Does this sound like 10k in repairs to you? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Takuza · 10-18-2010, 04:04 PM

A few days ago I was driving fast (like a stupid, stupid idiot

), underestimated a single-lane right turn (there's an island separating the coming and going lanes) and I was able to slow down to around 50-60kph before my brakes locked and my tires skid. I turned the wheel to the right so I wouldn't jump the curb and hit another car but the front left tire hit the curb first, and the rear left tire whipped into the curb from the impact. I was able to drive it 30 meters to a nearby parking lot to assess the damage and when I was driving there I could hear a "shringing" sound. Like the inside of the rim was scraping the brake calipers but just barely, making a sort of a high-pitched knife sharpening noise. Anyways I parked the car and noticed that the front left tire was coming out at a slight angle (I would say 2-5 degrees) and the rear was slightly angled as well. I drove it slowly to a nearby Toyota dealership and got the estimate for over $10,000. I asked if there was engine damage but they told me that they couldn't assess engine damage since the wheels were so wobbly (what, so it could cost even MORE?).

First of all, yes I am an idiot. I couldn't sleep for the last few nights because of what I did to my car. I've been driving this for 6 years now without any speeding tickets, crashes or even bumper/body damage. I don't know what got into me, and I am by no means an experienced racing driver. I feel terrible, and the only fortunate thing that came from this incident was that I didn't hit anyone and I also wasn't hurt. But it doesn't change the fact that I was a dumbass and I never should've been driving like that in the first place. So please don't post obvious remarks that don't help my situation, I'd appreciate it very much.

Second of all, there was no damage to the bumper or body of the car. I was lucky that the curb was shallow and I was able to avoid any damage to the radiator and other engine compartments. I know this for sure - my engine started fine and the dealership confirmed this as well.

Third of all I know that my steering wheel doesn't "wobble". I was driving (50-60kph) without such an issue. Unfortunately I didn't remember to let my hands off the steering wheel when I was driving to the dealership but I did try that while driving 10kph in the parking lot and it drove straight.

I know for a fact that I am getting scammed. My licence plate is from out of province and I am a student - can't get any better than that.

I just want to ask what the possible damages could be.

I did some researching in some other forums and I got:

Wheel bearings
Tie Rods
Sub frame (no clue what that is)
Control Arm(s)
Strut
Axle (hopefully not)

The funny thing is The quotes that some people got were between 1000-2500 for what seemed to be worse damage to the car (wheel coming out at a 20 degree angle, etc). The replies all pointed out to possible scams.

Any suggestions?

I'm going to pick up the estimate/damage report from the dealership, so I'll post the details later. I also took a picture of the wheel misalignment before I dropped my car off so I will also post that later. I'm pretty skeptical about what they're going to put into that report - I'm expecting a sheet that just says 10K written at the bottom of it with no specifics...but we'll see.

Thanks for any help in advance.

Takuza · 10-18-2010, 05:53 PM

So this was the quote I received from Toyota..these are all Canadian prices. All prices don't include labor. But apparently the labor is 100 dollars per hour of work. Wow.

Wheel alignment (all 4) - $100 (all labor)
Front lower control arm (arm sub-assy, suspen) - $133.60
Front lower ball joint - $133.60
Front steering knuckle (bent) - $393.50
Front axle wheel bearing (impact) - $72.70
Front axle hub (impact) - $140.00
Front drive axle assembly (leaking boot due to impact) - $576.00
Front strut assembly (plate bent, spring support) - $432.80
Sub frame bent (recommended replacement) - $1493.10

Drum descaling (service rear brake all) - $85.95
Battery (apparently it was damaged from the impact...its was a year old battery) - $135.95
Fender line damaged - $145.70
Front brake pads & rotors (rusted) - $258.23
Front left and back rim replacement - $1130.80

So the total for parts would come out to $5385.08
The Labor would cost $1748.03 (So 17.5 hours of labor)
And the Frakken HST costs me $927.30.

A whooping total of $8060.41.

I spaced out the "questionable" repairs and replacements. I know for sure I can get the rims for cheaper somewhere else, the fender line I can just duct tape it so it doesn't scrape on the ground, the battery wasn't damaged for sure, and the brake work (apparently it needs more fluid or something) I could maybe do. The brake pads and rotors are rusted but I don't think I need to repair them right now...I just want to be able to drive my car without worrying about the tires coming off or a similar fate.

This is much worse than I suspected..

***arabianobsession*** · 10-19-2010, 10:20 AM

I'm sorry to hear about your car....that sucks!!!!

If I were you I'd go to a reputable auto parts store and buy your own parts. You'd be amazed at the difference in price and the lack of difference in quality. I bought a pair of tie rod ends for $17 once and they lasted me for YEARS! Ball joints only ran me $20. I recently priced these agian and the price wasn't much higher.

As for the subframe....I'd double check that. If it is damaged then yes, it is a HEFTY cost to replace. There are shops out there that are willing to fix the subframe rather than replace it, but there aren't many and not all do a good job.

Strut assembly for $432????? You can buy FULLY adjustable coilovers for that kind of price!!! I bought coilovers for my car for the front for $160, at Rock Auto. They're awesome quality, made by Monroe. Again with the rims....OEM rims are fudging ridiculously priced across the board....now's the time to get a nice set of aftermarket rims for half the price!

A lot of times dealerships radically inflate their prices because the insurance usually pays, and then they can make more money. They don't like it when people pay cash and they're forced to lower their prices....

***mistamatrix*** · 10-19-2010, 10:03 PM

definitely check the junk yard for the suspension parts. try standard auto wreckers. brakes you can definitely find for more than half the dealer's cost. for rims, you can practically buy a set of 4 new ones for their cost!

thank God my neighbour's a mechanic and charges me nowhere the astronomical hourly rates nowadays and even does the work on my driveway.

Takuza · 10-21-2010, 01:22 PM

Thanks for the advice. Although the prices you gave me are in US dollars, I'm sure the price difference wouldn't be too great. I'll see if I can some parts at cost from my friend in Calgary, and for smaller things I'll look around. I will post updates soon. Thanks again!

Takuza · 10-21-2010, 01:24 PM

@ mistamatrix

Lucky you, knowing someone in that industry (and to be living right next door) must be amazing. I'll try taking the car to a non-dealership shop and see what they say. I'll check the junk yard when I get some free time. Thanks for the advice!

***Zembonez*** · 10-21-2010, 01:28 PM

Any repair facility that wants to charge you for such a repair should be able to provide a very detailed written estimate that will explain where all of the money is being spent. Suspension damage is very hard to guess on. Much of what gets damaged is hidden and a lot of the parts can get expensive. Crossmembers and the like are usually very high to buy new.

bionictony · 10-25-2010, 05:30 PM

thats why they call it the stealership... try an auto body repair shop. it will most likely be cheaper.

scarney1988 · 10-26-2010, 08:51 AM

I do not want to be the first to say this, but if you are going to pay cash for all of this... it may be time to get a new car. Something where it will need a new subframe... thats too much. Weigh your options, cause for 8k you could buy a decent car and do some key maint to it. Not trying to be a downer, but we get in accident cars at our toyo dealer (im a tech) and they wear tires funny, make wierd noises, and otherwise just make the customer unhappy. I would strongly recommend considering other options.

blkavalon · 10-30-2010, 07:02 PM

just do a small cover up fix, go to your nearest stealership and trade it in for a new car. you don't know nothing about sub frames....

blkavalon · 10-30-2010, 07:05 PM

PS if you decide to fix and keep i have to let you know that your alignment is never going to be accurate, so possibilities of having future problems are more likely. my mom had a car with a similar situation.