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Damage to car

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by nudriver, Mar 18, 2014.

  1. nudriver

    nudriver Member

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    Hi guys. I have a couple of questions I'm hoping you can help me with. I was involved in a recent accident where someone slammed into my driver's side rear wheel, causing damage to the front of the rim and the panels to the right and left as well as above the wheel, with minor secondary damage to the front bottom right panel when I hit a curb after the collision. I'm in the process of getting the work assessed by body shops and learned that there is a "skin" that can be replaced, though I've also been told by a more perceptive body shop person that there may be further damage behind the wheel in mechanical parts that won't show up until after I've been driving for a while.

    How likely is it that there is further damage if everything sounds and feels fine on the road as well as the highway? Is this just a scare tactic? Also, what else should I be looking for in terms of further damage? Considering the sound and feel of the impact I was surprised more damage wasn't done. Is the Prius particularly durable?

    Another, less important issue is that I've had a slight whistling in my steering wheel. Could the car be in need of fluid? It's a 2012, so I wouldn't think it would be needed so soon.

    Thanks!
     
    #1 nudriver, Mar 18, 2014
  2. maurices

    maurices Member

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    I would think that the body of the car, due to having a subframe, would be quite bit out of alignment, depending on how hard the hit was. By this I mean that the rear tires would no longer be in alignment with the front, it may be shifted over a few (extremely significant) degrees. This would cause "doglegging". Would chew up tires and not handle very well.
    A proper frame shop/ body shop should be able to make this all important assessment. This would be the most important aspect of the accident I would look into. You shouldn't have to drive the to find this out.
     
    #2 maurices, Mar 18, 2014
  3. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    If someone slammed into you, you should put a claim in with their insurance company. Many dealers have body shops that do repair work. I would recommend you bring it to a dealer to have your car repaired. The body shop does the body work, the dealer mechanics does any other mechanical work needed. No guess work needed.
     
    #3 JC91006, Mar 18, 2014
  4. nudriver

    nudriver Member

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    Do dealers tend to charge the most for repairs or will most estimates, regardless of where you get them, going to be similar? What about the question of durability and my steering column?
     
    #4 nudriver, Mar 18, 2014
  5. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    You can get the repair work done at whichever shop you choose. The insurance company will work with the shop to get the repair paid. Your only decision here is to decide who is going to fix your car and your insurance company should do the rest.

    The insurance company may suggest to you to use shops that are "approved" by their insurance facility. But that's simply a suggestion and you don't have to go by what they suggest. All shops will come up with different repair estimates, some high, some low. But unless you are seeking a "payout" on the insurance claim, you can basically go to any facility of your choosing to fix it. The insurance company will work out the details with the shop.
     
    #5 JC91006, Mar 18, 2014
  6. nudriver

    nudriver Member

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    What's a "payout"?
     
    #6 nudriver, Mar 19, 2014
  7. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    The insurance adjuster comes out and estimates the damage to your car, and you get the "payout" check from them, regardless if you fix your car or not.
     
    #7 JC91006, Mar 19, 2014
  8. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Really? Wow. We have similar here but only for cosmetic damage. With the rear area damaged in this incident described by the OP, it sounds much worse than cosmetic.
     
    #8 GrumpyCabbie, Mar 19, 2014
  9. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    The insurance adjuster normally comes in lower with their estimates. Once a proper body shop sees it, they usually have a higher estimate of damage. If you accept the adjusters estimate, then their work is already done, claim resolved. No need to mess with other body shop estimates that will often be adjusted higher

    SM-N900P ?
     
    #9 JC91006, Mar 19, 2014
  10. nudriver

    nudriver Member

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    There are many different options on how to fix my car. The main damage is to my quarter panel. The options are to patch it up and fix it, to remove and replace the whole piece, which involves cutting at the original seam/s (evidence of repair will show for someone looking closely), and just cutting out a portion at the bottom (I was told seams won't show).

    I don't know if the insurance appraiser is going to go for a whole replacement, though the labor hours in fixing the damage in that area almost make it more cost effective to replace the whole piece. However, I was told that the quarter panel is an area of tension, so it needs to be strong for structural reasons. Anyone have an opinion on this?

    On an unrelated point, my steering wheel sort of whistles when turned. Do I need fluid in there? The car's only a year and a half old.
     
    #10 nudriver, Mar 28, 2014
  11. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    It's an electric power steering system. No fluid to add. The only fluids to top up on the gen3 are the brakes, the coolant and the inverter coolant. Oh and the washer.
     
    #11 GrumpyCabbie, Mar 28, 2014
  12. nudriver

    nudriver Member

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    So why's it whistling and will repair, if needed, be covered by my 2 yr service warranty?
     
    #12 nudriver, Mar 28, 2014
  13. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Can't answer that. If it's under warranty, get it looked at - and soon. Does it just make a noise on full lock? Or just when you turn it?

    I am on my third steering motor at 80,000 miles! Though I think Toyota realised there was a problem on this early version and it was upgraded for later gen3's.
     
    #13 GrumpyCabbie, Mar 28, 2014
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