Fender Bender - what to do?

[Ezekiel2517]

Well, I screwed up yesterday and hit a car at the Costco parking lot.  To be fair she was parked on the wrong side of the aisle, but....whatever.  It was low speed, maybe 2 mph.   Anyway, at first glance I thought nothing happened, but on inspection I realized it shifted my bumper about half an inch, cracked the fog light, and the trim panel that goes around it.   

 

The thing is...all this stuff, other than the bumper can be replaced relatively cheap. I have a $501 deductable, so if the  bumper was okay i could likely fix myself and not process a claim.  However the other party has already filed, so it might not even matter - my rates are going up.   I guess if I didnt file, I would avoid a carfax report for resale.  Not sure if that is really i big deal or not.

 

Bumpers are devious things.   Since its shifted, it could be bent.  The brackets behind could be bent.  Who knows.

 

Also, now I have a check engine light.  There is no way this caused engine damage, but maybe its associated with onstar being pissy after an impact.

 

Options:

1) file with insurance - fix back to factory spec

2) dont file and repair myself.  Just re-alight everything and replace the broken parts.

3) File and try to get the money to repair myself

           a)  replace with an aftermarket off road bumper

           b) replace with a painted bumper (always wanted color matched instead of chrome)

 

Any thoughts, wisdom, ideas are appreciated.  Thanks.

 

[Ezekiel2517]

This Rough Country Bumper fascia would cover most of the problems once I fixed the fog light.  Assuming the bumper isnt bent.

 

[eppieguy]

My .02 is file with your insurance, let them deal with it since there will be a claim filed anyway, you pay for the insurance so may as well use it since the other party will be. As for CarFax I've always been told that it's not the body shop that reports it, it's the police Accident reporting systems, they get paid for it from CarFax. Again, just what I've been told, can't confirm that.

[oldmann]

Do it yourself.  The rise in insurance cost is not worth it.

 

[eppieguy]

32 minutes ago, oldmann said:

Do it yourself.  The rise in insurance cost is not worth it.

 

His insurance will most likely go up anyway as the other party has already filed a claim with his insurance, so since there already is a claim he may as well let the insurance company fix it as it won't make a difference in the amount his policy may go up.