[RahulNagaraj]

Thanks to the Team-BHP fan (he prefers to remain anonymous) who sent this in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP share page!

Hello Team-BHP,

Warm regards, I have been an avid reader of team-bhp for the last 7 years, it has helped a lot in deciding my car purchase, PDIs, care and maintenance.

When I returned back from the US and was looking for an FTD car, your forums and reviews helped me decide on Polo GT TSI Petrol.

So far the vehicle has served me well without any niggles since June 2016. So far it has clocked 26,000 km.

Coming to the sad part, last Saturday while I was taking an u-turn, there was a stone soon after turning and could not avoid it until I was too close and then it hit the underbody with a thud. I immediately parked the car and inspected it for damage and noticed that the fluid was dripping. I do agree here that it is totally my fault and should have been more cautious.

I had called the VW service centre (which was <2 km away) and they recommended bringing it to the workshop by towing. On inspecting the vehicle service manager told me that the impact was on the gearbox and mostly require replacement of the gearbox. The approximate price he quoted was around Rs 10K if the damage to casing only or around Rs 1.5 L if it is total gearbox replacement. I have initiated the claim with my insurance provider RahejaQBE (my policy has both engine cover and zero dips).

Now comes the shocking part, surveyor called me today and told me that the estimate provided by the service centre was Rs 5 L for gearbox replacement and mostly they would have to go with total loss due to the estimate exceeding the IDV (Rs 4.6 L) when I enquired the workshop on this, the advisor mentioned that it would require replacement of gearbox with mechatronics, flywheel assembly. I am flabbergasted at the estimate and could not wonder if there is something else going on here. He also declined to give the estimations in writing and said that the insurance provider will give me the details.

I am attaching the pics with damage to the gearbox.

I would appreciate it if you could suggest:

1. Any other similar experiences forum members and the costs involved
2. My best course of action here?
3. If the above parts really cost the estimated amount.

Once again I would like to thank Team-BHP.

P.S: The incident happened in Hyderabad.

[scorpian]

From the pictures you have posted, it looks like the gearbox body is damaged. I assume that the car was stopped immediately and not run post the oil leak, in which case replacement of only the gearbox housing should work perfectly.

I think taking it outside to someone who are specialists in German cars and replacing the gearbox housing should solve your problem.

If you want to be very sure this is what i would do, clean the surface of the gearbox, apply some sealant like m.seal etc just for temporary purpose, fill fresh oil and check if the gearbox works. If it works you have your answer,replace the housing and you are good to go.

[Gannu_1]

Assuming the car was stopped immediately after the damage occurred, I suspect this could be a simple case of the transmission's sump/housing damaged and could be replaced along with the right quantity of fluid/ATF which was contained inside.

Don't go by the surveyor or service center's words. These guys are out there to loot gullible customers and will declare a car total loss at the slightest chance. Authorised service centers rarely do repairs - replacements as much as possible to save manhours (which translates to lesser downtime and space for a vehicle repair). They'll sell these so called total loss car to someone who'll end up repairing it and he'll sell it to someone else. Profit for everyone involved.

Every city will have garages that are very good in German cars. I am sure Hyderabad has a few of these. Do check Google maps as well.

Good luck! Hope to see this sorted soon.

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by RahulNagaraj

.
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the advisor mentioned that it would require replacement of gearbox with mechatronics, flywheel assembly. I am flabbergasted at the estimate and could not wonder if there is something else going on here. He also declined to give the estimations in writing and said that the insurance provider will give me the details.
---

From the pictures, it looks like only the "oil pressure accumulator" chamber has been punctured because of the dent-like protrusion on the flanged gearbox.
There doesn't seem to be any visible damage to the flywheel assembly as such, since that sits outside of the gearbox assembly.

Please do get this damage checked from another good FNG, before you listen to the insurance surveyor. And also demand for the damage assessment in writing. Its the minimum that you, as a customer, should ask for.

It's possible that the insurance folks are in cahoots with the authorized dealer for such costly parts.

[nitkel]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

It's possible that the insurance folks are in cahoots with the authorized dealer for such costly parts.

Sorry but how would the insurance company benefit from declaring a total loss and paying the OP 5 lakhs/IDV?

[Jaggu]

From the image you need a new casing for the GB, you should goto the service centre and tell them it is out of insurance cover and they should get the child part replacement done.

Edit: Worst case this can be repaired also by aluminium weld. Not the cleanest option, but doable.

[Kosfactor]

If you replace this gearbox casing at your own expense (rather reasonable) - here is what you get. A well maintained , very less run , VW Polo TSI DSG. It would be an amazing thing to put up for sale in a used car platform. This is the time where Polo DSG is no longer available.

Yep, repair and sell it off. Considering its age a good part of whatever those guys had included in the estimate of 4.6L is going to be paid by you in future.

[ike]

Originally Posted by nitkel

Sorry but how would the insurance company benefit from declaring a total loss and paying the OP 5 lakhs/IDV?

