I have a 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Plug In Hybrid. Have had several accidents in it: first was my wife hit the curb at some speed, popping the tire and then breaking the axle and destroying the front quarter panel. We submitted a claim, and it was very costly. Second was we scraped a pole in a parking garage. The scrapes were significant, and repair would have cost $7k out of pocket, so we submitted a claim on that one too even though it was mostly cosmetic. Both those claims were in 2024.
Recently my wife hit another car while pulling over...she hit the mirror off, and got some light dents on the door. Nothing major. Ordinarily, I would not repair it, but here's the question: I have collision coverage. We are already paying an arm and leg for it. The other driver had submitted a claim, should we also submit a claim and get the dents repaired? We have a $500 deductible, but if my past experience is a guide, the repair will be $2k. Also consider that I'm strongly thinking of selling the car in the next year or two ...it's had an unreliable electrical system so far and Chrysler is now discontinuing the plug in minivan. Given all that, is it worth it to submit a claim and get the car fixed so it's not an issue when I sell the car, or will they extra claim cost me more in insurance premiums and deductibles?