Need some advice after an accident

[ps1971]

Hi,

My knowledge on cars is average and I need some advice after I had an accident with my VZ. The car had an accident just over 2 years ago. Big damage front left (air bags deployed, suspension and rails plus panels etc) Anyway insurance fixed it against my wishes. Today I had another clown hit me. This time right hand side. Low impact and not a lot of visable damage. The insurance assessor has told me the rail is damaged and will need to be straightened by machine.

I have massive concerns about this having been straightened before. My questions are is it safe to straighten the rails twice? Surely it would never be as strong as it was before the accidents?

basically I don't want the car anymore. Two front end accidents, one each side seems like trouble to me. The problem I have is the car is insured for 12K but it will be fixed for less than that for sure. I feel the car would be sub standard and potentially a risk. This car is my kiddie mover and I need the car to be as safe and strong as it can possibly be for their safety.

I am also not the kind of person who could get it fixed and then try to offload it privately to some "sucker" who cannot spot the problems. I also know if it were to be traded at a dealer they would spot that it had been in two accidents. The assessor today could tell it had been in an accident before.

Also both accidents were not my fault and the other driver insurance has accepted liability in both cases. Really ticked off my car is like this considering it was not my fault in either case.

Don't know what to do. Any help or advice is much appreciated.

Cheers

PS

[DUK13Y]

Well unfortunately you don't have much option. If you're not happy with how safe it is, sell it. If you're really concerned about potential buyers, tell them the damage and then it's up to them. I'd think the car would be fine unless in another front end collision in which case, you'd still have to hit bloody hard to hurt yourself badly and if you hit that hard, I doubt it'd matter a huge deal of if the car had been in previous accidents or not.

I'd sell the car though and just tell people it was in a front end crash but everything was repaired. You wouldn't be lying and it would be up to the buyer to determine if he/she is willing to take the risk. Might have to sell slightly under market price, or just be a bit more negotiable. Advertise as a normal car but if you get a potential buyer, agree to go lower than you normally would.

My 2c

[ps1971]

Thanks for the advice. I'm just so ticked. The first accident really got me. The driver was about my age (late 30's at the time) was on P plates and driving her friends brand new Diahatsu Sirion. She hit me so hard the front of her car opened up like a tin can and made at least a 10mm crack in the head of the engine. About two to three weeks later I was driving past their house as they live around the corner from me and noticed a brand new sirion in the driveway. I was so ticked. My car was still in the shop with over 10K damage and she paid an excess and ended up with a brand new car as it would have been written off and was under two years old. Grrrrr! I was the victim and was worse off than the person who caused the accident! I am not having much luck with this VZ. Also it had big hail damage which was repaired (took 3 months to get all the plastic trim parts as the storm crippled the supply of parts) and the computer died (while still under warranty)

[DUK13Y]

That really sucks. Shows I guess it shows how much stronger the Holden's are in comparison to the Diahatsu's out there. And I too was a victim of a huge hailstrom, possibly the same one. car did come back looking like new though. Just took a while.

[304runner]

The insurance company are not allowed to compromise a clients safety by just dodging something up. These assessors get paid a salary and are not on a "saving" bonus so its not really a big deal if the write it off or not. They just deem the car safe to be fixed.

I can understand why your so paranoid about it, after all you have kids. But just imagine how much shyte the insurance company would be in if they did send you off in a car unfit for the road, too much for the sake of 12 grand.

[Drewie]

I may be wrong but I am sure I read some where that the chassis rails can be replaced, may want to do some research on that or talk to the panel beater about it.

[franck]

you can try and speak to your insurer put some pressure on them explain its your fam in the car daily, and you have lost confidence and maybe the car is compromised now that its had two impacts with substantial damage, you have nothing to loose

[woteva]

Getting chasis rails straightened is no big problem. It is a problem if they have cracked.
Any decent repairer wont risk an unsafe repair.

[ps1971]

I too was a victim of a huge hailstrom, possibly the same one. car did come back looking like new though. Just took a while.

December 2007 (maybe 08). Western Sydney, huge storm. Panel beater advised me at the time the supplier of the plastic trims to Holden had gone broke and the new supplier had trouble keeping up with demand. He said it was just as bad for the Ford dudes as well. Damage to every side of the car. They did the "paintless" dent removal thing and replaced bonnet. Total time before completion was just over 3 months. Those sorts of things are just motoring though

[tonza]

Nothing wrong with pulling rails twice. I've had cars where I've had to put the car on the machine and pull the rails, where obviously the rails have been pulled before. Rails are things that most beaters want to repair properly, as they are a main structural component. But yes, i know that the rails on a commodore can be replaced, big job, but done right theres no problems.
I can see where youre coming from though, I'd be a bit wary but if you're really concerned, sell the car.

