I'm wondering what it takes to total a 2007 Civic Hybrid. I got rear-ended hard today. The car drives okay. The tail lights are pushed in, trunk lid is pushed in. The c-pillars are buckled on both sides at the base of the rear window. I can see creases in both sides and the bottom of the spare-tire well. The back end of the car doesn't look that bad at first glance, but there is major structural damage. I'm not sure if I would rather have them fix it, or total it. I love the car, but I don't know if it will ever be as good as it was. The guy behind me was going 40 or so, and never even touched the brakes. He was gawking at another accident on the other side of the road. Then he got hit by the guy behind him, which pushed him into me a second time. Has anyone else been rear-ended? What was the repair bill? I probably need about $10,000.00 of damage to hit the 70% of value mark which would total the vehicle.

If they do total it I guess I'll see if I want another HCH, an Insight, or a Prius.

 

Well it sounds like the head restraints did the job? Your neck is OK? That sounds like a big hit. Hard to believe it would be repairable! Hal

 

It was a hard hit. I was impressed with the head restraints and I feel mostly fine. I have had a bit of a headache since then, and my neck will probably be sore tomorrow. It hit hard enough that it broke something in my seat. The seat "hangs" when you try to recline it. You can force it back, but it doesn't go willingly. I weigh 150 pounds, so I would think it would take a big hit for me to break it.

Doesn't this car have some sort of "pre-tensioner" in the seat belt that tightens it up during a crash? Does that mean some parts will need to be replaced in the seatbelt? I want a comprehensive list of everything I need adressed by the shop/estimator.

 

Due to the back pillars being buckled you might be pushed into write-off territory. I know from personal experience the doors and front fenders are bolt-on items that can be replaced (see my thread in the Honda Civic Hybrid forum at cleanmpg). But as far as I know the rear corner and back is an integral part of the main frame, ie: can't be swapped out. Also, if those back pillars are bent I'd speculate the whole back end is also bent.

It all depends on your insurer's appraiser's estimate, and their policy regarding write-off, and anything further the body shop might discover.

I don't think the seat belts have pre-tensioners. I assume the air bags did not go off?

Anyway, it's always a shock when these things happen, leaving you wondering: "why did this have to happen?". I hope everything gets sorted.

 

None of the airbags went off. the c-pillars and rear quarter panels are integral parts of the chassis. Looking at it this morning, I now think it's unlikely that they'll total it. I bet they'll pull it mostly back into shape, then touch it up with body filler. it will probably look fine when they're done, but it'll never perfect again.

 

You are probably better off with them repairing it from a financial standpoint. I had a 2006 civic get totaled (someone pulled out in front of me) and they were offering ~$3,000 less than we could get a new one for. After over a MONTH of negotiation we got it back to within about $1,000.

Good luck with it either way!

 

If you're not "written off", worst scenario would likely be if you immediately traded it in. If you are up-front about the accident (and here it's a legal requirement) you will very likely lose a lot in trade-in value. Put yourself in a potential buyers shoes: if you had two choices, and one of them had been in a serious accident, which would you pick?

OTOH, if the repairs are done properly, the car is restored to as-new: if you hold on to the car for another 5~6 years or more, the damaged-vs-pristine trade-in values will get closer together, ie: $2000 vs $3000 does not hurt as much as $12000 vs $16000.

Anyway, when dealing with your insurance company, let them know you're aware of the "accelerated depreciation" the accident has caused. Ask what they can do. Also, see a doctor if you haven't already: you may be able to get injury compensation. Discuss with your insurer what documentation you might need from a doctor.

For your reference, here's my somewhat similar thread:

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24864

We're supposed to get our HCHII back tomorrow. I have "before" pictures, and will take a "post" picture, and post both once we do get the car. It's been virtually 4 weeks since our accident date, the repair has really dragged on. We've actually taken delivery of the repaired car once, but gave it back to the body shop the next day, replacement doors were mis-aligned, and we found some window trim that was not right. That last little item is the only impediment currently. Well, knock-on-wood.

 

Well, they're fixing it. The estimates were about $6,000, but they said the actual cost would probably be a bit higher depending on what they find. They're replacing the rear panel (hidden behind the bumper), replacing the bumper cover, aluminum bar, and energy absorbers. They're replacing the trunk lid and the driver's seat. They're pulling the quarter panels back into shape. When they're done they'll do a 4-wheel alignment. They plan on spending 12 days working on it, plus the time they're waiting for parts and weekends. It'll be a while before I get it back, lucky for me I'm traveling most of this month, so I wouldn't be driving it much anyway.

 

Did they get you in a loaner ok?

BTW, we took receipt of ours for the second time, today. The door alignment is a lot closer, almost 100%. The rear is a bit of a malinger. I may let go and give it a final (I hope) tweak myself. I have Service Manual, good jack, correct socket, torque wrench, etc.

 

No loaner. I have spare vehicles. We have 4 vehicles and two drivers, so I decline the rental car option on my insurance. I am going after the insurance of the guy who hit me for loss-of-use of my car. It's going to take a while though, since the two other insurance companies are battling it out for who pays what percentage of my damages. I'll be driving close to a thousand miles in the next 5 days, and it's going to cost a lot more to do so in a one-ton diesel truck than it would have in a little hybrid. That's why I'm pursuing the other insurance companies for a bit of compensation. Sorry yours is still not right. Neither one of our cars will likely ever be quite what they were pre-accident.