When you let your wife drive your truck and she hits her own parked car...

So i let my wife borrow my truck... When she came home and went to park she hit HER CAR while driving MY TRUCK...

She scratched my driver side bumper cap, scratched the panel beside the chrome bumper cap, scratched up the rear fender flare, and put a dent beside it... Not major damage but enough to piss me off... I didn't get angry with her... But secretly want to choke her...

Barely any damage to her 2013 impala. Some scuffs that will mostly buff out. So unfair LOL


Now... The thing is... we already have 3 claims on our insurance in the last 2 years... So i don't want to file an insurance claim. Only 1 claim was at fault, my wife hit another car while driving, then a week later a lady ran into the back of me stopped at a redlight. The first claim was in 2016, when a lady illegally turns in front of me while driving 60mph and totals my first tacoma.

but still too many claims is grounds for non renewal, even if not at fault.

So I'm trying to fix it as cheap as possible myself without filling a claim. I live on military disability and just had to put new insulation in my home right before Xmas, $3600, plus Xmas for my kids set me back another 1200... So money is very tight right now and savings is depleted.

Suggestions?

It looks like the best bet is replace the fender flare.. Think that would be cheaper than painting it?

I may be able to score a set of bumper caps from a member here.. Waiting to hear back on that...

But what to do about the dent and scratches in the rear panel? The dent is right beside the flare, where it looks like a gap in the picture.

 

Leave it until you can afford a high clearance bumper, cut the damage off, install bumper and enjoy

 

Any excuse for new off-road mods is cool with me LOL... But that would only help the damage on the chrome bumper cap itself, which has the least amount of damage.

 

This, it’s time for her to see that this “damage” is the “ok” for lift/tires/bumpers

 

Sorry to hear about your car issues, at least no one got hurt though.

You could try to tap the dent out with a rubber mallet, buff scratches the best you can. The cheapest way to fix the flare would probably be to just plasti dip all flares black, looking like the OR model, and cover up the scratches.

 

Just rust proof anywhere paint is broken on metal and drive it.

You can always shop for replacement parts and save for body shop work later if you want to.

 

I would recommend your wife gets a 2nd job at night to pay for repairs. I'd suggest pizza delivery but I don't know if your insurance company could handle that.

If nothing else, talk to a few body places and get a quote for repairs for cash.

 

That sucks.

A few years ago my wife hit someone in the parking lot and I gave her my mind. Well the very next day I hit someone so I had to eat some humble pie.

But when she first started driving about 14 years ago I told her not to drive with flip flops...well she didn't listen to me and did this...

I used to think my garage was safe from hazards...nope.

 

Leave it, chicks dig scars.

 

First off, good job not showing your frustration to your wife. Chances are, she feels worse about it than you do, and getting mad at her would only make her feel worse, and won't fix your truck.

As for how to proceed, here's my advice, but take it with my full acknowledgement that I personally wouldn't follow it. Those who can do, those who can't teach:

As long as the truck drives and operates normally, let the aesthetic damage be. Ignore it for a while, and you'll notice it less and less, and may eventually not care at all. Meanwhile, casually browse the marketplace on TW and your local CL, and wait for killer deals on paint matched replacement parts. You might think that they'll never POP up, but I promise they will. If you can be patient, you'll save money, stress and won't be rushed into bad choices. As others have suggested, maybe you'll come across off-road armor that you didn't know that you liked, or some other creative replacement.

As for the dent, look into paintless dent removal. A local company in WA is called Dent Wizzard, but I think they may be a chain. Call your local dealership (BMW, Mercedes, Audi) and ask what company they use. They use them all the time to remove lot dents and dents from trade-ins.

Good luck man! Remember, they're only things.

 

Dude, aren’t you asian Rob?
You can’t tell your wife not to drive in her slippers.

 

lol. it worked after she hit a wall a few days later. Of course she didn't listen to me...still to this day.

 

Do you have any skills with body and paint work? If so buy some fine sand paper and paint and it would look okay until you save up enough for a professional repair.

 

A family that Tacos together stays together

 

First mod should be removal of wife's drivers license!

 

Wife is neglegent, needs to be taught a lesson. If this pattern of irresponsible and unacceptable behavior continues, you’re going to end up either stroking out or in divorce court.

take her car and sell it, take the equity and have your truck fixed. Depending on what’s left, and how compassionate you are..you can either buy her a 20yr old jalopi, or a bus pass.

If she objects, tell her you can give her another option and set up craigslist ads for her, to provide sensual massage services to random gentlemen callers until she has made you whole for the damages she caused.

 

Might be time to consider a new wife. I hear the new models are coming out.

 

+1 on the high clearance bumper and spray the flare.

 

noone, especially my wife, drives my taco.... ever

 

Exactly my thoughts.
The true freaking beauty of this plan is that she can't really give you crap about the purchase. It makes me wanna cry.