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Hit another car. Front bumper cracked.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by juice0123, Feb 2, 2016.

  1. juice0123

    juice0123 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2016
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    Location:
    Maryland
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    So I just financed a 09 prius two weeks ago and it doesn't even have tags yet. So I spend all last tuesday shoveling snow to get my prius out for work. When I finally get it out the car wouldnt start, the battery had died. I told my boss I couldnt make it to work but he told me to find a way. None of my coworkers could cover for me. I couldnt even take the bus because my car was infront of my landlords car and he needed me to move it so he can go get stuff to fix the plumbing and internet which both werent working. Toyota care came after two hours and couldnt jumpstart the battery. Had to charge it. Borrowed a charger and two hours later I was off to work. I got there with one hour left in my shift and my coworker just told me to back home. The next day the battery died again and I had to go to the dealer to get it replaced so I missed work again. My land lord kicked me out saturday night for no reason and I spend all day Sunday finding a new place and moving. The new place is further from school n my job and its also more expensive but it was the best I could find in such short notice. So I said all of that for context and to get it off my chest because I've been really freaking out and been really stressed.
    Now the main point is that today I was driving to school I didn't realize it was gonna take me more than an hour to get there so I was driving a bit recklessly to not be late. It was stop n go traffic in the highway and in one of those stops I couldn't stop soon enough. I was distracted. Ive been driving in highway traffic all last semester with my old 99 sable and never had a problem braking. The prius didnt brake hard enough so I hit the guy in front. I'm guessing it's because they are electric. The other guy said his car was fine, and it was, so he left. My car wasnt. The bumper is cracked around the licence plate, black parts have fallen, the metal bar behind it is bent and foam is broken. Now I can call my insurance but idk if its a good idea. Also would it be better to repair or replace it. I've seen repairs go up to 1500 and replacement at around 250 but idk if that is the whole bumper or just the cover. Anyways guys can you help me out on what to do. I need the cheapest option because idk what to do honestly. This past week has been so bad.
     
  2. luckyboy

    luckyboy Member

    Joined:
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    Vehicle:
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    you can bet that will be at least a $1500 insurance job, you might be able to repair half-haphazardly for less with junkyard or non-OEM parts assuming its only R&R (take off and replace) and no unibody/crumple zone damage.
     
  3. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    With all that's going on in your life now, it's probably best to just go through insurance and be done with it. Have your entire car checked out for electrical issues too
     
  4. sillylilwabbit

    sillylilwabbit Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 16, 2015
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    Since you are in school, I assume you are young.

    That said, if you report it to insurance, get ready to pay higher premiums, which cost you more than just going out and buying a bumper and fix it yourself or make a side deal with someone who works at a body shop.

    No insurance company wants a "young" driver that made a claim with insurance. You are lucky the person you rear ended didn't contact your insurance company.

    My guess is it is going to cost you $200 for a bumper from the jump yard, and $100 to $150 to find someone to do a side job for you (paint it and install it).

    Good luck.


    iPhone ?
     
  5. hchu1

    hchu1 Active Member

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    Vehicle:
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    Model:
    Two
  6. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
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    N/A
    You dodged a bullet by not having an accident on your record for five years.

    Here's how to dodge two more:
    1. Fix the car yourself. You'll have to pay the deductible anyway even if you call the insurance company, and if you're as new a driver as you sound like you are then your deductible is probably around $500 anyway.....unless you're paying too much for insurance.
    If you file a claim, it will be written down somewhere....I promise you.
    Maybe your rates won't go up this time.....but then if something else happens then they will go up---even if it's not your fault next time.

    2. If you attach your Vehicle ID # (VIN) to an insurance company claim, then you're going to be the proud owner of a previously wrecked car. That's another thing that gets written down and reported these days.
    Like insurance claims....sometimes this doesn't mean very much.....and sometimes it does.
    Since people should never trade cars in, but they almost always do anyway dealerships usually check out their repair histories and CARFAX reports to see what kind of lemon they're about to get stuck with.
    OK.....so you should never try to hide a previous repair, but let's just say it looks better to have a previous owner say that they bumper-tapped another car and replaced the bumper pad, rather than see "ACCIDENT--INSURANCE CLAIM!!" on a Car history report.

    Just saying.

    2-1/2. Winter isn't over. Pretty soon people are going to be shoveling more global warming off of their driveways, and more wrecks are going to occur.
    Body shops are busy slap-dashing repairs to other snow-damaged cars.
    You have time to noodle all of this out.
    Take that time.
    You've rushed enough for one season.

    Good Luck!
     
    N.J.PRIUS likes this.
  7. kinglew

    kinglew Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2014
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    Location:
    ny
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XLE
    Leave early don't drive fast pay attention while driving.this may help save you time money in the long run.my 2 cents
     
  8. M in KC

    M in KC Active Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    KC, MO
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    The bumper and license plate bracket are cosmetic. The real issues are the energy absorbing foam and frame member are now compromised from doing their job. Those two items, if subjected to another frontal impact will not provide the same level of safety that they did before they were compromised. That being said you need to pull the bumper to inspect for other damage that is not clearly visible with it in place. On these roller skates with engines the front bumper is pretty easy to remove with some hand tools and patience.



    I'm not going to get all high and mighty with you as I would like to believe you have deduced the common denominator to your troubles. Take a deep breath and hit your reset button in life. If it were mine to deal with I would follow the suggestions of ETC(SS).

    .02