Cars & Bikes, Driving & Riding

[NTP66]

At least it was something inexpensive and easy to replace. What brand battery did you go with? It's one of the few parts that I don't explicitly use Honda on, and I've had a good experience with Duralast Golds.

[Silentom]

Whatever brand Walmart sells. It's some kind of specialty battery, apparently, and cost $119 at Wally World. AutoZone normally is my go to, but they wanted $199.

[NTP66]

$199? That's Optima territory.

[tjand72]

I just had to have a Duralast Gold replaced under warranty after about 9 months. All of a sudden it wouldn't hold a charge for more than two days. They replaced it without issue, so I'm not too upset.

[NTP66]

I need to stop a Googling this. Stuff I’m reading says my insurance rates will likely go up now since I’d have to file an uninsured motorist claim. Which means I’ll likely have to hire an attorney. **** this ****.

Update: The good news is that her being an excluded driver doesn't really change much. MetLife is simply going to go after her directly for compensation, but I will have to pay my deductible now ($300, since I had $200 in a 'deductible savings bonus'). If they obtain payment, I may get reimbursed for my deductible, but I'm not going to hold my breath. My insurance won't go up, either, which is nice.

As for her, I hope her parents enjoy paying for the substantial repairs to that Jaguar out of their own pockets, and get dropped from their insurance for letting their kid drive their car with her being excluded on the policy.

[AuthorTony]

You could go to small claims for your deductible. If she was driving a Jag, her parents probably have the $$ to cover it.

[NTP66]

I’m certainly keeping that option open for now. MetLife is going to get back to me on a few things once their agent at Geico decides to answer her phone. It’s only $300, but at this point, it’s the principle of the matter.

Edit: Note that she was driving her parents car, not hers. So, I’m not so sure that Geico can simply claim excluded driver and deny the claim. I assume this is one of the areas that MetLife is going to question her and her parents on.

[AuthorTony]

To get out from having their insurance pay, you'd almost think they'd have to say she stole the car and have charges filed against her.

[Shyster]

Pretty sure Geico can indeed deny the claim based on the exclusion. In essence, daughter was a completely uninsured driver. But that means that she and her parents (as the owners of the car) are personally liable for the damage. Often in cases like this everyone is broke and judgment-proof, but here it sounds like they have money. I bet daughter is excluded because she's a crap driver and has multiple prior accidents and Geico told parents "We aren't covering her any more." Mommy and Daddy are not only going to pay to fix their own car, they're going to pay to fix yours once your insurance company sues them. And if you do have a deductible, you should sue them too to recover that. Sue both the daughter and the parents.

[AuthorTony]

Shyster - Wouldn't the parents also possibly be committing a crime if they knowingly allowed their daughter to drive the car, thus allowing the car to be driven in an uninsured state?

[mac5155]

I feel like (when my parents told me to pound salt re: insurance) we had to sign a litany of paperwork.

[Shyster]

Shyster - Wouldn't the parents also possibly be committing a crime if they knowingly allowed their daughter to drive the car, thus allowing the car to be driven in an uninsured state?

That's a good question. I looked up the statute dealing with excluded drivers, and under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1718 it looks to me like there are two ways that someone gets excluded. Either (1) the insurance company formally terminates someone from the policy under the act of June 5, 1968 (the Automobile Insurance Policy Act, 40 P.S. § 991.2001 et seq.) by giving notice that they are not going to cover that person any more; or (2) the owner of the policy requests that a certain person be excluded from coverage while operating a motor vehicle. Option (2) says that it "shall only apply if the excluded person is insured on another policy of motor vehicle liability insurance."

So if the parents voluntarily excluded the daughter, then she had to have her own insurance. If she doesn't have her own insurance, then the exclusion is ineffective. If on the other hand the insurance company excluded the daughter, then it would be effective. I wonder if she had a prior DUI; that is one of the grounds for an insurer terminating someone from coverage.

I'm not sure about it being illegal to let an uninsured person drive one's car, but I think it would be a case of negligent entrustment. It's a very good thing for the parents that this accident resulted in nothing more than property damage. They would be seriously hosed if someone had been injured or killed.

[mac5155]

Do we think the Kia sorrento legitimately went through Moab?

[NTP66]

Pretty sure Geico can indeed deny the claim based on the exclusion. In essence, daughter was a completely uninsured driver. But that means that she and her parents (as the owners of the car) are personally liable for the damage. Often in cases like this everyone is broke and judgment-proof, but here it sounds like they have money. I bet daughter is excluded because she's a crap driver and has multiple prior accidents and Geico told parents "We aren't covering her any more." Mommy and Daddy are not only going to pay to fix their own car, they're going to pay to fix yours once your insurance company sues them. And if you do have a deductible, you should sue them too to recover that. Sue both the daughter and the parents.

Source of the post I'm not sure about it being illegal to let an uninsured person drive one's car, but I think it would be a case of negligent entrustment. It's a very good thing for the parents that this accident resulted in nothing more than property damage.

That's precisely how I understood the situation. MetLife is going to handle going after her and possibly her parents, once the investigation is over. They may be able to prove that her parents knowingly gave her the keys to the car, which changes things up a bit. I've read cases about how even leaving a spare set of keys in the house was enough.

[mac5155]

I have now had to replace the rear brake caliper on my accord twice in the last year or so. It keeps sticking and won't retract. It's beyond annoying too.

[tjand72]

I have now had to replace the rear brake caliper on my accord twice in the last year or so. It keeps sticking and won't retract. It's beyond annoying too.

Is it the caliper itself or just the pin that's sticking?

[NTP66]

I have now had to replace the rear brake caliper on my accord twice in the last year or so. It keeps sticking and won't retract. It's beyond annoying too.

I've had to replace two calipers on my wife's CR-V in the last 2 years. I'd have loved for it to simply be the pin, but it wasn't. They're not cheap parts, either.

[dodint]

[NTP66]

[mac5155]

I have now had to replace the rear brake caliper on my accord twice in the last year or so. It keeps sticking and won't retract. It's beyond annoying too.

Is it the caliper itself or just the pin that's sticking?

Caliper itself. The piston won't retract. I also make sure I lube the slide pins

@NTP66 maybe a Honda thing. My last one I bought from Napa. Bought a new one from advance this time. $65 with tax after a coupon.

[NTP66]

Yeah, aftermarket is crazy cheap. I want to say that I paid something like $175/caliper for OEM Honda. There are very few aftermarket parts I’m willing to use in my cars (battery, some belts, maybe a few other odd items).

[dodint]

My wife is excited that she thinks she found cheaper insurance for our house and car. I opened the quote and it turns out that, yes, if I value my Delorean at $15k and add a mileage cap I can absolutely save money on my insurance.

What an assclown. She pulled similar shenanigans with the house quote, saying rebuild cost would be about $20k more than the purchase price we paid. Yeah, no, not in this market.

[NTP66]

I thought I was getting my car back tomorrow, but the dealer that the body shop purchased my new fender from sent one that was already damaged, and the shop didn't want to try and fix it before putting it on my car (which I 100% agree with). So that puts me back another week with this garbage can Chevy.

[dodint]

Aveo? Not sure they even make them any more but the Chevy Aveo is the absolute worst new car I've ever driven.

[Lemon Berry Lobster]

My Cobalt is a total turd.