Rear Ended - advice

thedoc46 · 10 Aug 2009 at 01:29

Just been rear ended... Car pretty bent up on the rear.. Sitting at lights and Toyota Highlinder smashed straight into the back of me.. Toyota undrivable. My car still drivable.. Head rests popped out... Everyone ok, but looks pretty bent up on the back Car is a Mercedez C230 2007, so not best pleased about it.. Anyway, anyone with collision experience on here?

I am puzzled as to why my steering wheel is no longer in line? It now slightly turned to the left maybe 10degrees... Car does not pull in any way, just the steering wheel of off whack.. As i said, car just rear ended me, ok it was a fairly decent whack, and maybe the wheel was slightly turned at the time of impact.. More worred about lasting damage and what caused the steering wheel to stay off. It's weird driving cos the wheel is as if you are slightly turning left, yet there is no pulling and the car handles fine...

Pee'd off bout newish car now been in a ding... But happy as i had my young kids in the car and no-one was injured ! Well done to German engineering.. The Toyota Highlinder SUV, was in not such good shape and considering that was the much larger heavier car, i am very impressed with the crumple zone of the Benz..

Any ideas on the steering though?

Sin_Chase · 10 Aug 2009 at 01:36

I am assuming you reported it to the police etc?

Are you planning on driving it in this state? If not, just get it all fixed up on the insurance!

mjt · 10 Aug 2009 at 01:55

uh yeah, it's ****ed!
sounds like you've been in a pretty heavy shunt :/

get it towed and sorted on your, sorry, their insurance

( |-| |2 ][ $ · 10 Aug 2009 at 04:41

My guest would be that nothing has changed with the front wheels or the steering but that the rear wheels / chassis are completely out of line thus affecting the normal forward movement of your car.

It could well be a write off.

Sone · 10 Aug 2009 at 06:37

it says he is in the usa, a 2007 c230 is worth more there than here so i doubt its a write off.

Dogbreath · 10 Aug 2009 at 08:14

( |-| |2 ][ $;14647121 said:
My guest would be that nothing has changed with the front wheels or the steering but that the rear wheels / chassis are completely out of line thus affecting the normal forward movement of your car.

I'd agree, you very likely have rear suspension damage, or at least the parts of the body to which the suspension is bolted have been pushed out of alignment. See the recent thread on "crabbing"

Firestar_3x · 10 Aug 2009 at 08:18

Sounds like the tracking has been bashed off line to me, the wheels are still straight the car drives in a straight line alright just the steering wheel is off line, if you had your foot on the brake and someone rear ended you this could be enough shock to send the tracking off.

thedoc46 · 10 Aug 2009 at 12:02

Firestar_3x said:
Sounds like the tracking has been bashed off line to me, the wheels are still straight the car drives in a straight line alright just the steering wheel is off line, if you had your foot on the brake and someone rear ended you this could be enough shock to send the tracking off.

Yes that's my guess.. I managed to drive it home 260 miles Since I was in Orlando at the time of the crash and i live in SW Florida...and the only thing wrong with the drive was the wheel was pointing in the wrong direction.. No pulling, no weirdness, which i really would have expected. I very doubt car is a write off, since its an expensive and new car.. So there would have to be some pretty substantial underlying issues.. Eitherway car will never be the same again

So i guess i need to sell it and get something new..

Now starts all the arguments with the body shop and insurance.. since they never do a damn proper job !

[TW]Fox · 10 Aug 2009 at 12:14

thedoc46 said:
Eitherway car will never be the same again

Yes it will. Once it has been properly repaired it will be as good as new and technically better than it was before the accident. The whole 'it will never be the same' is emotional claptrap, don't let your mind tell you it isnt the same.

It is a car. A machine. It is not a person, it has no emotions, and when parts are replaced, it continues to operate as before unless the repair was carried out by a halfwit.

So i guess i need to sell it and get something new..

What ever for? Just get it fixed and carry on driving it. Honestly.

Do you sell your Xbox and get another one when it gets fixed? :rolleyes:

DM · 10 Aug 2009 at 12:23

Lets hope the roof didnt get a kink.

thedoc46 · 10 Aug 2009 at 17:40

[TW]Fox;14648443 said:
Yes it will. Once it has been properly repaired it will be as good as new and technically better than it was before the accident. The whole 'it will never be the same' is emotional claptrap, don't let your mind tell you it isnt the same.

It is a car. A machine. It is not a person, it has no emotions, and when parts are replaced, it continues to operate as before unless the repair was carried out by a halfwit.

What ever for? Just get it fixed and carry on driving it. Honestly.

Do you sell your Xbox and get another one when it gets fixed?

Problem is, is yes it will no doubt be some halfwit fixing the car. Taking short cuts and repairing for as cheap as possible.. a few months down the road I'll probably start seeing tires wearing differently, that kind of thing.. Unfortunately that is just the way it goes.. I remember the last idiots that fixed my car a few yrs ago, nothing was ever in line as it should have been.. It was argument after argument after argument.. end result a lot of stress.

Tinders · 10 Aug 2009 at 17:46

thedoc46 said:
Yes that's my guess.. I managed to drive it home 260 miles Since I was in Orlando at the time of the crash and i live in SW Florida...and the only thing wrong with the drive was the wheel was pointing in the wrong direction.. No pulling, no weirdness, which i really would have expected. I very doubt car is a write off, since its an expensive and new car.. So there would have to be some pretty substantial underlying issues.. Eitherway car will never be the same again So i guess i need to sell it and get something new..

Now starts all the arguments with the body shop and insurance.. since they never do a damn proper job !

If you drive with the wheel straight, it will pull wont it?

DM · 10 Aug 2009 at 18:14

thedoc46 said:
Problem is, is yes it will no doubt be some halfwit fixing the car. Taking short cuts and repairing for as cheap as possible.. a few months down the road I'll probably start seeing tires wearing differently, that kind of thing.. Unfortunately that is just the way it goes.. I remember the last idiots that fixed my car a few yrs ago, nothing was ever in line as it should have been.. It was argument after argument after argument.. end result a lot of stress.

Then you have the fun of selling it when the time comes with the accident recorded against it.

If its a half bad smack, better for you if they write the bloody thing off now.

thedoc46 · 10 Aug 2009 at 19:50

DiamondMark said:
Then you have the fun of selling it when the time comes with the accident recorded against it.

If its a half bad smack, better for you if they write the bloody thing off now.

Yeah tell me about it.. Problem is i very much doubt they'll write it off... The car is too new and reasonably expensive. So they'll have to come up with some pretty substantial damage underneath to write this car off..

AND WHY ISN'T the darn insurance companies calling me back.. This happened Saturday.. Car is still sitting in the same state.. quick enough to get your money.. Sloooooooooooooooooow to pay it out. :mad:

DM · 10 Aug 2009 at 19:57

thedoc46 said:
Yeah tell me about it.. Problem is i very much doubt they'll write it off... The car is too new and reasonably expensive. So they'll have to come up with some pretty substantial damage underneath to write this car off..

AND WHY ISN'T the darn insurance companies calling me back.. This happened Saturday.. Car is still sitting in the same state.. quick enough to get your money.. Sloooooooooooooooooow to pay it out.

Get on to them for a loan car in the mean time, its obviously a non (your) fault accident.

I aint got a lot of time for insurance company's or their methods either it must be said.