My 2006 CRV was rear ended in DC lst weekend and the repairs will cost $6K and include new bumper, tire carrier, rear body panel, rear floor pan and repair the exhaust assembly rearward of the manifold along with minor trim pieces. The car tracked on a 4 hour drive home from DC. Here is my question: should I be concerned about the driveability of this CRV after all of the repairs? Has anyone else experienced a similiar rear end crash? What should I be looking for after the repairs.
Thanks for the advice and information. My wife appreciates it so do I.
There Are Precise Measurements And Specifications That Are Published Specifically For This Vehicle That Inform A Competent Body Man/Woman During Unibody Repairs. Make Sure The Chosen Shop Is Already Aware And Plans To Check As A Matter Of Course.
Some shops have sophisticated (and expensive) machines for checking and aligning everything. Find one of them.
Also, a quality shop should be able to tell you / show you whether or not you’ve got anything to be concerned about. The damage may be confined to the rear of where the rear axle mounts. Have them show you when they’ve torn into it.
CSA
It really depends on the quality of the body shop and how much the car was “twisted” as a result of the impact. If the hit was square in the back there shouldn’t be much twisting. The fact the car seemed ok on the rest of the trip home is a good sign, but not conclusive. A strike more on one side of the car or the other that spun the car around would definitely result in some frame twisting.
A good shop can fix it. When you get it back have someone follow behind you and look at the car to be sure it tracks straight. Keep an eye on the tire wear on the rear tires. Uneven wear can mean misalignment.
You should be looking for lights that don’t work.
The body shope is a very large dealer set-up and I know they have the frame straightening machines, so this is good. I will also have my mechanic check the alignment just to be sure. Thanks for the hints and advice.
MJGirar
My coworker’s 2008 Chevrolet HHR was rear ended a month after he bought it. The damage was similar to the CRV’s. A reputable body shop did the repair and it is undetectable. He has had no issues with the HHR since the work was done.
Ed B.
Just got a call from the body shop today and they said that everything looks good for just body/trim damage and not problems with the unibody so far. They will put it on a frame machine to check it out and align it up completely before it is returned to me. Thanks for the positive comments on your friend’s HHR.
MJGirard