got hit and run!

That pic is from an accident 3 years ago. The op stated, "It looks kind of like this:"

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/taco-held-up.428364/

 

what I meant was,
with this new opportunity, why go through all that work to end up with the same exact crappy part

on the other hand, the design of the Chevy Silverado bumper looks much better, with it's usable corner steps

 

Unless you have a lien or lease on the vehicle, it’s not fraud. The insurance pays for the assessed damaged via body shop or their own adjuster. If the vehicle is paid off, you can do whatever you please with the money. If another incident happens, obviously the insurance isn’t going to pay for the damage twice. Saying that this is fraud is bogus.

 

+1

If you own the vehicle outright usually you can do whatever you want with the money - including spending it on beer. Check your policy for details. And of course don’t claim the same damage later - that would certainly be fraud.

If you have a loan or a lease you aren’t the only owner of the vehicle and so you don’t decide on your own. The title and likely the insurance lists the lien holder as well and they get to decide since the value of the vehicle is securing the loan.

 

Just for reference. When my color matched rear bumper was hit in the same spot about 4 yrs ago, the local dealership priced the replacement at about $1200. I have a body armor rear bumper paid for by the other driver out of pocket to avoid insurance involvement.
OP, I highly doubt that theres any undercarriage damage. The factory bumper offers very little protection and the replacement costs will be equivalent or even more than a plate bumper. If you are worried about added weight, look into an aluminum bumper. With this scenario, insurance pays the same amount, you get your aftermarket bumper and everyone is satisfied.

 

I had the same reaction you did initially so I did a little reading out of curiosity.

I think if you ask the insurance company if you have to spend the money on the repair, and they tell you it’s your option, you’re good to go. But then is that company going to be willing to insure your vehicle for the same value, given that you didn’t repair it after the fender bender? I think the answer is no. So if you say nothing and spend the money on something else, and then subsequently total your vehicle, and accept a check for the vehicle value that includes a repaired bumper, now you’ve definitely committed fraud.

 

You handy? New bumper shell from @RockAuto is less than $100. Paint and a few supplies less than $50. Gitter done & move on.

 

You HAVE to fix that damage, whether that be a stock replacement, a color matched bumper, or spend the money on an after market bumper (which is actually probably cheaper than stock).

The chrome covering has been damaged leaving bare steel exposed so that bumper is going to rust to all hell if it's left like that.

I would say that I have no choice but to fix it, and I would be looking at a fab bumper to replace it. That way if anyone backs into me again, they are walking away with all the damage.

Although if it were me I wouldn't claim that on insurance. All states are different but... when it's a hit and run... you really take the hit. In my state I have to pay my comprehensive deductible for a hit and run. I get reimbursed if they find out who it is and they can claim against them (but that's rare). But honestly I don't want to give those people a reason to jack up my rates. I would just come out of pocket and pay for a steel bumper. I only use insurance if someone puts a gun to my head and forces me.
_________________________________________
And it is NOT insurance fraud to use payouts for something other than getting the vehicle fixed. Eye roll on that one.

 

There is no chrome covering. It's a TRD Sport so the bumper is body match color painted instead of chrome like the Off-Road models.
Yeah I heard that. That with fab bumpers it damages other cars more, but that if the hit is hard enough, it's likelier to bend the Tacoma frame and total it.
Either way, supposedly a steel fab bumper only adds 20lbs.

going to do some research on which steel fab bumper is the best

 

Steel bumpers are a direct extension of the frame so they disperse energy across the frame in a hit and make damage less likely. That's the whole reason they exist for off roading.

What you are thinking of is when dip doodles have hitches in all the time or put those stupid bump things in their hitch receiver and then get rear ended. Those things extend the frame at a single point and increase wedge power to bend the frame.

 

wow, didn't know. I always felt like aluminum tends to be a stiffer material that can crack whereas steel can bend, but I'm not sure.
That makes me wonder how fab plate bumpers compare, because they're block-shaped. Whereas the stock steel bumper is curved and that seems like it might help absorb better.
At first I thought maybe it was just steel for truck things like standing on it.

 

Dude, for an “insurance expert” you have no idea what your talking about.

It’s not fraud if you don’t fix it. It’s your choice to fix it or take the hit on resale/ trade in value if that time comes.

You pay insurance to cover any damage that may happen to the vehicle.
It happens and they are obligated to pay you what it would take to fix.

You are not obligated to fix the damage.

Besides who is to say it shouldn’t take you 20 years to find the right body shop.
What’s the time frame you have to fix it or it becomes fraud? Is what I’m saying.

 

No aluminum is more fragile. It's a less denser material than steel. However the advantages are that it's lighter (less MPG impact) and more rust resistent but the disadvantages are that it's lighter lol so it will ding and dent more.

Aluminum is a good bumper for those who want the armor for looks more than function. But if you want to protect your truck, go steel.

 

I think you are misconstrued to compare the OEM thin quality metal to a true aftermarket steel bumper. There's no comparison. The main disadvantage of a steel bumper is that during a major wreck, there is a lack of a crush zone like there is with a OEM bumper so chances of frame damage is increased. With the OEM, body damage much more extensive which may or may not include the frame. IMHO, most accidents are minor in nature and damage is avoided with a plate bumper vs OEM. Fyi - it's not a 20lbs weight difference. Steel bumpers weight about 100lbs unless you go aluminum.

 

Ayup, as long as you own it free and clear. Take your bumper money and buy a dozen cases of beer to drown away your sorrow that your bumper is all scratched up, if that's your thing. Just remember that bender when it's time to sell and it's worth $500 less...

If it's got a lien you're obligated to keep it 'in good repair' but that's between you and the bank, and anyway the insurance would cut a check written to you AND them.

 

Buy a plate bumper,skip the insurance,as they lie all the time about not raising your rates.

 

Your insurance will PASS the cost of a new bumper onto you by raising your rates for the next 5 years !
its a LOT cheaper in the long just to buy a bumper out of pocket,when it comes to having a claim against your own insurance.Its not your fault,but your insurance could care less about that fact,they are out to make money,not lose it.

 

This ^ a 100 percent.

 

To put it bluntly, and from experience, I do not believe ANYTHING this guy has to say!
cromag27 insurance expert

 

most people i talk to don’t like hearing the truth about insurance. doesn’t change the facts.