Hit a deer in my 2005 Prius, 250,000 miles. Should I fix?

Thanks so much for the links to parts! I appreciate it. I got a light and a friend who is an auto body mechanic helped me put it in, so I wouldn’t be pulled over driving at night (or driving at all). It still looks crazy but I will be able to make it through my move this week and then work on it.

 

Update on my Prius - I took it for an oil change, tire rotation and multipoint inspection today, and guess what? It passed! Only issue is brakes that are already too thin even though I just had them done, last year the front and about 3 years ago, the back. But there is still enough meat on the brakes to last till Fall at least if not more. I will figure out why they are being worn away faster. In the meantime, there isn't anything wrong with the car. It just looks ugly right now.

It's amazing the difference in how people treat you when you come into their business with a normal looking car, or one that looks messed up. Instant, overnight Pariah EVEN THOUGH I 1) pay my insurance on time every single month and was unaware that there was no "deer insurance" on it 2) am a great driver, never been in any accident that was my fault 3) put money into my car and keep it in perfect shape even though it has a lot of miles on it, it is a Prius and that's what Priuses are designed for. I went from valued, longtime and liked customer to "get out of my shop" instantly. I was so shocked at this treatment.

I was treated horribly by 4 seperate businesses - Kost Tires, Milford Auto Body, some other body shop on Rt 6 in Milford, and Seven X in Monticello. Kost wouldn't touch my car and basically pushed me out the door even though I've been their customer and neighbor for 6 years, I got the "bum's rush" out the door. They wouldn't replace my light just because the car looked kind of scary even though it was perfectly running. The guy at Milford Auto Body gave me a "mansplaining" lecture about how I need $3,000 worth of work, and I should park the car and get a rental for a week for my move, and then get the body work done or sell the car. I was also treated to a lecture about how in the place I was going, "I don't need a car", even though he doesn't know my business or my life - I do need a car. It was a half an hour lecture that was so demeaning and so tedious since he clearly had no idea who I am, what I know and what I need my car for (none of his business). The worst was Seven X. They discouraged and lectured me over the phone about buying a light and putting it in myself. They acted like I was this crazy criminal for wanting to drive my car during my move, even though it was driving perfect and acting exactly like it used to despite the fact that one light was missing and it was now ugly on the front end. The only place I called that had the light I needed was Seven X, so I insisted on coming up to them and buying the light. I got all kinds of dissaproving looks, head shakes, another mini lecture, and the guy refused to even look at my car and expressed disdain about the hood situation even though it still latched pretty securely, because it was not perfect at the moment. They also overcharged me for the light $150 knowing that I really needed it, and the lady at the counter couldn't have been more of a B. They are disgusting vultures and I would never go back there if my life depended on it. Later on a mechanic friend confirmed that there was a problem at Seven X in Monticello, and not to use them for anything. I walked out of their door feeling pretty bad regardless of having scored a left headlamp finally. I had now been browbeaten, lectured at 4 different places in the space of a few hours. It was only force of Will that got me out in my driveway installing the light. Later on a mechanic friend showed up and finessed it even better for me.

The only shop that treated me as a normal person and valued customer throughout all this was Johnstone Toyota in New Hampton. They said it "wasn't that bad", they had both seen and driven worse, and to just get the work done when I could. That's it. So I will remain their customer for as long as I have a car, they are good people. The rest of them, I don't know what is wrong with them. If someone comes to you, especially a longtime customer, and they are in a bottleneck (moving and then having an accident in the process of moving, they just simply need their current car to work), wouldn't you at least be kind and try to help them figure it out? I'm glad I meditate and have cultivated a supportive, loving group of friends because if not, I wouldn't have made it. Thank you all for your input too, it helped keep me sane while dealing with this.

 

It Was a huge deer! It was the worst accident I've ever been in. The crazy part was that the Prius kept right on rolling, didn't miss a beat. I didn't even know the front end damage was as bad as it was till I got out of the car in my driveway. I'm not sure how that happened but it did. The Prius Gods must have been smiling on me lol

 

Ah ha ha ha! Well I hate to say it but the deer is sausage now.

 

$300 is a great price - the battery and catalytic converter alone are worth like $2000.

You are so right that the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know when it comes to cars. When I first got my car, it had a bent axle that wasn't caught by anyone for the whole first year of car ownership. The muffler dropped off while I was driving. The wheel bearings needed to be replaced. It needed a new aux battery. And the windshield was cracked, that needed to be replaced too. I found out about all these things one by one. I wasn't eager to begin that process with another used car. Absolutely this car has much more value to me than another similar car, due to this. There are all kinds of hidden values of cars that people don't realize, taken at face value.

 

"Any jerk with a maxxed out credit card can drive a fancy car." - THANK YOU! I've worked for a long time to get debt free more or less, get great credit, etc. I have the credit to go into a dealership and come out the same day with a car. The reason I don't do it is that there is actually nothing wrong with the car I have, other than cosmetic stuff. I'm not being that person with the maxed out card or on payments if I really don't have to be.

 

I'm doing it! <3

 

The Radiator cover was bent on the right side but ok on the left. I can get pics once my move is fully 100% over, should be by Thursday. Surprisingly, the bending of the Radiator support did not affect anything in the car. It's a very, very strong car on the inside despite having a kind of fragile outer covering. I'll be needing a new Radiator support.