Advice for the rear-ended?

It wasn't my request to put those emblems down on the estimate. Maybe I'll pull of the old ones off and sell them on eBay to recoup some of my diminished value

 

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I dropped the car off today and picked up my Corolla rental. I asked the shop about reusing the emblems and he said they are glued on so well you can't get them off without breaking them.

On the way home I kept wondering why the Corolla engine wouldn't automatically turn off when I stopped at a traffic signal.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(enerjazz\";p=\"102136)</div>

I dropped the car off today and picked up my Corolla rental. I asked the shop about reusing the emblems and he said they are glued on so well you can't get them off without breaking them.

On the way home I kept wondering why the Corolla engine wouldn't automatically turn off when I stopped at a traffic signal.
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also note the jjjjjerrrrkyyy transmission!

 

I would be real nervous about the one item on the estimate "Pull and Align Unibody/Frame" ukeleft: . IMO if the measurement shows an alignment problem then be very aggressive with your insurance company about replacing the vehicle. They are almost never the same after having the Unibody "tweaked".

 

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If a good shop worked on it, the frame/unibody would be just fine. I had an 83 Z-28 quite a few years ago that I bought from a friend. His girlfiend had pulled out to cross a highway and was hit in the the left front,just ahead of the tire. I removed all the front sheet metal, took it to another friend who was setting up his body shop,and had him pull the frame/unibody back in shape. Between him and I the Z got put together and you could never tell it was in an accident. Drove straight, no pulling or drifting and even made a few passes down the quarter mile. You just need a good shop, with the right equipment and someone who knows how to do it, :wink:

 

Thank goodness Rick57 posts on this site. However, his qualifiers are still scary. He states that you must have good equipment and someone who knows what they are doing. Iffy at best, unless YOU happen to be that someone. I know insurers, I worked with hundreds of them for 20 years. They are not bad, it's just that their best interests do not usually conincide with yours. Unless, of course, IF you get a company rep who cares more about doing what is right instead of meeting company guidelines and quotas.

 

Thanks for all the concern. I drove it for a week after the accident and I didn't notice any significant drop off in milage or any drifting or steering issues. Go back to page one and look at the photos - it's not that bad. I can't believe I'm saying that, but I think it's fully repairable.

The shop is a good one - been around a long time with a good reputation. I picked the shop - not the insurance company. The shop is working for me the customer, not the insurance carrier.

I'm an engineer and very thorough. I'll be checking it with a fine tooth comb after the repairs and monitoring the handling, mileage, etc. I'm not signing off with the other drivers insurance until I'm fully satisfied.

 

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The Prius, like most cars today, does not have a frame. Cars are unibody construction. There is a great deal of old wives tales about "frame damage", which was a problem when cars had them. Unibody cars can be repaired to OEM specs by a good body shop. The body is designed in sections and can te taken apart in sections as needed for repair. I spent 45 minutes at my body shop looking at HUMU and seeing how they will repair the car.
The trick is getting a good body shop. Do a Google search for Auto Body Shop Ratings in your area, and I bet you'll find some good info.
Bob

 

My car has been sitting in the shop since June 27th waiting for one final part - the left tail light pocket. The part finally arrived yesterday after 3 weeks and a day. They have started repairs and expect it back to me by the middle of next week - just in time for my car's one year anniversary.

The final cost total came to $5,050 for the repair. The rental car will total around $700 - $800 I'm guessing. I'm glad the other guy had valid insurance.

 

I just got my 2004 Prius repaired after a relatively minor rear ending. Turned out all they had to do was repair the bumper cover, repaint and clearcoat, but that was $600, on the other party's insurance. I tried to get a new bumper cover out of it rather than having them repair the bumper cover, but they wouldn't do it. Seemed like it would be too much hassle to sue them so I just gave in and had it repaired. Looks great and I got a free car wash and detail!

 

Hmm. In bumper accidents I have been involved in, they always replaced the cover, especially if it was cracked!

 

After 5 weeks in the shop I finally have my car back . . . though they still aren't finished. They still owe me the black extension at the bottom of the bumper (waiting for the part), one of the closer tabs on the hatch floor door (they didn't notice it was broken until late), and they forgot to do the rear bumper applique that the dealer stuck me with. I'm tempted to just ask for the $65 and skip that expensive sticker.

