Re: Count yourself lucky

A deer committed suicide via Boxster to ruin my night last week. The car is at the body shop which repaired it last time (rear ended at a light).

The car's frame wasn't bent, but the front end driver's side is mangled - new headlight, bumper cover, etc.

According to the shop's computer/the insurance company's calculation my 2000 Boxster with 50K miles is only worth +/- $8K. Can that really be right?

Fortunately the repairs are coming in below the amount to total the car (80%) and I'll get it back in a week or so. Seems crazy that front end damage with no engine or frame damage could come so dangerously close to a repair value which totals the car.

I told the auto guy (with whom I have a good relationship) that if the car is only worth $8K he should go out and get me three more.

Thoughts?

Andrew

My front end only damage with car driveable repair company stopped counting at over $24k.

For your safety, make sure the frame has been measured via a jig or laser and the suspension inspected.

The 8K value doesn't sound right...even for a base with 50k. Visit www.cars.com and use the advanced search and you'll see a car like yours with front end driver's side damage asking $7900 before repairs. You'll also see a car with 52k and a salvage title for $8900 after repair. Most of the under 60k 2000s are in the 12 to 18k asking range with the latter completely unrealistic IMHO.

I'd say your car should have sold for ~$12k before the accident.

$12K may be the right number - that's what edmonds priced it to as a dealer purchase ($14 for private sale). That number still seems (seemed) really low to me - all the more reason to want my car back rather than take $8K and find a new one (good luck).

I was surprised that the airbag didn't deploy in the accident (it was a front end, but not dead center). That would have added considerably to the expense.

Looking forward to getting the car back and thanks for the advice on frame/suspension.

Andrew

I think they are supposed to be inspected every 5 years or so. Sounds like your air bag should have gone off.
You are right it would have been more expensive if it deployed. I had a frontal crash in which both air bags deployed including the passenger side even though there was no passenger I had to replace both air bags and the force of deployment from the passenger air bag broke the dash which cost an additional $2,000 to replace.
I agree with the poster that said to have your frame checked to see if it is in spec.

The service booklet calls for the airbag system be checked after 4 years, 8 years and then every 2 years after that. The check is done with a PST2/PIWIS combined with pulling fuse E1 to induce an airbag light then resetting the fuse to check the airbag goes out and then clearing any fault codes. Finally the system components are checked for damage and the airbags are checked to ensure there are no trim pieces or "stickers" attached.

Bill

Quote
patrick
I think they are supposed to be inspected every 5 years or so. Sounds like your air bag should have gone off.
You are right it would have been more expensive if it deployed. I had a frontal crash in which both air bags deployed including the passenger side even though there was no passenger I had to replace both air bags and the force of deployment from the passenger air bag broke the dash which cost an additional $2,000 to replace.
I agree with the poster that said to have your frame checked to see if it is in spec.

Actually, an off center frontal impact may not trigger the air bag--while it's easy enough to have checked, the fact that the airbag did not deploy wouldn't disturb me. Porsches crash pretty well, have very good sensors that don't prematurely deploy airbags. You really don't want them deploying when not needed (as others have said, it greatly increases the repair costs when they do--when another driver ran a red light and T-boned me in my daily driver 2009 Honda fit, it deployed front and side air bags; the car was totaled in that accident, and the air bag costs were a factor).

Current Porsche: PCA Club Coupe 2 of 50

Past: 02 986 S

01 996 Turbo

00 Millenium Coupe

99 996 C2

99 Boxster

Took out both fenders and the hood. Hard enough so that the frame was flexed back behind the doors. And still no deploy. Nor did there need to be as there was no damage to me at all. Not even a stiff neck. Yes Boxsters are crushable.

I don't think the location of the impact or an off center impact has anything to do with setting off the air bags. My accident was narrowly concentrated to the left front headlight and fender. Off center collisions such as those encountered in a head on collision are some of the most common and dangerous types of accidents and I think that would have set off the air bags.
I don't know what the parameters are that the sensors would have to measure before it sent a signal to deploy but if the force of the impact and collision was not great enough maybe it would not deploy. Since we are talking about an 11-12 year old car here and I don't know if the system has been checked as recommended, if it was my car I would have it tested.

Car is/was to be delivered back to me today. Auto shop called (at time the flatbed was supposed to arrive) stating that the turn signal seems to intermittently not work. They had to do a new headlight assembly on the left side - perhaps the wire harness they used is faulty (or something). It's that or they didn't get everything finished or detailed. Since I'm working, it doesn't matter when the car gets back - although I would like it today.

