Messed up my tailgate...pics

so... i have a 2006 trd off road dc and i phucked up my tailgate. oh, i am so pissed at myself. I was backing up at night, and it was pitch black out there, and there was a phucking tree that had this big old branch sticking out from the main trunk so i hit it and it messed up my tailgate. It works perfectly, up and down.

What should I do?
-Fix it with my own money. If so how much would it cost
-Put under the insurance. I have a 500$ deductible.
-Go to the dealer and try to convince them that it bent because it was so weak and try to get the TSB for the tailgate?
-Buy another one. How much would they cost?

Advice guys, please. In the meantime i am driving with the tail gate down because i am too embarrassed.

Here are the pics... thanks

 

I vote to jump up and down on it, bend it outward (at least in a different area) and then get the tailgate TSB.

 

Chris is right, tailgates get beat up all the time, sorry to hear of the news.

 

I don't want to sound holier than thou, but the 3rd option is dishonest even if TSB works in your favor. What is legal is not always right.

I don't know how hard it is to install one, but from the looks of it this is a case of DIY.

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. Best of luck.

 

you may wanna get some quotes from different body shops, then go from there. im thinking the tsb may not work in your case because of the way its bent. after you get it fixed......then see about getting the tsb done. better to be honest then dishonest, imo. you may come out pretty good though, as it doesnt look all that bad. a body shop may do it for a pretty good fee. let us know what you decide to do, and how it turns out.

 

That sure looks like it can be pressed out OK. A cheap alternative would be to wait until school starts again and then let the body shop guys fix it for you in vocational Auto body work shop. If there are none of those around, perhaps a vocational school that teaches body work. If done correctly you may not even need any paint work done. Just remove the gate and let them work on it, they don't need the entire truck for this.

EDIT: Folks say the tailgates run around $1100 new.

 

really good idea.

 

You might want to check the salvage yards around you used toy could find one that is color matched to your truck and just put it on. Just a thought

 

On this website http://www2.partstrain.com/store/index.php?Ntt=Tailgate&N=1725+11782+4294966867 they sell it for 290.00$ I might just buy it and paint it, but IDK. Would this be cheaper than fixing it? Tomorrow I will start getting quotes from the body shops.
thanks to everyone of the feedback...

 

you will know for sure which will be cheaper after talking to the body shops.....but i think it probably can be done for cheaper than $290.....maybe anyway.

 

I did basically the same thing on my 97 except not as bad. I just lived with it.

 

Call a PAINTLESS DENT REMOVAL place... Or go buy a suction cup... It looks like you could pull most out yourself...

 

I think you should make another dent on the other side to match! Or you could buy another one,or take the damn thing off and get one of those ugly ass nets! Or????I know a guy down the street w/a silver mica..scratch that!...

 

i vote on cutting down the tree u backed into or at least the branch hahaha

 

Put a BIG BAND AID on it that says OUCH.....

 

Get a new phucking truck, the one you got is phucked up. Listen you live "in the phucking desert" which means it near phucking Mexico. Drive the phuck down there and drop of the phucking bitch across the phucking border. Take a phucking buddy with you so you got a way to get the phuck back. Then when you get the phuck back home call your phucking insurance agent and tell them some phucker stole your phucking truck. Then go out and buy another bad ass phucking tacoma. There you go, problem phucking solved.

you're phucking welcome
--klown

 

^^^^the above post was just a joke, I would really just get it fixed. If it's less then $1000, I would do it without getting insurance involved, they will get the extra $500 out of you somehow.

 

done dude, i went phuckin jason on its ass.

 

I don't know, it is hard to get out of a body shop for less tahn 500.00 these days. You never know, if you get it replaced, you could probably sell it here for a pittance and try to re-coup some of your money, someone may want a spare or theirs is worse.


also, I am not advocating dishonesty, but if the gate is bent then Toyota will replace it. whether is bends from you loading a quad on it or wood or normal use, it is a valid claim under the warranty. some people say it even bends with a couple of guys sitting on it.