[OND]

Originally Posted by johan

Regardless of Carfax - if it involves replacing entire panels (bumper, fender, etc) - you'll lose the OEM VIN tags on those body panels. You _WILL_ have diminished value upon sale or trade in. These VIN tags are common knowledge now and every buyer looking at a car that is more expensive than your random junker Civic is going to check for those. I've seen it over and over (I've owned 20 cars, sold all of them except for 2 at this point). If one of those tags is missing - your car is automatically worth thousands less. Also, you won't be able to tell your prospective buyer that your car has never been in an accident or had paint/body work done - unless you like bad karma.

Tell them about this, tell them that you know it. Tell them that you demand a check from their insurance company for the diminished value differential after they completely fix it to like new condition with OEM parts. They screwed up, they damaged your car. Treat this like any auto accident where you are not at fault.

You have all the power here, take it.

Originally Posted by DSOmegaX

As mentioned in previous posts, if you're worried about monetary loss, you'll have to claim diminished value from their insurance (good luck though as its always a fun fight through this process). I'd be hesitant to only deal with their dealership as no loss in trade in (I mean, do you know 100% that your next car is going to be a subaru)? In the end, it's up to you what you think is "right." If you decide you're driving this car to the ground, then it wouldn't really matter in the long run, but if you do decide to switch cars in the next few years, than you'd be taking the financial hit.

As for the car, be weary of the repairs that our done. OEM parts is one thing, but quality of work is what matters first and foremost. Make sure the paint matching is accurate, no corners were cut. Especially since the dealership is doing this at their cost, it's all the more reason for them to get the job done quick and dirty.

Thanks for the solid advice guys. Let's see how it turns out. Crystal white pearl should be a tough one to match, I just hope the body shop does an acceptable job. I was really itching to have a nice drive this weekend with the new tires and alignment, but I guess I'll have to wait for a while..