mrobinso

Got into a low-speed two car accident on my morning commute Tuesday of this week. I am still depressed about the car and don't really feel like going into the details, so I'll try keep it short. Thankfully, no one was hurt. The car in front of me started to accelerate in stop in go traffic, the vehicle (a 2007-2010 Camry) then slammed on the brakes as it realized traffic was stopping short. I had been begun to accelerate seeing the vehicle move and my reaction time was too slow; slammed the brakes and slid into the back of the Camry. I don't tail gate, but it is a stretch of road in which there is typically a 20-30 car backing up from a stop light, in which cars are varying speeds between 5 and 45 mph and everyone is tailing eachother closely. Not making excuses, just trying to put it into context. I felt that I was most likely traveling 10-15 mph when I hit the vehicle.

The car itself did everything it was designed to do. The crumple zones worked perfectly; a true testament to Mercedes engineering and safety. As you will see from the pictures, the bumper and hood pushed inward, absorbing the shock of the impact, and the front driver side airbag deployed (no other airbags deployed). When I made impact, I honestly didn't feel that I was moving that quickly, but I suspect that a good deal of that was due to the crumple effect and the air bag cushioning my movement forward upon impact. I jumped out of my vehicle within five seconds of impact and ran to the vehicle in front of me to make sure the driver was alright, they were fine (only one person). The Camry itself didn't look so bad, the bumper was mangled and sagging, but the trunk and rear quarter panels appeared to be untouched - the vehicle's airbag did not deploy. My car, on the other hand, looked like it had hit the Camry at 45 mph instead of 15 mph - I believe this is a direct result of the crumpling design Mercedes incorporates into the design of the car. As you will see from the pictures, the front quarter panels are untouched from the damage, while it looks like the front bumper and hood were crushed by a hammer. I believe the relatively low "nose" of the C55 combined with the high-sitting bumper of the Camry also compounded the manner in which the front of the C55 crumpled. The only side effect I had from the accident was a stiff neck the next day.

Feel free to critique my driving skills if (I won't pay much attention), but what I am really posting this for is to get your input on the damage. Right now, I am waiting for my insurance claims adjuster to get to the auto body shop and set an initial value on the vehicle and on the estimated repairs. Currently, I am driving a Corolla rental car and in a funk because my car, my pride and joy, is in disarray a. Unfortunately, the claims adjuster handling my case already visited the autobody shop where I took my car the morning I was in the accident and won't have the capacity to assess the vehicle until most likely next Tuesday (this is very frustrating, of course). I really don't know the extent of the damage (other than superficial damage) and whether or not it is repairable. I am positive that if the engine is unrepairable, the car will be totaled. If not, I believe that C55s still have enough value (mine is just shy of 50,000 miles) that it will be fixable. The one thing I do know is that the engine was pushed backwards a few inches in the engine compartment, and refrigerant or coolant was leaking (no oil), the timing belt was also off its track.

I have owned the vehicle just over a year and I was planning to drive this car for another 4-6 years and desperately want to get it back. This was my first accident (hopefully my last), and its a shame it had to be to this car.

Take a look at the pictures an let me know your thoughts. What do you think my chances are of getting the vehicle back?

AMGSC

Sorry to read about this. I'm glad your OK and the car looks to be repairable unless there is hidden/internal damage to the motor being pushed back.

Good luck either way.

CLKCLK

First I am sorry to hear about that.

I am very much think they will total the car even it's fixable. If they do, just get over it. Get a E55, CLS55, or a C63 to make you feel beter

Side note: I really hate someone hitting from behind. Be prepared, your insurance will go up.

Good luck!

chris.bachman

I've heard people throw around the statement that if the driver or passenger front airbag deploys there is a high probability that it will be written off as a total loss, whether there is any truth to this is beyond my knowledge.

There is absolutely no way to tell from pictures how bad the damage could be. Maybe, like we all hope, it's just cosmetic and a few mechanical parts. However there could be slight frame damage, engine damage, or any number of things. Your adjuster and the mechanic will be sure to find all the problems.

As easy as it is for those of us without wrecked cars in the shop to say "its just a car" I know the feeling. But there is the bright side to look at, you're fine, the other party is fine and there are plenty of other cars out there to be had if this one wasn't meant to be.

Again, glad to hear you're alright after the collision and keep us posted on any new developments.

loudandheard

If it is fixed, think about upgrading your headlights to bixenons and see about replacing the bumper with a clk63 bumper. If they do total it, I would buy it back and either fix it or part it out. Maybe you can get a new steering wheel too. Think of it as an opportunity to start over and get something better or improve your car.

betrezra

I'm glad you and the other party are OK.
Cars can be replaced... you .... not so much.

