Okay, so I got into a little accident where a rock or something hit my car and I claimed the damage with my insurance. My estimate came up to just under $3,000 with me paying a deductible of $1000.
I was given a rental, they initially authorized it for 4 days and they’ve been calling me periodically extending the repairs due to “back order.”
I was also told that my rental coverage will run out soon, and that they’ll call me on the day I’m due to return the rental to update me. (wtf) there’s no set date for the parts to come in or for my car to be repaired either. It could hypothetically take months.
They also told me that since parts were already ordered, I can’t get a cash settlement. AND they can’t give me back my car cause the sensors may interrupt the turn signals. (my car turn signals & indicators have been fine since the damages.)
I work like 40 minutes away from home. I can’t go without my car. They’re telling me I can pay for the parts myself. What’s going on? Has anyone been through this? What are my rights?
Thanks!
Posted by koolaidbabe0
6 Comments
Not a scam, this is sometimes how it works. You have coverage that covers you for a certain period of time for the repairs and once that runs out, they will not pay any longer. Is the shop you are taking it to a network or recommended shop? Is the shop able to help with the rental?
You usually have a set number of days for rental like $30 a day. 30 days equals $900 and once you’ve use all of that there is no more.
Has your car been undrivable this entire time?
Unfortunately parts delays happen especially with certain types of cars and the insurance company isn’t responsible for that and neither is the body shop. It’s just a sucky situation..
you’re not being scammed. insurance doesn’t cover rentals indefinitely, there’s a limit. it sucks but it’s just how it goes. you’ll have to just figure something out and make it work.
If it was minor damage to the windshield they should have checked on the parts to see if it was available unfortunately nobody knows when it will be released from the manufacturer
This is not a scam. You only have a certain amount of days for rental coverage (should be listed right on your policy) and the insurance company does not control how long it takes for the body shop to get parts.
This doesn’t sound like a scam, but it is a frustrating (and pretty common) situation.
A few things are happening here:
-Rental coverage is capped (either by days or a dollar limit), so once it runs out, it’s out, even if delays aren’t your fault.
-Parts backorders have been a big issue lately, and insurers typically don’t extend rental indefinitely because of that.
-Once repairs are underway and parts are ordered, switching to a cash-out option is often off the table.
That said, you do have a couple options:
-Ask if the car is safe to drive temporarily while waiting on parts (sometimes shops can release it if it’s drivable).
-See if the shop or insurer can help with a discounted rental rate after coverage ends.
-Confirm exactly what your rental limits are (days vs dollar cap) so there are no surprises.
Unfortunately, paying out of pocket to speed things up can happen in these situations, but it’s worth pushing for clarity from your adjuster on timelines and options.
Just general information, not legal advice.