was in stop in go traffic on the highway, when the person behind me failed to notice that traffic had stopped. he did hit his brake, but still hit my rear end probably around 10-15mph.

things to be replaced:

bumper
impact bar
impact absorber
bumper grills
muffler heat shield
right muffler?

the right side was the main point of impact so my muffler seems to have been pushed inward. anyway, it's not symmetrical compared to the left muffler anymore in terms of alignment.

i thought the muffler exhaust system was one piece so i'm not sure how they could only replace the right side muffler.

anyone know for sure?

sorry, i didn't have my camera when i inspected the car at the body shop so no pics.

based on today's update, the repair will take 5-6 days.

 

Sorry to read about this, glad that your ok though. 5-6 days isn't too bad, but I feel you on not having your car around.

When I'm motoring around and come to stop lights, I always make a point to watch the cars coming up behind us and always leave enough room to get the hell out of the way. take care

 

thanks for the sentiment. driving a chevy impala rental pales in comparison to the coop.

i also make it point to look at my rear view mirror when i come to a stop since i've been rear ended before.

this time, i also saw the car coming fast and not slowing down in time, but i didn't have anywhere to go since the highway was full of traffic. actually, i'm not even sure i had enough time to react.

surprisingly, no stiff neck or back which is good.

 

Another!!

How many of us is that now?

I actually almost got hit last night by a lady who was answering her cell phone when she was supposed to be stopping... and once not long after my own rear-ending incident where I actually swerved into the center turning lane to avoid a Blazer that was coming at me at at least 25 mph. They slammed on their brakes, squealed like crazy and I just looked over like... wtf!

5-6 days? Who gave you that estimate?

Mine took 2 weeks and 1 day. Reason being - parts ordering and paint matching. I took it to the best shop in town and knew they would do it right.

 

i got a few body shop referrals from the local mini dealer, but i really don't know if the one i chose is the best around. they had a lot of bmw's on their premise and claimed to have repaired mini's before.

i thought 5-6 days is too long to wait, but i guess your 2wks+ is worse. perhaps you had more damage?

anyway, the body shop pre-ordered the parts they knew had to be replaced. after the bumper came off, they inspected for additional damage which prompted them to decide on replacing some additional parts. ordering the additional parts actually prolonged my the waiting time by 1-2 days(it was originally quoted as a 4 day job).

i really wonder if these body shops get some kind of kickback from the rental car agencies by prolonging the repair period because they don't seem to have a care in the world about getting you back on the road quickly.

 

How much was your estimate?

 

Do you have the brake light mod?

I was rear ended in my 02 prior to the "mod."

 

jennb: $1800 should be the final cost.

2minis: no brake light mod installed, but do you feel it would annoy drivers behind you?

 

I don't really care. If it gets them to stop without
hitting me......it is worth it. I really think it makes
a difference. When an SUV is close they have difficulty
seeing just the lower light. It is cheap insurance.

 

Dang....sorry to hear about your bumm..... Glad to hear you weren't hurt! Hopefully you will be motoring soon and your MINI will look like brand new....:smile:

We were rear ended on Xmas Eve 2 years ago - $3K was the damage. I thought Mike was going to choke the girl who caused it all. We were without the MINI for exactly 30 days while parts were ordered, etc. But Scooter sure did look good as new when we got him back... I hope the same for you...

Chow!

Donna

 

Sorry to hear about that too, I was in Dallas on Tuesday and I almost happened to me.....


how do you do the brake light mod?????

 

That sucks -- I hope your MINI's recovery is speedy...

And may your claims adjuster not leave for a 3 week honeymoon prior to the resolution of your repairs.

 

try this on motoringfile.com http://www.motoringfile.com/howto/brakelight_mod.pdf

 

Sorry to hear about that.......I got hit several months ago . It seems like rear end accidents are the norm more so than any other type in the Mini's?? Is it me or do people tend to tail gate more when I am driving my Mini?? Are they trying to get a closer look???? My commute everyday is plagued with people who should be on a bus rather than the road..........What a perfect world that would be!

 

I agree with 2minis! EVERYONE with a MINI should do the brake light mod! It causes both the UPPER and lower tail lights to light up when you brake. It is NOT annoying to drivers behind you....THAT is the foglight mod! LOL!

kcmcs, I am SO sorry about your accident. As Donna said, they can make your MINI look as good as new. I hope you were not injured. Sometimes neck things show up down the road... So, be sure to get yourself examined, just in case. :smile:


Clover

 

I think we should start a Mini Rear-Ended Club.... How many of us does that make?

 

i may have to consider doing the brake light mod.

yeah, i read the other rear end collision accidents on this board so i thought i'd chime in with my story.

it's already been about 1 month so i don't think any sudden pain or stiffness would show up now.

one thing i learned so far is be vigilant with the body shop. i asked them to call me when they removed my rear bumper so i could see firsthand any other damage. upon my own inspection, i found the right muffler was slightly pushed in and exhaust deflector was slightly bent on the right corner. this added about another $500-600 worth of repairs they probably wouldn't have caught.

the body shop was apologetic, but i'm just happy to get the car fixed right.

now, i'm going to try my luck with diminished value compensation. anyone else had any successul claims in this area and with what insurance company?

 

Actually the MotoringFile how-to is much more involved than the Diode Mod which I documented on my site--Thanks to Greatbear:

http://www.littlemini.us/technical/brakemod/index.asp

You don't need to remove the light---just unplug the wiring harness, insert a 50cent diode from Radio Shack and you're done.

OctaneGuy

 

When I was rearended.. it was post brake light mod... if they are not looking, no ammount of light will stop them


My damage was over 4 Grand.....

 

State Farm shot me down on the diminished value. If you look on your carrier's website they may have more info. State Farm states that if the repairs are carried out with an approved body shop that the car should be returned to as-new condition. Otherwise, they would not do the repairs in the first place. I think that my be overkill on their part, but with my car I can say that the body shop did an excellent job, and there was no body or structural damage to contend with.

 

That is true, MiniPilo, but as was mentioned above, it may be difficult for some SUVs to see the lower brakelight. I think beefing up the brakelights is a simple mod which may be one of the best safety mods (other than attending driving school) available. :smile:

Clover

 

I cant imagine it taking 5-6 business days. My MC took less than 5 days for over $2,000 in damage.

 

Your car may be back in "like new" condition, but there is a permanent record of your accident on reports such as Carfax. This may make it difficult to sell or especially trade in your MINI as the majority of car dealers run the VIN thru Carfax for just that purpose. If the accident was not your fault (and being rear-ended is a no brainer on whose fault it was ) I would push the other guy's insurance company for the diminished value claim. If they balk, hint around how your back and neck hurts...and what was the number to that law firm? I can't understand how State Farm refuses to compensate as you should be holding all the cards.

 

Not necessarily true. If you never make a claim against insurance, it will not show up. I have first hand experience with this. This includes at-fault accidents.

 

i should've included this information from the start since the brake light mod usefulness is coming up.

anyway, the vehicle that hit me was a nissan maxima and the driver said he was momentarily distracted by a vehicle that honked their horn for no apparent reason.