REAR ENDED!!!

[sh8wn9]

So, I was on one of CT's wonderful highways and was rear ended today. Messed up my bumber, the rear hatch door is all dented and no longer opens, the spare tire fell off and the rim is dented and the tire is popped, and the trailer hitch is bent beyond use(this took most of the blow I think).
I was just wondering, since it is Saturday and nobody is open, does anyone have any estimates as to what it would cost for a shop to basically replace the bumper, the rear hatch door, new spare tire and rim, and new trailer hitch. The driver at faults insurance company is obviously paying for it since he was the one cited and at fault. But since I cant take it anywhere for an estimate until Monday, I was hoping some of you experts could give me a rough estimate.
Thanks!

[fueler]

very nice. that looks like at least a 5 grand repair, they might total your pathfinder out! Cause there's probably frame damage where the tow hitch is bolted to the frame / unibody. Thats why your hatch wont open (it wont close either so dont try to open it too hard) thats not something you can just fix with a new tailgate.

[sh8wn9]

Hmmm....thats very interesting and I hope to hell thats not the case. It drove fine after it happened...well a few minutes down the highway after the accident...the spare flew off and mustve bounced twenty feet in the air on the highway with cars swearving out of the way to avoid it! But it seems to be fine. I guess the shop is going to have to inspect the frame and everything. Oh, and I havent tried to open the hatch...I can just tell by looking at it that any attempt would make it worse. It almost looks like it is permanently locked now.
Talk about minding my own business doing nothing wrong, and BAM smacked from behind. Thats what makes life interesting I guess

[fueler]

even with it driving just fine, good body work isnt cheap. If there was absolutely no frame damage, it'd be a 2-3k repair. But looking at the bumper and tow hitch... im guessing at least 5k (san diego prices) from a legit shop. Their insurance might try to lowball you so be careful. If the repair cost reaches half of the vehicles KBB value then they will want to total it!

If you can take 5 grand and keep the truck, id do that. custom tube bumper for 500... and a month long vacation in the bahamas with the rest!!

[sh8wn9]

Haha bahamas would be nice.
Yea thats why I need an estimate or two before the insurance company looks at it. If they offer me 3 grand, and later I take it to get looked at and its gonna cost me 5gs. Then they screwed me. I heard its how an estimator for an insurance company makes money by saving the company money on repairs. If it costs me 5g and he offered me 3g, then he would make a boat load of commission off of me.

[Chuck Tribolet]

FWIW, the last time I dealt with the insurance company, I got an estimate from the my body shop first. The insurance adjuster came in about $100 higher.


Chuck

[Buzzman]

What hit you, and how bad was his/her damage? Just curious.

[sh8wn9]

It was a small Honda suv...Im not sure the model of it though. It didnt look like his damage was too bad at all. Just some bumper damage. I saw him coming too...I was looking in the rearview mirror, and said to myself...are you fing serious, then I heard him skid and WHAM!

[miamiheat3332]

probably a CR-V, or maybe element.

[fueler]

heres a comparison for you:

dent in rear quarter panel, scratched bumper

i got paid $4000 for this

if it was a few grand worse (like add a destroyed hitch and destroyed spare carrier for example) and it would have been a total loss!!




it paid for my trip to cancun earlier this year! but i still have the dent

[sh8wn9]

Jeez body work seems to be so expensive. It looks like Ill end up getting over 5 grand for this. Id just like to have everything back to the way it was. I hope they dont deem it a total loss!

[TheReplay]

I feel for you, not because of the damage, but just becase people in the car insurance business are on my "scum of the earth list" right below politicians and lawyers. The salesmen arent bad, but the adjusters and appraisors can take a long walk off a short bridge for all i care. And its one-two punch to have to deal with them and the body shop at the same time.

Where in CT are u btw...?

[sh8wn9]

Im in Stafford. I got rear ended outside of Hartford on 91.

[m0nkeyprince]

heres a comparison for you:

dent in rear quarter panel, scratched bumper

i got paid $4000 for this

if it was a few grand worse (like add a destroyed hitch and destroyed spare carrier for example) and it would have been a total loss!!




it paid for my trip to cancun earlier this year! but i still have the dent

you got 4k for that? i shoulda checked with a body shop first before taking the 1.5k i got from an impala hitting my rear bumper and scratching the hell out of it. but you learn from expierience i guess...

[jpedderson]

I was rear-ended in the same fashion in my 2001 by a truck! Thankfully I was rolling when I was hit. It took about $7-8k to repair - new tailgate, new bumper, etc. Only one small portion of the rear frame rail was replaced. Amazingly it had crumpled just as designed. The shop took ultrasonic frame measurements and told me my suspension had moved by 1mm from factory specs.

