Car Insurance & Car Maintenance?

[katdarn79]

I was driving down the road, when the bonnet flew up and came straight off smashing the widnscreen. The roof is now dented and the bonnet is scratched and obviosly no longer atched to the car.
Phoned the insurance and they have said that is down to the maintenance and will only pay for the windscreen, has any one else heard of that?
I dont understand how i would ever know that the bonnet catch was wearing.

Thanks, Kathryn x

[factor-fiction]

I think I can see why they wouldn't pay for a new bonnet, in the same way as they wouldn't pay for a new exhaust if yours fell off or a new clutch if the cable snaps.

[Hopkirk]

Was it a Renault Clio by any chance?

[ladybirder]

People wouldn't bother to maintain their cars if they could just claim off their insurance. I think you're lucky getting your windscreen paid for as it was your fault kat.

[wiltsman]

What make of car is it Kathryn? I'm asking, because Renault had bonnet problems with their Clios a couple of years ago. Although, at the time Renault made every effort to contact all owners to effect a repair.

[Hopkirk]

This is why I ask:

http://www.whatcar.co...-clio-warning/231776/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...rch/28/watchdog.shtml

[katdarn79]

No it's a Citreon, not sure how I would maintain the catch on the bonnet though as I had the bonnet open two week ago and was working fine, and showed no sign of having anything wrong or wear and tear. So what life span would you give on the hinges and the catch that are showing nothing wrong? How often do you change yours?

[themas]

A lot of bonnet catches have two positions. If you accidentally only closed it to the first one then it would not be fully secured & this could have caused the problem.

[katdarn79]

The handle part that you use to release the bonnet snapped off, it was a bit further down the road. I know people that have cars three times the age of mine and never had to change that part.

[bednobs]

liken it to something mechanical in the engine failing - if the engine stopped working because a part wore out, you wouldn't expect your insurance to pay up to fix it

[Yorky Lass]

Bednobs I'm not a driver but if something was failing in the engine wouldn't you be able to tell? You would then get it repaired to prevent further damage. How do you know a catch is failing, how can you prevent that?

[katdarn79]

That's my point how would I know, if I had of know I would have repaired it. Also if my exhaust fell off, clutch snap or engine fail my car wouldn't be smashed up. It's an accident that happened, my car is only 5yrs old. That's why I asked how often the people that said it was my fault change there's.

[bednobs]

i don't think anyone is saying it's your fault or that you/they should change the catch - just that the insurance company see it that way - something has worn out or broken on the car, so it's not an insured risk. By the way yorky, for example, the cam timing belt on a car can snap, basically rendering the engine useless forever and you have no warning, it just goes. You wouldn't expect the insurance company to pay out for that Ok with the timing belt people do have them changed every so many miles but there is nothing stopping it snapping either before or after it's changed.

[bednobs]

ps kat, if you have any redress at all, (which i seriously doubt) it would be with the manufacturer if they supplied a faulty catch, not the insurance company

[katdarn79]

I wasn't referring to you Bednobs about the fault thing, it was ladybirder saying I was lucky to get anything as it was my fault. I think people would feel different if it was there car sat smashed up, that's why I was keen to see how often they replaced theirs.

[katdarn79]

Bednobs I was annoyed yesterday yes but I have calmed down now. I used to work in home insurance so I fully understand the term wear and tear, just gets me thinking maintenance could be a get out for almost most issues you may have.

[tonyav]

Have a word with Citizens Advice.

[katdarn79]

Thanks Tonyav, I'm sure it shouldn't wear that fast.

[ABerrant]

It actually is not an issue of wear and tear but mechanical failure/breakage. Mechanical failure is not necessarily reliant upon maintenance, or lack thereof.

I fully expect that within your policy schedule, coverage will not be extended to both 'wear and tear' and 'mechanical failure, breakdown or breakage'.

[EDDIE51]

Don't just accept this go back to the insurance company and appeal, if the catch broke or snapped it is not your fault and the damage should be covered. Insurance companies are always trying to get out of claims now , but they often have to back down if the claimant refuses to accept the decision.
Have they formally refused the claim or was this just some one on the phone?
They would be justified if you had failed to close the bonnet correctly but not otherwise.

[ladybirder]

kat, I don't ever open the bonnet of my car so certainly wouldn't have been aware of anything wrong with the catch until it flew open, same as you. What I am saying is that I wouldn't have expected the insurance to pay out for it.
My garage is wonderful BTW, I just pop in and they check tyres/pressures, oil and water etc for free whenever I feel like it. I think I might have expected them to warn me though if I had a faulty catch if it was starting to show wear and tear at say a service.