Pothole Damage

[SaBBz]

Hi guys

Driving to see family today at about 7am I managed to break my E46 pretty badly in a pothole. It was still dark at that time and was on an NSL road, so didn't see it until it was too late.

Front wheel

http://imageshack.us/a/img707/4826/img9818k.jpg[IMG]

Rear wheel
[IMG]http://imageshack.us/a/img688/8019/img9819w.jpg[IMG]

Interior
[IMG]http://imageshack.us/a/img211/7672/img9824m.jpg[IMG]

[IMG]http://imageshack.us/a/img35/4872/img9835v.jpg[IMG]

Over 2.1m long (over 1m wide and about 7 inches deep at the edge)
[IMG]http://imageshack.us/a/img805/2152/img9836y.jpg[IMG]

Damage is both near side rims are buckled, and as you can see in the photos, the two driver side airbags have deployed.

Anyone got any idea as to how much this might be to fix? I got the car recovered by the RAC, but will give my insurance company a ring tomorrow when they're open.

Hopefully I may be able to recoup the cost from the council, as the Police who coned off the pothole mentioned that the pothole had already been reported.

It's certainly the biggest pot hole I've ever some across!

[COLOR="Yellow"]**Please ensure images are no wider than 1024 or use spoiler tags.**[/COLOR]

 

[SaBBz]

I'm really hoping I can claim for the damage from the council! I think I'll discuss this with my insurance company when I call them tomorrow.

It was a pretty big bump and the sound of the airbags going off was very, very loud. Not sure whether there would have been any suspension damage, but looking under the car everything looked to be okay.

 

[SaBBz]

Why is there an open mineshaft in the road?

I would be very surprised if the Council gave you the finger... that is newspaper material right there.

Having worked in that environment, I recommend you escalate to leader of Council level if you don't get success through the normal channels. Leaders will 99.9% of the time bend over and over-rule everyone else (to the annoyance of all).

Can you let us know WHAT road this is too, so that others can avoid it?

Thanks for the advice.

The road is between Cublington and Whitchurch, travelling towards Whitchurch. Both are villages in Buckinghamshire, just outside Aylesbury.

 

[SaBBz]

Mentioning newspapers will generally escalate the complaint level very quickly... not a nice method to take, but in this instance I'm honestly shocked that something that bad was overlooked.

On a NSL road too, that is a terrible accident waiting to happen, on what looks to be a fairly quiet road?

It's fairly quiet but there are a few large trees just off the road, so it could have been a lot worse if the car had veered off. I had my sister and nephew in the car with me so I'm just glad that no one was hurt, and it's just the car that was damaged.

 

[SaBBz]

Just been on the phone to Admiral. The claim is going to go against me and the car will be a write-off. If I want to chase the council I have to do it off my own back.

Looks like I'll have to start chasing then.

 

[SaBBz]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I was travelling somewhere between 40 and 50 when I hit the pothole (there is a 30 limit just down the road which I was slowing for), and apart from the airbags going off I was quite surprised that the suspension didn't look bent! It wasn't until I was about 5m away from the hole that I saw the 'lip' and realised it was a pothole, and by then it was too late.

I was told the designated garage would contact me today, but I guess they are currently shut as I didn't get a call and nobody answered when I called this afternoon. Fingers crossed they're open before the new year!

I've received the claim form via email from Buckinghamshire County Council, but need to know what my losses etc are before sending it off - obviously this will need to wait until the car has been looked over. Does anyone know if all insurance companies leave the driver to claim against the council for damage caused by a pothole? I do have legal cover, but Admiral don't seem to be bothered about chasing the council on my behalf.

 

[SaBBz]

Just been on the phone to Admiral again, and they are going to pursue the claim for me after I emphasised just how big the hole is. I've now sent them the claim form I received from Bucks CC, along with about 10 photos of the car and the hole. I have also given them the details of the two police officers and the crime reference number. Hopefully that should be enough for Bucks CC to admit liability and pay out.

Now I guess I just need to keep my fingers crossed that I'll get the 2 years no claims back at some point down the line. This will certainly make me think about having protected no claims in the future.

 

[SaBBz]

Good work getting the photo's with the Police, I would have thought that would give lots of substance to any claim. How come they attended out of interest?

I called the police as my car was stuck in the middle of the carriageway and I couldn't move it. I also mentioned the pothole and said that it needed to be marked to stop other cars suffering the same fate as mine!

While blaming the driver for the pothole being there is daft. I still think that part of the responsibility is on the driver. Roads have been getting worse over the last 4-5 years and I know i am always looking out for them. Put it this way I bet he doesn't hit another pothole like this again. Lesson learnt.

To be honest, I do keep a look out for potholes as both the 330i and my girlfriend's Z4 have pretty stiff suspension. I think this must be the first pothole I've hit for years, even though we had absolutely loads around this way in 2010. I didn't see this one until the very last second and couldn't avoid it.

 

[SaBBz]

was your car the only one effected do you know? or did anyone else end up getting taken out by this monster of a hole.

Another car came down the road about a minute after I'd stopped, I tried waving at them but obviously it was dark and they also hit the hole. When my girlfriend came to meet me, she said there was someone just down the road in the village changing their front tyre. I assume it was the same car!

Luckily the police turned up pretty quickly afterwards and put flashing cones around the hole so no one else drove across it.

