Sad day, accident in 2010 hihy limited :( - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

synch22 · 10-31-2010, 10:35 PM

Wow only 7 months old and my first accident in all my years of driving. Passenger door, front right side and bumper all pretty much toast, i think the tire and rim are damaged as well even though i can still drive the car.

I was making a lane change and checked mirriors and over my shoulder as i always do, lanes were coming out of a complete stop as i went i made the move and out of nowhere this young lady was flying, it was obvious from the impact etc (i know this is only my opinion) thank god she didnt hit a power pole which was 4 feet away as she rolled up onto the sidewalk.

So first off thank god my baby was not in the car, my dad the passenger not injured and her as well thats #1.I was ticketed and told no matter what I made an unsafe lane change, does not matter if i feel like she came out of nowhere etc... no witnesses bothered to stop.

Guess i am wondering most of all can they fix my car up and make her look as good as she did prior? Anything I should be aware of considering this is a hybrid... do i have Toyota take a look at it as well besides just body work.

Thanks, never ruined a new vehicle so a bit frustrated but know its only material so dont harp too much on it.

MikeyD25 · 11-01-2010, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by synch22

Wow only 7 months old and my first accident in all my years of driving. Passenger door, front right side and bumper all pretty much toast, i think the tire and rim are damaged as well even though i can still drive the car.

I was making a lane change and checked mirriors and over my shoulder as i always do, lanes were coming out of a complete stop as i went i made the move and out of nowhere this young lady was flying, it was obvious from the impact etc (i know this is only my opinion) thank god she didnt hit a power pole which was 4 feet away as she rolled up onto the sidewalk.

So first off thank god my baby was not in the car, my dad the passenger not injured and her as well thats #1.I was ticketed and told no matter what I made an unsafe lane change, does not matter if i feel like she came out of nowhere etc... no witnesses bothered to stop.

Guess i am wondering most of all can they fix my car up and make her look as good as she did prior? Anything I should be aware of considering this is a hybrid... do i have Toyota take a look at it as well besides just body work.

Thanks, never ruined a new vehicle so a bit frustrated but know its only material so dont harp too much on it.

First off, glad to hear everyone is OK!!!

Next, yes they can make your baby (H/L) look as good as new. Make sure you use a reputable collision shop or the dealership, make sure you get a warranty on ALL work that is done to your vehicle by the collision shop, and tell them that you DON'T want body parts made in China used on your vehicle - there's usually a problem with fit!

Finally, when you get your H/L back go over it with a fine tooth comb and tell the body shop of anything that you notice is not to your liking. A good body shop will not do shoddy work!

My '06 had $14,000 worth of damage and it was fixed! I drove it for another year without any problems what so ever - a quality vehicle by Toyota!

Good luck!

MD

***TrailDust*** · 11-01-2010, 01:37 PM

synch22, glad to hear everyone is okay.

Got a question for you, if your Highlander is declared totaled are you going to get another or change to a different SUV? Enquiring minds and all that....

synch22 · 11-01-2010, 11:10 PM

Dont think the car will be considered totaled but if it was i would get the same vehicle. We simply love the car despite a few short comings. I talked to the insurance company today and i am responsible for the whole accident etc...so always know whatever happens while you make the lane change you will be on the hook.

So ok with that moving on, now i am researching how the warranty works after an accident if i need it repaired at Toyota etc. USAA made sure to voice that dealership repairs are much more than their body shops and i would be on the hook for the difference if I chose to go to the dealership. Being a new car i qualify for OEM parts.Who knows i will be sure to post my findings and how the car turns out. Just took it for a stroll tonight, the steering wheel is off center leading me to believe alignment and issues with the passenger tire amongs the body work. I will know more once taken in.

***TrailDust*** · 11-01-2010, 11:35 PM

USAA FTMFW!

nov0798 · 11-13-2010, 08:06 PM

I also have USAA, and I was in an accident last January. My shop sis an awesome job, cant even tell it was wrecked. As for warranty, dont worry. Better yet dont say anything!

