Hey guys, I was rear ended this evening and the rear metal bumper, left rear plastic bumper, and left tail light will all need replaced. Any idea what the insurance company might be willing to pay to fix this? I have a 2000 xterra.
Lol honestly that's the main reason I asked I'll end up doing the labor myself so I was more curious as to how much I might "profit" off this.probably the most expensive piece out of the 3 will be the tail light. I have heard the rear bumper goes for about $75, the side pieces are only about $50. A shop might charge a couple hundred bucks to pull the old stuff off and put the new on. i would guess top end would be $500-$600 maybe a bit more if bulbs need replaced or the light holders for the license plate needs changed. I could change all of those parts out on my truck in less than an hour if I took my time, so auto body shop will probably charge for 3-5 hours.
Being in the automotive business myself, and from personal exprience of dealing with insurance companies on my own accidents, there is not always the potential of making a profit. The system the adjusters quote from may quote aftermarket parts, but even parts from a junkyard b/c of the age of the truck.Insurance adjusters use the web just like we do - they also have industry-focused databases to look up parts and know how to get better deals than dealership prices.
They are not in business to lose money, but that said, they will usually cut you a check for the lowest cost of repair and be done with it. What you do with that money is up to you - some pocket it, some repair it as quoted, some source their own parts and repair what they have/want to.