Paculdo

hey guys,

just got 'rear ended' a few minutes back..

MB is at a slightly inclined position (up to a bridge)... rear car thought it's already green/go at the intersection ahead and hit me (probably at about 5-10mph).. it's dark and car is dirty so only thing i noticed is the dent from the guys front plate # screw and some scratches.. bumper seems to have held up, not sure though if there's any mis-alignment.

anything thing else to check tomorrow? i'll clean up the car and see.

thanks in advance

who8myrice

Hey Paculdo,

I was also involved recently in a rear end collision at probably 2mph. It wasn't even 12 hours after I drove off the dealer lot when the asshat hit me after we both had initially came to a stop.

Anyway the initial damage was minimal, just two small dents from the guys license plate on my bumper. However since it was his fault, he claimed he was trying to answer his phone and let off the brake on accident, I filed the insurance claim and took my car to a body shop.

They found spider cracks on the inside of the bumper after they took it off and deemed it necessary to replace it as they felt they couldn't repair the bumper properly, I didn't really care since nothing was going to be out of my pocket.

Hope this helps out and just be aware there might be damage on the inside of the bumper.

KIS007

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. In my experience, bumper cover and paint should be around one thousand bucks (if no other damage). I was rear ended three times in less than three years in my last car and my insurance had to pay on two of the claims. Hopefully, you will have a better outcome than me. Good luck.

m a x i m u s

check to make sure your exhaust tips didn't get hit.

CarHopper

^ Check tips and just whatever paint damage is on the bumper.

Honestly, I would try to not make claims and keep the carfax clean.

JRHolt

If you plan on taking care of this yourself I would remove the bumper cover to see if there is any hidden damage. If you find anything significant then I would ensure you get it repaired by a reputable Mercedes Dealership.

Like the other guys stated, inspect the exhaust tips to ensure they were not damaged either.

Hopefully you got the guys insurance information just in case you need to make a claim.

Good luck

-Marlin-

Good idea...then you can pass it on to the next unsuspecting forum member without fixing it properly. Ironic that you used the word honestly.

CarHopper

^Really?

For something so minor that will have absolutely no effect on the car's reliability and can still look perfect you'd have your car listed with an accident? So it takes a huge dive in value and nobody wants it? All because you got a paint scratch from license plate screws...

If the car checks out, and it is very minor just pay to have it touched up and don't make claims.

Paculdo

cleaned the car.. so here's what i can see for now:
1. scratches and marks from the other car just above the rear diffuser
2. plate # screw marks on the rear diffuser plastic
3. rear diffuser plastic have also stress marks (color changed to light gray/white from the hit)

tips seems to be alright

all in all not bad.. my worry is the alignment and all four doors seems to be opening/closing properly, the trunk also opens/closes properly.. one more thing i noticed is that the rear bumper seems to be a bit low (barely but noticeable gap between trunk and bumper)

Paculdo

.. but before i call the guy today

if i claim against him (thru his insurance).. would that claim show up in accident, damage, etc in carfax)???

im worried that while the this minor damage can be easily fixed (replace rear diffuser, repaint/spray the scratches and align it a bit (re: barely noticeable gap between trunk and bumper), the whole reporting thing will affect value of the car (not keeping this forever, might trade this in a year or two)

jcfay

I know I wouldn't be happy if it wasn't fixed right, and by that I mean go through insurance, bring it in for repair, and have them do a full inspection. I'm not trusting my own assessment and risking future issues. It may seem minor, and may be, but with these vehicles a relatively small incident can correlate with big $. My 2c.

m a x i m u s

personally, i'd just go through the other guy's insurance. it may or may not show on carfax depending on if the ins co reports it. you can even ask them first if you want. even if it does report, just keep the receipts to show that it was a relatively minor issue (as opposed to structural damage).

Paculdo

the wonder of social media.. looked the guy up.. young guy.. sales (mall shop)
called him and asked if he wanted me to call his insurance, and then asked me what the damage is/are and if i have any idea how much it would be... told him i'll take it to a shop (gave him an option if he knows a shop that i'll take it there)..

looking at an MB accredited body shop (i think i have 2 shops in mind)..
* several small cracks (not scratches) that i noticed too.. aside from the scratches already
* most likely to replace the rear diffuser

as a fought estimate, will this go to $1k+? i'm worried the young guy might not be able to afford it :-( i don't want this to be too much of a hit for the guy

BUT

i'm still upset about the scratches.. and the diffuser.. have tried to buff it out but it's still there

Paculdo

he's insured under his parent's policy..

m a x i m u s

bumper repair will be around $900. if for some reason they opt to replace it instead, it'll be 1500. may need a new diffuser as well for another 500 or so.

jcfay

You are INSANELY considerate of someone who rear-ended you. I rear-ended someone this way once (you only make this boneheaded move ONCE, trust me), and the person was understandably pissed even though they were driving a jalopy. You're earning some good karma but don't screw yourself in the process. It is nice of you, though. Kudos.

solekeeper

No bumper repair should cost over 900. That is beyond insanity.

For that you can replace.


I have never charged anyone over 600 to repair a bumper, including many Maserati's, Bentley's etc.


OP, if you need any repair advice, PM me.

Paculdo

just an update..

took it to a shop and got a rough estimate between $800-$1000 (remove bumper, prep, paint, replace plastic rear diffuser, install - labor, parts, tax, etc)

considering to get sidv22 rear diffuser seems to be my best route but i would shoulder all that expense (that, plus to pay shop to install it will still be roughly $250 all in all).. that still leaves me with the small cracks and scratches.. aargghh

solekeeper

you are getting raped on that bumper. Have fun.

Critter

Really guys, it's not always about the car, do not be silly and try to get the kid to pay out in cash. What do you do if in a few days you go to get out of bed then find you are in extreme pain from a unknown back misalignment. You will have no claim to the kid as there is no insurance co. involved. My son is still going through hell with his neck because of a similar rear end accident at slow speed, but fortunately insurance is involved.