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Sometimes I think what I would do if the C43 got hit...as it is getting a little older they'd probably total it easily. Very hard to find a nice one, so I might end up seeking out an earlier E55.
If the fintail ever got hit, I'd cry before buying it back and fixing it up.
The hood wouldn't come open, so they ended up prying it open with a crowbar. Once I get a rental car tomorrow I will probably go out to the tow yard to try to get better pictures of the underhood area.
There are a lot of non-obvious things that could be damaged, like the run-flat tires.
What I don't understand is, the average driver has a wreck something like every 10 years or nnn,000 miles, but someone seems to run into me every year or so? Maybe I need to get an armored truck to drive... :sick:
The BMW Store does not have a body shop.. they use an independent shop nearby..
Sorry to see that... Glad you are okay..
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I think the BMW Store uses Overbeck's place (guy with the car repair radio show), but am not certain of that.
More importantly, good to hear you're fine. Cars can be fixed. People are a bit more fragile. Sorry about the car, though.
hey.... what is THAT in the first pic in the damaged area?? Looks like RUST??
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I agree with the advice from Mathias ... get a high estimate from a shop you can trust. Find out if the other party was insured or not -- if the driver's parents came to collect him, then it's possible that he is.
Best of luck on this and keep us posted. I've been there, done that too many times to count ... kept busting up cars, but no injuries. Only two were my fault.
I'm surprised that the hit tore out the leaf spring on that Cherokee. I wonder if it was somewhat weak and ready to break, anyway. That might also be what caused that that rusty lookins smear on the BMW. Either that or the tire. It's weird, but sometimes I've seen tires leave brown marks...and not just after going off-roading in the cow pasture!
Anyway, good luck. Hope your ordeal with the insurance company and body shop is painless!
My jeep got hit by a little mitsibishi or something car at close to 40 mph and she clipped the drivers side back tire in the same place. It popped the driveshaft out of the car and knocked the axle about two inches bakcwards but it did not seperate from the chassis.
PS - That looks like Nicholasville Rd...? (Former Jessamine Co resident myself)
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I think the thing you are describing that looks like a rusty smear is the reflector from the headlight. Accident report is ready, the other party is clearly at fault, but their insurer (Safeco) gave me the runaround so it looks like I'll be making my primary damage claim with State Farm.
No airbags deployed. My head, neck, and back hurt, and I can't sleep, but I guess I'll try to go to class tomorrow (took today off).
I called BMW North America, and they said the closest body shop they have certified is Voss Village in Centerville (135 miles away). If nothing changes, I'm having it sent to a recommended local shop for an estimate tomorrow and then I'll probably press the insurance company to handle it from there.
Anyways, who's fault was it? Someone's insurance is going up for sure.
I had to open a claim with my own carrier because Safeco (his carrier) told me that they wouldn't be handling my claim in an expeditious manner.
Good luck with yours and sorry that this has happened to a fellow CCBA'er
Mark156
Are you a BMWCCA member? Usually local chapter members know the best repair places--probably even if you joined tomorrow. Or try asking on one of the bmw (non-edmunds) forums for the best body shops in your area. Like, in the whole Boston area, there is one body shop that "everyone" takes their bmw's to.
Also, do you have another car to drive? This could possibly take.....a long time to get fixed.
Good Luck, woody
Sorry to paraphrase "Office Space," but . . .
"Wouldn't be handling my claim in an expeditious manner?" What the heck does that mean?
I thought Safeco was reliable and trustworthy. I guess not.
P.S. Love the treadless tires on the Cherokee; that's a sweet look.
Those cherokees are bult like garbage. My sister had a '99 Cherokee Sport and got rear ended in bumper to bumper traffic (the car behind her was travelling between 5 & 10 mph). There was no visual damage to the Jeep, but it wouldn't drive straight after that. turned out The frame was bent.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
I wrecked my jeep twice. The first time I got hit at nearly 45 mph and although it did bend the door in pop the axle out of place the car was just fine after repairs. I think the repairs ended up being about 5,500 dollars.
The second time I wrecked it I flipped it into 3 trees upside down at 50 mph. I slamed into the trees upside down and eight feet in the air. The roof only colapsed about 2 inches after landing on the ground and the engine was still runnign while upside down. The hood was barely buckled and the fenders were also barely buckled.
That second wreck did the vehicle in though as it had 145,000 miles on the clock by then and there was too much damage.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
The tires on the Cherokee looked like they had plenty of tread on them in person. I took those photos with my camera phone, which is kind of blurry (it also made my headlight reflector look like a rust spot...)
If there is really $12-15k in damage, I'm thinking I take the check and sell the wreck to a rebuilder. The front wheels look straight, though, so I'm not sure there's much structural damage.
Safeco (his insurer) basically said it will take a long time before they admit liability. If/when they do that, they will pay for a rental, probably retroactively, but as long as I might be on the hook for it, I'm not keeping it. I can borrow one of Mom and Dad's cars in the meantime--they can temrporarily get by with one vehicle plus Dad's motorcycle.
