Pillar damage

Hello. Anyone out there know how much it would cost to repair damage to the pillar and mirror of a Tacoma 2023? I'm being quoted what seems to be an astronomical cost appraisal to repair. Any help is appreciated

 

Welcome to TW!

Inb4 - 'Totaled, mind as well part it out'

What did the quote state the fix would be? Are they just trying to pull the dent out or replace the whole panel with all OEM parts? If it's the whole panel, I imagine it'd be quite costly.

Replacement mirrors aren't terrible and can be done DIY if you have a decent mechanical sense. (https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/replacing-side-mirrors-on-3rd-gen.471180/). Cost of the mirror will vary slightly depending what mirror assembly you have. If you replace just the basic assembly, fairly cheap ($120 for parts). If it's the limited with the 360 camera system, blind spot monitoring, turn signal, quite a bit more ($600 for parts).

If that were my car, as long as that dent didn't impact the door's ability to close or the mirrors functionality, I would just live with it. But to each their own!

 

What caused the damage and who's insurance is responsible?

My concern with that huge dent is the A-pillar is no longer as strong as it was prior. Think of it like a soda can. Once you dimple the side it is much easier to collapse.

 

I'd say 5k to do it right. Pull the windshield and weld in a new pillar.

I wouldn't bondo that.

 

It would cost to much . Your best route is to use your insurance . They may or may not total it . But either way u would get fixed or you are getting a new truck . .

 

That damage won't total the truck.

 

isn't there also a bit of wiring running in that pillar that should be moved out of the way to prevent damage

 

That is a difficult repair, lots of hours.

 

Running along the interior of the A-pillar yes, but not inside the A-pillar structure. There are wires, curtain airbag, and sunroof drain tube that would need to be temporarily unbolted and moved out of the way for a repair.

 

That will buff right out.

 

Shit, I had a hole in my pillar from a spotlight. Paid $100 at a shop and got it welded closed, filled, primed and sealed. that isn’t bad at all. People wanting $$$ are just wanting Christmas cash.

 

Pics or it didn’t happen.

 

"Cheap" way would be to pull on a rack and/or punch out the dent from the inside, then smooth over with Bondo and repaint the pillar. End result will appear good as new, but the A-pillar's strength in a rollover would be reduced.

The "right" way would be to remove windshield glass, cut out the A-pillar sheetmetal, get a replacement A-pillar, weld it in, repaint, install windshield, and recalibrate the TSS camera. The last step alone is close to $1k at the dealer. As you can imagine it's very labor-intensive and skill-dependent. The shop may get some steps wrong and you end up with water leaks, etc.

 

People drill holes in the A-pillar all the time for snorkel mounts. What's so special about it?

 

Yea that's not gonna work on this one.

 

Just fix the mirror and let the pillar be. Its a truck after all, not all fancy Benz.

 

Not even close to the situation here.

 

The issue here is its a 2023 truck with significant damage. ITs not a cheap fix and if this person isn't keeping the car forever, that hit will be a huge discount on any trade value or sale down the road.

Leaving the dent, doing a cheap repair etc are all options, but not exactly bringing it back to factory. Proper fix isn't cheap.

 

I’m guessing welding in a portion of the pillar or a full new pillar, then painting it and the adjacent panels to match. That means the roof and front door at minimum also need to be blended into the A pillar and re-cleared as well. Plus the mirror. Not an insurance person but would guess that’s an easy $6-9k repair if done well

 

Do you have the estimate? I do this for a living and can tell you if its legit.