Pulled into a parking lot and . . . WHAM!!!

[JanGeo]

I pulled into a clients parking lot last Tuesday and as I pulled in and stopped for a few seconds I saw a guy that works there backing into my usual spot where I park. Before I could get moving again WHAM I get hit from behind . . . GOD what a sickening sound that is. A guy that works next door had just walked out of his office just before I got to the parking lot and saw that the lot was empty and got in his club cab dark tinted windowed black Silverado and just backed out of his parking space along the left side of the building (parked in the space facing the wrong way) and didn't even look behind him as he quickly backed up right across the entrance to the parking lot and into my left rear quarter hitting me with his left bumper corner. Knocked me right back into the head rest. Well this is my first accident in my third new car that I have owned and I have to say I am pissed. He apologized for hitting me and tried to say that it could be fixed up like new at a body shop down the street . . . sounding like he does this often. Anyway go inside, call the police, file a report, call my insurance company, report the claim, get the report from the police then next morning, and head off to Johnston RI to get it assessed. $2360 YEOW man don't get hit in the left rear quarter panel plus my baby gets driven for the first time by someone else grrrr a nice girl that owns a Scion!! so it's cool. Taking it to the local dealer that is really good with repairs and is recommended by my insurance company and works with them closely and they will replace the panel and it should take about a week. Parts have arrived and the only problem is I need my baby this week for some trips and ezpass use finally. Guess I have to pick out a rental . . . what to get hummmm. Also a great time to send back my early version ScanGaugeII to get upgraded. They still doing that??

Attachment 1588

[bowtieguy]

$2360 huh?

sounds like a stimulus package. take the check and blow it! sound familiar?

but seriously, glad you're ok. material things will pass away...

[GasSavers_maximilian]

For the future, I found this great accident kit online. It's very comprehensive. If you fill in your info ahead of time it can be used to distract the other driver, giving you time to take pictures! Pity he nailed the signal assembly.

[thisisntjared]

wow man that sucks!! i cant believe it could cost that much to fix that!

[R.I.D.E.]

Is all the damage in that photo?

If so I wouldn't replace that quarter in a million years.

regards
gary

[Jay2TheRescue]

I had worse damage to my truck when one of my employees backed into it (3 weeks after I got it). I eventually paid someone $100 to beat the dent out, but its never been to a body shop for it. I pocketed the $2,000 her insurance gave me.

-Jay

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by R.I.D.E.

Is all the damage in that photo?

If so I wouldn't replace that quarter in a million years.

Me neither, but different strokes for different folks. Sometimes it's not a good image to project to clients when you show up with various little dents that have been vaguely beat back into place (or not).

When my Grand Am got rear-ended purposely by a guy with road rage, I pocketed the insurance money and accepted that the rear bumper would be slightly misaligned (barely visible)...at that point it more closely matched the front bumper which I had whacked on a guardrail a couple years previous.

[GasSavers_GasUser]

I am glad no one was hurt. That is the important thing.

$2,360.....wow. Doesn't look that bad in the picture but there is a lot of labor cost in fixing that right..

Here's my thought on it. Since it is a newer vehicle I think you are forced to have it fixed or take a mega hit on the value of it if you trade it in or sell it down the road. Also it would rust where the paint was breached. The bumper looks ok in the pic. You could take it to a couple of places and perhaps get a lessor estimate perhaps??

From a fuel economy perspective, the aerodynamics of that side panel has been compromised even though it's only a little bit. Too bad you couldn't get the body shop to fab you some easily removable fender skirts included in the $2,360..

[JanGeo]

Yeah the bumper is the problem since the upper part is one piece and goes under the hatch all the way to the other side - they claim they can fix and repaint it. The quarter panel is another issue since it is double wall and is part of the interior containing the wiring for the lights and the fuel venting system. You can't tell from this angle but the whole area around the gas cap door is buckled in a couple of inches - concave instead of convex and the lines of that area would be really hard to reform to the exact shape - lots of compound curves. The paint actually cracked off the metal even along the front lower edge of the gas door. The rear driver side door gap is just about perfect maybe a little tighter than it is supposed to be to the wheel well. The tail light actually scuffed the rear hatch as it was pushed in but the hatch should only require a little touch up. That area is structural so it has to be properly repaired - the shock tower is right on the inside of the gas door plus the tow hook is behind that side of the bumper. Just hoping that the rear side window glue is not affected - wouldn't want that baby popping out. As it is right now there is an inner wall seal that is broken so the cabin is venting out into the hole and as it is raining I have to be concerned about water getting into the trunk area too.
I had a second quote from a really good body shop and it was $2800 and they only charge $65 an hour basically the same parts price and quoting system just a slightly higher hourly rate than the dealer?? Sort of unexpected. Hey have to support the local Scion dealer - wish that they were there when I purchased it - loaners are given from the purchased dealer.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Make sure that the window now only won't pop out, but that its still watertight. In my Buick the seal on the rear window was broken when I was rear-ended, but since it was durring a drought I didn't know the window leaked until several months after the claim was settled.