How Bad Is This...

If you are willing to pay the difference sure you can. I know a great painter that can give you a beautiful paint job on that hood. He will charge you $3K. Insurance gonna pay That? Nope.

 

Bummers that sucks!

As far as the dealer goes , if you take it to them they will sub it out to there preferred body shop. Dealers don't do bodywork.
Assuming you already reported it to your insurance company I would find a reputable body shop that you know and trust as others have stated and deal with them and your insurance company. Avoid the dealer at all cost on this one. Ask how I know....
Also was the limb from your yard or a neighbor? If it was your neighbors tree , let his insurance pay for it ??

Good luck

 

I was gunna guess about...

 

https://www.angieslist.com/articles/do-you-have-use-body-shop-insurance-company-recommends.htm

I didn't say they would cover 100% (but they usually do if its within reason, as most body shops work with most insurance companies). I said you get to choose where its done (ie the better shop that isn't a shithole and you know does better work for the same price). They can be on their "preferred" list or not. "Preferred" usually just means somebody is giving them a blow job for a favor.

 

Of course. That's no different than "If I'm paying for it myself I can get it fixed anywhere." My point... Insurance decides where it gets fixed because they are paying for it. I can't get the best work if the best guy charges more, unless I chip in the difference.

 

Do you even wreck bro?

You can take it anywhere you want, unless you got some funky insurance

 

Sure you can... If you are willing to pay the difference. BTW I hate my brother.

 

I have never had to pay the difference. If you take it to a place out of their network, they might, might send out one of their own claims adjusters to make sure they aren't getting hosed. I've wrecked plenty of things, and I never take it to the places they offer and they have payed the bill no questions asked.

I'm pretty sure it's illegal for them to mandate where you take it, and charge you the difference, am I wrong here maybe my insurance didn't want to piss me off seeing I pay them way too much

 

My dealer has it's own body shop on the same grounds as the dealer. Everything we've taken to them has been perfect. We used them last time on the 4runner. I know all dealers don't have a body shop on premises though.

 

I stand corrected. Didn't realize a Toyota dealership had a body shop on the premises.
Here in Hawaii, there are too many Yotas to handle that.

 

I can say from experience after a hail storm. The tiniest shards of glass (small as salt granules) could be lurking on the dash, fabric, floor, etc. Watch for that.

 

So here is how bad it was:

Limb fell the evening of Sep 11; claim filed the morning of the 12th; estimator was out on the 13th (estimate approved later that night), and on morning of the 14th and the truck was taken to a body shop.

The estimator expected hidden damage and this was communicated to the body shop, who had about a week lead time to get vehicles in for work, but then needed a few more days to wait for their best tech to become available. That was followed with a few days to tear things down, and a supplemental estimate was approved by my insurance on the 28th.

On October 3rd I called to check with the body shop. Some work had been done, but not all of they needed parts had shown up until that morning (why is it whenever you check on progress, the required shit just showed up?). Later that week they said it should be done at the end of that week or first thing next week.

Next week I get a call about mid day Tuesday (the 10th). They said it was ready, but they had to send another supplement estimate to the insurance. Apparently my insurance declined to pay the tow bill, and two more parts were needed. These parts were needed several days before, and the tow bill was declined Sep 28, so the body shop -for whatever reason- waited until the last minute. Insurance said "yeah, we're going to need 2-3 days to look at that supplemental, just like every other one we handle." Come to find out, the body shop was claiming two fees without an invoice. They outsource to a towing company, which is fine. If the body shop does the tow themselves, they can claim it. Outsource it and you need paperwork. Smokey, this is business, this is not city government. There are rules. By the time I figure out why the tow bill was declined and the insurance tells the body shop how to keep books, handle paperwork, and submit claims, it is Wednesday morning. Thursday at 5:19 pm I get an email that the supplement was approved. This is an 8-5 body shop.

Friday morning I pick up the truck, and it looks like a new truck inside and out. Spend about 30 minutes walking around and I can't remember if these had a fiberglas mat under the hood. Apparently they don't. OK, they don't. Leave and go back to work.

Summary:

Damage occurred the night of Sep 11. Truck in the shop on the 14th. Only 7 real work days were required, from Sep 29 - October 9. Another 3+ days of administrative mess followed. Damage came to $6500. The metal work under the plastic cowl tray was flattened. I didn't look at the dash much (before it went in) but at least the top was replaced. The whole cab was cleared out and repainted. I found no issues until Friday evening; the 12v outlet in the console was inop, and there is scuffing in the drivers door jam (I think this is one of the parts on the last supplement). Anybody have any idea what these parts / prices mean:

54 E RT REVEAL MOLDING Replace OEM $40.31* S2 SM*
55 E LT REVEAL MOLDING Replace OEM $40.31* S2 SM*

Suggestions:

Rental coverage may be a false sense of security. I didn't have it some time before, forgot what the situation was but decided to go with it. If your insurance has an agreement with a rental company, they will encourage and possibly require you use that company, and that company knows they can give you any piece of crap that has been smoked in, diapers changed in, etc, as long as it runs and meets your insurance coverage language. Look at how bad you need transportation before putting it on your policy.

"Networks" have a reputation of being a pain in the ass; if you go to an out-of-network doctor, you will pay more. Auto insurance companies and body shops seem to be less up-front about who is in or out of network. Find out in writing who is in-network from your auto insurance company, then find out from the body shop if they have done work with your insurance provider (ask questions like "What is the biggest pain-point from your perspective, and from the vehicle owners perspective?"). Rate body shops on both the reputation of their work, and relationship with your insurance company. Knowing what I know now, I could have saved time (and a lost vacation) by keeping in touch with my insurance to make sure the body shop was doing the paperwork right.

 

That really sucks man, I'm sorry that happened to you. But at least, minus the small scuffing and and 12v inop, the truck looks like new.

 

Maybe a little late but if the rental company gives you a shitty car you can go switch it out for a different one. Lots of times they give you a shitty one first.