Frame damage?

New to the group- just bought a new 4R, made the first payment 2 weeks early only to get on the receiving end of a 5 car pileup. Driver at fault was going about 45+ and squarely impacted all of us stopped for a light. I am fine, the lady I ended up tapping was fine- but the 3 drivers and a passenger behind us all went for a wee-woo ride. All of their airbags deployed.


Damage didnt look too bad yesterday- but as I look at the proud parent new pix vs the oh crap pix - i see some not great things.

When the officer had me pull away- i made a uturn and the rear dr side felt like the wheel was coming off, but when I straightened out it was ok- understanding I only drove it 100 feet to a parking lot to wait for the tow.

So posting before vs after pix and wondering if what appears to be minor could be a total.

 

^Only way to know would be to take it to a shop for visual inspection and some diagonal measurements of the frame against collision repair manual dimensions.

Frame replacement when the vehicle is this new isn't necessarily a total. If only the tow hitch crossmember is bent, there are also options to cut out the crossmember and weld in a replacement. All depends on parts availability.

 

yeah I had it towed to the shop last night- will be at least Monday afternoon before I hear anything. Cant have nice things…

 

Welcome from Wisconsin! That accident sucks, I know what you mean about 'nice things'.

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see frame damage with that buckling on the left quarter panel. Generally, the cost of repairs would need to exceed 75% of the acv of the vehicle in order for the ins. co. to total a vehicle, but hey may also factor in the cost of diminished value and the rental in their calculation and also the high salvage value if they were to total it. Another thing to keep in mind is the amount of property damage coverage that the at fault party has, may not cover the full cost of all of the claims so you may have to go through your ins. carrier who will have to subrogate for a pro-rated amount. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

Welcome to the forums.

That sucks that your new truck met the fate of an idiot. I bet that driver was uninsured and probably unlicensed.

Have a reputable shop look at it and insist on them checking the frame specs on their machine. The insurance company will push back because they want to pay the bare minimum. Don’t forget diminished value, if you’re in a state that allows it. Last piece of advice, lawyer up even against your own insurance company.

 

That's a lot of cosmetic damage. Frame may be fine actually, I'm thinking the motor of the vehicle that rear-ended you didn't get crushed enough for the motor to hit the frame. Hitch looks fine.

I had an Expedition that got 17k worth of damage and they didn't total it.

Best of luck. Sucks that happened.

 

thanks all for the valuable info and feedback. The driver at fault and I have the same insurance compnay….

here in this photo we noticed what appears could be a crack in the frame- but i think its a weld line? If anyone has a gen 6, and has time to take a similar photo of their own id appreciate it for comparison.

 

Welcome

 

Well that's no good. I'd try and push for a new frame from insurance if there is any damage as opposed to replacing the rear crossmember.

 

The 6th gen frame has many localized doublers and patches welded at key locations for strength (so called Dejima Technology). That might be one of the doublers.

 

hey all- you are correct- its just a weld. So big sigh of relief there

 

First off,glad it was minor and you and your Lady are ok.
Second that really F ing blows for a brand new vehicle with short miles on it.
Lastly we can speculate till the cows come home,once she goes in for a inspection add an additional 12/15% more for cosmetic damage, they will not know the full extent until they tare her down and get to the meat of it,so to speak.

Best of luck and I hope that your insurance co. gives you a decent vehicle while yours get fixed.

BTW welcome from MA.