Oh bollards! Car repair costs?

[ElizabethinherGermanGarden]

Managed to completely knacker my car yesterday by forgetting the existence of the bollard that was next to it in a tight car park.

It's a Vauxhall Corsa and I've ruined both doors on the passenger side. Has anyone done anything equally stupid and is it so expensive it's worth ruining my no claims over, or worth paying for privately?

It’s impossible for strangers on the internet to tell you how much it will cost to repair.

Your best bet is to get a couple of quotes from a body shop then decide if you want to pay for it or go through your insurance.

Yeah, I've done that. I cried for hours. I didn't bother getting quotes as it was an expensive car and just went straight to the insurance company.

The more I looked at it the more damage I found, aside from the doors there was damage to the inside of the door sill. It took about 10 days to be fixed and while I didn't get an itemised bill I reckon it was about 2.5k worth of parts and then labour on top.

This might help

www.checkatrade.com/blog/cost-guides/average-car-door-repair-cost/

Me! 2 weeks ago. As I was driving round a railing in a Car park thinking to myself ‘it would be really sad to catch the back of your car on that’ where upon I did exactly that. Took out the back passenger door and the back boot panel. I got a couple of quotes of £1000-1500. I’ve just left it in. Our XS is £500 and my guess is that the claim would increase our policy by £200/yr for 5 years. So I’ve just left it in. Regardless of how awful or not it looks re- spraying panels costs at least £500- so big or small dent you are still paying a set cost for a respray. Good luck.

Just doors, or the sills as well?

Cheapest way is to get second hand doors with a colour match.
Depends on age of car to price for second hand doors.
Impossible to say really without seeing but I shall ball park
Area is very dependent for body work but to paint two doors around £700+vat plus second hand doors. Unless you can repair your doors, depending on the damage then £500+VAT

Paintless dent removal etc if not bad is cheaper. Bodywork is more expensive than garage repairs .

Expensive to put new doors on but second hand corsa doors are relatively cheap and not particularly hard to find. Hopefully you’ll be able to find some in the same colour or you’ll have to pay to re spray them. Have you got a picture of the damage? Could probably give you a rough estimate from a pic.

It all depends on how much damage you have done. If its both doors you could have damaged the central support which is very important for the structural integrity. Only way to know is to take it to a garage.

Arse. That is what I thought. I'll sort it when I stop seething. Thanks all.