thats very true, forgot to consider this

 

Those inside door panels look very intact.

Glad you are alright.

 

Any way to give just a quick synopsis of what MINIUSA said about the side airbags? This has got me very concerned. The airbags are there for this very reason and I would very much like to trust that they will deploy when needed.

If you take a close look at the interior shot, the interior door panel has been pushed up against the bottom side bolster of the seat far enough to "crinkle" it. I can't believe that the side air bags didn't go off.

 

Woah...that was quite a "T-bone" hit. I hope everyone is OK. That damage looks to be in excess of $10K. I'd be sick if that happened to my car.

 

OK I guess the first poster didn't have a passenger, thus the reason why the air bag didn't deploy. But I am not sure why mishka's side airbag didn't go off !

 

The pics show the grill surround, which is definitely pre-'05, so there's no passenger seat occupancy sensor. Interesting to see if MINI says (or is willing to say!) if the seat airbag should have fired.

 

I am sure there is an entire engineering class at the University of Munich devoted to the design of the side airbag and why it will or will not activate.

Nonetheless, it is good to see that you came out alright.

Really though, would you rather have a rebuilt car, or just total it and start fresh? Personally, though I am sentimentally attached to my MINI, I think I'd want to get a new one.

dan

 

Ouuuuuch!!! Glad your ok. I would say the damage would have to be under $9000. I hit 3 trees and a barbed wire fince with My mini a month ago and smashed the front right suspension and bent the frame so the insurance totaled it out but even with that damage was only $5500 worth of parts and $6000 worth of labor. Pics of my accident are here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=91102

 

There is a whole lot to air bags, more than this old fart will ever be able to comprehend. Just because you hit something doesn't mean the bag goes bang. Going off when you really don't need it may be as bad as not going off when you do. My guess is your crash didn't meet the parameters need to deploy the bomb in the seat.

Glad you are OK.

On a lighter note....Fun with airbags

http://www.break.com/index/air_bag_explosion_under_nuts.html

 

The estimate is 5868.99, and I have been told by the body shop that this figure will increase when they take the car apart and submit supplements for damage that wasn't apparent during the visual inspection. I can't imagine it would get up to the 5-figure mark but you never know. I was told 3 - 4 weeks until I get it back, but I'm hoping it'll be sooner.

 

On my accident, MINIUSA said that the airbag sensor is located in the fender area behind the door, and the impact location and force was not enough to cause the airbag to deploy. I wish I could remember exactly what they said, but I am technically challenged, and was still a little rattled from the accident. For what it is worth, after the accident we were not sore or stiff, even the next day, which helps me believe the impact wasn't enough to deploy the airbags.

As for the door panel against the seat, this accident damage looks like mine. The actual door panel(interior piece) wasn't against the seat. The lower trim piece(that makes the door pocket) had a broken attachment on the front, but not the back. The front edge of the piece then angled in against the seat, pushing the edge of the seat up slightly. I could put my hand between the seat and the interior of the door after the accident, except for where that trim piece was pushing against the seat. I still have the remains of my door and the interior panel looks undamaged unless you look at the interior of the door pocket.(You can see the crease in the pocket in my pic.) The "crinkled" seat wasn't a result of the major impact but is a result of the tension on the trim piece from one attachment point.

MisterDangerPants, my estimate was about the same as yours, and we were told 2-3 weeks to repair. It took 6 weeks to fix, though. The car drives as good as it did before the accident.

 

That's good to know! Thanks!

 

Thanks for the update and explanation !

 

So, the body shop my MINI was initially towed didn't touch the car for 3+ weeks, so I had the car moved to a shop (Today's in Malden, MA) that MINI of Peabody has all their work done. I originally was going to have it towed there, but the guy was so nice at the first shop I figured that was okay. Anyway, within the first week, Today's had the car dismantled and had the insurance adjuster out for the first supplement. The first estimate was just below $6000, and now it's up to $11,000.

 

Whoa... brutal!

 

Hopefully the other guys fault!!

 

Wishful thinking...

I'm still stunned that there's $11,000 damage.

 

ouch -

 

That sounds like a total- sorry to hear the news. I am guessing the first estimate was from the shop and not the adjuster? I would trust the adjusters estimate as it is the one your carrier will use and if the local dealer uses the second shop it probably the best around.

 

An insurance adjuster did both estimates. Once the body shop started dismantling the car, the cost went up. In addition, the time allotted to repair many items was too low, so the supplement included that. I believe the actual cash value of the car is around $16,000, so the estimate would have to be 80% of that to have the car totaled.

 

If he had hit my car like that, he would have been hurt. Bad. I don't carry 21 inches of expandable, hardened justice in my glovebox for nothing.

 

Whew. Close call.

That whole airbag issue does seem a bit fishy to me. Interesting.

Glad you're ok!

 

Crashton----------that video gives new meaning to the term 'jackass'.....that has got to be one of the most stupid things i've seen anybody try.............

 

Glad you're okay... quite a nice hit to the door. Personally I'd be happy if they totalled my car after a smacker like this... the frame could be bent. And you'd receive a new MINI.
I hit an older lady who pulled her smallish car perpendicularly to my paid off Jeep Wrangler at an intersection (I had the green light) and I clobbered her passenger side door at about 45 mph... if anyone was in that seat, they would not have survived. If it were a MINI, I bet the person would have survived easily judging by the looks of your MINI.

 

Crashton, that video was funny as $hite....LOL