Rear-ended at low speed
#16
I just don't see how it is possible a light low speed tap that did no noticeable damage to your car has knocked anything loose or damaged anything to affect your steering or make a vibration. It either sounds like you really listened and felt for anything after the tap and noticed this when it was probably there before or it is just coincidence that there is this noise or vibration after a tap. Hitting small bumps on the highway, going over speedbumps, hard braking likely puts more stress on the chassis and components then a tap in the rear by another car at low speeds. I don't see a mechanic being able to diagnose or find anything wrong and they are definitely not going to blame it on the tap/rear end at slow speed.
#17
I don't think the vibration has anything to do with getting the bump you did, that being said, a bit frustrating that this kid isn't responding to you. As a former poor dumb kid, I applaud you for trying to hook him up on what is really not much of an issue. Going through insurance would definitely put a mark on him and raise his insurance rates. However, if he doesn't come back to you, I wouldn't fault you for letting insurance take care of it for you.
My only concern would be that the accident is going to show up on Carfax for your car. No one down the road is going to know or care that it was really a minor thing, its just going to be an accident. That will impact resale and it would definitely make me think hard about whether I want to claim it or just be pissed off and eat it.
My only concern would be that the accident is going to show up on Carfax for your car. No one down the road is going to know or care that it was really a minor thing, its just going to be an accident. That will impact resale and it would definitely make me think hard about whether I want to claim it or just be pissed off and eat it.
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FatherTo1 (01-23-18)
#18
I just don't see how it is possible a light low speed tap that did no noticeable damage to your car has knocked anything loose or damaged anything to affect your steering or make a vibration. It either sounds like you really listened and felt for anything after the tap and noticed this when it was probably there before or it is just coincidence that there is this noise or vibration after a tap. Hitting small bumps on the highway, going over speedbumps, hard braking likely puts more stress on the chassis and components then a tap in the rear by another car at low speeds. I don't see a mechanic being able to diagnose or find anything wrong and they are definitely not going to blame it on the tap/rear end at slow speed.
I don't think the vibration has anything to do with getting the bump you did, that being said, a bit frustrating that this kid isn't responding to you. As a former poor dumb kid, I applaud you for trying to hook him up on what is really not much of an issue. Going through insurance would definitely put a mark on him and raise his insurance rates. However, if he doesn't come back to you, I wouldn't fault you for letting insurance take care of it for you.
My only concern would be that the accident is going to show up on Carfax for your car. No one down the road is going to know or care that it was really a minor thing, its just going to be an accident. That will impact resale and it would definitely make me think hard about whether I want to claim it or just be pissed off and eat it.
My only concern would be that the accident is going to show up on Carfax for your car. No one down the road is going to know or care that it was really a minor thing, its just going to be an accident. That will impact resale and it would definitely make me think hard about whether I want to claim it or just be pissed off and eat it.
#20
I'm still wondering if he'll pick up the phone ever. I emailed him yesterday too and laid it all out, about the scratches, the body shop estimate, my mechanic's inspection, and how it can all be resolved with a small bottle of polish. I let him know I have dashcam footage and reminded him there are friends and family that would hate to see him ruin his future due to texting or inattentiveness at the wheel. I let him know that I wasn't going to call insurance and that he can completely ignore my email with zero consequences, but that I hope he demonstrates more character by calling me back to give all of this a proper closure. Still no reply by email nor phone. I am still holding onto hope for our younger generation.
#21
He's not going to call you.
Honestly, car is fine, I would just let it go. I recently went through this with the van. I was at the dump on Christmas Eve (fa la la lol) and as I was pulling out, the guy next to me opened up his rear door into the van and put a big dent in the door. Thing was a month old. I got out and confronted him about it, and he hemmed and hawed and finally did give me his insurance info, I took pictures and all, etc. Called his company, and turns out after having admitted fault and given me his info on the scene, he was trying to say that it was my fault, and that his door was already open and I ran into his open door. Now, obviously thats ridiculous, I was pulling forward straight out of a space, how could the smooth, flat side of my van have somehow struck his rear door if it didn't open out into my car while it was moving? Even his insurance investigator admitted that didn't make any sense. Did I have a police report? Well, if I called the police for a door ding they'd have given me a ticket for being an idiot for calling the police for a door ding. Of course they found for him since that involved no cost incurred by them. I could have fought it, sued him, had my company fight it...all of which I considered doing, but in the end, it was a $200 PDR repair and its all fixed...
How much of your aggravation is this worth? I would just let it go!
