Fender Bender

WAY too many variables to know what's fair. What kind of car? Used parts from a salvage yard for an older model like I drive or new parts for a newer model like I will never own? Who is going to install the parts, you or them? What needs to be replaced?

Very often bumper covers pop loose and all that's needed is to cut off the plastic "feather fasteners" and pop in new ones. Cost is about.25 each.

Most cars since the late '80s have headlamp housings, not simple covers. A lot of those are very expensive but you'll save a lot if you can find one in a salvage yard. If the car you're fixing is five years old the owner should be satisfied with a used part from another five-year-old car. Some of them are tricky to install so you might consider having a used one removed by the employees at the salvage yard, (as opposed to you removing it in one of the many "pick your own parts" yards popping up), then having it installed at a body shop. If you DO remove a housing yourself you can get an idea if you can handle the installation. Be sure the side and height adjusters are working and that it gets adjusted properly. You're fortunate the other person is willing to avoid insurance companies. In gratitude, I would want to be sure everything is fixed as well as possible with the least inconvenience on their part as possible.

You might even just have them get the car fixed, then hand you the bill. Regardless what it costs, you may very well come out ahead in the long run if your insurance company never gets involved or knows about the incident. Most of them increase your premiums after they pay a claim. Instead, you'll be saving those increased costs every year.

Sounds like you're going to get off real easy. I've been helping a friend at his body shop. He just ordered a headlamp housing for more than $400.00, and the bulb was another $56.00.

You might do a search for "Pull-A-Part" and see if there's a yard near you. They have 23 yards between Ohio and southern Georgia. I've been to 16 of them. All are very clean and well-organized, customers and employees are real friendly, and parts are very inexpensive. You pay your buck, throw your tool box in one of their wheel barrows, and you can spend all day there. My partial list is a few years old but a small headlamp housing is listed at $20.26; less if you don't want a warranty.

You can do an inventory search to see which yards have the car you need, but they can't tell you options, colors, or what parts have already been removed or damaged.