If Your Friend Damaged Your Car

[Banshee]

A friend asks to drive your car, you were in car until you get to your driveway, you get out and back out his car to get your car in garage.

He runs over a huge concrete block (there is one on each side of a 16' wide driveway) and scrapes the underside with suspension damage and rattles. Damages are $600 or so.

How would you handle this?

[daphatgrant]

Sup man, that sucks :(. I guess it really depends on how he reacted to the situation. If he was visually upset that he messed up your car and he's a good friend I'd let it go and get it taken care of myself. If he wasn't concerned about the damages then I'd expect him to at least chip in for some of the repairs.

[MatchbookSS]

How good of a friend is he? If he's a really good friend, he should be offering to pay for damages regardless. Otherwise, it's pay up or I take it out of your ass time.

[AnnaBear@SpartaChevy]

Please tell me this is 'hypothetical' and that it didn't happen to you?!

[Murph0408]

pay up by tomorrow orrrrr i'm calling the cops

friends and money don't mix too well. 600 ain't cheap but lets be honest, the guy can probably get that kinda money together if you guys have your own cars

[nardox]

Originally Posted by AnnaBear@SpartaChevy

Please tell me this is 'hypothetical' and that it didn't happen to you?!

I was thinking about the same thing....

to answer OP, if he's a really good friend he should have offered to fix the car and pay for whatever damage he caused.

[Banshee]

Yes, it happened.

He was rather nonchalant about it...maybe embarrased. I saw him hit it, but had window up and didn't hear the hit (good thing)

Anyhow, I looked at the tire and rocker panel, no damage. I ask, "did you hear anything bad"? His response was "no, not really". I didn't get under car until after they left.

I thought...this is f-ing BS. I have this car for all this time and one person driving it and it's not like I hesitated giving him the keys at all. He takes care of his cars.

[midnighter]

"Blame it on the A-A-Al-Alcohol"

[jeepguy_1980]

If he offered to pay, which he should, I'd probably split the cost with him.

[Banshee]

Originally Posted by jeepguy_1980

If he offered to pay, which he should, I'd probably split the cost with him.

He didn't..

[MatchbookSS]

Well, you can ask. If he's not willing to, and you're a) not able to kick his ass, b) not willing to kick his ass, c) a combination of both, then I suppose there's not too much that you can do about it.

I left my vette with a friend while overseas for a year. Came back, and found it had a dead battery and he had left it sitting under his sprinklers for the better part of 8 months, so he whole left left side was etched ridiculously bad. Well, when I got back, he had just left for Afghanistan. I asked him and his wife to help me a bit with the repair, which didn't cost too much, but still enough that I had issues with him after he told me, "he frankly didn't feel obligated to help", since he had taken such GREAT "care" of my car while I was gone. Needless to say, rapport between he and I has been damaged, greatly.

[2010 SSRS]

Originally Posted by midnighter

"Blame it on the A-A-Al-Alcohol"

[Habu]

IMO If he was a good enough friend for me to let him drive it in the first place and knowing that it was unintentional. I would accept financial liabilty. also knowing that the camaro doesnt have great visibilty I would feel partly to blame. but then I'd ask to borrow HIS car! No j/k

[2010 Bumblebee]

I'd say a real friend would offer to help fix it or pay for it without you even asking him/her.