Honestly, car is fine, I would just let it go. I recently went through this with the van. I was at the dump on Christmas Eve (fa la la lol) and as I was pulling out, the guy next to me opened up his rear door into the van and put a big dent in the door. Thing was a month old. I got out and confronted him about it, and he hemmed and hawed and finally did give me his insurance info, I took pictures and all, etc. Called his company, and turns out after having admitted fault and given me his info on the scene, he was trying to say that it was my fault, and that his door was already open and I ran into his open door. Now, obviously thats ridiculous, I was pulling forward straight out of a space, how could the smooth, flat side of my van have somehow struck his rear door if it didn't open out into my car while it was moving? Even his insurance investigator admitted that didn't make any sense. Did I have a police report? Well, if I called the police for a door ding they'd have given me a ticket for being an idiot for calling the police for a door ding. Of course they found for him since that involved no cost incurred by them. I could have fought it, sued him, had my company fight it...all of which I considered doing, but in the end, it was a $200 PDR repair and its all fixed...
How much of your aggravation is this worth? I would just let it go!
#22
He's not going to call you.
Honestly, car is fine, I would just let it go. I recently went through this with the van. I was at the dump on Christmas Eve (fa la la lol) and as I was pulling out, the guy next to me opened up his rear door into the van and put a big dent in the door. Thing was a month old. I got out and confronted him about it, and he hemmed and hawed and finally did give me his insurance info, I took pictures and all, etc. Called his company, and turns out after having admitted fault and given me his info on the scene, he was trying to say that it was my fault, and that his door was already open and I ran into his open door. Now, obviously thats ridiculous, I was pulling forward straight out of a space, how could the smooth, flat side of my van have somehow struck his rear door if it didn't open out into my car while it was moving? Even his insurance investigator admitted that didn't make any sense. Did I have a police report? Well, if I called the police for a door ding they'd have given me a ticket for being an idiot for calling the police for a door ding. Of course they found for him since that involved no cost incurred by them. I could have fought it, sued him, had my company fight it...all of which I considered doing, but in the end, it was a $200 PDR repair and its all fixed...
How much of your aggravation is this worth? I would just let it go!
Honestly, car is fine, I would just let it go. I recently went through this with the van. I was at the dump on Christmas Eve (fa la la lol) and as I was pulling out, the guy next to me opened up his rear door into the van and put a big dent in the door. Thing was a month old. I got out and confronted him about it, and he hemmed and hawed and finally did give me his insurance info, I took pictures and all, etc. Called his company, and turns out after having admitted fault and given me his info on the scene, he was trying to say that it was my fault, and that his door was already open and I ran into his open door. Now, obviously thats ridiculous, I was pulling forward straight out of a space, how could the smooth, flat side of my van have somehow struck his rear door if it didn't open out into my car while it was moving? Even his insurance investigator admitted that didn't make any sense. Did I have a police report? Well, if I called the police for a door ding they'd have given me a ticket for being an idiot for calling the police for a door ding. Of course they found for him since that involved no cost incurred by them. I could have fought it, sued him, had my company fight it...all of which I considered doing, but in the end, it was a $200 PDR repair and its all fixed...
How much of your aggravation is this worth? I would just let it go!
#24
Many years ago I had the opposite happen to me.
Bumped a Rav4 at low speed but it was enough to dent the tailgate. Worked it out with the owner to get her a new tailgate and have it painted and installed. Found one in Houston for a good price, made the 3.5-hour one-way trip to pick it up, got back home that evening, tried to call her and she didn't answer. Tried making contact multiple times over the next week and never spoke to her again. Wasted a day and a whole bunch of gas but thankfully I recouped the cost of the door after relisting it on local Craigslist. No idea why she didn't want me to fix her car....
Bumped a Rav4 at low speed but it was enough to dent the tailgate. Worked it out with the owner to get her a new tailgate and have it painted and installed. Found one in Houston for a good price, made the 3.5-hour one-way trip to pick it up, got back home that evening, tried to call her and she didn't answer. Tried making contact multiple times over the next week and never spoke to her again. Wasted a day and a whole bunch of gas but thankfully I recouped the cost of the door after relisting it on local Craigslist. No idea why she didn't want me to fix her car....
#26
Hoping mckellyb can chime in on this. I do not hear any strange noises and tried the Height Hight today for the first time and it worked fine. Something though still doesn't feel right, as if the car is riding on stilts. There's a little more rocking motion to the body than I remember. I also notice more body wiggle and shake when I close my driver's door compared to all other doors. I go out and measure the height from the ground to the top edge of the wheel well. The fronts are both at 29 and 1/16 inches. My rear heights though differ by 1/4". The driver's side rear (which would be closest to the rear-end impact) is higher than the passenger rear by 1/4". I do not see any leaks or cracks. There's just a little more wobble to the car and coming through to the driver's seat and I don't think it is my imagination (this time I believe the statement to be true).
