Body shop keeps pushing my completion date back — is this normal or am I being strung along?

Worked in claims for years. Honestly, tear-down discoveries are genuinely common — hidden damage really does show up once they get into the frame. That part isn't necessarily shady. BUT the rental coverage thing is where I'd focus your energy. If the at-fault party's insurance is covering the claim, you can sometimes push for them to cover "reasonable" rental beyond your own policy's cap, especially if the delays are shop-related and out of your control. File a written complaint with the adjuster's supervisor if they brush you off. That tends to get attention faster than regular calls.

That vague "parts and scheduling" answer from the adjuster is a classic non-answer. Adjusters sometimes have zero incentive to push the shop along because a longer repair timeline isn't really their problem — it's yours. Don't just call, send emails so you have a paper trail of every date they gave you and every time it changed. If this ever becomes a bigger dispute, that documentation matters.

What does your rental agreement actually say about the cap? Is it a dollar limit per day or a total number of days? And is this going through the at-fault driver's insurance or your own collision coverage? That changes things quite a bit in terms of who's responsible for what.

Ugh, I went through almost the exact same thing last year. They kept telling me "just a few more days" and it stretched into nearly six weeks. The rental cap thing is real — I ended up paying out of pocket for almost two weeks of rental because the shop took forever. Definitely push the adjuster on whether they'll extend rental coverage given that the delays are on the shop's end, not yours. Some will, some won't, but it's worth asking directly and getting it in writing if they say yes.

I know this is mostly about the car logistics but — were you checked out medically after the accident? Even without airbag deployment, impacts that cause subframe damage are pretty significant forces on your body. Soft tissue stuff can take weeks to show up. Just making sure you're not so focused on the car that you're ignoring how you're feeling physically.

A few practical things worth knowing: first, you're entitled to a written repair estimate and a documented explanation of any supplemental damage found. Ask the shop for that in writing if you haven't. Second, in most states insurers have regulations about keeping you updated on repair timelines — if communication has been spotty, that's worth noting. Not legal advice, just process stuff, but keeping a log of every call, who you spoke to, and what they said can be really useful if this escalates.

I know it feels endless right now but the fact that they found additional damage during tear-down could actually work in your favor — that gets added to the total repair cost on the at-fault party's claim. More documented damage = more complete repair. Try to see it as them being thorough rather than dragging their feet (even if the communication has been terrible).