Thunderchief · 11-13-2010, 09:58 PM

First off, as everyone said, glad you are OK. The car is just sheet metal and wheels plus gears. As long as there is not frame damage, she should get fixed OK. If it's just sheet metal, they will get new doors and fenders and all should be well. If a frame was bent, I'd tell you to dump and start again.
I'm glad you (we) have a safe car that did it's number one job, protecting the human cargo. The rest if it is way down the totem pole in retrospect.
Keep us updated as to the outcome and try not to worry about the visual condition right now, they will correct it.

***becks*** · 11-15-2010, 10:01 AM

+ 1 USAA..Great company !! Semper Fi !!

South Pender · 11-19-2010, 07:15 PM

My wife backed my 2010 HiHy into another car and did a number on the rear bumper (nothing else was affected). Mine is in this damn Blizzard Pearl color. The bumper had to be replaced, of course, and this was pretty straightforward, but the painting of it was definitely not. Matching the color to the body proved very difficult for a pretty experienced body shop. In fact, the bumper has now had its third painting; the first two didn't produce a close-enough match, and I took the vehicle back to them twice for a repainting. Fortunately, the body shop didn't charge me any extra for Paintings #2 and 3. The third try was pretty good. I can see the difference, but I doubt anyone else would notice it, and I'm told that it may improve (in my case, this would be for it to darken a little) over time. (Anyone know whether this is true?)

Anyway, this is all to recommend that you pay very close attention to the repainting and insist on a really good match. (if it is not too late). Your color may be an easier one to match than the Blizzard Pearl, which is a tri-coat color. In any case, though, hold them to a really good match, and if it is not that on their first try, get them to do it again.

Oh, BTW, my wife has decided that she never again wants to get behind the wheel of my HiHy, restricting all her driving to her own Camry.

synch22 · 11-27-2010, 11:59 PM

Picked up the car last friday and to be honest it looks great. Total bill was about $5k, needed new door panel, bumper and the right side between door and bumper, and a new wheel ($575) for that alone.

All in all we are more than satisfied, the color is Blizzard Pearl and it looks like it matched perfectly. Car is driving smooth and seems like its back to pre - accident condition.

Lesson learned glad it was not worse with injuries etc, and in the end its just a car. Took a few days to realize how bent out of shape i was about a material possesion.

Thanks all.

ROMAFERN · 11-29-2010, 12:26 PM

So how much will USAA get you back for all this? Or did they pardon you for being a good drivers after many years?

synch22 · 11-29-2010, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROMAFERN

So how much will USAA get you back for all this? Or did they pardon you for being a good drivers after many years?

Good question and thats something i am waiting to hear an answer on. As 10 year members with no accidents we were supposed to have the free $0 accident forgiveness in place as a courtsey.

Well i didnt even know that existed and when i found out i looked at my policy online and it says ($0) this is provided but next to it "coverage declined". I was never verbally or electronically offered this coverage and a new policy was put in place in April due to the new car. Why would a free coverage be declined by a customer.

So i spoke to one rep who said yes this should have been in place at the time of the accident but it wasnt and I quote "thats why we ask you to call and check with us regarding policy renewals every 6 months or so". But he did me a favor and put it in place now... not for the time of the accident lol.

So moved on from him and put the question to the claims adjuster who said she didnt know the answer and it would need to be reviewed by underwriting. I told them that the way USAA handles this issue will weigh on our overall satisfaction and if they want to say i was not covered on a technicality of a check box then so be it.

I will be sure to post what happens since there are a number of USAA members here, make sure you check that the forgiveness is in place if you qualify for the freebie. To me this should be a no brainer for them to keep us happy and cover it but USAA has changed in many ways over the years. It has been 4 weeks and still no answer from them.

ROMAFERN · 11-29-2010, 04:52 PM

I would not wait for them to tell you. Call them and ask or you will be *surprised* when it comes to renewal time.

USAA used to rock but like you said, they have changed due to the crappy economy. I will have to call them and ask them. You hear their commercials all over the radio here...They sure did not get my HL loan as Toyo financing gave me a better deal.