[4gv70x7]

Hi everyone, am a new member but have been browsing for a few months and have picked up many valuable tips here, thank you so much! My 2023 x7 40i was hit in a restaurant parking lot a couple of days back when we had parked for dinner and they didn't leave a note. Unfortunately, didn't notice the damage till the next day since it was dark (pics below). There is a small dent on the wheel arch and the PPF (have full frontal PPF) seems to have borne the brunt of some of the scratches/scuff marks but won't know for sure till I take it to the shop. Reported the incident via an online claim with my insurance (Farmers) and plan to follow up after they get back from the long weekend.
In the meanwhile, I thought I'd post here to get some advice on a few questions and also any pitfalls I should avoid as I go through the process please. I have a BMW collision center nearby but they weren't listed in Farmers' in network repair shops.
Can we usually negotiate with insurance to go through BMW repair? Also assume a diminished value claim is out of the question as its a hit and run? I'm trying to see if any shops in the location have a camera but not too hopeful on that front!
Knowing how expensive BMW repairs are, assuming I'm looking at a few thousands in repairs and the panel(s) need to be replaced?
If there's anything else I need to keep in mind, please let me know
Thank you in advance for all the help!

[rjabend]

That is really disgusting! I had my trade-in for the X7 keyed while in a parking lot and used ColorNdrive to make the damage disappear. I couldn't tell if your damage included serious dents that might not allow a complete repair with touch-up though. ColorNDrive can actually fill small depressions. The problem with ColorNdrive is that the instructions are not very good and it takes some non-vehicle practice.

[M_Bimmer]

It would be nice if the "remote camera / remote 3D" in the "My BMW App" actually used the accelerometer and motion sensor to take 3D photographs, sort of like a sentry mode. Maybe that will be in a software upgrade later on (probably require a subscription = $'s)

Obviously it's hard to assess your damage through a few forum pictures, but most of the marks look superficial, and I do see a small dent in the sheet metal crease at the top of the wheel arch. The lower area behind the wheel arch is a bit hard to assess.

An option could be Paintless Dent Repair (PDR), which could easily remove the dent, and buff the markings out (if they are truly surface markings - not through the clear coat).

I've installed front/rear camera's that takes pictures in 4K (Vantrue N4), while parked, for this very reason.

Good luck.

[Brigitte]

This happened to me when I had my Ford Fusion...it was a huge dent so they must have been speeding. The repair would have cost me $3000. They didn't leave a note. It was on the passenger side which I rarely used. I discovered it possibly 2 days later. I knew I went to several shopping centers. So I had no idea when/where it happened. My insurance wanted details including a police report. I couldn't provide them with any information because I didn't have a clue. I let it slide. I was in the market to buy a new car...so I figured I would just trade it in the way it is.

[MystroX5]

That is hideous. How much of a pos do you have to be to do that and not leave a note. That fender crease is going to be the issue with the repair. So sorry to see this on such a beautiful car.

[PinkNinja400Guy]

Originally Posted by M_Bimmer

It would be nice if the "remote camera / remote 3D" in the "My BMW App" actually used the accelerometer and motion sensor to take 3D photographs, sort of like a sentry mode. Maybe that will be in a software upgrade later on (probably require a subscription = $'s)

I'm pretty sure the BMW EVs already to this. They don't continuously save the recording like Tesla's sentry mode or a standalone dashcam with battery backup, but they'll save a clip if your car gets hit (potentially even saving the 20 seconds of video from before the impact?).

[M_Bimmer]

Originally Posted by PinkNinja400Guy

I'm pretty sure the BMW EVs already to this....

BMW EV have a "massive" battery to back the operation of this feature.

Us ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) folks, have only a 105Ahr AGM to tap off of, which already gets overly taxed when the vehicle isn't in sleep mode.

After a few shopping cart incidences, and we'd come out to a car that won't start due to a dead battery.....because all the vehicles ECU's need to be powered on to just capture a few frames of video....which is what happens when you implement a "distributed' computing system like BMW's, which is further taxes on the CAN Bus tax.

