My New Corolla Hit - Advice Please - Corolland: the Toyota Corolla Forums

The unthinkable has occurred. I was rearedned in my new 2004 corolla with only 7000 miles on it. The insurance adjuster said the frame is bent and the right rear quarterpanel is slightly buckled.

The good news is that the car drives perfectly. I'm PROUD of the way my little Corolla took the hit. The Corolla was impressive.

My issue is this - I want the insurance company to give the repair money directly to me rather than to a body shop. The car is financed with Toyota Motor Co. I just want to replace the bumber and fix the quarter panel but I DO NOT want the frame pulled. I put just do the repairs I mentioned and then pocket the rest in case I need future repairs.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of situation????

You should always get the frame restraightened. It might "seem" as though it drives perfectly, but over time the tires may wear unevenly, and quite simply it may have some effect on handling. Also the car may not be as strong in the next impact if the frame is bent. Doors and trunks seals may not work porperly wiht a bent frame.

OTOH, it's also possible the shop is trying to make some cash.

If the car is financed, the insurance company may make the check payable to both you and the financing company.

I'd get a good estimate from a shop you trust before deciding. Many cars will never be worth anything again after frame damage. Quite a lot of cars that still run are totaled.

Be sure before you decide.

It's a tough decision. The car is financed. It will always show up on carfax as an accident car with frame damage so, you guys are right, I need to tread carefully here. The car really does drive perfectly but I realize that the tires could wear incorrectly, but tires are cheap - it's a maybe. I've heard that straightening a frame can actually make things worse by weakening it, or not aligning it correctly.

Very tough decision

just get the frame pulled. a few months ago i was rearended too - i just booked the car in with an approved panelbeater and left it with them. its best to do it all in the one hit (pardon the pun), as it is now an insurance matter, who gives a crap if the panelbeater is trying to make money - i am thinking since u were not at fault you pay nothing. your corolla is under warranty and will not need mechanical repairs for many years to come - its under warranty for the next 3 yrs i assume. if serviced with reputable branded parts, your rollla will be plenty fine after warranty period.

Are u sure you can just get the insurance money?? that is not possible in OZ.

Never had an accident in the Corolla (knock on wood) - but I had a Camry that was involved in three separate accidents - none of which were my fault - rear ended, t-boned, and both front and rear crumpled after being spun on the highway after a hit in the rear quarter. All required the frame to be straightened - I know what you have heard - if the shop is not competent enough, they will do more damage to it than good.

Still - if the car is put on a body jig and found to be bent - if must be straightened. A car will take a bunch of damage before it becomes apparent during normal operation - even if it road perfectly - will you be willing to risk it? Lots of weird stuff can happen if the frame is bent - not now but mabe six months down the road - could be as small as a squeak that doesn't go away - could be as bad as structural problems or window cracks due to the strain on the body.

We felt the same way - insurance did the repairs the first two times and it wasn't right - the third time we got some money from the insurance but only for a preset amount on what they thought it should cost (may be different from state to state, may be different for different insurance co.). Took it to a race shop to be straightened - about as perfect as it can be now. No squeaks like the first two times around.

Shop around, get references, don't take the first shop or insurance "approved" shops unless they prove themselves competent. Don't let the frame go - a bent frame is a weak one. Might not take well to another accident.

Be safe and Good Luck.

It's a two way street.

If you use an "approved" shop, many insurers will warranty the repairs for as long as you own the car.

If you take a check, any issues with the work are between you and the body shop.

Had a Chevy Nova get a new hood at 1,200 miles using an Allstate approved shop. Two years later, the paint fish-eyed because of bad preparation. Allstate repainted it free.

I'm somewhat surprised this question hasn't already come up -- which "frame" are we talking about? I wasn't aware that the Corolla had a "frame" per se. I thought it was a "unitized" body, where the body is the frame and vice-versa. Moreover, I always thought that once a unitized body was bent in a collision, that there was little, if anything, that could be done to correct it. So, what is the truth here? Admittedly, I know very little about collision repair techniques. If a car with a unitized body is bent in a collision, can it be straightened out successfully? What does that involve?

Auto PI has some info on that:

Try this site - http://www.autopi.com/frame.htm

Unit bodies can be straightened but you need a good shop with proper alignment machines.

Thanks for dialogue on this subject. These posts are bringing up a lot of issues I hadn't thought about.

I just got the appraisal back. It's $1400 US. The frame issue appears as a line item on the appraisal and it reads:

SQUARE REAR UNIBODY - 2 hours

By the way. My post above makes reference to an insurance co. appraisal, not a repair shop appraisal. So the line items on the appraisal should be legitiamte repair items.

One line item says check D&R Electronics - I have no idea what that is.

Everything else is pretty much straight forward

D&R - directional/reverse

Fish:

Thanks for the Auto PI web site link. Very informative!