I'm towing this line the older I get.... I'll be 43 this weekend.... and am discovering the things are fun and shiney.... but the people are the real gold.

Peace.

ZachG

Ditto the above comment. Thank goodness you and the other car's passengers are OK! I had a pretty scary skiing accident about 6 months ago and was bed ridden for about 3-4 weeks. I am 100% again now and count my lucky stars every day that I can walk, run, drive etc. Something like this really teaches you to appreciate the gift that is your health every day!

That said, the car damage doesn't (to my not overly experienced eye) look too bad, wishing you the best in repairs!

mrobinso

Fellas - thanks for all the input and supportive words. I am certainly very thankful no one was hurt or injured. One thing about the C55 that is obvious but that I never thought of before, because the engine bay is packed so tightly with the 5.4L engine in the CLK sized engine compartment, any frontal impact will almost without a doubt impact the engine.

Right now I am just playing the waiting game. Chris - what you said about the steering wheel and airbag deploying is also a concern of mine. And yes, as someone else said, of course my rates will go up after this (by how much is the real question but to be honest I am not even concerned about that at the moment).

The really unfortunate part of the whole thing is that, if the vehicle is totaled, I most likely won't end up in another C55 (and definitely not an E55 either - I don't have the funds to buy one with low enough miles to make it worth my while and I don't want to buy a high mileage one). Right now cars.com has 18 C55s available in the US, none of which are remotely close to where I live and all of which have higher prices for the mileage than what I got my car for. Not sure what I will do if its totaled so I am just hoping that is not the case.

Will update this thread once I get a substantive response from the claims adjuster.

Again, any input is appreciated but as someone else mentioned, it will be nearly impossible to assess the damage from the images I provided.

betrezra

If funds were an issue after a C55.... there are MANY good performance bargains out there that I've had my eye on that would leave a smile on your face and more bucks in your wallet:

C5 Vette..... 01 Z06 can be had for a song, and low $$ to maintain/mod (autocrosser, track car, drag racing)
Used WRX (nice autocrosser)
Used late model mustang (nice autocrosser)
... and so on....

Good luck!

AMGnut88

my condolances man, i hope your girl is fixable whats done is done now so i hope your not getting down on yourself or anything. but in the event shes totalled you must preserve her memory by getting another german wrecking machine

Sephiroth

just a rough estimate, it looks like at least $6000 worth of damage. The airbag is super expensive. that's why most accidents when the air bag goes off, the car is totaled.

new front end or fix front end
hood
bumper, grills
radiator
head lights
airbag
+ possible realign both fenders
+ possible engine damage (unlikely)
+ paint + labor.

I'm not a adjustor but my estimate is from my past experience with repairs. unfortunately It's pretty significant damage. sorry about the accident and good luck dealing with insurance.

Ultra Stone

mrobinso,
Sorry to hear about this. After the dust settles and everyone is fine it still sucks. I can tell by your posts that you put a lot of care into your ride and that it is a great source of pride. I feel the same way about mine. It doesnt make it suck any less, but it is just a tool (a fun one) to get the job done. If it is not repairable I'm sure sure you will eventually find something that is just as fun. Depending on your insurance, your rates might not go up. I have been in 1 accident and it didn't increase my rates despite being found at fault. (for getting rear ended no less)
It seems like traffic has been pretty bad this week. Maybe it is the back to school crowd. This could serve as a reminder to the rest of us to take extra precautions around this time of year.
Don't dwell on it and let it get you down. It wont do you any good. Try to relax and enjoy the holiday weekend the best you can.

Best,
Stone

mrobinso

Thanks again for all of the input everyone, I definitely appreciate it. To be honest, I think it is hard for most people (who aren't what I would call "gearheads") to understand where I am coming from being so down about the car, but I can tell from your posts that people on this forum can sympathize with my situation. But again, don't get me wrong I am extremely grateful no one was hurt and I know its just a car and there are plenty of other great cars out there - I just hate to see my car like this and it doesn't help having to wait around to find out whats going to happen.

Fortunately, my insurance claims adjuster was able to get out to the autobody shop early this morning and do the initial assessment of my car. This is very good because until he did that, the autobody shop could not start "tearing down" the car to look for additional internal damage. He valued the damage at $8,000 for parts/labor - again this is an initial assessment. The engine won't turn over and the shop is concerned there is transmission damage, which needless to say, would be bad. The adjuster put a note on the assessment and also conveyed when speaking to me that he expected his initial estimate would require a "substantial supplement" once the autobody shop tore it down and assessed the internal damage (if any).