They said it could take several weeks. Fortunately, I had another vehicle I could use and could wait them out. During the waiting period, they kept hounding me to sign a medical waiver (which I didn't do). When all was said and done, I waited until the "totalled" my car out and they sent me a check before I signed anything.
Glad to hear you're doing okay, by the way.
I just remembered, the guy who rear-ended my mint condition E24 M6 was driving an old Jeep Wrangler. Did $12K in damage to my car, & almost nothing to his old junky Jeep. I waited 4 months on a "waiting list" to get the M6 into the best body shop in my area, then 6 months to be fixed (it took 2 months to get a bumper from Germany, etc.).
It's weird--when I got home last night, & before reading about your accident, I looked at my car, & thought--a 6 y.o. bmw is as expensive a car as I want to own. Not that I wouldn't freak if it was (God Forbid) wrecked, but I don't worry about it as much as a newer fancier car.....
It looks like the other driver was charged with inattention and disregarding a traffic light. Not sure if they interviewed any witnesses--the couple of witnesses I spoke to only saw the crash, not the traffic lights.
I was going to say, get a lawyer, but you are a lawyer, or almost a lawyer, right?
The best part was it was in Ohio where they actually have insurance as opposed to in Michigan where it's no fault insurance. Her insurance covered everything right away and we didn't even have to open a claim with ours.
I'm almost a lawyer, and have already spoken with the one I worked with over the summer about the wreck... I think I can come out of this situation okay, it's just a matter of how much effort and frustration I have to expend and experience to get there.
I second your comment about not wanting the risks of owning a nice car, but for better or worse, there are some material things that I genuinely enjoy, and leasing has its disadvantages as well, so there's no panacea...
That should have been easy.
Anything more than scratched paint would total that Cherokee.
Hmhh...
Sounds like a trail rig to me.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
TL - I was less impressed with the TL. The interior and features are really nice, but I expected a larger difference in driving experience between a loaded Accord and a TL. It should be RWD.
You've driven a loaded Accord? V6? You liked? Lately when I've seen current-gen Accords, I've thought, "good looking car, I could live with that". But I haven't driven one. Last time I test-drove a new Accord, in the late '90's (previous gen I think?), I was very un-impressed. But I was obsessed with expensive european cars then.
It's hard to argue with buying an acura or honda tho. I'm thinking of looking at used MDX's myself (my Tacoma p/u phase has passed, for now).....
The kicker is, it stickered for nearly $40K. After rebates, he bought it for $32K and change. Have to say, at that price, it's a lot more bang for the buck than the RDX.
OF course, I'm sure MPG isn't going to be as good as an RDX. Resale value won't be as good either. Still impressed with it, though.
Actually the last Accord I drove was a loaded four-banger. It was a little underpowered, but otherwise very nice. Couldn't get excited about it, though, and I'm afraid I have the same feeling about the TL.
I think I'm going by the Lexus dealer tomorrow.
Chain your soul to your wallet and your wallet to your belt loop.
Of course, all the people who write in, or read, the Roundel, have drunk the BMW Cool-aid. But I guess if you're gonna spend $32K+, you might as well get something that turns you on......
One nice thing about Acuras: there's usually only 1 or 2 option packages per model. Unlike bmw where there's such a vast array of separate options, & option packages, that it can be confusing, not to mention potentially very expensive.
Some think the RDX is "overpriced", probably because of it's smallish size. But it's a "Premium brand", what are ya gonna do? A loaded RAV4 would be $$thousands less, but you can't even get Xenons for instance, which are standard on the RDX. And I'm guessing the RDX interior is a lot nicer, & that even the base stereo would blow away any Toyota (but not Lexus) stereo, etc.......
The turbo four in the RDX is impressive. You can tell by the engine note that it's a four-cylinder, but it's very smooth, and they even included a boost gauge.
The V6 in the TL felt less smooth than the Pilot that I drove! The Pilot was a 4WD model (without the active engine noise cancellation technology).
If traffic is as backed up as it was earlier this afternoon, I don't think I'll make it to the Lexus dealer today.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
If you are looking at luxury Suv's , have you considered my favorite, the Murano. I think they are the most still unique of that class.
My primary objective is making sure I'm not out $$$ as a result of the wreck. The looking for a replacement vehicle is an interesting and much-needed distraction from that.
As far as getting another 325i, I have lived that dream, and enjoyed it, but I think I'd rather try something else next time. Mine had electrical problems from the day I took delivery, which were only recently corrected.
I've been getting more bummed with the Run Flat tires forced on us with current bmw's, & Mini's (my E39 has a full-size spare). What if you're driving late at night in the Boondocks, & get a flat? The Run-flats only have a limited range when flat, right?
My plan has always been to fill it with Fix-a-flat to try to keep air pressure in it. If you haven't driven it with zero pressure, there's a chance of saving the tire (if you go to a tire shop--BMW dealers won't repair them). Those who have actually utilized the run-flat capability have reported that the actual range with no air pressure is longer than claimed.
I would prefer standard tires with a spare until run-flat technology is a little better developed (i.e., the dealers are willing to repair them).