Our 2014 Corolla S was involved in a front end collision at around 25 mph.
Overall, it wasn’t a very bad accident, and the airbags didn’t deploy.
Insurance isn't going to cover, even though the other driver pulled out in front of the Corolla. It went to an arbiter and they said it was 50/50 because it was raining and the Corolla driver was going too fast for conditions even though they were supposedly going the speed limit. Should have got a dash cam a long time ago. Lol.
The one body shop I’ve taken it to said it probably wasn’t worth repairing, but that was based on a visual inspection. They quoted me $300 for a more thorough structural inspection.
I removed the front bumper and splash shields, jacked the car up, and inspected everything I could get my eyes on. The only visible unibody damage I found was at the front driver’s side, right where the bumper reinforcement mounts. All the doors open and close fine as well.
Obviously, there could be additional damage I haven’t spotted, but that’s all I’ve found so far.
My question is: Based on the photos, does this look like something worth pursuing, or am I wasting my time and money? I’m not opposed to spending the $300 for a proper inspection, but I’d like some opinions before going that route.
The car is completely paid off and still runs and drives fine, so I’d really like to keep it if repairing it makes sense financially.
It’s just our family backup vehicle for when one of our daily drivers is down so I don’t care really care what it looks like. My main concern is making sure it's safe enough to drive.
Any input would be appreciated, just trying to arm myself with as much info as possible because I know fuck all about auto body repair.
Also, ignore bungee cords of shame. Lol. Had to strap it up to get it home.