I'm seeking some advice for a Prius I just bought. I just bought a 2012 Plug-in Prius that had been in an accident with the following problems. I simply want to know if these problems will be sustainable when fixed if I choose to get them repaired properly, or if this sort of thing may present lasting complications for the vehicle.. The mechanic discovered a front impact to the front cross member after they removed the bumper cover to paint it. Apparently there was impact to #5 that caused a tweak in #7, #8, and #1 on the same side. My mechanic's solution is to get a cut on the driver's side for #1, but they won't sell the rest of the stuff. #5, #7, and #8 are available from the dealer only and will be OEM replacements. Question #1 - Is this the best method for repairing the vehicle given the kind of damage that occurred? Question #2 - Is this type of repair susceptible to future complications? Or when repaired, (assuming it's done correctly) are my chances pretty high that I'll be out of the weeds?
Good point. And yes, I trust the body shop. Just trying to figure out if the needed repair is in an area that could give me future headaches.. Repairs to the frame scare me a little bit.
Unclear what you mean by "get a cut on the driver's side for #1". If a frame member is bent out of alignment, that problem needs to be fixed one way or another. There are printed specs for every car allowing a body shop to measure distances between specific bolt holes to check for overall body alignment, and those need to be right to avoid future problems with tire wear and proper handling. Also, correct wheel alignment must be achievable without shimming beyond the expected degree listed by Toyota.
As you say, if you trust your mechanic to identify and correct the damaged parts, you should be good with his assessment. Of course you could have future issues, the "tweaks" to the sub-frame components you identified could also have caused further damage to the uni-body to which the sub-frame attaches. While that's not likely if your mechanic is thorough in his examination and assessment, the repair still could contribute to issues in the future.
There are body shops that really know what they're doing. If your body shop has a solid reputation, they should be able to answer those questions. They are able to measure alignment very accurately. I also don't know what it means that they'll "get a cut" on #1 -- they'll cut this out of another Prius? If they find a Prius that's been wrecked from behind, they should be able to get all of those parts.
