Part number 17A807109R is a bumper or colision strip. It is under the bumper cover. Between those things is usually some shock absorbing material, but not always in newer cheaper cars.
People drive damaged cars all the time. The car is slightly less safe, but still safer than a car one size class smaller that is in perfect condition. The only issue is if the airbag sensors were damaged or dislodged from their proper locations. With weak load limiters on seat belts in many cars, non functioning airbags are a much more serious issue.
This is a legal problem, but not a problem with VW. Itās a problem with out of control lawsuits that started in 1970s. Itās not about if the car is safe or not, itās if it would appear to be unsafe to a judge or jury, or violate some technicality of a law.
Most pople would get this part from a junk yard. Body shops seem to have some rule about not getting parts from junk yards. Theyāll only buy new non OEM inferior parts, like non OEM replacement headlights that turn yellow in the sun. I have no idea why.
If it were mine, I would also be looking up the difference between the Q and R suffix for this part. They may be reasonably compatible or need minor adjustment to fit.
Thanks for the reply. The issue about the airbags was mentioned to me by both the repair shop and the insurance adjuster. If an impact bar is used that has to be modified, it could affect the airbags functioning. The adjuster said the impact bar is structural, so should not be modified.
Thanks. I have forwarded this comment to the insurance adjuster who will talk with the technical person at the repair shop to see if this is feasible. Theyāre both cautious about making adjustments due to the possible effect on airbags, not to mention the legal issues.
That said, Uber, Lift, bum rides from friends, walk, ride a bike, car pool with other studentsā¦ Offer to put gas in their car, give them beer moneyā¦ Think outside the box hereā¦ donāt eat out or order in, use the oven or microwave moreā¦ Donāt have a stove, buy a hot plateā¦ eat ramen noodles and drink water onlyā¦ hanging out with friends unless 100% free is no more an option for now anywayā¦
Get a JOBā¦ My daughter is 22 and a manager at her work (worked since 15 at different places) about to graduate college in August (Woo-Hoo!!!) and she works 40-50 hours a week and always has, or she had 2 jobs, her grades have always been very goodā¦ Does she like her job? Hell NO, does she like working her butt off plus go to school full time, Hell NO, does she pay her own car payment YES, does she pay for everything but her ins and phone? Yes (including nice cloths and vacations that I canāt even go onā¦ lolā¦I pay 1/2 her school)ā¦ Life is not all fun and games, this crap is HARD for most and her favorite saying is Adulting Sucks!!! But you just have to dig in and make it happenā¦
I would be surprised if this went beyond rejection over the phone. Your loss is the cost of the rental car which did not occur yet because the insurance company is paying the rental fee.
You could sue the hit and run driver if you find them. Sue Volkswagen for not having the part is stock? I donāt think so.
If the insurance company or the body shop offers to pay for more rental car use, it would be of their generosity. If they learn that you want to take legal action, expect the offer or conversation to end.
The collision shop is not going to get into a panic over a delayed part, it is not unusual for a repair to take a few months.
I bet there are many cars on the road right now where the airbag sensors have been dislodged and the airbags arenāt functioning. The airbag sensors are often located above the bumper behind the grille where the structure is very weak. If a car was in a minor accident where it under rode a higher bumper and pushed the grille in then the airbag sensors have been dislodged.
Iāve seen it in a Ford repair manual. It says to not straighten the frame in front, only replace damaged sections, because it may alter the airbag system. Iām skeptical about how true this is. There are many other factors that could affect airbags. They donāt care if the vehicle is actually safe. As long as the airbags deploy they wonāt be liable. Even if the airbags deploy prematurely in a minor event before a big crash nobody will know. Thatās what happened in the princess Diana car crash. People actually try to sue when airbags donāt deploy in minor accidents, so we have cars which are less safe thanks to these people.
You could just remove the part and take it to a shop to be straightened without the car. Then they wonāt care about liability since theyāre not working on a car.
I understand the liability concerns, especially for a business. It often becomes ridiculous but people suing over the most foolish reasons has led us here.
Fundamentally, it is a relatively simple metal welded fabrication that is unlikely to be a problem altering if the main part number is the same. However, on the off chance something bad happens and a lawyer gets wind that a repair or minor change was made, they go after everyone involved. It has gotten rather ridiculous in this regard.
Still, the Q vs R difference may be something as simple as provisions for fog lamps or something which could be reasonably accommodated. In this situation, I would be open to a variety of paths that get me back on the road soonerā¦
Have to wonder, if this problem becomes a commonplace, as long as car moves from A to B ok, the car owners wonāt contact insurance company. They will just drive the wrecked car. Maybe apply some duct tape. And weāll have a lot more wrecked & duct taped cars on the road.
I dunno. I assume it is the front end that is damaged. Not safe? Not drivable? Sure if the radiator is punctured or maybe even the bumper cover missing, but gee we are so afraid of any risk whatsoever, boggles the mind. A million plus miles and many years without air bag protection, I would not hesitate to wire or tape the bumper cover up, bend a few parts, and drive it for a few months until the part came in. No lawyers or judges, just common sense and driving defensively. If the air bag did not deploy, I probably would pull the fuse so it could not accidentally deploy. Ask your sheriff about injuries sustained in an air bag deployment. Sure may save your life in a severe accident but break fingers and ribs and more in the process. I would not worry if it did not work for three months. Just imho. But would I let a body man tell me I couldnāt drive my car for three months because of a bent bumper? No. Either get the part this week or Iāll collect my car and call me when you have the part. Problem solved. Get dad involved, not mom. Dad has a hammer.
Itās too late, insurance co is involved. Likely, the car is also disassembled waiting on the part. Ins co will not cover the car now they know it is damaged. Kinda stuck between rock and that non-soft placeā¦