Damaged Sovereign Bull Bar

[lofty Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close lofty]

After a very minor bingle where my wife was shunted from behind into the car in front, weve had the Prado at the crash repairers for the last couple of weeks (driving a Hyundai Excel loan car is different).

It wasnt picked up by the assessors initially but the sovereign bull bar was bent in towards the bonnet from the very minor impact when the Prado bumped the car in front. The Honda Civic that hit from behind is a mess!!

The crash repairers are having a hard time working out how to fix the bar, apparently its in about 20 bits on the floor of the shop at the moment :!:

Ive suggested the insurance company pay out the value of repairs to ARB for a new winch bar, seems to have been accepted by the repairers but they are still trying to put a value on repairing the old bar.

Will let you know how we go.

[damonat Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close damonat]

diddo
and i'm not insured with them

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Unreal Adam,

That's me dream. NRMA buy me a new ARB bar !!

Good luck,

We have all had that dream at some stage.

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Bent bar

Tell them it was new when you bought the vehicle you want a new one fitted not repaired bar. They wouldnt fit a bogged up door to it, would they ??? If the insurer has ok'd a new bar then tell the smash repairer you want a new one. You sure the repairer isnt getting the money for a new bar but trying to fix yours and recoup some extra $$$ for himself, wouldnt be the first time its happened I can assure you. You want a new one thats it no questions asked, whether it be an ARB steel winch bar or replacement of what you have already. ARB/TJM would probably be cheaper anyway then genuine Toyota. Steve

[Jacto Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jacto]

I would be pushing for a new bar, cos if the old one has been bent and straightened, it will be weaker in that location so the next time she gets a hit, well you can guess the rest with it being alloy!!

[lofty Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close lofty]

Thanks for your thoughts guys, if i press for a new bar, surely the insurance company will replace the sovereign bar.

To my way of thinking, (not sure what a new sovereign bar is worth) pulling apart, fixing, re-assembling the bar and then putting it back on the car is probably going to cost them more than a new sovereign bar.

I'm hoping to get that value towards an ARB bar.

Does that make sense, or am i dreaming :?:

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

You want a new one

Very unusual for them to try and straighten up a bullbar, as mentioned above once bent and repaired will never be as strong unless its steel. Steve

[lofty Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close lofty]

Re: You want a new one

Very unusual for them to try and straighten up a bull-bar, as mentioned above once bent and repaired will never be as strong unless its steel. Steve

They ( the repair shop) are telling me its a bracket that connects the pillar to the bar that is bent. No problem getting it straight, but putting the bar back together is causing the grief.

I usually don't push to hard initially, but at $2000.00 for a new ARB winch bar, i could use all the help i could get :!:

Having just read your "what to look out for" thread, maybe i'll go and have a look myself

[Kev Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Kev]

Damaged Sovereign Bull Bar

NRMA let me replace the damaged plastic bar (hit a roo) with a Sovereign bar, I just had to pay the difference.
The insurance covers you up to the cost of replacement of the bar you had in the accident. Make sure you get a bar at least to the cost of the Sovereign, maybe it's a good chance to go for a top shelf bar.
Also make sure you let your insurance company know about anything you add, such as driving lights, otherwise it might not be covered in your insurance. I have added a number of things and it didn't cost any extra.
Hope this helps

[lofty Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close lofty]

Thanks for the advice and hints guys, unfortunately the result is that the insurance company have paid for a replacement bracket to be installed, they did give us the option of taking the repair cost and putting it towards an ARB bar but we would have been significantly out of pocket still.

This pic shows the "damaged" bar, the car went into the repair shop the day after we returned from this trip.

As you can see, the bar itself isnt damaged at all, its a bracket inside one of the pillars (where the white dot is) that is bent.



Oh well, worth a try