Should hear by next week what the second revised estimate will contain. Also, the claims adjuster didn't provide a value for my vehicle on the assessment. I assume this is standard protocol in the industry to keep the owner in the dark so the insurance company can determine whether or not the vehicle will be totaled without the liability of the owner disagreeing and suing. Can someone confirm that is true?

Thanks again for the support.

BHeart

First let me say, I'm glad you and the other driver are okay. Now as far as the damage, I would say that you are probably running a 50/50 chance of them calling it a total loss. I had an 18-wheeler peel off one of his tires on me on I-95 a few months back. I ended up having to replace the bottom bumper/grill, my supercharger intercooler, and the plastic undercarriage. Parts and labor ran close to $4K. So I would brace myself if I were you. I would also look hard at the buy-back option, if you really want to get her back up and running (in case the adjuster doesn't go your way).

c32used

+1

Tump43

Wow, I definately empathize with you and your loss but, like everyone else, I am thankful that neither you nor anyone else was hurt. I agree that you have a 50/50 chance of your car being "totaled" -- the engine moving back in the engine bay concerns me, any structural damage is very difficult to fix and the car may never be the same. (I know, my C43 AMG was rearended and after 3 months and $25k in repairs I got it back; however, it didn't handle as well as before). AMG's get expensive fast. On my C55 in a recent storm I had to drive through a puddle and the bottom third of my bumber was ripped off. All said and done, insurance repairs were nearly $5k -- one bi-xenon, fog light, front bumper, paint, mesh grills, etc. -- and this damage was only cosmetic.

Good luck, and if your car is to be repaired, use the opportunity to have it built the way you want (i.e. modded).

Newzchspy

I'd say 7500, the drivers side bag blew and thats over $1K. If the passenger side bag had blown and taken the windshield and dash with it, I'd say total loss. I say its repairable.

mrobinso

Hey everyone - just thought I would provide an update since I heard from my auto body shop. They have finished "tearing down" the vehicle, as well as had an MB SRS airbag diagnostician run a test on my vehicle and have my Mercedes mechanic (whose shop is across the street) inspect the vehicle. Long story short, because of the extent of the impact, the airbag replacement alone would be $6000 (this would include the costs of replacing the steering wheel and airbag itself, the steering column , the coxspring, and other components). The shop told me that, based on everything, the car will most likely be totaled. As you all know, the ultimate decision on this rests with my insurance claims adjuster so I will update once a final decision has been made. Needless to say, I am pretty bummed right now. I had been trying to get myself ready for this news, but its still rough. I still am having a hard time believing that a 15 mph crash could total the car.

Anyways, as you can see from my previous posts I am probably not going to end up in another C55 if the car is totaled. Might pick up a deal on an SRT6 and go back to my roots for a few years (the lower car payment will be nice and will work to counter my increased insurance premium after the accident claim is closed) and I am also looking at SRT8 300c. Neither of these cars will compare to a Mercedes product in terms of fit or finish, however, I can't pull off a C63 right now and a used high mileage E55 isn't in the picture either. Your opinions are welcome. Whatever car I buy it will be my DD (same as the C55 was for me).

Will update this once I receive a final answer in a day or two.

P.S. If it is totaled I will have a good condition set of C55/C63 winter tires to sell soon.

WaveyKat

if you need an air bag for the steering wheel i have one :-)..

Nachtsturm

Sorry to hear about this. I would look into a CLK55 as well, they are alot of car for the money, and the w209 is just like your C55 only in coupe form. They were nearly 20k more than the C55 new, and now can be had cheaper than a used C55.

Here is a used 03 CLk55 with 50k on it for under 20k.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false

I had a Limited Crossfire and a SRT-6, the ride of the SRT-6 is too harsh to be a daily driver IMO. The SRT-8 300 is a nice car, if you don't mind the size, that would be a good way to go as well.

isedawishy

How many miles is too much?

mrobinso

Over 45,000 for me.

mrobinso

To anyone following this thread - take a look at the pictures of my car in my original post, keep in mind that this was a low-speed collision (15 mph).

Total damage as assessed by the autobody shop, my Mercedes mechanic, and the SRS diagnostic company: $29,270.

My Mercedes mechanic who did an intensive assessment of the damage for the autobody shop went so far as to reserve the right not to do the repair work should the car not be totaled due to the extent of the repair.

My car will be totaled if the insurance adjuster accepts the shop's estimate.

All you C55 drivers out there be safe - this was not a high-speed accident and it totaled my car.

Kreuzfeuer

This is JHM2K (John) from the Crossfire boards... Sorry about your loss bro.

As many others have stated, we're glad you're okay and are able to be selecting the next ride. Traffic is nuts out there, and I totally empathize with your situation as the road I take to the interstate every morning is exactly as described.

dre5373

Wow, my sincere condolences!!!