Total loss due to unavailability of parts?

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Middle of last week, involved in a two car collision between my 2019 Volvo V60 and a Skoda Yeti.

Other driver admitted fault at the scene and has also admitted it to their insurer (their insurer has accepted liability on the phone with me and also to my insurer).

My car was recovered by my insurer and needs a new bumper (and assorted plastic bits) headlight, wheel, tyre and suspension on that corner as it broke the top mount plus a repair to the corner of the bonnet. Was told on Monday that it would be back with me tomorrow.

Just had a call to be told that Volvo have no suspension parts and cannot give any indication of when parts may become available. The implication is that it could be months and was told "we will keep you updated every week".

Will there come a point at which the lack of parts renders the car unrepairable and for it to be declared a total loss? Repairer has suggested that it was already pretty close to a total loss anyway due to the repair cost.

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whp1983 said:

Not just that... have you got a courtesy car? If so the rental company will be rinsing their insurance- if delay looks too long they’d rather write off then it’s sorted they can also sell your car to breaker.

I declined a car from my insurer as I don't really need one as WFH and I have access to my wife's car when I do need to go out. I was also told on Monday this week that it would be repaired by Friday, guess before they found out that Volvo had no parts. I can still get one from my insurer if I decide I need one.

TP insurer offered but only if they could handle the repair but it had already been recovered by my insurer. To be honest based on the little dealing I have had with the TP insurer (to tell them that my insurer was already repairing it) I wouldn't want them doing anything, it was hard work.

Wish said:

Modern insurers will either, give the owner the last known value of the parts cost. Or will get on to the manufacture to supply a car to the owner until they can get the parts.

Not sure what you're saying but why would I want the value of the parts and for what reason would an insurer pay me that? What use is that to me, I want the repaired car back, not half a car and some cash to buy parts that aren't available.

If your second sentence is suggesting that an insurer will tell Volvo to supply me with a car until they can supply the parts that's not going to happen, it's not Volvo's problem and they're certainly not going to incur costs for something that is nothing to do with them.

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Sheepshanks said:

stemll said:

Repairer has suggested that it was already pretty close to a total loss anyway due to the repair cost.

On a 2019 car that seems unlikely if they thought it could be fixed in a week.

No idea what Volvo charge for suspension arms, uprights and wheels. Only going by what the repairer said (insurer's own bodyshop)

I understand that the damage is all at the wheel end of the suspension so I assume just bolt on repairs rather than anything at the chassis needing repair. It broke where the top arm connects to the upright and there is also damage to the lower arm, and the wheel is broken. Then bodywork limited to bumper and wing (bonnet damage very light)

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Almost a month on and the last parts arrived on Friday and........ they don't line up with the chassis.

Where the suspension mounts to the vehicle is apparently an aluminium part and, although it looks fine, it clearly isn't and the bodyshop it is at cannot repair aluminium. They do have another site in Manchester who can but they have no capacity and they have no details of how or if this is repairable. So, bottom line is it now back with the insurance engineering team to discuss it with Volvo.

Costs so far are at £5k against a car value of £20k. No idea what this aluminium repair will add and the shop it is at at the moment feel it may not be a part that Volvo will say can be repaired.

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Found out that the part in question is the cast aluminium suspension tower so the green bit on this page

http://www.autozine.org/Archive/Volvo/new/S60_2018...

Not sure how you straighten a cast aluminium part as aluminium can lose both ductility and strength when heated so it bends easily but also breaks. Guess that's why he's talking about specialist body shops with experience and equipment for aluminium.

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thiscocks said:

Pretty sure they won't be pissing about trying to straighten it, they will be ordering a new strut tower and welding it in as per Volvos repair procedure (Not just however bob in the body shop thinks it should be done!). Not particularly hard for a good oem recognised body shop.

That was his point. There isn't a Volvo repair procedure for that tower on that car hence why it's back with Volvo. It's not like it's a brand new release either, this version of the V60 has been around since 2018 so if there isn't a repair procedure for that part yet.....

