4 Months and $45k repair later - accident update

[Guss-E 2021]

Will it be much different if it is a modern ICE car like a Lexus or BMW?

Ha! I see your point. I was thinking about damage to the battery though. Even without pack damage, all the sensors and tech in cars today, drive train agnostic, makes for lofty repair costs for certain.

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[bdaughtry]

Will it be much different if it is a modern ICE car like a Lexus or BMW?

Nope.

I got rear ended by a box truck in September of 2019. I was driving a 2016 Corvette. What saves you from being totaled is the air bags. If they don't go off, you've got a shot. 2019 was the end of the run for the C7, Chevy had already moved to C8 (mid engine) production, so what was left was all there was, and after three years of happy ownership, I didn't want to part with my car if it could be fixed.

It took seven months to complete my repairs, three months, because GM was on strike at the time of the accident. Then after the parts started coming in in December, COVID takes over creating problems for most of the world. I finally got my car back, good as new, in May of 2020. 15K miles later, zero issues. They didn't do a good job reconnecting my back up camera, which ultimately had to be replaced. Used my warranty so that only cost $100 bucks when I finally got it done last year. The repair was 37K, add in the six thousand for the rent a car I had, it was 43K! It was all paid by the other guys insurance and I got the rental money back plus reward points from the credit card!

A win win, but something I don't ever want to go through again

 

[stmache]

4 months...I went through that with my first accident due to part constraints. Crazy they had to order a whole new cowl for clips!

Your Mach-e does look great after a good bit of body damage.

On my second accident and awaiting for an ETA now.

Enjoy the drive!

 

[Aquar33f]

4 months...I went through that with my first accident due to part constraints. Crazy they had to order a whole new cowl for clips!

Your Mach-e does look great after a good bit of body damage.

On my second accident and awaiting for an ETA now.

Enjoy the drive!

Oh no! Sorry you rejoined the club

Good luck!

 

[moparguy]

$45k later... Wow. That's almost the price of a new car. Not that trim level of new car, but... Wow. Ouch. Glad it's all back together and home again!

$45k gets you same car, even higher trim since he has base GT.
Trade in value with the accident is probably $30-$35k max now.

 

[Aquar33f]

$45k gets you same car, even higher trim since he has base GT.
Trade in value with the accident is probably $30-$35k max now.

I think that depends on where you’re looking. For my mileage in my area in the trim the price is still 51-57k (looking on Cars.com). By the same logic, the cost of repairs in my area are likely higher too.

I’m happier with it fixed and keeping my financing (pre rate hikes), vs buying used at a used car interest rate (3–5x of what mine is now).

I’m planning on having it for 10-15 years, unless something horrendous happens with the batteries. At that point I’m not going to be worried about value difference due to an accident 10 years in the past.

And while yes, the “cost” to repair is high, it was fixable damage. The cost of repairs = what insurance is able to pay. Just like the cost of health care is jacked up because of how insurance works.

I wonder what the “cost” would have been to have the car “recycled”. Better for it to be repaired and reused in great condition instead of totaled with a useless salvage title to be broken up for scrap and sit around for salvage or shipped over seas.

Separate example, I ended up borrowing an ‘07 Jetta off my parents. 120k miles, trade value is only $500. Mid April, the brakes finally start to go. Needs new calipers, rotors and pads. $1300 to get it fixed. After the repair car still drives great, and stops a lot better too . Engine and transmission still felt solid. Will be a good car still for hopefully several more years!

Sorry, went on a bit of a rant there on anti “throw away” mindset. But I did have 4 months to think about it .

 

[Jimrpa]

One of the most amazing engineering feats in modern automobiles has been the shift toward cars that protect the passenger cabin in an impact. To do this, cars are designed to absorb all of that energy, usually by crumpling and disintegrating. It means that even low speed impacts can do significant damage to the car, but those repair bills are a lot better than the injuries and deaths that have been avoided.

Absolutely spot-on. If you want to be horrified, go look at YouTube videos of the land yachts of the 1950s going through modern crash testing

 

[A-A-Ron]

Absolutely spot-on. If you want to be horrified, go look at YouTube videos of the land yachts of the 1950s going through modern crash testing

Also, watch the video of a Smart car crash tested into a concrete slab at high speed. The car completely disintegrates but the it’s likely a real occupants would be able to walk away from a similar accident without major injuries.

Around the 2:00 mark if you just want to skip directly to the carnage.

 

[sukhoi_584th]

And this is why auto insurance rates are skyrocketing.

 

[moparguy]

I think that depends on where you’re looking. For my mileage in my area in the trim the price is still 51-57k (looking on Cars.com). By the same logic, the cost of repairs in my area are likely higher too.

I’m happier with it fixed and keeping my financing (pre rate hikes), vs buying used at a used car interest rate (3–5x of what mine is now).

I’m planning on having it for 10-15 years, unless something horrendous happens with the batteries. At that point I’m not going to be worried about value difference due to an accident 10 years in the past.

And while yes, the “cost” to repair is high, it was fixable damage. The cost of repairs = what insurance is able to pay. Just like the cost of health care is jacked up because of how insurance works.

I wonder what the “cost” would have been to have the car “recycled”. Better for it to be repaired and reused in great condition instead of totaled with a useless salvage title to be broken up for scrap and sit around for salvage or shipped over seas.

Separate example, I ended up borrowing an ‘07 Jetta off my parents. 120k miles, trade value is only $500. Mid April, the brakes finally start to go. Needs new calipers, rotors and pads. $1300 to get it fixed. After the repair car still drives great, and stops a lot better too . Engine and transmission still felt solid. Will be a good car still for hopefully several more years!

Sorry, went on a bit of a rant there on anti “throw away” mindset. But I did have 4 months to think about it .

It is a rip-off, but insurance companies have no option but to pay, for now, not many shops are probably qualified to do EV repairs, if the cost stays like this, expect insurance rates on these cars to go through the roof, the cost to repair any ICE Ford, Toyota, etc in a similar accident would not go above $15k that's including ripping off insurance by a nice margin.

I used to buy salvage cars, repair, use or sell, 90% of the cars I bought were when I was back in Iraq, all purchased from US insurance companies, so when I bid, I bid based on pictures like the ones you posted and use my experience, almost all times my assumptions were spot on, there is no way this accident would cost $45k to repair, this car would not be recycled if it was salvaged, it will be sold on iaai and repaired, doesn't cost much to repair it or could've been used for parts, worth more in parts than a whole car, no a single piece is going to scrap.

 

[doogie63]

But look what the body shop and service department gave him.

 

[Aquar33f]

But look what the body shop and service department gave him.

OMG - that is why I’m getting 400 miles of range and over 6mi/KWH - they replaced everything with a body lightening kit!

 

[jpiazza67]

That much money is crazy for those kind of repairs and other stories shared. It's Christmas all year for the guys fixing crashed MME's, early retirement, and a 48' boat named WEFIXEVS in big letters across the stern.

 

[ElectrikPony]

45k!? Wow they should have totaled that -- bet they would have if they knew the final bill. It was worth ~30k at auction.

I hope this never happens to you, however I think you’re in for a rude awakening as to cost to repair a Mach e should it get wrecked. Ford’s cost of parts is astronomical. The fender flares for instance. $300.00 each. It’s no wonder why we are seeing totals 30-45k of damage.

 

[azerik]

OMG - that is why I’m getting 400 miles of range and over 6mi/KWH - they replaced everything with a body lightening kit!

Dude you got the plastic bolt kit! Sweeet

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