My friend bought a 2025 car and got t-boned less than a month later. State Farm already confirmed fault and put her in a rental, but parts to fix the car won’t be available until April. State Farm is only covering 25 days of rental, which means she’ll be without a car for over 4 months. Does anyone know if she has any options here?
25 days is pretty standard for rental coverage. Has she tried finding a shop that can get parts faster?
Vince said:
25 days is pretty standard for rental coverage. Has she tried finding a shop that can get parts faster?
The parts aren’t even being made yet since it’s a 2025 model. That’s a big issue.
If the parts won’t be available until April, State Farm might need to consider totaling the car. This happened to my brother when his new Genesis couldn’t be repaired for months.
Onyx said:
If the parts won’t be available until April, State Farm might need to consider totaling the car. This happened to my brother when his new Genesis couldn’t be repaired for months.
That’s a good point. Your friend should push back and involve the dealership in the process too.
She could look at the insurance contract closely. Some policies allow for extensions or additional rentals if there’s proof of a delay in parts being ordered.
Galen said:
She could look at the insurance contract closely. Some policies allow for extensions or additional rentals if there’s proof of a delay in parts being ordered.
You can also draft a letter advising the at-fault driver’s insurer that she’ll charge them for rental costs beyond the 25 days. Small claims court is an option too.
Have her push back with State Farm. Threatening to involve legal representation sometimes makes them reconsider the 25-day limit.
It might be worth filing a claim for Loss of Use. She could also look into diminished value claims if the car had structural damage or airbags deployed.
Rory said:
It might be worth filing a claim for Loss of Use. She could also look into diminished value claims if the car had structural damage or airbags deployed.
That’s a solid idea. Loss of Use claims could help recover costs for the time she’s without the car.