 

[SaBBz]

Just jacked the car up to have a look at the damage and the suspension all looks fine, though obviously I am just looking at it as I can't move it at the moment.

The front alloy wheel has a large crack running the whole way around the middle of the rim, basically making it in to 2 thinner wheels! The rear alloy wheel has a huge dent in it, but isn't cracked. Looks like I'll have to change both of them if the car is written off. Had a quick look, and I can get 4 genuine wheels for about £300 which isn't too bad and I could just sell off the worst wheels to get some money back. Replacing the tyres (Eagle F1A2) will be about £300 for 2, so looking at possibly £500 to replace the wheels and tyres.

I found a website called airbagman, who fit used and new airbags, and have asked them for a quote but haven't had a reply yet. I don't suppose anyone has any idea how much replacement curtain and door airbags would be?

Fox, you mentioned earlier that I'd need a new doorcard. Can you please let me know why this is? I've had a look and I think I can use the same doorcard once the door airbag has been replaced.

 

[SaBBz]

I am presuming the leather doorcard cover where the airbag is has split as a result of the airbag deployment? Hence the suggestion of a new doorcard.

The airbag appears to have pushed out the top of the doorcard, and it looks like it will just fit back over a new airbag. I'll try to get a picture tomorrow.

 

[SaBBz]

The car's now been taken to the garage and they'll let me know in the next 48 hours what's wrong and whether it'll be written off.

Ouch. I thought the holes here were bad!! :/

What speed were you doing when you impacted?

I was doing somewhere between 40 and 50 I think, I was starting to slow down as there's a 30 limit in the village just past where my car ended up.

 

[SaBBz]

Just been told by the insurer that the car is unfortunately a CAT C write-off. I've not spoken to the garage yet, so unclear why it's a CAT C and not a CAT D. If I repaired the car, I would therefore have to have the car MOT'd and get a Vehicle Identity Check done before I can drive it again.

I'll be speaking to the insurance company about settlement and buyback values tomorrow afternoon.

I'm really hoping it will be economic for me to repair the car as the car is in very good condition. I think a 530i Sport may be on the cards if it's not worth it though...

 

[SaBBz]

Just phoned the garage, who wouldn't give me a breakdown, but the estimate is £3,529.84! I know the alloy wheels and the airbags would have to be replaced, but I'm not sure yet how much they have quoted for these so I'm hoping there isn't much else wrong with the car. I've asked the insurance company to send me a copy of the estimate ASAP, so that I can see what the damage is and decide whether it's worth keeping the car when they offer me the settlement tomorrow.

I managed to get a quote to have both airbags replaced at £216, which isn't too bad. I think I can probably get the car fixed (assuming only tyres, wheels and airbags need replacing) for about £700-800.

 

[SaBBz]

I've just got home and got a copy of the estimate, which I've included below.

If anyone can let me know whether it looks like it's worth repairing and if there looks to be any damage other than the tyres, alloys and airbags I'd be really grateful.

I see that it mentions the 'R/F door trim' on page 2, which I think relates to the door card Fox mentioned, but at £364.76 + VAT surely it can't be? It also mentions that the headlining needs to be replaced, which I'm a bit confused about as the headlining looked fine except for the curtain airbag sticking out - I assumed this could just be folded back over the new airbag.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/849/damageestimatepage1.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/191/damageestimatepage2.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/651/damageestimatepage3.jpg/

Does anyone have any advice on the potential settlement and buy-back values? Thanks again guys, I really appreciate the advice I've received.

 

[SaBBz]

So no damage to anything other than the wheels themselves and the airbag related stuff. Looks repairable to me. The door trim panel is indeed the entire doorcard.

From looking at it it looks repairable to me too, assuming I can buy the car back fairly cheaply. Should be quite easy to get it fixed too - buy alloys from eBay and get a mobile tyre fitter to put tyres on them, then get airbagman to come out and fix the airbags.

Does anyone have any idea what I may get offered for the car? It's a 330i Sport, registered January 2002 with a private plate (R5 POD) and has done 124k miles. Optional extras are Xenons, Harmon Kardon speaker upgrade and a rear sun blind.

 

[SaBBz]

I called today and they weren't ready to give me a settlement or buy-back value, so I'm now going to have to wait until Monday to find out what's going on.

On the plus side, if the car is written off and I don't buy it back, I can transfer my private plate onto another car for £80.

 

[SaBBz]

Just received the first offer from the insurance company - £2,000. This seems very low to me, as similar cars are up for £3.5k or more, so I've asked them to reconsider and send me an increased valuation. Anyone have any experience of trying to get insurance companies to increase their settlement value?

The buy-back value of the car has been set at £180, so not too bad.

 

[SaBBz]

They have increased their offer to £2.3k with a salvage value of £207, though I still feel this is too low.

Get a list of currently advertised cars (that are similar to yours) off eBay, Autotrader, etc and email them to your insurer. That should do it.

Thanks Lewis. Currently putting a list together to send them today. On the phone the lady didn't sound too confident that I'd be able to increase the value any further. She mentioned that she'd had a look on autotrader, but there aren't many up for sale at the moment. I've found a number of similar cars on Pistonheads and eBay, so hopefully these will give me sufficient evidence.

 

[SaBBz]

I've just provided backup to Admiral, so fingers crossed they'll come back with an increased offer.