Got rear ended - need ideas

mdrips · 10-24-2011, 06:27 AM

I got rear ended last week. Anything particular I should have looked at? I don't trust the standard "we'll just replace the bumper with something we found in a salvage yard" BS.

Any particular things that should be inspected?

JMatta · 10-24-2011, 06:49 AM

The bumper cover will need to be removed and everything underneath thoroughly inspected. How hard was the hit? There is an aluminum bar beneath that absorbs the blow as well as two "shock type" absorbers that were surely damaged, as well. I would also inspect the rear spoiler mechanism, since that may also be damaged.

Here's a couple of photos of my car showing the rear bumper cover removed as a reference.

mikefocke · 10-24-2011, 01:22 PM

Is the muffler and pipes straight? Bumperettes OK? (Great time to get the bomperettes painted if you like that look)

I had a rear-end'er with no sheet metal damage and no damage to the tail lights and it was considerably more than $1k even though they redid the existing bumper cover.

newlife · newlife's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdrips

I got rear ended last week. Anything particular I should have looked at? I don't trust the standard "we'll just replace the bumper with something we found in a salvage yard" BS.

Any particular things that should be inspected?

Hi,

If you have collision coverage on your car. Then you should take it to a Porsche dealer or a Porsche body shop. If the person who hit you has insurance then you need to insist that your car be looked at and repaired at a Porsche dealer or certified Porsche body shop. And if you have OEM parts coverage on your policy, that coverage will get you Porsche parts and no after market. I know the business... been an insurance agent at Farmers 25 years.

Rod

Alphaboy1 · 10-24-2011, 04:00 PM

I agree with Rod. You have the legal right to take the car to a bodyshop of your choice. I did this with one of my VW's. The insurance company quickly towed it to "There" approved body shops. I quickly towed it directly to VW dealer. This is interesting... So the "approved body shop" said they could fix it. VW totaled it.

nosnow4pc · 06:41 PM

Make sure they check the rear alignment and verify that the cross bar is not bent and that the rear points are within speck. It is very easy to bend the metal back there but thankfully reasonably cheap to replace.

I had a minor impact and the muffler hit the cross bar and it twisted. It wasn't notice for 20K miles until the rear pan had to be removed but couldn't remove it due to the force on the bolts. Also check Motor and Transmission mounts. If the exhaust took a hit the force was transferred somewhere to the chassis.

Take it to a shop that specializes in these cars, most shops will miss the hidden damage.

mdrips · 10-27-2011, 08:18 AM

Thanks for all the input. I'm dealing with an attorney that doesn't inspire me with confidence, but I figure good or bad, he will get more for me than my just letting the insurance company take care of me.

mikefocke · 10-27-2011, 07:20 PM

One approach is to find the best Porsche specializing shop in town and get their estimate so you know what you are probably dealing with. They probably won't say they will do it for that because they may discover hidden damage after they get inside and inspecting everything. So don't accept the offer for X$ and you sign that you are satisfied. Hold the insurance company's feet to the fire to pay the shop what is necessary to get the job done right...even if they have to inspect the damage mid-repair.

I don't agree that you need a lawyer unless there is something odd in what happened. You can even work through your own insurance company who will collect from the other guy's insurance company. I was in a $26K+ and a $1K+ accident, the latter just like yours, and I never needed a lawyer to collect on either.

Do report the accident to your insurance company as is generally required under the policy T&Cs.

Alphaboy1 · 10-28-2011, 03:05 AM

A police report also helped in my situation mentioned above. What was tough was we both had the same insurance company.

wosaibfm · wosaibfm's Garage

as all said, and i second, insist on porsche dealer repair or certified. i had to struggle to fix the rear trunk and the spoiler because the previous owner took it to a cheap mechanic who placed wrong parts. trunk opened sometimes and refused to work many times.

newlife · newlife's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikefocke

One approach is to find the best Porsche specializing shop in town and get their estimate so you know what you are probably dealing with. They probably won't say they will do it for that because they may discover hidden damage after they get inside and inspecting everything. So don't accept the offer for X$ and you sign that you are satisfied. Hold the insurance company's feet to the fire to pay the shop what is necessary to get the job done right...even if they have to inspect the damage mid-repair.

