Advice on frame damage

Tvov wrote:

gbopp wrote:
I would be concerned about the dealer, they apparently didn't examine the vehicle properly when they gave the estimate.

What else did/will they miss? JMO.

It is very common with body work to have a review and second estimate after they start taking apart things and can get in to see normally hidden areas.

Okay thanks. I thought the frame was fairly exposed on a truck. I guess I'm thinking of my older trucks.

Back in the day I did quite a bit of frame work.

#1. Don't freak out just because they said "the frame was bent." Even out of round holes will qualify on that on the report. It could be just out of round holes or it could be all wadded up.

#2. Since they missed the damage I'm guessing it was VERY minor.

#3. Don't freak out at the cost of the frame damage to the damage on the truck. It costs a LOT just to set up the frame machine to make a pull. A 1 minute pull might take me an hour and a half to set up.

#4. Sway damage is super, super, super easy to fix. Crush damage, not so much.

#5. Get a good shop to do the work. That can make ALL the difference in the world. There are a lot of bad shops out there.

#6. Just because they have fancy names like "lazer" frame work that doesn't mean they are any good. I can do just as good of work with a string.

I'm guessing this was very minor damage to your truck. If you like your truck, get it fixed and go on vacation. Good luck.

Minor frame straightening wouldn't bother me at all.

ScottG wrote:
Minor frame straightening wouldn't bother me at all.

Wouldn't bother me either. There are bent frames and there are bent frames. Minor damage to the ends of the frame where the bumper/hitch is attached is very common and can be straightened by almost any bodyshop. No need to go to a frame shop for something minor like this. These days most quality bodyshops have their own frame racks and seldom if ever send anything out.

B.O.

It is a 10+ year old vehicle with 209,000 miles on it. How much value could you have lost? Anyone buying your vehicle will, most likely, not be looking it up on Carfax.
RichH

Thanks for the responses. We will bring it in on Monday and have it repaired.

I have had vehicles damaged by hail where the insurance company allowed me the choice of writing the vehicle off and receiving $11000 or having the vehicle repaired or receiving $5500 cash and keeping the vehicle. I took the cash and gave the damaged vehicle to my daughter. I think she could have sold it for $9k if she had wanted to but she is still driving it without having done anything to repair it. I did the same thing with a hail damaged truck. I gave the truck to my son in law. Then he hit a deer with it snd his insurance company gave him $5k and let him keep the truck. He replaced the grill, bumper and lights for a cost of a few hundred dollars and after having it pass an inspection it is back on the road again.

In the past, I have had cars that should have been totaled but were not. The reason that the First Quote was close to the Totaled amount but the second Quote pushed it well over that amount. So, the Insurance Company approved the new amount since they had already paid out for the first set of repairs and at that point it was "Cheaper" for them to fix it rather than total it.

I have had this happen to a lessor extent several times and am starting to think that some Body Shops do this on purpose as a totaled claim does not make them any money.