I had what appeared to be cosmeticcollision damage only to my 1996 c280. It turned out to be more than cosmetic but not engine or electrical. (The visible damage was at the headlight and fender - no door, hood or grill.) From my understanding, the fender frame also needed to be pulled out and a related post, etc. replaced/repaired.) I talked to a few independents and got the definite impression that if I fileda claim with insurance, the amount of their estimates would have ledin a write off as a total loss because of the car's age. The car's in great shape otherwise with only 73k miles. My deductible is $500 and I'm payinga little over2,000 out of pocket to have it fixed by an independent.

I think this was the right thing to do but would appreciate any opinions!

Thanks.

 

if its a small dent you can try DENT WIZARD. only if it is not creased or large.

 

This was not a dent. There's no question the headlight and fender needed to be replaced in addition to fixing noncosmetic frame damage.