The repair work looks pretty good at first inspection. The hatch opens and closes smoothly and the paint job looks very good. I'll give it a better inspection in good light tomorrow.

My car's one year anniversary is Sunday, July 31st - so I got it back just in time for the celebration.

 

Re: Driving Prius without rear bumper?

My prius lost it's bumper because some drunk idiot hit it (and ran) at 4 am while it was parked in the carport. (Yes they got him because me and some neighbors saw him leave and gave a vehicle description to the cops, who found him). It looks a lot like the pictures above, but my dented hatch still closes fine and the frame damage isn't nearly as bad.
The car still seems to drive fine, so I can't see any reason why I shouldn't drive it around. But what about if it rains or in muddy conditions? I want to drive it while we get our other car fixed (YES, the idiot hit both of our cars at once!) and even take it to the mountains this weekend.

 

The Prius, like most cars today, does not have a frame. Cars are unibody construction. There is a great deal of old wives tales about "frame damage", which was a problem when cars had them. Unibody cars can be repaired to OEM specs by a good body shop. The body is designed in sections and can te taken apart in sections as needed for repair. I spent 45 minutes at my body shop looking at HUMU and seeing how they will repair the car.
The trick is getting a good body shop. Do a Google search for Auto Body Shop Ratings in your area, and I bet you'll find some good info.
Bob

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My 3 month old Prius was hit while stopped at a red light on New Years Eve by an enormous Caddilac going about 25-30 mph. As my husband proceeded to pull over and exchange insurance info (and if I would have been there - a few select words might have also been exchanged), the Caddy sped off. It was a hit & run; luckily no one was seriously hurt. Thank God our good friend who had been in the passenger seat during the accident had the calm sensability to memorize the licence plate as they took off. Long story short, they called 911 and filled out a police report, but now we wait to find out if this guy is insured. Fortunately I have great insurance and it will cover no matter what, but what a way to end 2005 with a bang - literally! SOB, I'm somewhat in shock that it happened which is the only reason I can joke about this!!! Now, I am in search of the best body shop in the greater Seattle area, so I'll do a google search as you recommend Bob Allen. However, since we both live in the Seattle area, I was wondering if you (or anyone else) has any recommendations. I want the BEST and I too plan to have some sort of clause written up to protect myself from problems that could show themselves later. I did a search for local Toyota Certified Collision Centers, but it does not seem like thare are any in WA. Thanks to all in advance!

Kristin

 

Sorry for your accident. You never get back what it costs you in aggravation and unknown future loss of value, no matter how good it looks when they're done.

Here's advice FROM the rear-ended, it being the case that I have one.

If a body shop, when giving you an estimate, does not volunteer that it will use only Toyota parts, you have to ask them and spec it on your written estimate. Some body shops that otherwise do good work still use secondary-market parts if they can, especially in areas of the car where the owner cannot see them.

25 MPH is a substantial hit when your car isn't moving. Did the damage get into the "big battery" compartment?

You did some digging just to find this thread---late at night, too.

 

Shortly after I got my '99 Corolla back in 2000, someone in a Tercel turned left in front of me and I hit them in the rear wheel well. You could even see the round imprint in my car's bumper, the hood was dented, and the bumper and right headlight were pushed in. I pulled over (they didn't have any choice since their rear axle was broken) to exchange information, then called 911 and had a cop come out to survey the accident. The next day, I contacted the dealer where I bought the car (Magic Toyota in Edmonds/Lynnwood) to see if they did body work, and they pointed me to A-1 Auto Collision in Lynnwood. They had the parts in under a week, and a few days later the car was good as new. So that's who I would recommend.

I know this was from a lot earlier, but... I don't think it's reasonable to expect the insurance company to give you a new car when the damage is less than 1/4th the car's value. The only time they'll do that or reimburse the cost of the car is when it is totaled, in my experience.

 

Just got rear-ended on my baby's one-month anniversary (which also happens to be valentine's day)! Stopped at a light and the guy in his audi just didn't brake soon enough. Mostly just a few moderate scratches on the bumper, but one of his license plate bolts did poke a hole in the bumper cover. Just filed a claim this morning (we both have Geico which should be interesting). I'm hoping they can just repair, repaint, and recoat...

Grr.

 

I would.. I wouldn't use any service center in bed with Geico.