Company probably gets nothing, however there could be personal benefits for people involved.

[nitkel]

Originally Posted by ike

Company probably gets nothing, however there could be personal benefits for people involved.

Yes probably the surveyor benefits from this, but aren't we jumping the gun without any proof to discredit the service center's claim of damage to internal components? Also, the car's not in drivable condition and by taking it outside the OP risks losing the insurance claim and fielding all the replacement costs!

[abhishek46]

Retrieve the Car from the VW Workshop and take it to an Independent Garage, who can handle VAG/Germans.

This appears to be only an external damage, and can be repaired at minimal cost.

You can claim the insurance (not cashless) even if you get it repaired from Independent Garage too.

[Sidban85]

Even if insurance or SA is not givng anything in writing, you can always mail the insurance company and the dealer, keeping Skoda in Cc, summarizing what you have been advised. Also mention that you need the diagnosis in email which you are not getting and so suspecting foul ppay.

If anything fishy, these guys will understand that you mean business. If Insurance company does not reply, escalate to ombudsman in a week.

Finding a FNG and getting it fixed there will probably be a hassle that you will want to avoid, if you have a everyday job.

[androdev]

You are in a great position to drive the negotiations because you have engine+gearbox cover. One should always buy engine+GB cover if offered.

You have the final say in accepting a deal and there is a lot of scope for negotiations. Insurance company can't dictate the settlement unilaterally. Here are some options:

1. Ask the VW workshop to give a formal estimate in writing. Say it is 5L. You inform the insurance company to pay 50% (or similar) of the estimate and allow you to repair the car yourself. This is a good option when you know that the parts can be repaired for cheap instead of dealer recommended expensive replacement.

2. Accept the total loss settlement with the condition that you should be allowed to buy the car in as-is condition say by paying 1.5L.

3. Ask the insurance company to pay cash settlement (say 3L) plus the value of the car sold in as-is condition (say 3L), so that your net payment matches or exceeds that of the market value of your car before the accident.

4. If you don't want the headache of getting the car repaired outside, work out a deal where you will pay some money from your pocket, say 1L, and insurance company will pay the balance 4L so that you car is repaired by A.S.S.

All the above options save money for the insurance company because their net outgo is lower than the estimate. You have let them know that the settlement has to be a win-win (they save by paying less than the required 5L and you end with the fair value of the car instead of IDV).

Please remember that it is a two-way conversation and they can't dictate an unfair settlement. As long as you propose a deal that saves them money, there is no reason why they should not help you work out the best outcome. Don't fight with them, collaborate with them - if you know what I mean. Morally speaking, you should end up with the same net-asset-value as it was before the accident - that is the whole point of an insurance cover.

You can't allow them to pay you 4L as total loss and sell the car in as-is condition for 3.5L and get away with just 50K liability at your expense - this is why they would be pushing for a total loss.

You ask them to be transparent and fair to work out a win-win settlement. Let them explain how much net payment they are incurring in whatever option they offer you. It not just enough to tell you how much they are paying you as total-loss but also ask how much they are collecting by selling the car in as-is condition. Don't forget, there could be cash deals and cut backs. If they claim they are not getting too much money for the car in as-is condition, you can only offer to buy at that low price.

If the car cabin and exterior feel like new, explore options to have the car repaired. Otherwise it is not worth the hassle (as there is a good chance of such repairs getting prolonged and unpredictable) and better to collect maximum cash possible and move on.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by nitkel

Sorry but how would the insurance company benefit from declaring a total loss and paying the OP 5 lakhs/IDV?

Company would not pay 5 lakhs from their pocket. They would find a salvage buyer who will be ready to buy the car in as is condition (to repair and sell later). The company will only need to cough up the difference (IDV - sale proceeds).

[nitkel]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

Company would not pay 5 lakhs from their pocket. They would find a salvage buyer who will be ready to buy the car in as is condition (to repair and sell later). The company will only need to cough up the difference (IDV - sale proceeds).

Yes I understand. But the general opinion of this thread is that the insurance company is also benefitting from inflating the bills from 15k for a casing to 5 lakhs which doesn't make any financial sense.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by nitkel

Yes I understand. But the general opinion of this thread is that the insurance company is also benefitting from inflating the bills from 15k for a casing to 5 lakhs which doesn't make any financial sense.

I doubt dealership will ever quote 15k repair. They will try to inflate it as much as possible, and insist replacement is the only option.

Sort of what happens even in case of bumps on doors/panels. Dealerships always quote the new door + paint price. Seldom are they inclined to repair. God forbid if the damage is near the A pillars or boot door, they try every trick in the book to include windshield replacement into the estimate as well even if it’s not necessary.

Something similar might be happening here. So the insurance company isn’t really bothered with what happens next - repair or total loss as long as their net outflow is similar. I think the culprit here is the dealership and not necessarily the insurance co.

If the dealership gave a 15k quote all this would never even have started in the first place.