It’ll buff out.

[VNT]

SERIOUSLY - eff 128, AND 495...I was in software sales and account management for about a decade and had to make the semi-regular trips to both Waltham and Chelmsford...
My face is twitching just thinking about that commute from NH...

LOL nothing like a parking lot. Had to go to watertown last year, what a mess once I picked up 128, took 2 hrs to get to Danvers before it sped up. How anyone could work/commute down there is beyond me.

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[Rubycon50]

There is a chance that it will be a write off with air bag deployment and I guess a somewhat of a chance of a bent frame. My jeep had a similar accident but was hit harder with more apparent damage. On mine It was obvious to see the frame ends bent that hold up the bumper, what was not obvious was the front third of the frame was slightly tweaked sideways and we could not see it until we pulled the body off. That's all easily measured by a collision shop without pulling anything apart so you'll know pretty quickly I suspect. I repaired my own jeep but looking at yours it looks like:

• Front bumper
• Front skid plate
• Fog lights
• Front fenders may have broken away from from bolt (not the clips) and they don't sell any replacement parts for them at least from what I have seen. They seem to look ok in the pictures, maybe just displaced.
• Bent frame ends (likely)
• Bent frame (maybe)
• Drivers side air bag (Repair calls for seatbelt and buckle (both have electronic communication with restraint system) , front impact sensors and b pillar acceleration sensors, Steering column (Built in clock spring these days so comes as one unit only...thanks FCA $$) replacement of airbag control module and reprogramming.
• If the frame moved it will also likely move your fender support pillars above the frame which is also a structural repair
• All of your fluid lines including the sway bar disconnect are adjacent to the impact so they are at risk
• Front Control arms and the rest of bars underneath up front are at risk as well from a decent side on impact.
• All the plastics inside the engine bay (battery box, air cleaners base etc are very brittle but I suspect you might be ok.

I guess have a look at the gaps around the doors and that will give at least some indication of how bad the body/frame is (probably won't see much I suspect). From what I have experienced, it's not so much the cost of the parts that determines the future of your jeep, it's labor and liability.

Either way, good to see you are ok and didn't get branded (hopefully) by the jeep logo on the airbag when it deployed. Yes, it happens.

Take care,
Royce

 

[LouisCameron]

There is a chance that it will be a write off with air bag deployment and I guess a somewhat of a chance of a bent frame. My jeep had a similar accident but was hit harder with more apparent damage. On mine It was obvious to see the frame ends bent that hold up the bumper, what was not obvious was the front third of the frame was slightly tweaked sideways and we could not see it until we pulled the body off. That's all easily measured by a collision shop without pulling anything apart so you'll know pretty quickly I suspect. I repaired my own jeep but looking at yours it looks like:

• Front bumper
• Front skid plate
• Fog lights
• Front fenders may have broken away from from bolt (not the clips) and they don't sell any replacement parts for them at least from what I have seen. They seem to look ok in the pictures, maybe just displaced.
• Bent frame ends (likely)
• Bent frame (maybe)
• Drivers side air bag (Repair calls for seatbelt and buckle (both have electronic communication with restraint system) , front impact sensors and b pillar acceleration sensors, Steering column (Built in clock spring these days so comes as one unit only...thanks FCA $$) replacement of airbag control module and reprogramming.
• If the frame moved it will also likely move your fender support pillars above the frame which is also a structural repair
• All of your fluid lines including the sway bar disconnect are adjacent to the impact so they are at risk
• Front Control arms and the rest of bars underneath up front are at risk as well from a decent side on impact.
• All the plastics inside the engine bay (battery box, air cleaners base etc are very brittle but I suspect you might be ok.

I guess have a look at the gaps around the doors and that will give at least some indication of how bad the body/frame is (probably won't see much I suspect). From what I have experienced, it's not so much the cost of the parts that determines the future of your jeep, it's labor and liability.

Either way, good to see you are ok and didn't get branded (hopefully) by the jeep logo on the airbag when it deployed. Yes, it happens.

Take care,
Royce

Thanks for all of this information, it will be helpful.

My accident reminds me of this one by @Kahdir with possibly less damage, but I'm hoping for a total loss at this point. It's been one hell of a week and a half since the accident happened. Ready to be done!

 

[Karnak]

Glad your doing well, but I agree with previous guys here, that driver's side wheel is seriously setback indicating axle is now "oblique" and not perpendicular to vehicule. That being said, it depends whats broken. It would actually be easy to see if we had underside or complete sideshot pictures of both sides because in these types of hit, if the axle doesn't rotate, usualy, the control arms will push back during the hit and they either break/bend the mount at the axle, or do they do it at the frame (bad...) in a sense I hope you can keep your jeep, but in the other sense I'd rather you get it totalled so you don't end up with a butchered up truck which starts to show alignement problems down the road etc, I'v been there and its a mess. Repair shops are good at changing parts that the evaluator looks at, but sometimes a tiny little part may be bent slightly and they don't notice it, but then when you drive it, it drive a bit strange and its hard to remember from before an accident because you'll spend probably a few months without your jeep at the very least. Hopefully the inssurance pays the loaner and if they do, grab the same vehicule so that you can feel the difference if they ever repair it.

