Another sad story abot a Prius. I was at going to school with my mom and when I got to school she left. When I came back from school I was told hat the Prius crashed in to a 4 door car. Or it could be the other way around a 4 door car crashed into the Prius. The part that got hit was the front bumper. My mom says that the car hit the Prius at about 20 mph she dosen't remember/know how fast the Prius was moving. Sorry that I have no pics or a that accurate description of the crash. So anyways it is at a repair shop in San Pablo, CA called Accurate Auto Body. They say that it should take about a week to repair. Does anyone know if this repair shop is good? My mom says that the Toyota dealers of Berkeley and Hanlees Toyota of Hilltop has recomended over the phone. Has anyone been there? Do they know Prii well? Can anyone please give me information? Thanks in advance - Orion
Sorry I don't have information about the company, but if this place was recommended by Toyota dealers, I would think they would have to be up to speed on all their models, including the Prius. I believe Berkeley is a fairly big Prius hot spot, so they should have experience with the car.
Call Art's Automotive in Oakland, an indie hybrid shop, and ask if they have a suggestion for bodywork. Front crashes will usually require some hybrid-related hardware to be replaced, so work with qualified folks.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(orionll @ Nov 30 2006, 06:04 AM) [snapback]355592[/snapback]</div> The damage looks superficial to me. Prius body panels are a bit thin in order to be light. It does mean that a 'bump' looks a lot worse than it is. I wouldn't have thought a 20 mph hit could have done that much damage to the important components From the angle of the bump I would have three concerns. The headlight beam, the steering & suspension. Firstly the beam of the headlight might need re-setting Secondly make sure the steering is smooth from lock to lock and the steering wheel is centred when you drive. If the car wanders or the wheel is off centre take it back. Most body panels are bolt off/bolt on so the repair looks pretty straightforward to me . You'll have to trust in your Toyota recommended bodyshop.
