 24, 2010 by [LaW]Maverick

[TheGeek]

You may not have to do both struts now but take it from me and my 1998 Buick Regal GS; if you replace one now, several years down the line, the car will be tilted. Especially since one strut will have 80k more miles on it.

[EbilDustBunny]

man geek you have no luck with cars

[Preacher]

You may not have to do both struts now but take it from me and my 1998 Buick Regal GS; if you replace one now, several years down the line, the car will be tilted. Especially since one strut will have 80k more miles on it.

 

This is true, it will wear out slowly but surely much faster on one side. If you can't handle the out of pocket right this min. then do one and save to do the other asap.