I was rear-ended after work on Monday while merging onto the highway. Traffic was heavy and just as I made it into the right lane a 2012 Honda Accord coupe merged behind me and smacked my rear bumper. The other driver is 19-years-old with a new license; he had just picked up his car from having work done (it is a salvage title and apparently a magnet for bad luck). I almost lost my $hit when I saw there wasn't a plate on the car - he was using his father's dealer license, which was barely propped up in the back window. A NYS State Trooper came by for an accident report as did his mom to apologize to me.
I didn't have time to upload pics yet w/all of the kid end of school year sports, concerts, etc. - I will attempt to do so tomorrow. By way of damage, the bumper is cracked at the top where it sandwiched upward and the brackets broke through the middle. No damage to the hatch, although when the bumper pushed upward it scratched the paint on the underside lip. I plan to get some quotes today, but below are a few questions given that after 25 years of driving this is my first accident:
1) Given the cracked and broken plastic, am I correct in assuming the bumper will be replaced? I suspect there may be some damage behind it as well.
2) If full replacement of the bumper, does it come black and the shop paints it to match factory? My 2016 CX-5 is Sonic Silver - should I be concerned that it won't match? Will they need to blend into the rear fender? Is collision shop paint often as good as factory?
3) I will point out the scratched bottom lip of the hatch, but I don't want the shop to repaint if not necessary. If nicked up, any opinion about having them brush touch and clear? No one really sees that part anyway - I just want to prevent any potential for corrosion.
4) My BSM still works after the accident - not certain about rear/cross-traffic. Should I push to have the sensors replaced?
5) There are lots of collision shops in my area - some of which are very reputable. That said, I am inclined to take it back to the dealer collision shop. Any thoughts or opinions if the dealer presents an upside for parts and familiarity w/the car?
As a side note, I did not yet have the recall done on my car (fuel filler pipe). The first thought that went through my mind after being hit was ruh-roh...leaking gas! No such problem, but rest assured I'll have the recall done now!!
While things can always be worse, I am not a happy camper. I only have 4,000 miles on the car and take good care of my automobiles. I plan to keep the car for a long time, but I hate to think that this will now show up in a vehicle history report. Moreover, I don't want there to be any additional issues down the road.
I plan to pay my deductible to get it fixed sooner while letting my insurance company duke it out with his (they will repay me the deductible later as I don't know how he can found not at fault). Thanks in advance for your input.
I didn't have time to upload pics yet w/all of the kid end of school year sports, concerts, etc. - I will attempt to do so tomorrow. By way of damage, the bumper is cracked at the top where it sandwiched upward and the brackets broke through the middle. No damage to the hatch, although when the bumper pushed upward it scratched the paint on the underside lip. I plan to get some quotes today, but below are a few questions given that after 25 years of driving this is my first accident:
1) Given the cracked and broken plastic, am I correct in assuming the bumper will be replaced? I suspect there may be some damage behind it as well.
2) If full replacement of the bumper, does it come black and the shop paints it to match factory? My 2016 CX-5 is Sonic Silver - should I be concerned that it won't match? Will they need to blend into the rear fender? Is collision shop paint often as good as factory?
3) I will point out the scratched bottom lip of the hatch, but I don't want the shop to repaint if not necessary. If nicked up, any opinion about having them brush touch and clear? No one really sees that part anyway - I just want to prevent any potential for corrosion.
4) My BSM still works after the accident - not certain about rear/cross-traffic. Should I push to have the sensors replaced?
5) There are lots of collision shops in my area - some of which are very reputable. That said, I am inclined to take it back to the dealer collision shop. Any thoughts or opinions if the dealer presents an upside for parts and familiarity w/the car?
As a side note, I did not yet have the recall done on my car (fuel filler pipe). The first thought that went through my mind after being hit was ruh-roh...leaking gas! No such problem, but rest assured I'll have the recall done now!!
While things can always be worse, I am not a happy camper. I only have 4,000 miles on the car and take good care of my automobiles. I plan to keep the car for a long time, but I hate to think that this will now show up in a vehicle history report. Moreover, I don't want there to be any additional issues down the road.
I plan to pay my deductible to get it fixed sooner while letting my insurance company duke it out with his (they will repay me the deductible later as I don't know how he can found not at fault). Thanks in advance for your input.
