Few days ago I saw my car's door has been kicked by a jerk and there was a footprint still on the door. This caused a dent around 10-15 inches on the door and 2-3 inches of chipped paint. I called to my insurance company and brought the car to their recommended body shop to get a repair estimation price. Then the insurance company called me and told me it costs around $2000 to repair and it seems they want to replace the door! (Although the door is in good shape except the dented part and chipped paint). Also when I asked them about the Carfax effect they told me it would be a comprehensive repair record!
I know this is just a small damage and could be fixed easily with no need to replace the door at all, so I want to do a cash settlement and do the repair by a known repair shop. But my questions are:
1- Will they(insurance company) still add a record or write something on the Carfax if I get the money from them but don't repair the car?
2- If I take the car to a local store and repair it, must they still add a record to my Carfax? I mean is it an enforcement/law in the US/CA to add any repairs into the Carfax?
3- Will this have a bad effect on my insurance history if I get the money from the insurance company? I mean I must pay more for future car insurance or won't get future discounts?