Can others help with a favor and please measure the height from the ground to the edge of your wheel wells for comparison? Hoping mckellyb sees this and can chime in. From mckellyb's experience, it is normal for the rears to be lower than the fronts. It is just odd that my RL is higher than my RR.
EDIT: I also don't detect much difference between Comfort and Normal as before. I recall in the past that the car always stayed flat in straightaways in Comfort while the suspension soaked up the bumps. Lately the ride feels like what I can only describe as "wobbly", as if the car was higher than it should be. That is why I am surprised to find the RR 1/4" higher than the LR (because that is exactly what the sensation feels like). Tire PSI is consistent across all four tires, +/- .5 PSI. Maybe I should just fine an insurance claim and get all of this properly checked out.
Can others help with a favor and please measure the height from the ground to the edge of your wheel wells for comparison? Hoping mckellyb sees this and can chime in. From mckellyb's experience, it is normal for the rears to be lower than the fronts. It is just odd that my RL is higher than my RR.
EDIT: I also don't detect much difference between Comfort and Normal as before. I recall in the past that the car always stayed flat in straightaways in Comfort while the suspension soaked up the bumps. Lately the ride feels like what I can only describe as "wobbly", as if the car was higher than it should be. That is why I am surprised to find the RR 1/4" higher than the LR (because that is exactly what the sensation feels like). Tire PSI is consistent across all four tires, +/- .5 PSI. Maybe I should just fine an insurance claim and get all of this properly checked out.
Last edited by FatherTo1; 01-28-18 at 12:50 PM.
#27
Hi Fto1, I am wondering if you are becoming a bit paranoid about sounds and shakes after the mishap . Can't blame you though because I would probably be reacting in the same way.
Here are my car's measurements. Michelins 245/45R19s, 33 psi
Normal: LF and RF 29", LR and RR 28 7/8"
High: LF and RF 29 13/16", LR and RR 29 5/16"
I never measured these heights before. I assumed that the suspension would rise the same amount front and rear. I am surprised the front (13/16") rises almost twice as high as the rear (7/16"). I am curious to learn what others are measuring.
Here are my car's measurements. Michelins 245/45R19s, 33 psi
Normal: LF and RF 29", LR and RR 28 7/8"
High: LF and RF 29 13/16", LR and RR 29 5/16"
I never measured these heights before. I assumed that the suspension would rise the same amount front and rear. I am surprised the front (13/16") rises almost twice as high as the rear (7/16"). I am curious to learn what others are measuring.
#28
Hi Fto1, I am wondering if you are becoming a bit paranoid about sounds and shakes after the mishap . Can't blame you though because I would probably be reacting in the same way.
Here are my car's measurements. Michelins 245/45R19s, 33 psi
Normal: LF and RF 29", LR and RR 28 7/8"
High: LF and RF 29 13/16", LR and RR 29 5/16"
I never measured these heights before. I assumed that the suspension would rise the same amount front and rear. I am surprised the front (13/16") rises almost twice as high as the rear (7/16"). I am curious to learn what others are measuring.
Here are my car's measurements. Michelins 245/45R19s, 33 psi
Normal: LF and RF 29", LR and RR 28 7/8"
High: LF and RF 29 13/16", LR and RR 29 5/16"
I never measured these heights before. I assumed that the suspension would rise the same amount front and rear. I am surprised the front (13/16") rises almost twice as high as the rear (7/16"). I am curious to learn what others are measuring.
#29
Thanks for taking the time to measure, comotiger! Much appreciated. Yours seems to show consistency side-to-side, which is what I would expect. My LF and RF are within 1/16", and both fronts are 1/4" - 1/2" higher than the rears, depending on which rear you go by. Between the rears, there is 1/4" difference, which seems sort of significant. I am trying to gather more data to rely on instead of my "gut instinct" that something feels off. Thanks again for the help!
#30
The measurements are all over the place. The fronts started even, but in Height High there's now over a 1/2" differential between the fronts. Interesting. What used to be a 1/4" difference between the rears grows to 1/2" delta in Height High mode. Looks like the LS does rise roughly .8-1.0 inch in Height High.
Normal Height:
LF = 29 1/16
RF = 29 1/16
LR = 28 11/16
RR = 28 7/16
Height High:
LF = 29 8/16
RF = 30 1/16
LR = 29 12/16
RR = 29 4/16