Should I invoke appraisal clause for my car claim?

I drive a 2022 Hyundai Sonata. The car is registered in New York, but the accident happened in Maryland, where I was driving at the time. I’m insured and listed as a driver on the policy, though I’m not the primary policyholder.

In November 2025, my car was involved in a hit-and-run while parked in a parking lot. There were witnesses, a police report was filed, and the at-fault driver was eventually identified. Their insurance was also through State Farm. The damage initially appeared mostly cosmetic, but it was significant enough that I opened a claim through the at-fault driver’s State Farm policy to have the vehicle repaired and repainted.

Using the State Farm app or website (I don’t recall which), I selected a nearby body shop. I recently checked and that shop is no longer listed on State Farm’s website, so I’m not sure whether it was part of their guaranteed repair program.

When I brought the vehicle in and asked for an estimate, the shop told me they don’t provide customer-facing estimates and that they repair the vehicle first and bill State Farm directly. They said that’s how they always handle insurance claims. At the time, I didn’t question it since the shop had solid online reviews (over 4 stars).

A few weeks passed without any updates. When I called, they told me the car would be ready that week. I didn’t hear anything further, so I called again and was told it would be ready that same day. When I arrived to pick it up, I immediately noticed the car had barely been repaired. There was major misalignment, paint defects, visible scratches, and other unfinished issues.

It was around Christmas, and I needed the car because I had already returned the rental based on their representation that repairs were complete. I told them the work was unacceptable. They claimed they had confused my car with another vehicle and agreed to redo the repairs properly.

I took the car back temporarily and drove it to across states, where it stayed in a garage for about two weeks. I then returned it to the same body shop for further repairs. Over the next two months, they attempted to fix the car at least two or three more times. The same issues persisted: misalignment, sanding scratches, paint problems, and fitment issues.

At one point, the owner looked at the vehicle and claimed some issues were “normal,” including the headlights being slightly misaligned due to the clips. He physically pushed down on them to show they wouldn’t go any lower. Despite repeated attempts, the shop failed to restore the vehicle to its pre-accident condition. In fact, additional damage appeared that was not present before, including scratches on the rear bumper, headlights, and chrome trim.

After what I believe was their fourth attempt, I decided I no longer trusted this body shop. I contacted State Farm and requested authorization to move the vehicle to a different repair facility. A manager approved the transfer and also said the body shop manager did not want to deal with my car or me anymore. I selected another body shop with significantly better reviews, although it was not listed on State Farm’s preferred network.

The second shop performed a much more thorough inspection. They disassembled the damaged area, ran diagnostic scans, and prepared an estimate exceeding $6,000. They identified additional damage in the same area of impact and documented their findings. They submitted a supplement to State Farm.

State Farm said they would send an appraiser to inspect the vehicle. The day after the scheduled inspection date, an appraiser called me asking what was wrong with the car and said he was on the way. A few days later, I followed up with both State Farm and the shop. The new body shop said no one had come to inspect the vehicle. State Farm claimed an appraiser had visited at the end of the week and submitted their appraisal shortly after.

Another week passed, and the second shop said they were still waiting on supplement approval. I called State Farm again and was told they would send another appraiser. After the supposed inspection date, I heard nothing. When I followed up, State Farm told me the appraiser reported that the shop denied them access to inspect the vehicle in person but provided photos instead. The appraiser would finalize approvals later that afternoon.

I eventually received State Farm’s approval. They approved just over $2,000—far below the $6,000+ estimate. The claim handler told me that because two appraisers had reviewed the file (based on photos), their decision was final. State Farm asserted that the additional damage identified by the second body shop was either unrelated to the original accident or caused by the second body shop during repairs. I know the car was not involved in any other accidents, and I only had possession of it for about two to three weeks total since the incident.

State Farm is refusing to cover roughly $4,000+ in additional repairs, including broken/cracked components underneath and other parts in the same impact area. They claim those damages are not related to the original accident.

I am now considering hiring an independent appraiser and potentially invoking the appraisal clause. I am also considering filing a complaint with the Maryland Insurance Administration if necessary. I spoke with one independent appraiser who said I may have been better off forcing the first body shop to complete repairs, but they also suspect there may be slight structural or frame damage, which could explain the persistent alignment issues. Their fee would be $600.

At this point, I’m trying to decide whether it’s worth hiring the independent appraiser and formally disputing State Farm’s determination, or whether I should accept the $2,000 approval and move on—even though it won’t fully restore the vehicle.

TLDR: Car was hit in November 2025, brought car to a body shop for repairs. The first body shop I chose did a poor job over multiple attempts, failed to fix the same alignment and paint issues, and even caused additional damage. After about two months of unsuccessful repairs, State Farm approved transferring the car to a different shop.

The second shop found over $6,000 in damage in the same impact area after properly disassembling the car. However, State Farm only approved about $2,000 based on photo-only appraisals and claimed the remaining damage was unrelated to the accident or caused by the body shop. This leaves a $4,000+ gap in needed repairs. Now I’m considering hiring a $600 independent appraiser and possibly filing a complaint with the Maryland Insurance Administration, but I’m unsure whether to fight the decision or accept the partial payment and move on