[Cyclopath]

I spent this past weekend moving. I went to the grocery store to get some empty boxes and came out to find someone parked into my car. There's a dent and a few scrapes, down to the metal. I've had the car about 7 months, it's a 2015 Subaru Forester and the only new car I've ever bought. I've worked so hard to keep that car well maintained and in good shape. Anyway, we exchanged information, Subaru recommended a shop in Edmonds, I got an estimate. They propose to replace the door, paint it, and then paint half of the front door and half of the rear panel with a gradient to blend in with the existing paint. I'm skeptical. The shop says the other guy's insurance will not pay for a full paint job for a perfect match. My car was in mint condition until the guy hit it. He was 100 % at fault. I don't have any agreement with his insurance company to cap their liability. I still owe a lot of money on what's become a damaged car. I feel like this is a bad deal for me and I should try to do better. Am I right to be worried about a blended paint job? What would you do in my position?

[Randito]

When my 2010 Honda Fit had 700 miles on it I got rear-ended on I-405. Pretty bad damage to the rear end. I felt like they should have totalled it, but no... My car spent a month in the shop, I was provided with a rental car during all that time. Paint match was perfect and you couldn't tell that the car wasn't new. It's been almost 5 years since then and the back end is still watertight and the color match is still perfect. I think the repair bill was about $7,700 -- I don't know what the rental bill was -- I never saw it. Maybe look for a better shop? I used RNR Automotive Refinishing in Bellevue.

[Seventy2002]

If you're going to argue with an insurance company, get some backup. Sometimes just a phone call from a lawyer will do it.

[robertjoy]

When an older car has damage to one panel, it is impossible for the paint shop to match the subtle oxidization of the original paint. An insurance company will never agree to repaint the entire car to "match" the repair, they will only pay for the best effort possible to match the undamaged sections. With your new car, oxidization is not the problem, the nature of modern "metallic" paint is the problem. Perhaps it results from subtle variations in gravity from place to place, or the unique characteristics of each can of paint, each paint gun, or each paint booth. A shop cannot guarantee a "perfect" match undetectable to a pro. But they can blend adjacent panels, so that the panel-seam does not highlight an otherwise unnoticeable variance. Try talking to your chosen shop, and they will help you understand what the best practice in auto repair is. And you can check with other shops to confirm. When Elvis wrote, "Baby, lay off of my blue suede shoes!" I think he was anticipating a similar dilemma.

[I'm Pysht]

You can sue them for additional money. It helps that they are 100% at fault.

[Randito]

I don't get the "then paint half of the front door and half of the rear panel" approach. Seems rinky dink. While automotive paint is far more expensive than house paint, it is still the preparation work / labor that accounts for the bulk of the cost of a repair. My son and I completely repainted a VW bus using 1 gallon of primer and 2 gallons of paint and 1 gallon of clear coat. Even at $300 / per gallon, paint cost is a fraction of the cost of the repair.

[H. Hound]

The full paint job is irreverent. Your car now has has a branded title (it's been in a documented accident). So, ask for mo money to reflect the diminished value of the vehicle.

[Brenan]

I would be ok with the repair. It's just a car after all. It will hopefully get scratched up a little on the trailheads Then you can spend less time washing it and more time hiking.... Getting bogged down in stupid legal emails and worrying about attourneys will affect your inner zen and not be worth it in the long run!!! They do pretty amazing stuff now with auto repair If you are planning to sell it in the next couple months or worried that you spent too much that's one thing, but the suby will prob last a while. HTH

[Randito]

[Chief Joseph]

I agree that painting half the door seems very strange, I would go with another estimate and different shop. If it's a reputable shop, beings that your paint is that new, they should be able to match it to near perfection.....or you could just have the forrest gnome paint it and pocket the difference.

[MtnManic]

Um...not an insurance claims adjuster, but still, someone who works in insurance. Title shouldn't be "branded" at all if it wasn't totaled. "Diminished value" is not covered by (most, probably all) Washington personal auto insurance contracts. That's the way it's always been and mot likely will continue to be - sadly, once "diminished value" becomes part and parcel of an insurance contract, rates almost certainly will increase and more folks will be wanting a "replacement" vehicle rather than a vehicle that has been hit. Cynical - yup. But too many folks already try to advantage of insurance (and of course, plenty do not) - like a client I know who claimed the doughnuts at the massage therapist should be covered because she was at the massage therapist because of an auto accident.

[Randito]

[tom roy]

Is it not no fault on privare property.you pay, this happened to us in a parking lot.and our preeium got dinged.the other car was undamaged. Though his faulf and admitted it. A good pant man can blend new paint with ease, my son still drives that 99 camary no sign of the paint blendig after all this time.

[H. Hound]

[Daryl]

I doubt you'll be able to notice the blend, even if you try. They are pretty good at that. Be happy that there is no structural damage that is being repaired (rather than replaced)! Also, make very sure the new door opens. closes, seals, is aligned right and everything works before signing off on anything. We had a similar situation, months after buying a new car we got rear ended, hard. Lots of structural damage that was repaired, car was never 100% the same and nothing we could do about it.