So, how did everything come out in the end?

I just recently avoided a deer, but ended up ditching it because I had my ESP off. I drove through a conopy of trees, which scratched my 500 from the front bumper to the trunk, over the hood and roof, both left and right sides, busted my passenger taillight, bent two wheels when I hit the curb, and tore my leather door trim as I slid into the tree line (windows were down). Its in the shop now... I miss my baby. Total bill so far, $12,300!

[sorry for the run-on sentence]

 

It took 3 trips to the Body Shop to get everything inside and out 100% as it was before or better. They expected me to bring it back at least once. I was real picky and Reflections Body shop in Edmonton addressed all my concerns. Nobody should be able to tell that most of my right side panels were damaged and replaced. The paint job is awesome and I feel like a proud owner to drive it now again which is certainly a lot better than I felt after the incident, wondering if it would ever be the same as before.

 

The thing I found when I was trading my E300 several years ago is there is generally no "wreck discount" on the price anymore. Good shops can repair and repaint the car so correctly that it is restored to as new condition. That certainly wasn't true not so long ago. When the shop matched 10 year-old smoke silver paint perfectly (rear ender...everything behind the C-pillar was replaced) I was convinced. You should not hold onto that feeling that the car isn't right--it is. I so completely forgot my car was damaged after a couple of years, I never thought to mention it to the dealer. It showed on the VIN report, of course, but the dealer allowed full value.

Deer are dangerous, all right. Hitting one is the hard way to put venison on the table. I knew a guy who came along right after one had been hit and killed by another car. He threw it in the back of his truck and had it butchered.

 

DiscGolfer74; as long as took it to a real reputable body repair shop, everything should turn out where nobody can tell. Like I said mine looks just as good as before I hit the deer. My biggest problem was the insurance company wanted me to take my car to their preferred repair shop which everyone said was only good if I had a Honda. But they eventually let me take it to where I wanted.

 

I took it to True Performance in Plain City Ohio. They are a Mercedes-Benz Certified Collision Repair Facility. It should come out looking like new!

 

Oh dear!