helpful advice - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

jaileen7 · 09-19-2007, 11:00 AM

Hi everyone,

I have a new 2008 Camry and just got rear-ended today after owning the car for 1 1/2 weeks! I'm fine and the car looks like it has only slight cosmetic damage on the rear bumper. There's one scratch/dent that's very slight and runs parallel to the ground and two very tiny gauges that went down to the paint. I'm trying to decide whether to get it looked at/fixed. If there's no risk of future rusting or complications, I'm inclined just to live with it. Does anyone know how the bumpers are made and have any advice for me?

Thanks,
Janet

JSM1284 · 09-19-2007, 11:05 AM

Did the person who hit you have insurance? If they did, why wouldnt you get it fixed? Just go to a body shop and get an estimate.

***Punks_Not_Dead5*** · 09-19-2007, 11:15 AM

I agree, go through insurance. It's their fault so it wouldn't cost you a dime. Just time in waiting for the repairs.

jaileen7 · 09-19-2007, 11:24 AM

I forgot to mention that the person who hit me didn't stop. I was stopped in a line of cars turning left (a tractor pulled out in front of the turn lane) when the light turned red. I had to go through the intersection, so pulled off at the first turn into a gas station. I got out and waited for the other car and he never came. I didn't get a good look at the car other than through the rear view mirror. I couldn't see a license plate because he was so close. So...no insurance possibilities.

hotboi · 09-19-2007, 11:52 AM

That sucks...well good luck....You can still just get an estimate. If money is an issue, you can still make a claim thru your insurance depending on what typ of coverage you have as well as your deductible....

Once again...good luck!

reprod · 09-19-2007, 12:24 PM

I would try insurance and make sure you ask if this could potentially increase your rates. Deductible is also a huge issue.

I got an estimate of 574 for a full sanding and repainting of the back bumper because the magnetic greys have a multi-layer metallic paint job.

Similar thing happened to me one month after having my car. I high-energy college girl driving a VW Jetta with flowers on her antenna hit my rear driver side and pushed in the side of the back bumper and gave me two scratches. Funny thing is there was only 2 cars in the entire parking lot during the day time... me and her. Took her insurance info but she told me that she would pay in cash since her insurance already had a record (go figure). Afterwards i noticed that 2 clips had just slipped out of place so I pushed them back in and I was good as new except for the 2 scratches. Still got the check though.

Sorry to highjack the thread like that.

Good luck on everything... it hurts even more when the Cam is so young.

gdanaher · 09-19-2007, 01:18 PM

Surely you carry uninsured motorist insurance, right? This is where it is applicable. There could easily be a lot of damage behind the plastic bumper. It just caves in and bounces back, but the metal and plastic behind it that absorbs the impact may now be crushed in and won't work the next time. Get it fixed even if it is on your dime.