u/Panda_Undies

Location: Cincinnati, OH

Or at least that's very much how it feels. I have been fighting with State Farm for a month now over something they didn't fix completely the first time, and now they're trying to claim the issue is not related.

Last July, someone else on the highway kicked up a piece of metal that flew through the air and directly into the right side of my bumper. It then jumbled under the front wheel before doing the same on the back wheel and then finally getting kicked out behind me. I had only had my car back for a month from a previous accident (not my fault), so I was absolutely livid. I thought it was just cosmetic on the bumper and decided I would live with it.

Fast forward to early this year and my car is making a wahwahwah noise when it drives, so I know something is wrong. I take it in and Toyota says it's a wheel and wheel bearing, and that I must have hit something for this to happen-- so it clicks in my head. I start the insurance process, it takes 6 weeks, they replace one wheel and one bearing. I pick up the car and start driving it home.

IT IS STILL MAKING THE NOISE. I drive for work and can't keep going without a car, so I wait a little and make another appointment. Toyota agrees it was the same issue. Start insurance round two. Adjuster disagrees that it's related. Specialist gets involved, agrees with me, it's definitely related. Says it will be 48 hours before they can get final approval and send money out. Crickets. I call back, apparently they sent info to the wrong place, lol it will be another 48 hours. Crickets again. Call again. Now they're all confused and saying it was denied, because no one in particular is assigned to my claim, so every time I call it's a new person. They review, OH nope we misread it, all good, we'll get the money out. Crickets again. Call a few days later. Oops, we forgot, we'll get it out within 48 hrs. 4 days later I call Toyota, they have nothing. Find out it went to their collision center and has been sitting there lost. BUT now we know it's also for the wrong amount-- only $300ish when it should be over $1k. Call State Farm. Do the whole song and dance again. Guy says, oops, yeah we sent the wrong amount but we will get you fixed by tomorrow morning. Nothing. Call again, and now they're saying they denied the overall cost and this is all I'm getting, because they still claim it's not related and think I just need new rims??? I ask for a manager. They say they'll have one reach out within 48 hrs (their favorite amount of time, apparently). By which time I'll be out of the country and unavailable.

I don't know what to do. This is insane. It has been a month. All I need is a wheel bearing replaced. A month without my car (this time, plus 6 weeks before), when my job 100% relies on my having a car and cannot be done with any sort of public transit. I know I can just pay for it, but I've already paid my deductible and spent countless hours on the phone with them (not even counting the rental cars I've had to deal with too-- because they took so long in this overall process they used up my entire rental car budget within my coverage).

I posted on Facebook and X while tagging State Farm to try to get help, but so far no luck. Any advice is appreciated.