I was recently in a bad accident.I was driving at 55 mph and a van pulled out in front of me.I hit on my passanger side.The adjustor for the guys co. said I have $11,800.00 in damage, for my car to be totaled it would have required another $1,000.00. I am really anxious about this car being safe. I am wondering about the unibody and crush zones, my motor transmission etc. The mazda shop said the engine is fine because it is still running. I asked if they were going to do an engine check they said they did not have to. I am furious. I have only had the car for one year 9,000 miles. I think the transmission is going to be bad now, as the engine etc. Any suggestions would be apperciated. I am so nervous.This car saved my life!
That $11,800 is just an estimate. And with that amount of damage, I’m sure they’ll find another $1,000 worth once they start taking it apart.
Tester
Thank you. I am so worried about my engine and transmission.Would those parts be affected? Its a V6 3-7 liter engine.I can tell you that car seriously saved my life at such a speed and impact the car handeled well.
here is one photo
There is additional damage in just about every accident like this and considering the total already given my opinion is that the car should be declared a total.
As to engine and/or transmission problems it is quite possible to suffer damage to either or both. There can be damage present that no inspection on Earth will reveal so it could be that the car may be repaired and any engine, transmission, or driveline problem will not show up until the car is being driven again.
For what it’s worth, I wrecked a Corvette many years ago and the engine, which had zero problems before the wreck, was scrap metal afterwards. The car was a total and I sold the engine to a gentleman for another car. Once running, ir burnt oil to the tune of a quart per 5 miles and smoked like a prairie fire. (Due to fractured pistons/piston rings)
In several other instances I’ve seen transmissions with internal problems due to a collision.
Body shop guys are generally not mechanics so they may know nothing of this but should never, ever state that engine or trans problems can’t happen.
(It’s also very possible for this car to have suffered body/frame damage that may be overlooked. Paint and undercoat cracking on the bottom of the floor pan, subframe, firewall, and inner fenders could be a sign of bad news. All the more reason to total this car.)
Thank you. I thought the same as they are NOT mechanics! They are putting all mechanical parts in not the mechanic. Any suggestion on how I can get them to check my engine and transmission? The dealer said they do not have too!Thank you so much for responding to this so quickly.
Get it towed to another body shop as soon as you can. The dealer is NOT the only choice.
Unfortunately, there is no way of checking the engine or transmission. This is why these things get so sticky to deal with.
About all you can do is make sure that the body shop and the insurance company give you something in writing stating they will stand behind any mechanical issues that crop up for X number of miles. NO verbal committment! Amnesia is a pretty common disease and what’s said today may be totally forgotten tomorrow.
You should be aware that if any problem crops up in the engine, transmission, driveaxles, suspension, wheel bearings, struts, future cooling system or AC leaks, etc, etc, etc the factory warranty will probably not cover it and will be essentially null and void. Warranty is only for factory defects in workmanship or materials; not damage inflicted by an outside source or even possibly inflicted by an outside source.
The diminished value aspect is something to be considered also. Even if the vehicle looks and runs like new afterwards, if you try to sell it and a buyer is aware of this 5 digit fix the amount they offer will likely be far less than the amount you think the car is worth.
Very good points. I didnt even think about the warranty! Oh God!!! I had brought up the diminishing aspect of value to both insurance co. This is wher my anger is! Thank you so very much for responding. BTW, in the pic, what is that long bar on the front it goes from left to right on the left it is higher then goes lower. Have a good evening and thanks again for your help.I should take it out of there and tow it somewhere else?
My first inclination about that line you mention is that it was an A/C refrigerant line but a closer look at the clamps shows that it cannot be related to the A/C. It would have to be a somewhat low pressure application related to the cooling system, transmission cooler line, power steering return line, etc.
I would hate to advise you to have the car hauled off. What would I do if the car were mine and I were in your situation?
The adjuster would be told by me that the car should be declared a total wreck. If the adjuster refuses then I’d tell him or her point blank that you want a written declaration signed by both the adjuster and the insurance company that they will stand behind any and all mechanical problems that surface for the next 20k miles at a minimum.
This would include the strong possibility of excessive tire wear due to overlooked bent suspension components, bent subframe, and/or bent floorpan.
More than likely they would refuse to do this. Keeping in mind this is what I would do, my next step would be to tell the adjuster that I’d been having frequent headaches and an achy back and will be off to the doc’s office while letting them know that I’m in no hurry to settle anything.
Sometimes a little push like this can prod things along because behind closed doors they will start weighing the cost of declaring the car a total against the cost of medical claims and they do not even want the latter to come up.
If this car were a 100k dollars worth of Mercedes then maybe I could see the 12 grand in repairs but on a Mazda this is major, major stuff and I would wager that a very careful inspection of that car will find some things that you do not really want to see at all.
The ac is damaged. Funny you mention the Dpocs I ahve to go today because I have injuries to my head, neck back and knee and wrist. I cant even sleep. Thank you for the advice I will use it. I am going to call thgem, today and state this exactly. Thanks so much 
Having Had The Misfortune Of Managing A Dealership (Not Mazda, VW, But I Did Manage A Mazda Parts Dept.) Body / Collision Shop (And Writing Estimates) For 2 Years Somewhere In My Past, I Would Like To Offer A Suggestion.
Don’t get too excited yet, as this may not work for you, but I’d check it out.
I’m sure they have a used car sales lot, but does your Mazda dealer operate its own body / collision repair shop ? I take it that’s where the car is now, A Mazda dealer body shop ?
Having one’s “new” car trashed is awful and makes you wonder if it will ever be the same, not to mention the lost time and inconvenience.
I had several customers go through this and had a couple of customers who were able to take a “do over,” make a fresh start without it costing them a fortune. We got several departments at the dealership together (new car sales, used car sales, body shop, parts dept., General Manager) and came up with an arrangement (with the help and blessings of the insurance company) whereby the vehicle owner traded in the damaged car for a brand new one while it was apart in the body shop..
It was win-win. The customer got to start fresh without much delay, the New Car Department sold another car, the Used Car Department got an almost new trade (albeit repaired, but used car salespeople sometimes don’t care about that, they’re used car salespeople), and the Body Shop (and Parts Dpartment) got some business.
If you can get the dealer to see how this could work (business for several departments) and if they’d be gracious enough to help you, it could work. Would you be willing to pay a little to make it happen, if need be ? How much ? Have something in mind (factor in peace of mind, inconvenience, future diminished value of car, etcetera).
I don’t know if you’re in a position to spend a little more money, but if so then this could work for you. Keep in mind that the car has decpreciated (not because of the accident, but age and miles) and you’d have to expect to pay for the difference of upgrading to a brand new 2010 or 2011 car (or maybe a “demo,” left-over new 09 Mazda, or some such thing). You did get a year’s driving and 12,000 miles out of it and that has considerable value.
I’d call my New Car salesperson and run this by her / him if you’re interested.
CSA
I have only 9000 miles on it. I was thinking about not taking it back as I do not feel its safe any longer and do not want future mechanical issues with the car. Thank you for your input. I apperciate it.
All I can say is good luck - and if you were going 55 mph at impact, you want another one of these…
Actually, as for crush zones, they may be bolt-on. I’ve got a 2010 myself and I don’t know, but many vehicles have portions of their frames in the front that are simply bolt-on/bolt-off. I helped design some of these on a contract basis in the past, and it made collision repair EASY, except for possible mechanical issues…