[chicagox7]

Did you have video recorder set up for theft? The action of hitting the car may have been enough to record the incident. Mine is set up to record 20 seconds prior and post an attempted theft. Just not sure how much of a hit is necessary to trigger it. Worth checking.

[4gv70x7]

Originally Posted by chicagox7

Did you have video recorder set up for theft? The action of hitting the car may have been enough to record the incident. Mine is set up to record 20 seconds prior and post an attempted theft. Just not sure how much of a hit is necessary to trigger it. Worth checking.

Yes I did have it setup for theft but I guess the impact wasn't big enough to trigger the driver recorder. Thanks so much to everyone for all the suggestions and advice - will take it to our BMW collision center this week and see what my options are. Will ask about PDR as well and do definitely plan to invest in a dashcam going forward!

[streborx]

Did you check with the restaurant or car park company to see if there is video monitoring on premises or if there are records to associate a parking space number with a credit card payment?

[rjabend]

For parking monitoring, this Thinkware Cam looks pretty impressive. Unfortunately, so is the price, but I expect that will come down some.

https://thinkwarestore.com/product/u3000-us/

[4gv70x7]

Originally Posted by streborx

Did you check with the restaurant or car park company to see if there is video monitoring on premises or if there are records to associate a parking space number with a credit card payment?

It was a plaza with a few shops and restaurants and a common lot with free parking, so there wasn't a pay station - but that's a very good suggestion to keep in mind for a hit and run in a paid lot! I did call the plaza but they don't have any security cameras in the lot unfortunately and the businesses close to where I parked didn't seem to have cameras pointing at the lot

As an update, I took my car to the BMW collision center. Looks like the panel which has the scratches and the dent will need to be replaced since its aluminum and apparently not easy to fix dents in the crease on the wheel arch as Mystro had also pointed out. They said they may need to blend the paint with the adjacent panel as well. They gave me an estimate of ~3800 parts and labor, so working with my insurance to try and get the repair approved

My insurance agent says my premium is not likely to go up since it was a hit and run and not my fault (although I have no proof of that!). That does sound too good to be true

[Saejin]

Oh, your premium might go up, but depends on your insurance company. I was rear-ended and made the mistake of opening a claim with my insurance, State Farm. I ended up processing everything through the at-fault drivers company, but State Farm already recorded the accident in their records.

I had to move states last month and needed a new quote. SF doubled my rates. They told me it was due to multiple glass claims that all of sudden appeared on my record when I told them I planned to drop them. I got SF because of their no-cost glass coverage. Guess when I used it they probably wanted to get their money back somehow. They didn’t specifically mentioned the rear-end accident, but they couldn’t definitively tell me no either.

Anyway, ended up going back to USAA but like I said the multiple glass claims and now an older claim that I had with SF which I didn’t pursue is on my record too. USAA specifically told me that these don’t increase my rates. SF could not.

[srbabu790]

Originally Posted by Saejin

Oh, your premium might go up, but depends on your insurance company. I was rear-ended and made the mistake of opening a claim with my insurance, State Farm. I ended up processing everything through the at-fault drivers company, but State Farm already recorded the accident in their records.

I had to move states last month and needed a new quote. SF doubled my rates. They told me it was due to multiple glass claims that all of sudden appeared on my record when I told them I planned to drop them. I got SF because of their no-cost glass coverage. Guess when I used it they probably wanted to get their money back somehow. They didn’t specifically mentioned the rear-end accident, but they couldn’t definitively tell me no either.

Anyway, ended up going back to USAA but like I said the multiple glass claims and now an older claim that I had with SF which I didn’t pursue is on my record too. USAA specifically told me that these don’t increase my rates. SF could not.

Regarding insurance premiums, I saw a big jump in my latest renewal (38+% hike) last month. Nothing changed on drivers insurance profile. The explanation they gave me was now Covid ending, road traffic just went back to normal levels, and risk level just highest ever.
I am also located in the DFW area.

It was a fact that I was enjoying the best insurance rates, in the past 2+ years. So I guess now its time to pay more again.