Paint on a 2011 RT and dealing with Insurance Company

[joe schmoe]

My wife was involved in a minor accident and has some gouges and scraps to the front end of her RT, namely the nose, the lower front left wing, the fender and a big gouge to the lower wing also.

The insurance adjuster is saying it can be painted and look like new. I'm saying the paint is part of the plastic molding process (embedded) in the plastic; which I want the parts replaced to ensure long term and proper wear.

Can such damage be re-painted at a body shop? Or do the parts need to be replaced due to the paint being ionized or something in the plastic??

Any help would be appreciated. :banghead:

 

[Pirate looks at --]

I believe

That the panels are painted as we get a nick from time to time from flying gravel etc. Smarter people than me on this bored though!

 

[jcthorne]

The factory plastic body parts are black plastic that is painted. New factory prepainted parts, if they are available in the right color for a 2011, may not match all that well.

A GOOD body shop should have no trouble paint matching and properly applying paint to plastic body panels. Most cars have used plastic moulded front and rear bumpers and other panels for years. Its not new or rocket science.

I would be concerned about the quality of the panel repairs. If there is any repair work to be done beyond painting, its often cheaper to replace than repair anyway.