swmbo's just phoned me up and taken her car to a garage following a prang from the front.

It's an X reg Ka and she's only insured 3PFT

I haven't seen the car, but speaking to her and then to the garage, they say it needs a new front bumper, a new headlight and a new front panel.

Total cost inc vat and labout about

Depends what the new front panal is? and wether it is absolutely nesesary? (is it a visible panal or safety related, can it be banged out?) Bumper and light - £50? from scrappers does it need spray work etc. 7 year old Ka (1?) at this price for repair would I guess be written off by insurer, but sounds a lot to me. Is it a Ford garage she as gone to? try 'under the archers' and ask them to use salvaged parts? hth

Yep, agree that sounds expensive.

Are the bumpers body coloured?

If it's a Mk I Ka, no they are black (Probably grey now) plastic, and huge.

Bumper is plastic and huge but not broken / cracked so that wasn't being replaced and wasn't in the quote.

Turns out the garage only uses Ford parts, not patterns so the cost is a bit high, and they claim that the panel takes a lot of time to change over because it's attached in many places and can be a bit fiddly to get to all the bolts / clips.

Anyway, swmbo has kind of accepted it so the work's going ahead anyway at that price

I crashed my MK5 Escort into a post, that needed bumper, grill, bonnet, slam panel and a headlight. £980 at an insurance approved garage, this was about 1999 though so prices may have gone up a bit

Saab 93 needed bumper spoiler and foglight (hit a dog) cost $1300 US, including paint and labour. Genuine parts used.

That's about 800 quid.