[cflemeta]

Hey everyone.. first time posting.. I have an 07 IS 250 AWD. Got a question for the group... I was driving on my way home from work about 35 mph and a racoon jumped in front of me. I braked but wasn't able to avoid hitting. I am surprised by the amount of damage. The bracket for the fog light is busted so the fog light is just loose inside the bumper, the lower grille is cracked, the right lip is busted but to my biggest surprise the bumper itself is cracked.

I am assuming I am looking at a bumper replacement (I don't assume this can be repaired). I am planning on getting a quote from the dealer (which scares me when I hear the price ) but also considering going to a body shop.

I have never had to take a car for body work. Is there an disadvantage to going to an outside body shop for this type of work? I am assuming that they will use Lexus parts, I am just hoping to save some money on the labor.

Also, if anyone has recommendations for a body shop in the general Seattle area, let me know.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[longnights]

I've had very good experiences at RnR automotive refinishing in Bellevue. RNR Auto Rebuild (425) 453-2898 I'm pretty sure that that is where Lexus of Bellevue sends their repairs, though they charge a bit more for it.

 

[scottina08]

there are OEM bumpers on ebay for very cheap. I believe there are also sellers who sell the bumpers already painted to match...and guarantee the match if you send an item from the vehicle so they can match it. One of the sellers on ebay is "The online store of unique customs" They painted a reart Jeep SRT bumper for me and saved me about $1000 over dealer and local prices.

 

[cdeslandes]

Hey everyone.. first time posting.. I have an 07 IS 250 AWD. Got a question for the group... I was driving on my way home from work about 35 mph and a racoon jumped in front of me. I braked but wasn't able to avoid hitting. I am surprised by the amount of damage. The bracket for the fog light is busted so the fog light is just loose inside the bumper, the lower grille is cracked, the right lip is busted but to my biggest surprise the bumper itself is cracked.

I am assuming I am looking at a bumper replacement (I don't assume this can be repaired). I am planning on getting a quote from the dealer (which scares me when I hear the price ) but also considering going to a body shop.

I have never had to take a car for body work. Is there an disadvantage to going to an outside body shop for this type of work? I am assuming that they will use Lexus parts, I am just hoping to save some money on the labor.

Also, if anyone has recommendations for a body shop in the general Seattle area, let me know.

Thanks,
Chris

I had the EXACT same damage after an encounter with a raccoon when my IS350 was brand new.
The bumper cover is what needs replacing, not the entire thing.

I'd say you're looking at $1,500 worth of damage.

I had my car fixed at the dealership here in CT at the time.

You'll be stuck paying your deductible but your insurance premium shouldn't go up as strucking an animal is considered "Act of God".

 

[cflemeta]

Thanks for the responses everyone. Good to know the distinction between bumper and bumper cover. I'll take it to a couple of places on Monday to get some quotes (RnR and the dealer). I am uncertain about getting the bumper shipped as there are some other things that need to be fixed at the same time but will do some ebay research just in case.

I'll keep you posted on what ends up happening.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Acedrvonly]

Make sure they dont charge another fog light if it is not broken. I had something similar as you described happen to my fog light when I got hit, and after reviewing the parts they would need I saw they marked down another fog light although the only thing wrong was its placement. Watch out man...plenty of people wanting to make an easy dollar. Best of luck.

 

[cflemeta]

Well. I ended up taking the car to RnR. Lexus of Bellevue actually refers to them, they don't even deal with the body work there. I was initially going with self-pay just to save a ding on the record. The initial estimate came out to $1500 but after they took the bumper off there were a few additional parts that needed to be replaced which brought the total closer to $2300. I ended up getting insurance involved because the price was getting up there. It turns out that since it's an animal it's considered an act of God therefore it shouldn't affect the premium (like dceslandes suggests also).

Since insurance is now involved it's taking a little longer to wrap up the car but hopefully it will be done in a couple of days.

So far service from RnR has been really good. The guy I am working with over there is on top of it and keeping me updated on the progress of the repairs. Hopefully the end result will be good.

 

[SuperStarLevin]

wow, $2300 for a raccon hitting ur car...that really sucks. well hope u get it fix

 

[cflemeta]

Got the car back. The final quote came out to 2800 bucks. The shop said that since I was getting insurance involved there were a few other things they wanted to do that they wouldn't have bothered with if I was paying out of pocket. That is a ridiculous total. I ended up paying 100 bucks for the deductible and insurance covered the rest. The only problem is that the right light is misaligned (it's pointing a little higher). I will see about getting that corrected. Other than that the car came out perfect, just like new.