Headlight Assembly - Correct Part Number?

[CornersWell]

Thanks, guys.

Good to know about the smaller projector, Nub. Same part number, though?

Hope not, Mug, but we are all too well-experienced to know how these things go. It started with me getting an estimate from an Audi certified shop. There's some things that they MUST do, based on their contract with Audi, such as do a pre- and post-scan, etc. However, even though they display a USAA placard in their lobby, they're not a USAA-affiliated shop. So, USAA wouldn't approve their estimate, and I had to take it to their affiliate. No big deal, I suppose, but they're not an Audi-certified shop. It's a dealer's shop, and they do work on high(er) end cars (MBs), so, it should be okay, BUT they wrote the estimate differently.

The Audi-certified shop wrote an estimate for the full amount of repairs ~$5K (and got the parts numbers correct). They also cannot use used parts, per their contract. It's possible that they might come in lower, IF the quarter can be saved (honestly, I think a good paintless dent guy ought to be able to do it.

The USAA-shop, however, went the other route. They started low and will supplement up. I suppose that's the insurance way, but what gets estimated at $2K will quickly grow to 3 or 4. Their labor rates are almost half of the Audi-certified shop's though.

Don't know which is the better path, and I have my concerns. Regardless, this isn't a big job. Honestly, any good shop ought to be able to handle it. There's no crunched sub-structures, so this is just cosmetic.

CW

[Muggy]

Thanks, guys.

Good to know about the smaller projector, Nub. Same part number, though?

Hope not, Mug, but we are all too well-experienced to know how these things go. It started with me getting an estimate from an Audi certified shop. There's some things that they MUST do, based on their contract with Audi, such as do a pre- and post-scan, etc. However, even though they display a USAA placard in their lobby, they're not a USAA-affiliated shop. So, USAA wouldn't approve their estimate, and I had to take it to their affiliate. No big deal, I suppose, but they're not an Audi-certified shop. It's a dealer's shop, and they do work on high(er) end cars (MBs), so, it should be okay, BUT they wrote the estimate differently.

The Audi-certified shop wrote an estimate for the full amount of repairs ~$5K (and got the parts numbers correct). They also cannot use used parts, per their contract. It's possible that they might come in lower, IF the quarter can be saved (honestly, I think a good paintless dent guy ought to be able to do it.

The USAA-shop, however, went the other route. They started low and will supplement up. I suppose that's the insurance way, but what gets estimated at $2K will quickly grow to 3 or 4. Their labor rates are almost half of the Audi-certified shop's though.

Don't know which is the better path, and I have my concerns. Regardless, this isn't a big job. Honestly, any good shop ought to be able to handle it. There's no crunched sub-structures, so this is just cosmetic.

CW

I hate insurance...I'm just hoping for your sake that they can find the correct headlight NOS if needed. Not sure of the condition of your other side, but most likely they won't match due to aging, which would also annoy me.

Any chance of just getting a payout check from the insurance? Some will just cut you a check to get rid of you, especially on an older vehicle. I had a 1996 E250 ford van for work and one of my employees side swiped a light pole on a tight corner...jacked up the side doors and rear quarter. Thing was, the van was 18 years old at the time, but only had about 35k miles on it, so still pretty much perfect mechanically, but they wanted to total it for a $5k "estimated" repair, but would have cost me $30k to replace with a new van. I talked them into letting me take it to an indy shop that put on used doors and smoothed out the quarter, slapped some paint on the whole side, and called it a day for about $2k, which the insurance ok'd. Finally was able to give the van to one of my employees earlier this year with about 65k on the clock and many years left in it.

I guess my point is if you can get a check for $3-4k, collect your own parts, and have a decent indy shop do minimal body work, it may be your best option if it's just parts & paint.

Another quick story, a friend of my sons has a B7 S4 with the factory DTM body kit...someone backed into the front of it...took over 4 months for the body shop to find a front bumper skin and get it repaired with OEM new parts...this was a few years ago and pretty sure that you wouldn't be able to find a new part now at all.

Not that I want my car gone, but if it goes, hoping that Hagerty will make good and pay out on my $20k agreed value policy and just be done with it...wishing you good thoughts on yours!