[DUK13Y]

December 2007 (maybe 08). Western Sydney, huge storm. Panel beater advised me at the time the supplier of the plastic trims to Holden had gone broke and the new supplier had trouble keeping up with demand. He said it was just as bad for the Ford dudes as well. Damage to every side of the car. They did the "paintless" dent removal thing and replaced bonnet. Total time before completion was just over 3 months. Those sorts of things are just motoring though

Yeah I'm pretty sure that was the same storm. Was really bad. I had every panel replaced it was so bad. But because of that, I got an entire new shell =)

[ps1971]

Rails are things that most beaters want to repair properly, as they are a main structural component. But yes, i know that the rails on a commodore can be replaced, big job, but done right theres no problems. I can see where youre coming from though, I'd be a bit wary but if you're really concerned, sell the car.

It gets worse. My wife has informed me that the repairs after the first big (also a not at fault accident) we had were done through another insurance company. I was amazed early on to think they (my current insurance company) did not even consider the cars past accident history in their assessment. I thought they were either being evasive, incompetent or doing a "insurance Industry" dodgy on me. But I was wrong on all counts. They just did not have the past history in their possession to compare or refer to. After speaking to them today they now know the cars accident history and have ordered a complete new assessment by the repair shop and assessors taking into account the previous repairs.

I may be wrong but I am sure I read some where that the chassis rails can be replaced

Could be the right option. The accident the other day was with a Land Rover type 4wd/ute. ABS was deployed (got the deathly tick tick tick sound). Actual impact would have been around 10KMPH with no airbag deployment. what I noticed

1. Grille was cracked and broken
2. Bonnet destroyed
3. Headlight and blinker assembly destroyed (All light still work though)
4. Front guard destroyed although still attached to the car
5. Gaurd pushed onto front door. Door still on but scratched where the guard hit.
6. Plastic assembly under windscreen where washer jets are pushed up. jets moved
7. Front bumper still on but cracked in two places
8. Damage to chassis rail. Front end is pushed right up on the rail

The first assessor said it seemed like a lot of damage if I was going 10KMPH but he said that was not much of an indication as the Land Rover would have been a lot heavier, had a dirty big after market bull bar and there was no indication of how hard he was accelerating when he hit me. From what the other driver said there was no damage to the bull bar or spotlights on his car. I would have thought at least that there would have been red paint on it.

Any decent repairer wont risk an unsafe repair.

100% correct. That is why they are reviewing the whole thing again I suppose. Not holding my breath though they will probably play hard ball to the end.

But anyway,

Cheers

[ps1971]

It gets more out of control! Would love to reveal the insurance company and panel beater concerned but must wait and see what the appeal process delivers.

The very first assessor who looked at the car told me that there was structural damage. The "Insurance Company" in their "Re Assessment" then told me there was no structural damage to any part of the rail at all and that no repair work or part replacement was required on any part of it or any parts that connect to it.

Hmmmm. Sounds very contradictory. One person says one thing and another says something else. Who knows what the truth actually is. Hmmmm. Rang the repairer to which they re-iterated exactly what the "Re Assessment" result was..... No damage etc etc etc. I then asked them for a copy of the quote for repairs. Low and behold a section from the quote

Repair Items
O/S RAIL END
O/S SKIRT & OUTER REINFORCEMENT
O/S/F DOOR EDGE

Hmmm Rail repair ay? When they told me no such repair was required. Regardless of what it is (or however small) it would not be listed as a chargeable item on the quote if it was not there. Could not see the insurance company accepting a bill for a repair that never existed as such. Bet the insurance company is wrapped they released that quote to me. Extreme deception by the panel beater and insurance company.

Also extremely frustrating I have had to tell them twice to stop the repairs on the cars until the appeal had been fully processed. It's my car not theirs and what I say goes. If it happens again I will inform the Police to attend the workshop to make sure my wishes are adhered to. I only give two warnings before taking proactive action. More deception to not inform me of the decision to recommence the work. Someone is lying! Makes me wonder what else is being hidden or not being told to me.

They are making the Ombudsman's decision very easy with the deceptive conduct and all!


Cheers

[vyss manual]

lol rail end is not structural it is the end that usually gets damaged in a commodore front end smash when the reo is hit it is nothing and your going to look stupid making such a fuss out of this whole situation. skirt rail end and reo is a fairly light hit