I hit a deer last night at less than 25 mph. Did some mostly front end cosmetic damage, however, the collision shop I took the vibe to pointed out that my cross post is now bent. (The metal bar in front of the radiator). The collision guy said they could try to straighten it. My question is: will the car be safe to drive afterward? What will happen if they can’t straighten it? Should I be looking for a new car?
Safe to drive ? Yes . Can’t straighten - replace it . New car ? that is up to you but this is a lousy time to be vehicle shopping .
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It supports the nose piece, it is not a safety item. It is cosmetic. They will get it close enough to make your car look OK, they likely cannot get a new one because the car is too old.
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The only issue would be if that is where the hood latch is and if it can be bent back to make sure the hood latches. No big deal. Not sure but there might only be a few welds holding it on so it could me removed for straightening easier.
The upper radiator support tie bar is $126. The lower radiator support tie bar is $375.
The collision shop representative may have been making small talk or your vehicle may be close to being a total loss based on value.
Is it safe? Ask the deer if they feel safe.
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Insurance claim? Is shop asking you what to fix? Based on price?
The best way to assess safety is to go through your insurer. I seriously doubt that they would let you drive an unsafe car. If you got into another accident and it wasn’t safe to drive after it’s fixed, then they would open themselves up to tremendous liability. In any case, a bent radiator support tie bar doesn’t seem like a safety item. As long as the radiator support and radiator are fine, this shouldn’t be a problem.
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I doubt his older car has collision. Is that correct?
I’ll just add my two cents worth on collision insurance. I’ve never had a car regardless of age that I didn’t carry the coverage on it. I pay a little over $100 per year per car for $250 deductible, so doesn’t really cost that much. Regardless of age, if the car is still being used, it has some utility value. Plus you don’t have to argue with another insurance company waiting to get your car repaired. You can just do it on your own policy and they’ll return the deductible a year or so later through abrogation.
Just sayin’ is all. I always hear this idea if the car is too old, just forget it. But if you are using the car, repair should be on the list of possibilities.
Just have them straighten it and make sure that the hood latch lines up with the new hood. The damage shouldn’t show up when the hood is closed, unless maybe the grille or headlight no longer mounts in the proper position.