"Policyholder describes State Farm’s denial of costs to repair 2022 Taycan" - Article

[Tooney]

Daren Stabinksi and Cristina Pierson, Sasson’s attornies, told the news station that State Farm is paying the same hourly rate regardless of the type of vehicle.

“It is a very complicated job to fix these technologically-advanced cars, such as the electric cars my client has,” said Stabinski, in the article.

According to the article, Pierson added, “They want them to take the car to a run-of-the-mill collision shop or another manufacturer shop that doesn’t have the training or the know-how and the certifications to repair that vehicle properly.”

After taking the case, the attorneys said they discovered the issue was widespread, according to the article.

A second class action suit was filed in Georgia in January. The suit says State Farm refuses to pay the competitive price for hourly labor rates at certified repair shops specializing in high-value, luxury vehicles such as Maserati, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Bentley and BMW.

For example, the suit states that the competitive price for a Maserati-certified facility to perform a paint job is $105 per hour based on the repair market. Yet, State Farm refuses to pay for labor rates more than $55 for the work without justification and contrary to its policy terms, the suit says.

https://www.repairerdrivennews.com/...s-to-repair-technologically-advanced-vehicle/

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[TXSchnee]

Former State Farm adjuster here, labor rate I paid was well over $55/hour for vehicle repairs, and this was before I stopped working in 2009. The usual take away from this type of article, is that the insured didn't clarify what coverage they were buying (assuming they have "full coverage" when there is no such thing) and getting angry the insurance company is trying to stay within policy limits. As it stands, no insurance company can force you to take your vehicle to a specific repair shop, they are allowed to pay prevailing labor rate in your market area for repairs as agreed to with the State Department of Insurance (each state has one), which means you could end up with some out of pocket costs if you go to a preferred shop. Had my BMW repaired at the certified collision center in '22, State Farm paid for everything, including OEM parts with zero issues.

 

[lazvek]

This is a real problem.

I got stuck with a bill for the labor rate difference after my 4S got rear-ended. The certified shops in Massachusetts all wave red flags and warnings about my insurer (MAPFRE). It turned out to be a $200 difference for a minor repair, but I could easily envision a scenario where we would have lawyered up. If the dolt that hit me had been going any faster, and the car needed $125/hr aluminum work, it sounded like I would be in for a brawl.

Does anyone have names of insurers that won't play this game with high-end cars? The whole experience left me feeling very exposed.

 

[eisenb11]

I've had good experiences with USAA.

When my BMW E93 got bumped in a parking lot, they were OK with me taking it to the BMW certified repair shop recommended by the dealer. They did have a policy that they're allowed to use 3rd party parts if they're available, but none were available for the parts that I needed (rear bumper and a tail light) so they got me OEM stuff.

When my second 911 got its windshield cracked by a rock, I made a comprehensive claim. They sent me to Safelite. Same policy about using 3rd party parts, but there were no 3rd party 991.2 windshields so they got me an OEM windshield.

When the glass roof on my Tesla Model 3 Performance got cracked by a rock, I again filed a comprehensive claim. None of their "sunroof" repair shops were Tesla certified so they paid for me to have Tesla, themselves, do the repair.

Been very happy with USAA over the years.

 

[MHC]

Good experience with Geico on very expensive glass windshield coverage for crack in windshield. They agreed to $4700 payment from dealer even though Safelight was much cheaper. Didn’t want to use safelight due to noise insulated glass features and Driver assist features that need to be calibrated by dealer .

 

[Hirschaj]

Does anyone have names of insurers that won't play this game with high-end cars? The whole experience left me feeling very exposed.

We’re using Porsche for our insurance. I can’t imagine we’ll have this type of issue if I ever need to use it.

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