Good luck! Keep us posted, and once again, Very glad your ok, in the end, thats all that matters.

 

[Rocket_Matt]

Glad you're ok.

Might be time to upgrade to the steel bumpers!

 

[trainsafe]

I'll be following this. I'm interested to see if they total it.

If not, totaled, be sure to ask your adjuster about diminished value. Research that (and read your policy for details) before you accept that big fat check from your insurer. Essentially a diminished value claim says that even though you might straighten the metal and replace the broken bits, this collision will always show up on the Jeep's history (think CarFax and insurance databases). That collision will be apparent when you go to sell and could result in you receiving diminished value.

If you don't ask, they won't offer it. They're not in the business to hand out free money.

 

[kgoetz97]

OP- any update? Insurance seems to be moving slooooowly. Sure hope you got a decent rental!

 

[JMurph]

Thanks for all of this information, it will be helpful.

My accident reminds me of this one by @Kahdir with possibly less damage, but I'm hoping for a total loss at this point. It's been one hell of a week and a half since the accident happened. Ready to be done!

Hi Louis. My 2019 Sahara was in front end collision, a Guy turned left in front of me at a light and I plowed him. $27,000 in damage, bent frame. it was not totaled and I had to wait for a new frame. The total down was about three months. I wanted it totaled but not the insurance company.

 

[Sean L]

Hi Louis. My 2019 Sahara was in front end collision, a Guy turned left in front of me at a light and I plowed him. $27,000 in damage, bent frame. it was not totaled and I had to wait for a new frame. The total down was about three months. I wanted it totaled but not the insurance company.

At that point there isn't much left of the Jeep that was originally on it...

 

[LouisCameron]

OP- any update? Insurance seems to be moving slooooowly. Sure hope you got a decent rental!

Insurance / Appraiser has deemed it repairable. Initial appraisal is just over $6k. It's been a long 2 weeks, tow yard was playing games with insurance and appraiser saying that they didn't have the Jeep on 2 different occasions when they attempted to complete the appraisal. It took threatening to call the local police department and report a stolen car to have them 'find' it.

Responsible party's insurance has/had an issue an they haven't gotten me into a rental yet. With the appraisal issues on top of the injury stuff this hasn't been my priority but I hope to square it away this week.

 

[kgoetz97]

Insurance / Appraiser has deemed it repairable. Initial appraisal is just over $6k. It's been a long 2 weeks, tow yard was playing games with insurance and appraiser saying that they didn't have the Jeep on 2 different occasions when they attempted to complete the appraisal. It took threatening to call the local police department and report a stolen car to have them 'find' it.

Responsible party's insurance has/had an issue an they haven't gotten me into a rental yet. With the appraisal issues on top of the injury stuff this hasn't been my priority but I hope to square it away this week.

Yikes! What a PIA!
I'm sure you can get your rental reimbursed but that stinks that it's not "your fault" but you're having to do all this extra work when it's the faulty driver.

 

[trainsafe]

If you have coverage for rental through your insurance company, just file a claim with your own carrier. They'll get you squared away on a rental and repairs, then they will subrogate (file a claim) against the responsible party's insurer. You'll get your deductible back once the other insurer pays your insurer.

Your insurer is motivated to keep you as a customer. Theirs is not.

 

[Pumping4Jane]

I'll be following this. I'm interested to see if they total it.

If not, totaled, be sure to ask your adjuster about diminished value. Research that (and read your policy for details) before you accept that big fat check from your insurer. Essentially a diminished value claim says that even though you might straighten the metal and replace the broken bits, this collision will always show up on the Jeep's history (think CarFax and insurance databases). That collision will be apparent when you go to sell and could result in you receiving diminished value.

If you don't ask, they won't offer it. They're not in the business to hand out free money.

I've wondered about this. My last vehicle was 3rd party involved in an accident. When I went to trade on new, the dealer sited diminished value due to the vehicle's Carfax report. Kind of pissed me off that I would incur loss of value due to no fault of my own.

 

[LouisCameron]

If you have coverage for rental through your insurance company, just file a claim with your own carrier. They'll get you squared away on a rental and repairs, then they will subrogate (file a claim) against the responsible party's insurer. You'll get your deductible back once the other insurer pays your insurer.

Your insurer is motivated to keep you as a customer. Theirs is not.

We didn't add rental on our policy because we have a second vehicle. I've told my wife to start billing me for use of her Jeep GC.

 

[LouisCameron]

Well, a month later and after a supplemental inspection my brand new 2020 Jeep is TOTALED. Frame was beyond repair and driveshaft was pushed into the engine, among a list of other issues. So now we play the waiting game for the insurance to write this off and begin my search for a new Jeep.

Starting Physical Therapy tonight.

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