I don't agree that you need a lawyer unless there is something odd in what happened. You can even work through your own insurance company who will collect from the other guy's insurance company. I was in a $26K+ and a $1K+ accident, the latter just like yours, and I never needed a lawyer to collect on either.

Do report the accident to your insurance company as is generally required under the policy T&Cs.

Yeah, no need for a lawyer here. Its pretty simple... unless there is a serious bodily injury that results into an emotional distress, pain & suffering, loss of wages now and future... I would still take it to the Porsche dealer.

Rod

mdrips · 11-01-2011, 07:31 AM

It's ready to be picked up from the TOYOTA body shop. I went to the shop the day after the accident and was told that I couldn't drive it to the Porsche dealer (literally next door to the Toyota dealer) because they had removed the rear bumper.

Now they just want me to get the car without any inspection by a Porsche dealer.

mikefocke · 11-01-2011, 10:26 AM

And who authorized the Toyota dealer to do any work on the car? If you are the owner, the insurance company and the repair shop need your approval before beginning work.

So lets begin by assuming that cosmetically everything looks OK with the bumper, bumperettes etc. I wouldn't accept the car before getting a statement in writing that all the structural measurements were taken, the shock absorbers and bar behind the bumper inspected and measured, etc. And a statement of what work was done to what pieces. I'd walk over to the P-car dealership and ask under what conditions those shocks are replaced. I'll bet the bar is never straightened but replaced for liability reasons.

One reason I like to get multiple estimates.

newlife · newlife's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdrips

It's ready to be picked up from the TOYOTA body shop. I went to the shop the day after the accident and was told that I couldn't drive it to the Porsche dealer (literally next door to the Toyota dealer) because they had removed the rear bumper.

Now they just want me to get the car without any inspection by a Porsche dealer.

Hi,

Just wondering how it got over to the Toyota shop and not the Porsche shop? They certainly don't fix Toyotas over at the Porsche shop. And, the insurance company would never allow a Toyota to be repaired at a Porsche shop. If you were my client... no doubt that Boxter would be in a Porsche auto body repair shop.

Rod

dad911 · 11-02-2011, 02:35 PM

I don't know about where you are, but the local dealers don't do bodywork, don't have paint booths, etc. They send it to another shop.

mdrips · 11-03-2011, 07:25 AM

The Don McGill Toyota dealership has a huge body shop where many insurance agencies have an office right in the shop (Geico, Farmers, Nationwide, etcetera). I initially took my car there the day of the accident (2 weeks ago today). The next day, having discovered I could move it to the Porsche dealer, I went there and they said they had already taken off the bumper so I couldn't drive it to the Porsche dealer, which is literally next door to the Toyota dealer.
So! I put together a list of all the thing you people contributed to this thread and sent it to the Toyota adjuster. After a few phone calls and MUCH griping on his part, the car was taken to the Porsche dealer yesterday. Unfortunately this doesn't get better: the Porsche service manager calls me up and asks me what I want him to do with my list of things to be checked. My response was "Um, actually check them?" Porsche mgr.: "OH! I see!"
Jesus.
Anyway for $180 they are aligning all four wheels and checking the suspension this AM. If there are any parts that need to be replaced, I guarantee it will be a battle with the adjuster at the Toyota body shop to get them to pay for them.
Stay tuned.

mdrips · 11-03-2011, 04:39 PM

The conclusion is that Porsche found none of the possible issues everyone said to check on.
The front toe in was a bit out of spec, and they corrected that.

WEIRDLY, they noticed one of the muffler brackets not only was missing, but evidently had never even been installed. Not an issue for today though.

Just happy to have my baby back in her parking place.

newlife · newlife's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdrips

The conclusion is that Porsche found none of the possible issues everyone said to check on.
The front toe in was a bit out of spec, and they corrected that.

WEIRDLY, they noticed one of the muffler brackets not only was missing, but evidently had never even been installed. Not an issue for today though.

Just happy to have my baby back in her parking place.

Nice job Mdrips....

Rod