[sh8wn9]

Damn, talk about precise measurements for that.
I got an estimate today and they came in at a little over 3300. He told me that it couldve been a lot worse and the frame seems to be fine...but I guess that can all change when they get in on the lift and when/if they do ultrasonic measurements. Im thinking if I didnt have the trailer hitch, the damage wouldve been ALOT worse.

[Empty V]

Sorry to hear and see about it bro. I don't tow anything with my R50 but this makes me want to buy a hitch. Keep us updated.

[fueler]

oh man, 3300 kinda low. I bet that was their insurance that provided that quote?


Go to a couple of reputable shops on your own to confirm that estimate.....

[sh8wn9]

Yea I never tow anything with my hitch either...but I guess it definitely adds an extra level of protection from rear end collisions.
I got my quote from an auto body shop thats been in business forever. The insurance adjustor is coming out tomorrow...lets see what he quotes...

[ReKleiner88]

I got rear ended by a golf cart, no lie! 1,200 bucks in damage.



That included bumper cover, mud flap and paint.


Conn. drivers are the worst drivers ever!!! Do they teach you to stay in the fast lane at all times no matter what speed you're goin? I drive to connecticut alot in fact I was in Ansonia this morning and I almost got hit on highway 15...

[Densetsu]

Yea I never tow anything with my hitch either...but I guess it definitely adds an extra level of protection from rear end collisions.

I tow a small amount, maybe 10 times a year, so I get some use out of my hitch. But as a person who parallel parks in a packed residential area for work, the best use of my trailer hitch is as a low-tech parking sensor.

Pop on a rubber trailer hitch cover, and voila. Make a mistake parallel parking and bump a guy while backing into a spot? No damage at all, not even a streak of rubber on their bumper. This might only happen once every few months now (when I'm squeezing into *very* small spots), but when I first started parallel parking on a regular basis, it was a lifesaver.

And it goes both ways... guys who bump into you from behind just hit your hitch, not your rear bumper.

[sh8wn9]

Yea I never tow anything with my hitch either...but I guess it definitely adds an extra level of protection from rear end collisions.

I tow a small amount, maybe 10 times a year, so I get some use out of my hitch. But as a person who parallel parks in a packed residential area for work, the best use of my trailer hitch is as a low-tech parking sensor.

Pop on a rubber trailer hitch cover, and voila. Make a mistake parallel parking and bump a guy while backing into a spot? No damage at all, not even a streak of rubber on their bumper. This might only happen once every few months now (when I'm squeezing into *very* small spots), but when I first started parallel parking on a regular basis, it was a lifesaver.

And it goes both ways... guys who bump into you from behind just hit your hitch, not your rear bumper.

Well, Im definitely glad I have a hitch now. Is there anything not good about having a hitch....I cant really think of anything. I never really parallel park, but that rubber hitch cover sounds like a good idea. Ill have to look into that, as soon as they fix the damn truck, which is now up to $4100.

[sh8wn9]

I got rear ended by a golf cart, no lie! 1,200 bucks in damage.



That included bumper cover, mud flap and paint.


Conn. drivers are the worst drivers ever!!! Do they teach you to stay in the fast lane at all times no matter what speed you're goin? I drive to connecticut alot in fact I was in Ansonia this morning and I almost got hit on highway 15...

Yes most drivers in CT are horrible . I think we are the 4th worst drivers out of all the states. I dont really go into the fast lane much at all...I try to keep the pathy at 70-72 on the highways. But hey, dont think that everyone in CT are the worst...Im an excellent driver. If theres one thing I learned from driving...its to pay attention to the other idots driving next to you more than your own driving hah.

[fueler]

the shop doing the repairs - they good?

[sh8wn9]

Yea, theyve been in business forever. Ive heard nothing but good things about them. Im still waiting to drop it off there...I guess they havent received the parts yet.

[Chuck Tribolet]

My hitch has saved my various Pathfinders several times, the '95 when it was a like a week old.

MMM, right now I'm regretting taking the hitch off the 'vette (it made it a bear to get the spare tire out). But only a little bit.

[sh8wn9]

So, I dropped off the pathy at the auto body shop today...should see the results early next week. Im the meantime, they gave me a buick enclave to drive! What a sweet car! Still miss my pathy though.

[sh8wn9]

So...$4011.18 later, the pathy came out beautifully. New rear door hatch, bumper, trailer hitch, spare tire carrier and tire and wheel, new resonator, suspension alignment. Heres some after pics...

[Densetsu]

For a second there, because of the lighting I thought your bumper was bent in. :P

Looks great... and these pics really show off your paint job too. Perfect as hell. How's the colour matching between the new and old body parts?

[sh8wn9]

Yea the lighting makes it look a bit bent, but its as perfect as can be.
The color matching is flawless....they did a really good job! I couldnt be happier.