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Super_G said:

A500leroy said:

Delays at factory making part and shipping due to covid is why this has happened.

This.. and keeping the car on site / in storage costs a fortune. The body shop will charge per day/week. It adds up when you factor that all in.

They have all the parts they have ordered, it was during assembly that it became apparent that there was more damage. At the moment, not waiting on any parts, waiting on a repair decision from Volvo/Insurer.

The bodyshop is part of the same group as the insurer so suspect storage isn't an issue.

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thiscocks said:

stemll said:

thiscocks said:

Pretty sure they won't be pissing about trying to straighten it, they will be ordering a new strut tower and welding it in as per Volvos repair procedure (Not just however bob in the body shop thinks it should be done!). Not particularly hard for a good oem recognised body shop.

That was his point. There isn't a Volvo repair procedure for that tower on that car hence why it's back with Volvo. It's not like it's a brand new release either, this version of the V60 has been around since 2018 so if there isn't a repair procedure for that part yet.....

Oh right. A bit poor if thats the case! Not exactly an unusual part of the body to replace.

Update time. It can be repaired and it is being done now. Was shipped from the bodyshop in Aylesbury to one in Milton Keynes and when the tower is done it will be shipped back to Aylesbury to be painted and for everything else to be assembled and then shipped back to MK to me. Not exactly doing this the cheap way! Was already almost £5k before this extra work was found.

I don't see how they can remove the old suspension tower and weld in a new one with the engine in place as there is zero room so I assume this is engine-out now?

I have an offer from the dealer I bought it from to buy it back (they know it's being repaired and it is subject to them seeing it of course). It will more than settle the finance and provide most of a deposit for something else when I decide what and when so as soon as I get it back, it's going. Two months without it has kinda proved that we don't need two cars while we're both at home, that will change once everything is lifted and the kids get back to weekend tennis and cricket at the same time in opposite directions but, right now, it won't be being replaced unless I find something too good to pass up.

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Just to close this off, it took them just over 12 weeks to repair and return it after missing about 3 return dates. They then had to come out and clean up a spill of bright green fluid which was under the aircon filling point (it had had the engine out so everything emptied and refiled) and the contradicted themselves several times whether it was spilled oil/dye from the aircon or spilled brake fluid. It was nowhere near the brake reservoir but was the same colour as what was in there. The carpet in the driver's footwell was also not installed correctly, no idea why that would have been out.

The amount of repair has meant that Volvo dealers will touch it. I had three explicit declines "due to the repairs carried out" and two more who simply didn't respond. That included the dealer that I said above had made an offer, that offer was withdrawn once the buyer I was speaking to discussed the detail of the repairs with his manager. One of those who declined to buy it would reluctantly take it as a trade but would devalue it "significantly" as they would not be able to sell it under Volvo's Selekt scheme.

In the end, I had it for exactly a week before trading it to an Audi dealer (with full disclosure on it being repaired) and they did not devalue it. They aren't interested in retailing it so it was valued for auction regardless.

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Sheepshanks said:

stemll said:

The amount of repair has meant that Volvo dealers will touch it. I had three explicit declines "due to the repairs carried out" and two more who simply didn't respond. That included the dealer that I said above had made an offer, that offer was withdrawn once the buyer I was speaking to discussed the detail of the repairs with his manager. One of those who declined to buy it would reluctantly take it as a trade but would devalue it "significantly" as they would not be able to sell it under Volvo's Selekt scheme.

In the end, I had it for exactly a week before trading it to an Audi dealer (with full disclosure on it being repaired) and they did not devalue it. They aren't interested in retailing it so it was valued for auction regardless.

It's a moot point now, but you could have claimed diminution of value against the 3rd party.

I could and, had I not been able to trade it at a sensible price, I would have. Glad to be able to avoid the effort and draw a line under the whole thing. Audi paid £400 less that WBAC offered (which was surprisingly generous) but by the time WBAC take off their fees and mark it down for something, probably got the same or possibly slightly more. Was enough to settle the outstanding finance and provide a deposit for the replacement which is all it needed to do.