I hit a deer this morning with my brand new car. Front end damage, radiator leaking. Car had to be towed to dealership. Any idea on whether this will cause future problems with things in the engine compartment? I’d upload a picture If I could.
Lower right corner after you hit “Post Your Reply” has an “Attach File” button. You can upload as many pics as you want.
OK - so here’s a picture of it.
If the radiator is leaking then I would be concerned about A/C problems. The A/C condenser (which is a radiator of sorts) sits in front of the engine cooling system radiator so it would be more prone to damage than the one for the engine. Odds are that it’s ok but it’s something to keep in mind.
Extend the hunting season and raise the limits I say. Deer strikes are a huge problem around here and the last one to damage one of my cars actually hit me rather than my running into it. The deer leaped out of the ditch and slammed into the passenger front door; taking out both passenger side doors and breaking its neck in the process.
I wouldn’t worry too much. With a good body shop, it seems like this type of damage is usually repaired without future problems popping up, at least in my experience. It’s when the frame or unibody is bent that things aren’t ever quite right again.
I’m glad the deer wasn’t a foot higher or it might have come through the windshield!
The button is on the lower left corner on my screen.
I wouldn’t worry too much about a proper fix, especially if the dealer is doing it. I’ve fixed a lot of deer strikes. In fact I have one in my shop right now, and another waiting outside for it to be finished. Usually there is no big thing to fixing them.
I don’t recognize your license tag, or know who you are insured by, but many insurance companies treat deer strikes as a comprehensive claim rather than a collision claim. I guess they figure that deer stupidity is an act of God. The nice thing is that a comp claim will usually not raise your rates. You may also have a lower deductible on your comp coverage. Lots of folks do as comp is cheaper to buy than collision.
Deer seldom hit windshields or come through. Elk and horses are another matter. NEVER try to go between the front and rear legs on either of those. Since they are usually hit from the side while crossing the road, always aim for their rear legs if you have a choice.
It’s an ohio tag.
Thank you everyone for your responses. Makes me feel a bit better. It is an Ohio tag and my insurance did classify it as comprehensive so my deductible was $250 rather than $500.
Glad to hear that.
So, how do you like your venison cooked?
haha - I grew up eating the stuff. My dad and brother were avid hunters. I’ve not eaten it since. Don’t care for it. Would you believe the deer kept running up a hill on the side of the road and into the woods? I assume it has the mercury symbol hanging around it’s neck as a medallion, because as you can see in the photo - it is missing! 
Yeah that’s a little known fact about deer. Since so many of their brothers and sisters have found their heads mounted on the den walls of hunters, they like to take a memento whenever they can.
I’ve seen deer get up and run away lots of times, but I’ve seen more of them dead at the scene. The law enforcement agencies around here have a list of people to call who will come and take fresh deer off of the highway. Of course it’s offered to the motorist who hit it first, regardless of whether it’s in season or not.
Did you know that you can tell that you are an Ohioan if you know more than one person who has hit more than one deer? Those dang things propagate like rats with antlers.
Let the flames begin…
Hilarious! I bet that’s exactly what happened. It wanted a trophy of it’s own to take back home.
I think we have the rule in Ohio that folks come pick them up. But there are a whole lot of them that sit for a very long time so I don’t know what the story is with those? There should be something where they have them butchered and given to the local food kitchens. But I’m sure there is entirely too much government red tape and the threat of some sort of legal action for them to do that.
Almost looks like a stretch of St. Rt. 23
actually, upon googling the park listed on the sign, it’s I-270
Here in NH we recently had a moose strike where the moose somehow became decapitated and the head went through the windshield and into the passenger seat. Such a mess I’ve never seen. Chunks of internal parts everywhere.
The good news on your vehicle is that based on the photo it looks like the unibody wasn’t bent out of wampus. The roofline and the quarter sections all look normal. It should be repairable back to like-new condition. Since the engine is transversely mounted, the hood would have crashed down onto the top/side of the engine rather than it’s front where the crank-driven components are, again a good thing. Although it might have crunched the alternator, that’s bracket mounted and would not have stressed the crankshaft or engine internals. .
You were lucky. It could have been far worse.
Sincere best.
Thanks very much for your response. I got my car back last week after 3 weeks in the shop. It seems to be just fine. I’m glad to hear your detailed reasoning, it makes me feel better. I was afraid I had jacked up my brand new car and it would always give me problems in the future. Other than a light overspray on the whole vehicle (which I am returning next week to be fixed) everything seems to be AOK! I will use this website in the future to ask mechanical questions, because it is very helpful.
Again - thanks.
Glad to hear the good news. Thanks for posting.
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