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Need advice - Odd Damage

Discussion in 'Body Work & Detailing' started by BigDaddyEllison, September 28, 2018.

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  1. BigDaddyEllison

    BigDaddyEllison New Member

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    First I want to thank everyone for looking at my post. I am new to ExplorerForum, but it has been very helpful already. I am a huge Ford fan, but my wife's 2017 Explorer Sport was in a wreck a couple of weeks ago and the damage seems oddly excessive.

    My wife was pulling into the parking garage at her work and when she pushed the brake pedal there was nothing there. That's the least concerning part of my story. So we called the insurance and they looked at the damage (see pic) and they estimated about $ 6k. It was a low speed impact, no airbag, no seat belt marks, so roughly 3 to 5 miles per hour. Regardless, we have it taken to our repair shop of choice. They have it for about a week taking it apart and identifying any damage missed by the claims adjuster. The new total was $ 14,500 and about 6 weeks. Ouch. The driver side upper rail and lower were bent which apparently means removing the whole front end as well as the dashboard. The body shop wanted to review the quote internally before finalizing and ended up rejecting the repair because they were afraid of the liability.

    At this point I am pretty nervous. I am trying to decide if the vehicle was defective from the start or if this much damage makes sense. I am a fan of Fords and have a F250 I use on the family farm that has proven very rugged so this whole thing puzzles me. Any advice? Any Ford mechanics experienced a low speed collision that caused the upper and lower frame rails to be "buckled over itself" (adjuster words).

    Thanks!

    Kevin

    20180917_084621.jpg
     
    BigDaddyEllison, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  3. Mbrooks420

    Mbrooks420 High Voltage. Elite Explorer EF Vendor

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    I’m guessing it was just faster than 3-5 mph. I’d be most concerned about the lack of brakes. Damage to a vehicle is irrelevant if you have a brake issue that could kill you next time.
     
    Mbrooks420, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  4. BigDaddyEllison

    BigDaddyEllison New Member

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    @Mbrooks420 - Thank you for the response. Regarding the speed, if I didn't know how narrow the parking garage is, I would have thought the same thing, but it is a tight turn in. Plus my wife is one of those people that people honk at because she feels the need to almost stop when turning into a drive off of a street.

    That is an excellent point on the brakes, I know that there is a "block box" type of recording on pretty much all vehicles now, but getting the data from the car can only be done by a dealer?
     
    BigDaddyEllison, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  5. Mbrooks420

    Mbrooks420 High Voltage. Elite Explorer EF Vendor

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    14k does seem like an insane amount of damage if it were truly that slow. I’d dump a vehicle after a repair line that.

    What did she actually hit? Did she run the front end up and over something?

    The F250 is very stout, unfortunately the new SUVs from Ford don’t follow suit.
     
    Mbrooks420, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  6. BigDaddyEllison

    BigDaddyEllison New Member

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    This is a picture of the wall. No damage to it other than paying off the bumper. The fluid on the ground is from the intercooler dumping it's fluid from being squished. There was no damage or indentation in the concrete at all.

    The only similar damage reports I can find are from head on collisions at 45 mph and higher and they look much much worse. I am hoping to go see it with the front removed so I can get a picture of the frame rail. Thanks for the help!

    Kevin

    20180917_084726.jpg
     
    BigDaddyEllison, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  7. shucker1

    shucker1 Elite Explorer

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    One must remember concrete is a static and very strong object. Especially in a parking garage.

    I a normal auto accident all of the force may be transferred to motion of the other object.

    A 3500 # SUV moving at 5 MPH is a good deal of energy. My guess is that the "Crumple Zone" of the frame rail was effected.

    However, like @Mbrooks420 said
    Unfortunately automobiles these days are built nowhere near as strong as a 1973 LTD.
     
    shucker1, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  8. 974X4BLACKSPORT

    974X4BLACKSPORT Active Member

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    What is "stronger"?
     
    974X4BLACKSPORT, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  9. Mbrooks420

    Mbrooks420 High Voltage. Elite Explorer EF Vendor

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    And older car will handle light hits WAY better, but lack the energy absorbing engineering of today’s crumple happy designs.
     
    Mbrooks420, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  10. shucker1

    shucker1 Elite Explorer

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    What was it from Physics?

    Mass X Velocity = Energy?

    Got to Throw Acceleration in there too.

    @Mbrooks420 can tell us.

    He Bee's a Enginer...

    LOL!
     
    shucker1, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  11. Mbrooks420

    Mbrooks420 High Voltage. Elite Explorer EF Vendor

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    Force = mass X acceleration. That’s calculating a solid object hitting a solid object. With the crumple effect of the car you’d also have to calculate in what distance the car stopped. Even a few inches lessens the force considerably.
     
    Mbrooks420, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  12. Mbrooks420

    Mbrooks420 High Voltage. Elite Explorer EF Vendor

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    Also, NOT my kind of engineering, LOL.
     
    Mbrooks420, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  13. shucker1

    shucker1 Elite Explorer

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    ME, PE, CE EE Whats the difference?

    They all got an E at the end.

    You guys think them up and build them up.

    Us field guys fix them up...
     
    shucker1, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  14. Mbrooks420

    Mbrooks420 High Voltage. Elite Explorer EF Vendor

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    I did primarily field service the first 6 years I worked in engineering. I’m no stranger to finding the project was nothing it was made out to be, working out solutions on the fly and correcting the desk job engineers work time and time again.
     
    Mbrooks420, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  15. shucker1

    shucker1 Elite Explorer

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    Just picking fun.

    Enjoy the weekend!
     
    shucker1, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  16. imp

    imp Well-Known Member

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    @shucker1
    Hey, now! As I recall it, you, too, went pretty far towards that "E", just not in the same field. Don't sell you field guys short! imp
     
    imp, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  17. shucker1

    shucker1 Elite Explorer

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    Life is good on the bottom of the food chain..

    "It Great to Soar Up High with The Eagles, too bad Eagles get sucked into jet engines..."

    George Carlin
     
    shucker1, September 28, 2018 Top of Page
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  18. MONMIX

    MONMIX I fix dents Staff Member Moderator Elite Explorer

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    WOAH WOAH WOAH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    What is up with that remark !?!?!?!

    : looks sternly and slightly offended...
     
    MONMIX, October 1, 2018 Top of Page
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  19. MONMIX

    MONMIX I fix dents Staff Member Moderator Elite Explorer

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    And thank God for that !!!!!!! The survival rate in significant collisions had skyrocketed.
     
    MONMIX, October 1, 2018 Top of Page
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  20. Mbrooks420

    Mbrooks420 High Voltage. Elite Explorer EF Vendor

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    Offended at what?
     
    Mbrooks420, October 1, 2018 Top of Page
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  21. MONMIX

    MONMIX I fix dents Staff Member Moderator Elite Explorer

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    Okay, so the subject at hand. ( see credentials in my signature. I have been in collision repair for about thirty years now. )

    If I could see the estimate that would be wonderful. 14k does not sound unreal to me. There are a lot of unique procedures in repairing modern cars. The days of tugging it back into shape and sending it up the road are long gone. Nowadays it is all about very specific welders and welding and other various attachment methods. The majority is straight up replacement. Very little is repaired anymore.

    I would be more than glad to walk through the repair process with you. If you can post the estimate and some pictures if you are able.
     
    MONMIX, October 1, 2018 Top of Page
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