I am rarely out past dark on a work night, but last night I had a late meeting and then I met my sister for dinner. I live in a semi-rural area (minus the 'semi') and we have a LOT of wildlife (deer, foxes, coyotes, an occasional bear and even flocks of wild turkeys) that can jump out in front of you with no warning, especially at night. Stray dogs as well as various farm arminals can also block the road, but they're usually easier to spot in time to react. I live in a gated community where everyone has 6-20 acres of land and farming is allowed, so stopping for horses, cattle and goats are routine events for me. My neighbor two doors up the street (whose wife is on her 3rd CX-9, a 2013 Touring) has a few llamas that lay in the street (there are only five houses beyond his) and they don't move for a horn, revving engine or screaming....and if you get out to "shoo!" then away they hiss at you! It can be very annoying, to say the least!
Last night, something (I'm afraid it was a dog, but I hope it was just a coyote or something) ran out in front of me and I hit it! =( I heard a thud and a yelp, but all I saw was a blur in my peripheral vision to the left as it ran off into the woods. I called my dad (who lives nearby) and we spent almost an hour combing the woods with flashlights trying to find whatever it was that I hit. Even if was a wild animal, my dad could have put it out of misery if it was suffering. I have a gun and a carry permit, but I can't shoot an animal....a human threatening me or my family, no problem, but not Cujo! We finally gave up and headed home. In the dark, with my headlights on, I couldn't detect any damage to the front my CX-9.
But this morning I was able to see that the lower grille is broken in several places below the chrome strip that goes across it. The piece of chrome trim is also scuffed but there's no damage to the bumper cover (so no paint damage, thankfully). There are only two Mazda-certified body shops in Atlanta that I'm aware of and I called them both. I described the damage then sent photos to get a tentative quote on how much it will cost to repair....
One quoted 'at least' $1270 and the other was 'about' $1400. The freakin' black mesh lower grille lists for $457.97, the chrome strip trim piece is $164.38 and the grille surround is $161.74. There is also another $40 or so in hardware required for installation and to properly reinstall the front bumper. I just can't believe how much the lower grille itself costs.....for black plastic!
Since it was an animal impact, it will be covered under the Comprehensive (aka Other Than Collision) coverage on my auto policy. My Comp deductible is only $100 and Comp claims are considered 'not-at-fault' so it won't be held against me at renewal time. I would normally be nervous to file a claim, but I actually issued this policy four years ago when I was an agent. Now I work as an Premium Auditor and Fraud Investigator for Commercial Policies and the company that insures my autos, home and rental property is the company I work for about 75% of the time. So I have a very good relationship with them and I called to discuss it with the Underwriting Manager for the Southeast Region this afternoon before I decided to file a claim! =)
But it still sucks that it happened and I'm not thrilled about having a 'minor' accident show up on my Carfax and AutoCheck Reports after this....but it beats repairing it out of pocket....
Last night, something (I'm afraid it was a dog, but I hope it was just a coyote or something) ran out in front of me and I hit it! =( I heard a thud and a yelp, but all I saw was a blur in my peripheral vision to the left as it ran off into the woods. I called my dad (who lives nearby) and we spent almost an hour combing the woods with flashlights trying to find whatever it was that I hit. Even if was a wild animal, my dad could have put it out of misery if it was suffering. I have a gun and a carry permit, but I can't shoot an animal....a human threatening me or my family, no problem, but not Cujo! We finally gave up and headed home. In the dark, with my headlights on, I couldn't detect any damage to the front my CX-9.
But this morning I was able to see that the lower grille is broken in several places below the chrome strip that goes across it. The piece of chrome trim is also scuffed but there's no damage to the bumper cover (so no paint damage, thankfully). There are only two Mazda-certified body shops in Atlanta that I'm aware of and I called them both. I described the damage then sent photos to get a tentative quote on how much it will cost to repair....
One quoted 'at least' $1270 and the other was 'about' $1400. The freakin' black mesh lower grille lists for $457.97, the chrome strip trim piece is $164.38 and the grille surround is $161.74. There is also another $40 or so in hardware required for installation and to properly reinstall the front bumper. I just can't believe how much the lower grille itself costs.....for black plastic!
Since it was an animal impact, it will be covered under the Comprehensive (aka Other Than Collision) coverage on my auto policy. My Comp deductible is only $100 and Comp claims are considered 'not-at-fault' so it won't be held against me at renewal time. I would normally be nervous to file a claim, but I actually issued this policy four years ago when I was an agent. Now I work as an Premium Auditor and Fraud Investigator for Commercial Policies and the company that insures my autos, home and rental property is the company I work for about 75% of the time. So I have a very good relationship with them and I called to discuss it with the Underwriting Manager for the Southeast Region this afternoon before I decided to file a claim! =)
But it still sucks that it happened and I'm not thrilled about having a 'minor' accident show up on my Carfax and AutoCheck Reports after this....but it beats repairing it out of pocket....
