Car rammed into my parked prius rear

Have a good look behind, or get an expert to do so. The "bumper" that you see is a plastic cover which is deformable, and will return to it's original shape as much as possible.

Behind the plastic is a metal structure (generally) [or in mainly older cars could be a plastic honeycomb structure] which is the actual bumper. If the hit was central, I'd hazard a guess (from my own experience) that the metal would be quite bent behind, as it absorbs the impact but stays damaged. Being on the corner, there could even be some sort of damage where the metal bumper is attached to the frame.

In my case, the damage was 2 tiny pock marks (see photo) each side, but seeing I'd just sold the car that week but hadn't delivered it, I went for an estimate - he started saying "about $300ish" for a quick paint job, but when he saw the damage behind, it cost $1633.

I'd get an expert opinion.

Yes, with the photo, it was barely visible, though hard to photograph on grey.

 

Hopefully the damage turns out to be just cosmetic, although still what a hassle.

With the corner bumper pushed in it looks like the other driver has now joined the infamous Camry Dent Club:

Toyota Camry Dent Club - Home | Facebook

deadspin-quote-carrot-aligned-w-bgr-2

 

arghhh!!! bummer!

will you be using insurance? the procedure around here is to have an insurance adjuster do a visual estimate, then when the body shoppe has it, if they find hidden damage, the adjuster either comes out for a look, or approves it over the phone. if we use an approved shoppe, the work is guaranteed by the ins. co.

 

First thing get behind the bumper and push out the dent.
That will stop to rubber from memorizing the dent.

Then it is up to you whether to repair.
Will bumper dents happen again?

If the dent is not memorized bumper could be repaired.
Maybe some misc brackets and clips need replacing.
Lower dark colored valence trim need replacement.
Could be, but I don't so would be inner body structure bent.
In other word looks isolated to the bumper and attaching points.

In my area, for repair, I'd say 6 hours labor plus parts and materials.
Maybe more for a superior repair where the emblems and taillights etc are removed so the paint color blends with no tape lines.

Good luck.

 

The damage to the Prius looks like it can buff right out. Doesn't appear to be deep scratches at all. I would get an insurance estimate and just pocket the money

 

The siren call of Jeep Wrangler is getting stronger...

WHAT EVERYBODY OUGHT TO KNOW ABOUT BUMPERS

 

they have to (or should) remove the bumpers and check for damage.. behind the rubber bumpers is a Styrofoam shock absorber (yes 30 grand and the cars are made of plastic and Styrofoam) most of the time they break and should be replaced, I would not do a damn thing let the insurance company handle it and demand Toyota parts not aftermarket junk. it affects the value of the car

 

Behind the plastic cover there is a rectangular beam bumper across most of the width of the car. It is mounted to the frame with two short beams that run perpendicular to the bumper that have a flange on them. I would advise that these are probably damaged. Here is a drawing from a Curt Hitch Installation Guide for your car. I indicated the bumper with the red line. At the location of the flange connections on each side is a box beam running toward the front of the car.

 

Or more likely, the bumper frame held it's shape fine, but the body it's bolted to deformed.

Our 81 Civic was the one-and-only car we had, with a decent bumper. Solid steel, across the front and wrapping around towards the wheel wells, capped with a broad black rubber rub strip, and mounted hydraulically.

Now we got: fairings, painted bs.

 

That article summarises the slow speed part of the story - that cars seem to be more flimsy because they now only need to sustain 2½MPH.

But Manufacturers are after the ***** - 5 star EuroNCAP crash rating or (USA equivalent). At 64km/hr into an offset barrier, they don't care what the bumper looks like. The bumper, while it may have some effect at lower speeds is of minor significance in a major crash, and the integrity of the main structure is what keeps us safe.


My 1980 VOLVO would bounce cars off the bumpers (hmmm - yes I tried it, but not on my car, I hit one with a work car fairly hard in a parking manoeuvre and there was no damage to either car). But I would far rather be in a PRIUS than the VOLVO in a decent (indecent?) crash.

 

You take it to body shop to get an estimate. Insurance will cut you a check. Take your car to an auto detailer and they'll buff that right out

 

When our new Prius v was rear ended just a month after we bought it I contacted the other drivers insurance, Progressive, who had me come into their local claims center. They did an inspection and estimate then contracted with a local body shop for the repair. Progressive provided a loaner car while our car was in the shop for repair. The invoice I saw from the body shop stated they used OEM parts to fix what needed fixing. About $1500 in repairs if my old memory is still intact...

 

Trouble is, that won't fix the damage hiding behind the obvious damage. Better to let an expert assess it.