Offside rear lights: Lexus lights offered by insurers after MK2 hit by delivery van

[jo_martin64]

Hi All,

My (parked) MK2 was hit by a Waitrose delivery van ~3 weeks ago (see picture). The damage doesn't look too awful - although I cried when I saw it - but I am having a complete 'mare with the insurers.

John Lewis' insurance broker initially said it was a write-off as the offside rear light alone cost £850 (you have to buy a pair). Then they mentioned Lexus 'black lights' they could fit for less, and maybe give me a contribution towards the OEM parts so I could try and source them. Now they say that even the back bumper is nearly impossible to find and they might order one that doesn't fit right so they don't want to take the risk. They'd rather give me a (poor) cash-in-lieu settlement and wash their hands of it - letting me take the risk instead.

Questions I would be so grateful for your help with, please:

1. Will I likely be able to find an offside rear light unit for my car (its an anniversary edition)? The insurance guy says no and I know I'm at risk of being ripped off if I try and just find something online. Apparently offside lights are harder to find than nearside and you can't get OEM parts even from Japan.

2. If I had Lexus lights fitted, would this be a big no-no for anyone I wanted to sell her on to when I can't maintain her any more? I have no plans to sell her now. I paid £2.5k to have her resprayed 18 months ago, but I really don't want to decrease her value by using non-MR2 parts. I have worked hard to keep her in good nick (I've had her 20 years).

3. With a car this age, would a normal body shop be okay to do work on her, or should I be looking for a specialist? The insurance guy is saying I could broker a deal with the garage my car is currently with, but I don't know this garage at all and have recently moved from London to Herefordshire (since they hit my car).

I am up a creek without a paddle with no car and no idea what to do next.

If you chaps can offer any advice, I would be incredibly grateful.

Jo

[TonyleFrog]

1. The chances of finding a single unit are slim. You'll almost certainly have to go for a s/hand pair and the lack of availability is reflected in the price. There are a couple on e-bay atm.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-MR2-M ... 3350621619
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOYOTA-MR2-S ... Sw5-BgCMPa
They occasionally come up in the for sale sections on the forums (here/IMOC).

Rear bumper here
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-MR2-M ... LLEALw_wcB

Btw, unless you have changed the colour when you had it resprayed, it cannot be an anniversary edition.
Those only came in Caribbean Blue and Lucerne Silver - https://www.mr2oc.co.uk/forum/198/159875.html

2. Lexus lights are Marmite: love 'em or hate 'em. You'll be limiting the market if/when you sell imo.

3. That repair doesn't look to me like it needs a MR2 specialist. Any good bodyshop should be able to handle it. As your car was parked there should be no dispute about liability. I would source the parts myself and negotiate a contract repair for the labour - https://www.retailmotorlaw.co.uk/index. ... d%20amount.

Otherwise you're looking at a write off/buyback. That will devalue the vehicle and be logged on the industry databases - https://www.mib.org.uk/managing-insuran ... ue-miaftr/

[Synz]

This is a sad post to read :(

It looks like it’s really down to two options, either have them fix it with Lexus lights (you should make sure to keep your current lights, even the damaged one) and then source the offside light yourself at a later date. I’ve read Toyota UK still stock one side so worth checking with them.

Alternatively have them write it off as it should only be a Cat-N (cosmetic) buy it back and you source the bumper and Kouki lights to have a body shop repair it for you. Any reputable bodyshop will be fine to do the work doesn’t need to be specialist.

As TonyleFrog previously said it isn’t anniversary as it’s red and also appears to be a Rev5?

Kouki’s here for a good price: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MR2-SW20-Kou ... 890.l49286

Good luck and keep us updated

[jo_martin64]

Thanks sooooo much, guys.

That's really kind of you to take the time to reply to me. Very helpful advice, too, and hugely appreciated.

You're right that there was no question about liability, once they were shown photos of their vehicle vacating the scene. They'd hit her hard enough to bounce her into the road at an angle from a parallel park. I nearly lost it when I saw what they'd done to her. I've road-parked for 20 years and was about to have a driveway for the first time 3 weeks after she was smacked. Sods Law.

I'm interested about the anniversary edition tip - it was sold to me as that and it's noted on the paperwork for the car. Hmmmm. I have never questioned that. It's always been that colour. Will have a dig - as I 100% know you'll be right and they were wrong and now I'm wondering why I didn't check that! I seem to remember someone saying to me that the whole anniversary 'thing' was about the shape of the rear spoiler?! Thanks for flagging. Have always referred to it as that and have probably had a few people think I didn't know my @rse from my elbow. )

Right. I will get cracking looking for lights and a bumper, then. I will ask to keep my light units. If the bodyshop place she's with now is likely to be able to handle this okay, I'll try and arrange that. Probably a silly question - I've never been involved in an accident before so have no clue - but if they pay cash-in-lieu of work, will that constitute the kind of write-off that gets logged? If so, I strongly want/need to resist that. I need to understand what my best outcome will be here if they refuse to do the work.

