The damage is only about $3,000, however, the car is only 2 months old with 2,000 miles. Do I have the option of requesting from the insurance company that car be replaced vs. repaired? (Some 16yr. Old kid broad sided me, after running a stop sign). Every body shop says the paint will not match (silver) and of coarse the car will never be the same. How do I get compensated for that?

If the car could be repair, the insurance company
will not replace it. Your best bet, is to repair
it and trade it in !

You suffered the loss, you get to pick the repair shop.

It won't be the cheapest, but make sure you have it repaired at a body shop that does premium work, the best shop in town. My 98.5 A4 suffered a $7000 hit in the left rear fender area at 8 months of age.

It took six weeks in the shop but it is absolutely perfect. There is no sign at all of having been damaged and repaired. Panels, welds, seams are perfect, new paint matches old perfectly.

They use a technique where they blend in the new paint into the original paint on the undamaged surfaces that leaves no traces.

However, shop manager did tell me that some colors (like silver) are much more difficult to blend and could require much, or even all, of the car be repainted.

Remember, you suffered the loss, you get to pick the repair shop. Pick the best.

in that you have the right (at least in most states) of choosing who you want to repair your car and mandating that they use original equipment parts. The insurance company has an obligation to you to make you whole again and if they can do so via repair, that is their option.

If they don't get the paint right, make 'em do it again. If the insurance company refuses to pay, sue them. It's unfortunate that it such an adversarial system, but such is life.

Don't settle for almost right -- make them fix it to your satisfaction and demand a lifetime warranty on the repairs.

Keith

nt