[CAK 500]

I was rear-ended last weekend en route to a family vacation. We were driving 55 on hwy 13 just north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel when a truck in front of me hit his brakes to make a sharp right turn right directly from the highway. I was far enough behind him that I was able to stop, but looking into my rearview mirror I saw that the truck behind me was not slowing down. I hit the gas and started to veer into the next lane, but was too late and the truck smashed into the back of our '03 Ody. Fortunately we were just far enough from the truck that we didn't get plowed into it before it got off the highway.

Thankfully no one was hurt in either vehicle, and after submitting the details to the police, we were able collect ourselves, patch up the Ody, and finish out our vacation.

The other drivers' insurance company has been very cooperative so far, and their adjuster estimated $5,000 damage. His estimate covered everything that is visible, and the collision shop will alert us to anything he might have missed. With a backlog of hail-damaged vehicles in the shop, we won't be able to get the Ody in for another two weeks. In the meantime, I am wondering about what hidden damage there might be.

It might be my imagination, but it seems like the Ody isn't shifting quite as smoothly as it did prior to the accident. Is it possible that the collision could have damaged the transmission, motor mounts, suspension or anything else not immediately noticeable? Are there other issues that I should be concerned about?

 

[CAK 500]

$5000 looks about right from what can be seen. It is possible that something else could have happened at the front end but it is more likely that you are just noticing it now that the accident happened. Being an 03 I suspect that the motor mount do need to be replaced just due to wear and tear. I would have the rear suxpension points looked at to make sure nothing happened to them but the front should be fine. Also not to be a ghoul but can you save the rear lights that get replaced due to the lenses being cracked. I got a project idea and need them. I'll pay for shipping.

I'll be sure to have them check those points. All bulbs and housings are intact (miraculously), so I doubt they'll be replacing them.

I would insist on OEM bumper and other parts. Most insurance companies will only pay for OEM on safety related parts and they don't consider the plastic bumper covers to be safety.

My shop is part of my Honda dealership, and they will only use OEM parts. The bumper cover will be new, but they will be recycling a used hatch apparently. They said that they will need to strip it down to the frame to paint it, and would notice if anything was wrong with it. Fine by me. I just want to be as certain as possible that they are repairing everything, not just the obvious damage. We also told the insurance company that we want reimbursement for the devaluation of the vehicle due to the accident. They agreed.