I asked how the paint matching went and they replied, "perfect". Hopefully they are right.

While they had the car I had them replace the 2000 EU spec cig adapter with the US version - now my chargers won't fall out as easily. I once had the plastic adapter but haven't seen it in years - it's probably sitting in a bag somewhere next to my 'red clips'.

Anyone have a quick checklist of what to inspect when the car comes back?

Andrew

Quote
AndyInNYC
Car is/was to be delivered back to me today. Auto shop called (at time the flatbed was supposed to arrive) stating that the turn signal seems to intermittently not work. They had to do a new headlight assembly on the left side - perhaps the wire harness they used is faulty (or something). It's that or they didn't get everything finished or detailed. Since I'm working, it doesn't matter when the car gets back - although I would like it today.

I asked how the paint matching went and they replied, "perfect". Hopefully they are right.

While they had the car I had them replace the 2000 EU spec cig adapter with the US version - now my chargers won't fall out as easily. I once had the plastic adapter but haven't seen it in years - it's probably sitting in a bag somewhere next to my 'red clips'.

Anyone have a quick checklist of what to inspect when the car comes back?

Andrew

all the items/stuff under/hidden by the front bumper cover is repaired properly. I've seen some horrible repairs where the body shop doesn't properly route the wiring and other stuff under the front bumper cover, wiring connectors are broken and reused and so on.

For the front bumper cover take the car to a Porsche dealer and ask the car be inspected post-accident repaired. The car is supposed to be inspected by a Porsche dealer service department tech anyhow to confirm the car's roadworthy. A Porsche tech can spot sub-par repairs.

Sincerely,

MarcW.

Carefully check the gap and alignment of the body panels. They should look even and match. If your hood was replaced check the orientation across the front bumper and that the gaps on each side of the hood are the same versus the fenders. Check the paint for flaws and imperfections such as eyes, grit and runs. Check the color match to the adjacent panels. Check the clear coat.
If they replaced a radiator make sure they knew how to properly burp the system. Mine over flowed and lost all the coolant on the way home from the collision shop. I had noticed when it was idling at the collision center and inspecting the trunk that there was condensation on the rear trunk lid.

Take it for a test drive before you leave. Mine had metallic rattles. The shop had left tools and pieces of metal inside the motor compartment. Make sure the alignment is correct and the car tracks properly. Check the steering wheel for proper orientation. If carpeting or panels were removed in the trunk or driving compartment make sure they were replaced and secured properly and that the rivets and plastic grommets were replaced or are properly holding the panels in place.
I had such a long list resulting from laziness and lack of attention to detail that the car required two additional weeks of rework.
A proper repair should look like your car was not repaired.

numbers.

Price comparable cars in your area. Do not be afraid to look at a year or two newer car and if you can't find any that at least appear to have been as well taken care of as your car use lower miles too to select 'comparable' cars. Use these numbers to argue that you car is worth more. In short, you have to make a case why your car is worth more than the $8K *estimate* (and that is all it is). This number is negotiable.

As for the air bags not deploying... When my Boxster was hit from behind and driven into the vehicle immediately in front of mine the air bags didn't deploy. The car was stopped and teh car that hit mine impacted mine at about 5 to 8 mph.

In the case of the Cayman even though the impact was centered just at the driver's side front wheel both my air bag and the passenger's air bag deployed. (The passenger seat was occupied by a co-worker.) The impact was an oblique hit from the left hand side.

When I hit a deer with my Turbo, the car was moving 50mph or possibly slower and the deer came out in front of my car. The impact was not that hard, at least I didn't feel a jolt, and no airbags deployed. Damage was extensive. Front bumper cover, headlight, right front fender and all the hardware under/inside the fender (A/C condensor, radiator, fan/brackets, motor, vapor recovery system and so on) destroyed. Front hood dented and wheel scuffed and tire cut from hardware being driven into it from impact. Repair costs came to over $25K.

You can certainly have the air-bags checked, but that they didn't deploy when you hit the deer probably means the impact was not severe enough etither due to speed, angle of impact and of course the softness (relatively speaking) of what you hit.

The air-bag system is checked every time you turn on the key and start the engine and even though the air-bag light goes out almost immediately the check out continues for several seconds more. If a problem were found the light would be turned on again.

Sincerely,

MarcW.