Collision Damage to Factory Receiver

[Jon in AZ]

Woke up a little stiff and sore this morning, which is not surprising since I was rear-ended in our primary tow vehicle yesterday evening while stopped waiting for a left-turner.


There were no major injuries on either side, and I was able to drive it home, but the same could not be said for the other vehicle. My spare tire ripped completely loose, and I left it wedged under the front of the truck.

I am concerned because the integrated factory hitch receiver took a good hit and is now twisted and bent. In my 2011 Pilot it is welded to the rear frame member. I'm pretty sure they will want to repair the vehicle, and I want to make sure any repair makes it solid for towing again. Any advice as I prepare to deal with insurance and repair shops?

[Donna D.]

Oh man Jon! While I have nothing to offer regarding repairs, etc. I just wanted to say I'm so very glad all you are is stiff and sore. Be well, truly.

[Jon in AZ]

Agreed, Donna! The previous evening I had driven past the same spot at about the same time, but with six kids in the car, including my own and several of their friends. Last night it was just me. So much to be thankful for!

[Paul O.]

That is a real bummer. I am glad you and the other driver are OK. I would ask that the insurance appraiser has the whole frame/body checked out for misalignment. If the frame was bent, it could be totaled. You already paid for this in your premiums, get back as much as possible.

Two years ago I hit a deer one morning and even though everything worked, we were OK and I was able to finish my trip to the airport, the repair was over $7000. Just a little more damage, it would have been totaled, I bet. It is amazing how far the damage spreads from the point of impact!

[gordon2]

Looks a little like a Honda CRV I had.. I was stopped at a red light when a guy TWO cars back was surprised by the stopped traffic and hit the gas by mistake. He accelerated into us. I was able to drive home also but my car, the one behind me, and the van that hit us were ALL totaled by the insurance company.

I have little patience for unsafe drivers and if I were in your position I would insist that I get paid the full value for my vehicle, then I would replace it. I would not want to drive a vehicle that was damaged as bad as yours is. I would point out my injury and threaten to sue for many times the value of my car if that is what was needed.

I'm not saying that you or anyone else should be so obstinate in a case like this, but in a different wreck my shoulder was injured bad enough to be an occasional problem - 17 years later. So, I am not the guy you want to rear end in traffic. I see too many people using cellphones, driving too fast, etc, so I'm just not that forgiving when it comes to stupid drivers. You were not at fault in the least (I assume) so you should not be victimized further but instead restored to your previous state.

/rantoff

BTW, in my case the insurance company for the guy at fault quickly paid me every penny of blue book value, including the add-ons I did myself. Sure, I loved the car, babied it, and would have liked to got more, but I got as much as I could have by selling it myself (before it was damaged) and I was able to replace it with a newer, better vehicle with some additional money I added.

[mary and bob]

Our daughter, who has been rear ended twice says she learned you don't walk away or drive away. Car gets towed, everyone in her car leaves the scene in an ambulance. Never know what seems like a minor injury ends up an ongoing problem.

[David Tilston]

I know you don't want to hear this, but I would never tow in that vehicle again. Given that the receiver is welded to the frame, and it is obviously bent, I would be very surprised if your Pilot is not a write off.

[RogerDat]

Glad you are ok, I would make it simple. Ask that the insurance company and/or shop doing the work to warrant that the repairs will restore original towing capacity. Then it is up to them if they would rather total the car for a cash settlement or make the repairs.


I'm guessing they would rather have the car and give you cash than have to give written assurances that the car will still have the same tow capacity. Otherwise if there is any future damage such as a cracked weld, or the frame bends at a stress point etc. from towing they will be on the hook for those repairs. Or liable if a future failure causes additional damage or injuries.


If not totaled by their examiner then restored to original function and use is a reasonable point to insist on. I don't advocate getting in a shouting match or legal battle with insurance companies, too much like wrestling a pig in muck sooner or later you figure out the pig enjoys being there a lot more than you do.


Your agent you buy your insurance from can be your best advocate. Or a royal PITA. Good Luck!

[gordon2]

BTW, in the second picture, is it just dark or did you black out the face of the offending party? If the later, good move!

BTW #2, even though my dash cam faces forward, it would still have recorded my action, speed, location, all of which can still be helpful in a case like this.

[cmartin748]

See a doctor and get a Lawyer. The TV can be easily fixed to factory specs at a repeatable collision center. Speaking from experience , these type of injuries may not show now, but they do later in life. I was in two and walked away like you did in my first one and regretted it a few months later. I was a juror in a trial a few months ago where a woman walked away and it didn't hit her till 6 months later with a disc in her neck and she won, but don't wait for your sake. It will cost you nothing to get a good checkup.

