Snow Plowed

[PittVXr]

My VX got hit this weekend when somebody lost control of their car in the snow. The damage is on the front passenger side wheel and lower cladding. Has anybody had damage like this repaired before? What should the garage look for as far as damage to the front end? The insurance company is trying to convince me that it is all cosmetic damage, but I have a sneaking suspicion that there may be more to it. I don't want to end up with problems in the future.

BTW I've only been an owner for 3 WEEKS! :madb:

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Accident_001.jpg

[kodiak]

Sorry that happened. The damage looks pretty strait forward. I'd definitely get new or like new cladding if the insurants company takes care of all the costs.

[etlsport]

sorry man i would be so peeved! hopefully it is just cosmetic damage.. but make sure they pull the cladding and wheel to make sure! hope they get you back to normal soon

[pbkid]

wow, thats too bad...

i would check the lights if i were you, when mine got "bumped" it misaligned my lights really bad....had to do some modification to get it straight....

whats goin on here, thats 2 VX's broken into and 2 in accidents....

fingers crossed and knocking on wood....

i might have to move the VX to the garage till the smoke clears...

[VX1032]

From your other pic, the cladding isn't that bad. You can probably hit it with a heat gun and properly reshape it. There is sheet metal under that area, I know because I had to readjust it to fit my tires. So they already did the job for you!!

[tom4bren]

Make sure the insurance company has the alignment checked by a quality shop (not the body shop). They'll be able to tell if there was any damage to the control arms.

I'm assuming from the pics that the VX was parked when hit. If so, make sure that there wasn't any damage to the steering wheel lock.

Sorry to hear you're experiencing something like this so soon after getting her. Good luck.

[WormGod]

I had a driver's side wheel impact that didn't look to bad some years back and it ended up being pretty pricey. The entire front left suspension was replaced, and it wasn't realized until later that the steering box was damaged as well. Just make sure the body shop is thorough in not just the body work, but the steering/handling. If they find anything, they will dispute it with the ins. company.

BTW, saw a LOT of that here last weekend. Barely any snow on the ground, but people still kicked into PARANOID Driving Mode and caused a crapload of accidents because of it. Then again, that's usually MD drivers in general. :rolleyes:

[sloop]

Definetly have it checked THROUGHLY underneath. is this the VX that was here in Cuyahogafalls (Ohio) forsale

[PittVXr]

Yeah, I drove out to Cuyahoga Falls about 3 weeks ago to pick it up. It was a former California car with 58,500 miles on it. The former owner even left a packet of photos of it parked at his place in CA. Looked like a good deal to me so I ran out and picked it up. It seems that as soon as the ground turns white in Pittsburgh, all driving skills go out the window. I'm going to demand that everything gets checked through and through. My insurance guy told me not to be surprised if it gets totaled though. If there is enough damage it might just be cheaper for them to do that. I REALLY hope not. I'm looking forward to taking it offroad this spring.

[OHVX'er]

That really sucks.
Before I bought mine I went and looked at that one, it was in great shape. I had never seen one except for pics and wanted to see one "live" before I bid on the one I bought.

[MoonRaker]

they shouldnt total it out, it dosnt look that bad but id say get someone to cross messure your frame also. If you put it up on a lift you can see if anything is bent if you remove you tires.

[sloop]

That really sucks.
Before I bought mine I went and looked at that one, it was in great shape. I had never seen one except for pics and wanted to see one "live" before I bid on the one I bought.

So you are the Other Proton around here, I only Drive mine Maybe twice a year and People tell me they see Me around the Akron Area. So I knew there was another Around!! Yeah I looked at that one 2 it was clean Back when I looked at it they had Red pinstripe all around it. it was Nice just not my Color

[WormGod]

Your insurance guy is on the pipe. That is FAR from a total. I had FAR more extensive damage that ran quite high in price and it was fixed with no questions asked.

You'll be alright. :)

[PittVXr]

Good to know. I took it for a quick test drive today to the local notary to get my plates and it seemed OK. No weird noises, no fluids on the ground. Seemed to pull a little to the left while driving, but Pittsburgh roads aren't exactly known for being smooth and level anyway. I hope to have it at a repair center this weekend. The insurance Co. is being a little slow in getting an adjuster out here to look at it, but they claim to be busy this week following the snowstorm. The weatherman is calling for ice again , I think I might park in the back yard tonight!

[jims585]

Make sure that they check the steering sector shaft as they have a habit of twisting and can't be seen until the steering arm is removed.