2010 Prius repaired after accident, what should I look for when I pick it up?

Must be something about the grey ones... I too was hit, but not nearly as bad as yours!
I will be monitoring this to seek the same advice you do!
Good luck!

 

Ouch...thats a bad one. I'm surprised that wasn't totaled.

I would look at the rear quarter panels and be sure they are smooth, thats a tough area to repair, they have to cut out the old panels and weld new ones in. Make sure all the doors open and close and latch properly. Make sure the paint has the same "peel" as the original paint, look for dust and fish eyes in the paint.

Be sure you don't take delivery until you are 100% satisfied with the car...

Good luck, post pics!

 

damn, I think I would have pretty much insisted they total that car.

frame damage??? sure appears so.

I wonder if they would let yo take it to a toyota dealer for inspection....if its not 100% perfect per toyota, dont accept it.

 

Make sure body gaps are lined up and color match is very similar (although it will never be perfect). If that were my car, i would dump it after the repairs and get a new one.

 

My concern would be the hybrid battery system, since the rear impact also potentially affected the hybrid traction batteries. Ask the body shop how they took care of the hybrid batteries while "in storage" (being repaired, waiting for parts, etc. but not driven), and how they checked for any damage. I suggest getting a print out of any tests they performed.

Attached is an article distributed to all non-Toyota dealer body repair shops on how to take care of the hybrid system.

 

There is no frame. This is a unibody like almost everything else. It should have been totaled. Good luck.

 

He may not be able to do that since Toyota dealerships in a region are a tight-knit group, and they do not like to rat on each other (per personal experience). I suggest taking the car to an independent I-Car certified body shop for an inspection, but don't mention where it was repaired. Just show the accident report and explain that you just want to ensure that it is safe and the repair was done correctly. I also suggest explaining that if any problems appear, you would not tell the original body shop (who did the repairs) on who told you what was wrong.

Your insurance company may be able to assist this is fashion (referring to an independent body shop for an inspection).

 

Just because its a unibody doesn't mean it doesn't have a frame. It does have a frame, the frame and the body are just one piece.

 

Is a "simi-truck" a truck driven by a monkey? That probably explains why it didn't stop.

Tom

 

I had a similar situation about a year ago. The $$ damage was much more than in this case--about $18K after all was said and done. The problem was, their initial estimates were lower, they kept finding more damage, they'd already invested a lot in repairs by the time they found more damage, etc. (btw in this case the "they" here was a Toyota certified collision repair facility).

So, my question for future edification (that I will hopefully never need), is, How do you 'insist' on the vehicle being totaled? As far as I understand it, it's the insurance company's call, with whatever formula they have (sometimes 50%, sometimes 2/3 the value), but they (in my case anyway, especially as time went on), had obvious vested interest in *not* totalling the car. I wish they had--though I have to say I haven't had any problems with the repair, and they give you a lifetime guarantee (I forget if it is transferable).

So again, if anyone knows how to insist on it being totaled, I'd love to hear the strategy. Trying to reason with my insurance agent (forget about the adjuster, yeesh) was like beating my head against a brick wall.
Thanks.
~T

p.s. - regarding the comments about selling it immediately afterward, I imagine you'd take a huge financial hit, what with the already reduce Toyota resale values thanks to the "unintended acceleration" FUD. Good luck on that one.

 

The insurance company looks at what it will cost to repair the car, and also the salvage value of the car. When the repair cost plus salvage value exceeds the cost of replacement, your car will be totaled.

Some cars have more salvage value, the Prius being one of them. Because of this you are likely to see a Prius totaled with less damage.

As far as I know, there is no way to "insist" that your car be totaled. You can make a lot of noise and threaten legal action, but at the end of the day the decision belongs to the insurer.

Tom

 

Make sure, in writing, that the work will be covered by a warranty that can be called upon in Washington, either from Toyota or your insurance co. You should not have to return to south Dakota for rework!!

I had a Chrysler minivan with a blown engine while on vacation in 1996, and I had it replaced in Bozeman, MT at a Chrysler dealership. When problems arose later back home in WA, I discovered that I had to return to that dealership for the warranty on the work.

 

I would have gotten a lawyer and sued the driver for the difference in value now that your Prius was nearly totaled. Keep in mind that this will forever be on Carfax and your car's value is significantly reduced. You'd be better off insisting a settlement for the reduced value (truck driver's insurance) and then selling this car for what you can get and starting over.

PS - I sure hope you and your passenger(s) were not injured.

 

No it should not have been totaled. You know how much ins would be it they totaled every car that was in a accident? The pics that i seen make the car far from being totaled. Plus people like you get people worried and upset when their car isn't totaled. There in nothing wrong with fixing a car like that.

Anyways to the OP.

1. I would check that all the lights work, taillights the lights inside turn lights.
2. Open the liftgate and look around at everything, open and close it a few times. Check the doors and under the storage area in the rear hatch.
3. Push lightly on parts on the car, the rear bumper, hatch glass, ect to make sure nothing is loose.
4. Open the rear doors and look to see the seals are in place and not lose. check the inside door panels to see if they are snapped in and tight. Check that the inside door handles work, and the windows go up and down.
5. Might want to check your rear window defoger, i don't really know the best way to do it, maybe turn it on then put your hand on it to see if the little wire strips are warm. Do both windows.

 

Been ther Done That...
Ask for a printout of the final 4 wheel alignment. This is critical for proper MPG and tire wear.
Remove the mats etc and check the finish of the rear storage area.
Check the radio reception.
Be sure guarantee is in writing.

 

As far as I understand, unibody does not have an actual frame (aka. I-beam). Unibody design is a flat piece of sheet metal, stamped in a pattern that have ridges that makes it look like a frame wielded together with the sheet metal. By eliminating the I-beam, it reduces the weight of the vehicle in order to provide better fuel economy. Under collision, the stamped ridges give the added strength to protect certain part of the vehicle. Other areas may be disigned to collapse at a pre-determined fashion. Unibody design chassis is harder to fix or return to its factory specifications for future collision protection. Unless the damage is very minor, I'd agree with one posting suggesting to sell it - i.e. if you can bear the loss.
When checking the vehicle, I'd take it to a straight road and drive it a a straight line. If the road condition is safe, take your hands off the steering wheel to see if the car drift to the left or right. If it pulls to one side, it means the alignment is off.
Next is to try an emergency braking control. Again, under a safe road condition, bring the car to 50-60mph. With hands on the steering wheel to hold it at a straight line, apply a sudden braking in a straight line. Your should not feel the car pulling to the left or right. If it does, it tells you the alignment is off.
Ask if they check the condition of the shock absorbers. Sometimes minor leak may occur after a collision.