Will post once I know more. THANKS again.

Jo

[jimi]

I'm interested about the anniversary edition tip - it was sold to me as that and it's noted on the paperwork for the car. Hmmmm. I have never questioned that. It's always been that colour. Will have a dig - as I 100% know you'll be right and they were wrong and now I'm wondering why I didn't check that! I seem to remember someone saying to me that the whole anniversary 'thing' was about the shape of the rear spoiler?! Thanks for flagging. Have always referred to it as that and have probably had a few people think I didn't know my @rse from my elbow

Info on Anniversary models and identifying them here https://www.mr2oc.co.uk/know-your2/mk2/ ... ition.html

[SonicSW20]

Cash in leiu of repair is probably the way to go if the settlement value is high enough. How much are they offering you?

[jo_martin64]

Cash in leiu of repair is probably the way to go if the settlement value is high enough. How much are they offering you?

They are offering me £1,668.00 to settle. I managed to argue him up from counting just the Lexus lights option (~£150) to including a nod towards the Toyota lights (£400 towards an £850 estimate for OEM parts) in that settlement. I'm not sure if that would feel about right as I have no frame of reference. I'm also currently unclear if there is additional damage beyond the cosmetic in the photo I posted, and am waiting on a report to assess that.

[jo_martin64]

I'm interested about the anniversary edition tip - it was sold to me as that and it's noted on the paperwork for the car. Hmmmm. I have never questioned that. It's always been that colour. Will have a dig - as I 100% know you'll be right and they were wrong and now I'm wondering why I didn't check that! I seem to remember someone saying to me that the whole anniversary 'thing' was about the shape of the rear spoiler?! Thanks for flagging. Have always referred to it as that and have probably had a few people think I didn't know my @rse from my elbow

Info on Anniversary models and identifying them here https://www.mr2oc.co.uk/know-your2/mk2/ ... ition.html

Wow! Definitely not an anniversary edition, then! Wish it was! I love the funky steering wheel. It wasn't mentioned as a selling point when I bought it, but all the official paperwork - incorrectly - has it down as an anniversary edition. Interesting to see this. Thank you.

[SonicSW20]

They are offering me £1,668.00 to settle. I managed to argue him up from counting just the Lexus lights option (~£150) to including a nod towards the Toyota lights (£400 towards an £850 estimate for OEM parts) in that settlement. I'm not sure if that would feel about right as I have no frame of reference. I'm also currently unclear if there is additional damage beyond the cosmetic in the photo I posted, and am waiting on a report to assess that.

Is that £1,668 to settle, and the vehicle will not be categorised?

AFAIK you cannot even get the original lights new anymore, they were discontinued a few years ago and remaining stock has been cleared out which is why prices for them are so strong on the used market. Likely the same for the bumper as well.

If the damage is cosmetic and a cash in leiu settlement would mean the vehicle does not get categorised, that could be a pretty acceptable solution, its unlikely the repair costs would exceed that.

[jo_martin64]

They are offering me £1,668.00 to settle. I managed to argue him up from counting just the Lexus lights option (~£150) to including a nod towards the Toyota lights (£400 towards an £850 estimate for OEM parts) in that settlement. I'm not sure if that would feel about right as I have no frame of reference. I'm also currently unclear if there is additional damage beyond the cosmetic in the photo I posted, and am waiting on a report to assess that.

Is that £1,668 to settle, and the vehicle will not be categorised?

AFAIK you cannot even get the original lights new anymore, they were discontinued a few years ago and remaining stock has been cleared out which is why prices for them are so strong on the used market. Likely the same for the bumper as well.

If the damage is cosmetic and a cash in leiu settlement would mean the vehicle does not get categorised, that could be a pretty acceptable solution, its unlikely the repair costs would exceed that.

Thanks, SonicSW20. I need to check with them whether they intend to categorise it. That's clearly a very important distinction. Appreciated.

[rev2rich]

New stock oem Lights are being made by MR2Heaven still being in development but you will be able to buy a new set but the price tag might be high

[jo_martin64]

New stock oem Lights are being made by MR2Heaven still being in development but you will be able to buy a new set but the price tag might be high

Thanks for this, rev2rich. Appreciated.
Jo