Hello All....first time poster long time reader, thanks for all the great threads. I just stuffed my SL under the rear bumper of a Toy 4X4. I thought I would share the damage from a 45 - 50 mile impact.

First airbags did not deploy? I am thinking that since I stood so hard on the big pedal and the Toy was in a 4 wheel lock I slid right under the bumper and peeled back my hood to the windshield. The grill is gone as well as some engine compartment molding. Light buckets are shattered but the front bumper is intact. Pushed back the tranny cooler and radiator but not far enough to break or kink the hoses. I wont know the "real" damage for a couple of days. I was able to jump on and "reshape" the hood and get it latched to limp it to the dealer right off the freeway Does not seem to have any mechanical problems. Well thats about it anyone else had any similar encounters? Thanks again for all the great stuff.

 

I suppose we could say you're lucky, but you may not feel that way right now.

As for the airbags, the type of impact ("soft") probably prevented their deployment, and since you apparently didn't need them, I'd say you're a lot better off not having to replace them (even with insurance). It's encouraging that the car is drivable, since that suggests there isn't any fatal engine/driveline damage, but if it got into both front quarter panels and the hood ... not to mention the associated damage ... you and your insurance company are probably looking at size large repair costs.

Let us know when you get the damage report ...

Mike

 

Mike is right about the airbags. Speed is not considered in the computer's decision whether to deploy. The sharpness of the impact at points lower down on the car is the primary factor. The fact the Toy was also moving made for a much 'softer'/more gradual impact.

You and your insurance company should be glad the bags did not deploy. That could have added a few thousand bucks to repair costs. Repairing/replacing today's airbags is very expensive.

Sounds like the brunt of the damage was 'topside', which is the area least built to withstand trauma. Be sure to check if any of the force was transferred to the passenger cabin, which could cause a change in the gapping around doors, windows, etc. The gaps should all be uniform.

Hope you get a decent loaner. You may be driving it for several weeks; possibly more than a month. And DON'T accept the car back until it is visually perfect. Be sure to test everything you can think of as soon as possible after getting it back. With this type situation, the earlier you report discrepancies/defects, the better your chances of getting them handled quickly.

Good luck.

 

The main reason the bags didn't deploy was probably because the truck was too high. That is very comon that when a car hits a truck SUV or Full Size van, the air bags won't deploy because the impact is above the sensors.