[Raz]

Have you been to a doctor? I would, just to make sure. Was a police officer called. Is there a report? If so, get a copy.

The only way to be made whole is for them to replace the vehicle with one of equal value and cover any medical bills you may have. The damage becomes public information by the police report or outfits like car fax. Just getting it repaired will not compensate you for the loss when you go to sell it and "it's been in an accident".

This stuff is always a hassle but it happens.The most important thing is everyone walked away. Let us know how it goes. Raz

[floyd]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

I know you don't want to hear this, but I would never tow in that vehicle again. Given that the receiver is welded to the frame, and it is obviously bent, I would be very surprised if your Pilot is not a write off.

If that vehicle is repaired by a competent modern body shop, it will be at least as good as new in all respects.
Certainly the mechanicals and basic integrity will be restored to OEM specs. Since the Pilot is a reinforced unibody , it will be a everyday task to restore it to its former glory.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by cmartin748

See a doctor and get a Lawyer.

Certainly the American way now!
The surprise really is that the principals seldom have any say in settling collision payments or responsibilities.
The insurance companies will likely make all those decisions. If you are hurt... of course, get the care you need, document it and report it.
I would not get a lawyer unless you want litigation in lieu of a fair settlement.

[Jon in AZ]

Thanks for all your advice, guys! I will definitely be seeing a doctor, and I will discuss my towing concerns with the repair facility. I will have them explain how they will repair the frame crossmember and receiver. It doesn't look like there is any damage to the longitudinal main frame rails, but I believe they will do some checking before they start any repairs. I'm planning to get a second estimate done, and if I have any questions I'll ask this great group.

The accident happened where I live, which is on an Indian reservation. My past experience led me to waive towing or transport to the local IHS hospital.

[Raz]

Originally Posted by floyd

The surprise really is that the principals seldom have any say in settling collision payments or responsibilities.
The insurance companies will likely make all those decisions.

We were rear ended at a stop sign a few years ago. The fellow had Progressive. The insurance rep gave me a list of body shops I could use. There aren't many around here and the one I would have chosen was on his list. When I took the car in I had a chat with the shop owner. The car was fairly new and I asked for OEM parts. He said that was up to the insurance co. Basically he worked for them not me. This is quite different than my past experience. That may be why some need the lawyer. Its nice to have someone that is looking out for you

I would not get a lawyer unless you want litigation in lieu of a fair settlement.

In most cases I wouldn't either but in some cases ........ Raz

[reeves99]

Best wishes Jon. I hope you are OK health wise.
Please keep us posted on how you are doing and what happens with the car. We're all concerned.

[Jack L]

There is also an issue with "diminished value''. Most body shops file a report describing the repairs that were done. Later a prospective purchaser might read this report from Car Fax or other sources and because of this the vehicles value becomes questionable. It is not unreasonable for you to get additional money now because you will likely take a reduced price when you sell or trade. A vehicle that was in an accident is less desirable regardless of how good the repair was.

[Jon in AZ]

I finally got a good look underneath the rear of the vehicle. It looks much better than I expected, especially as regards towing. The receiver is actually part of a complete welded unit that bolts to the main frame rails. With the spare tire out of the way, I got a better look at how it is put together. The rails and attachment points appear solid and undamaged, so it looks like the whole unit can be unbolted and a new one bolted in.

The receiver unit looks like it took the brunt of the impact, which is why there was minimal deformation of the rear body structure. All-in-all, it looks like a fairly straightforward repair. All the damaged parts are simple bolt-on replacements. Good job, Honda!

As to diminished value… my insurance specifically excludes compensation for diminished value. I'm pretty sure the other party's insurance is the same, so the only way would be to get a lawyer, etc. We typically keep our vehicles for 12 years and 200K miles, so it probably isn't worth fighting for. As long as the repair is well-done and restores full function, I will be happy.

[MRClaus]

great to hear

[CA Douglas]

That looks painful. We had a similar accident when our 3 week old 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee was rear ended by a pizza delivery guy. We figure he was texting or on his cell phone as we were stopped at a red light. Everything worked out for us. When we bought the Jeep we wanted an integrated hitch, but couldn't get one at the time and we didn't want to wait. We had some camping to do. We had a regular hitch installed to tow our 24 ft Zinger. The accident bent this hitch out of alignment and the exhaust pipe too. The pizza delivery car was a total right off and was buried under our rear end. When I went to have the Jeep damage appraised I told them we needed it to tow our trailer and wanted the repairs to be flawless. When we took it to the repair shop we found that we could now get an integrated hitch installed and paid the difference not covered by our insurance. We are very happy with the repairs and have been happily towing for the past 4 years. No worries and no problems at all. I wish you all the best and hope you have peace of mind when all the work is done.