aus10cop

Yes, it is sad to say, my C5 was involved in a minor accident just before Christmas (not my fault and everyone is okay). There was minor damage to the drivers side door and the left front wheel. I took it to the Geico Claims Adjustor this morning for a damage estimate, and he said that he's going to write up the estimate to reflect that the wheel could be reconditioned. If for some reason the repair place cannot recondition the wheel to its original condition, he ok'd for them to replace my wheel with an aftermarket equivalent and NOT the OEM wheel. This is the first time I have been personally involved in an accident, but this is raising a RED FLAG with me.

Can anyone tell me if this is an acceptible practice, and is the aftermarket wheel just as good as an OEM one? I don't know much about this, but doesn't an aftermarket wheel weigh more than the OEM? Better yet, how is my car going to perform with 3 OEM wheels and 1 Aftermarket? Please tell me what I should do before I potentially get screwed on this deal. Thanks.

jon c

I dont know what normal is but I think I would put up a fight....

hotwheels57

If it's in your policy, then they can do it. If one of my oem polished Z16 wheels got damaged and my carrier wanted to replace it with an after market, off shore made/heavier wheel, I'd be upset. I'd also contact the state insurance department.
Unfortunately, most insurers use after market replacement parts to reduce their costs.

DeeGee

There's no way one aftermarket wheel and 3 OEM wheels would be safe on a 180 mph sports car.

Raise the flag

Vetteman Jack

Might want to check what your policy says - some do say they can use aftermarket parts on the car. IMO, it depends on who makes the aftermarket wheel as to whether it is as good or better than OEM. Personally, I'd be fighting for an OEM one.

xlr8nflorida

Tell them you are not happy and your neck is hurting

That might help them to stop being a cheap ***.

Cobra4B

I used to be an adjuster at GEICO... ask for his manager and it will be taken care of. As an adjuster one of the things he gets reviewed on is aftermarket parts usage percentage. So where applicable he's technically supposed to write for an aftermarket wheel.

Personally I'd have never bothered writing for aftermarket parts on higher end cars.

All you have to do is explain/show that the aftermarket wheel is different in form and weight. The repro wheels have thicker spokes and are heavier.

C5R USA

blacksedan87

Typically, most insurance policies attempt to return your vehicle in to the condition that it was in prior to the accident.

This can mean a lot of things. For example - if you have a ten year old car, they have no obligation to replace your part with a brand new part. They might replace it with a good quality used part. In the case of a wheel - I don't think there's much you can say if they found you a good quality used OEM wheel, as long as it's appearance was as good if not better than what you had. But there is no way I would accept an aftermarket wheel - since that is not what I had prior to the accident.

I agree - contact the adjuster's manager and attempt to reasonably reach a conclusion. If you call up screaming and yelling you will probably get no compromise. Be reasonable and rational, as well as informed, and I would think a satisfactory compromise could be reached. The suggestion of reading your policy to familiarize yourself with the verbiage and what the company is required to provide is a good one. Do a little homework before you call the manager.

Good luck.

PostShawn

too

tellefan

Oh boy, I have Geico. I truly hope if I ever have an accident they won't try that on me. Reading your post it sounds like the person that caused the accident is the party with Geico. If that is the case, I'd call your insurance company and explain how they're trying to screw you.

Also you might start talking about diminished value to your car. It makes a difference when you go to sell or trade in. Hope it works out for you. David

xlr8nflorida

Thats why I don't insure with companies that are cheap.

State Farm - you get what you pay for. You can't normally talk about diminished value unless its like 25% of total value of car.

American Hydrocarbon

RLYSLO

I would definitely fight to get them to replace it with the oem version. They are just trying to keep their costs down, even though you've been paying them probably 10x the cost of what they will pay out for your accident.

I would argue to them that it's a safety issue. that you don't feel comfortable from a safety standpoint with having 3 oem rims and one with inferior build quality.

My99Vet

If you are not at fault and there was another car involved, it should be the other driver's insurance that is paying for repairs. If your insurance is repairing your vehicle, they will get reimbursed by the other driver's insurance company. They shouldn't try to keep the cost low if they are getting reimbursed. Just my .02

Got uid0

Tell your agent you will refuse any aftermarket tire due to the manufacturing process being different that the speedline wheel. If he still causes problems go over his head.

road pilot

Demand OEM

cartop2

State Farm took me to the cleaners on a really nice car when I was a young man. I will never trust them again.

cartop2

If worse come to worse, ask for the money for the after market wheel and then pay the difference to get the OEM wheel so that you have a matched set of wheels. That or negotiate a compromise where you pay some precentage of the difference.

Cozmo

I hate Geico. I had a minor accident in my C4 back in 2001. They were real jerks about getting it fixed to my satisfaction. I would fight it then switch next time your renewal comes up. I saved a lot by switching from them to Progressive.