Got in accident tonight...What do you think??
 

Just wanted to get some opinions on cost to repair... I have insurance and everything, just wanted to get some opinions...

Short story... Guy in accord ran a red light and hit my drivers side between 30-40MPH...

Sorry for the crappy pic...any comments welcome. Not to easy to see, but whole wheel is pushed in, right behind wheel is really smashed up, does this look like frame damage to anyone?

It's almost certain that you have a frame damage here...Pulling the frame, changing the suspension damaged components, and rebalancing will not get you back the factory balance no matter how skilled your shop is.

I had an accident few years back in a montero, and the frame got damaged. After it, the balance was never restored like factory... I was able to tell while going through the curves I used to drive, and it occasionally started to drift under pressure while previousely it never happened. Conclusion: your handling is compromised, don't take the chance - SELL IT.

Ouch. You ok? The framwork could be damage ie banana shaped.

Have to say, not bad for impact at 30-40ks.

it was 30-40mph so about 50-65km/hr... it actually took quote the beating... definitely frame damage by the looks of it... i would definitely get rid of it... or maybe the insurance company might write it off...

Both my wife and I are ok, really sore, but thats to be expected.

It is an 02, so I know the value is not that high, but it was in perfect condition, less then 45k on her, everything was flawless, perfect paint, interior looked new...its a shame to lose such a good car...

I was thinking the same thing as far as it never being the same even if it gets fixed...guess I will wait to see what the insurance company says and go from there...

Here she was when I got her :(

First, it's important you and your wife is okay...Second, unfortunate to loose a good reliable SAV like yours. Let your insurance take care of it and like what you've said, then go from there....

Hope you are ok. Don't forget to visit doctor, you never know what's happened inside. Your X5 looked very nice before accident.

Looks like structural frame damage, sorry but it looks like a write off.


Glad that your family is okay, was the guy drinking or something?

It was a great car, but fortunately they made lots of them -- so you should be able to get a replacement without too much difficulty. This is a good time of the year to buy a car.

Did the side airbag go off? Just curious.

he was just a old guy who wasn't paying attention, never even tried to slow down.. Im guessing he was too old to be driving anyway.. Also the fact that he didnt speak a word of English and that the cops had to wait for a "translator" (his wife) to show up for his statement didnt help...

Airbags didnt go off... I was wondering why they didnt... they did in the other car...

I know they made lots of them, but to find a 02 with less the 45k in mint condition with not a single issue is not going to happen...

Im glad you walked away. I would push for it being totaled. It will never drive the same. If a BMW doesnt drive like a BMW, then you might as well drive a Honda. That being said, many insurance companies will use a 75% rule. Meaning if it costs that much of the vehicles actual worth then it will be totaled.

Your probably right, but look on the bright side, you can find a nicer x5 with sport package and non-chic wheels lol.

You probably won't find an '02 however you can get an '05 or '06. It would be a few thousand more, but you'll have a newer car. And BMW made many small improvements over the years.

I think for a BMW's side bags to go off, the car has to be practically torn in half. I've attached pictures of my 528i that was T-boned prior to my buying the X and the rear side bag did not go off -- this despite a 50 mph direct hit.

BMW engineers came to look at the car per my request and stated that the car was not hit with sufficient force to trigger the bags -- I was really left scratching my head --

any damage to area of under running boards is totalled.

Holy crap :yikes:

Any closer to the driver door and you would be toast. Your side airbags should have gone off.

Check out this video of a X5 crash test YouTube - Euro NCAP | BMW X5 | 2003 | Crash test

NOT ENOUGH FORCE? are you kidding me? haha wowwwwwwww

i hope everyone is ok. sorry dude, but you need a new car. that damage is not able to be fixedback to oem. all sorts of problems will start occurring. take the loss and get a new one

Here are some updated daytime pics...

I think it looks worse than it really is. If the frame were bent you would see more twisting over the bodlines for the doors. Glad you are okay and I hope they get your X back on the road soon

Not positive, but it looks like your X got hit too low for the air bags to go off.

Seems like the air bags should have gone off in Mark's e39 for sure though.

The car served its purpose. Check the book value of an 02 with NADA against repair estimates. Don't use the recommended in-house repair shops of the insurance company (low-ball city)

Glad to see you are ok, and that the car did its job in keeping you and your family safe. This is exactly the reason I got this specific car... for its safety and for that unforeseen situation.

If it were me, I would prefer for the insurance company to write it off and give me the money so I can look for another one that hasn't been in an accident, instead of getting it fixed and dealing with other side effects (alignment issues, etc.) later on.

Again, yours looks like it was a mint one before the accident, but be glad it did its job and saved you from any bodily injuries. :thumbup:

just wondering, what if you had running boards on your X?

Thanks everyone for all the comments and opinions... Its good to hear from others who know about the car and enjoy it as much as I do...

Try to get it totalled out, after a hit like that it wont be the same anymore.
Start getting estimates for the work, for that year x5 you value shoul be around $9-14,000 and the damage looks like about $7-9,000 from the pic similar wreck with my friends 02 x5. Oh and if you have allstate and your driving record has not been good for the last 2-3 years okay they may drop you. The main thing is you and your wife are ok and you are fully covered. God Bless

We're Blood brothers!!

Glad you are both ok.

Finda BMW certified shop. Paint is a big factor. BMW is waterborne. The shop here matched and faded perfectly.

My similar repair (2 doors) was 3,800.

No one on here can tell if there is frame damage from any of those pics. It's impossible.

Take it to a good BMW body shop and have them get it on a rack and check it for damage. That's the only way to know.

Good luck. Glad everyone is ok.

So any update yet from the insurance company?

Insurance looked at it today and their initial estimate was 6200 to fix.... I started laughing... It was based on visual inspection only, nothing was removed to see damage under exterior panels and didnt include anything to do with suspension (based on the angle of the rim there is clearly more damage under there)... Its at the body shop, they are going to tear it down in the next day or 2 and do another estimate...

Looks like your insurance company want to get the repair work done by this guy :bustingup


http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/k...i/bedb0dcd.jpg

I am telling from experience that it is over 9k in damage. Like everyone suggested take it to a BMW shop and get a real estimate. After a hit like that it will never feel same, thats a T-Bone not a sideswipe. It is not natural for a vehicle to drive side ways! Definetly not at 40 MPH

The first estimate from insurance is usually low, then they haggle with the body shop for another 2 K. From the looks of ths pictures I would say they are going to replace the fender and door, then blend the paint into the rear door. Being that the truck is as old as it is (no offense meant - mine is older) they will probably go with used parts.

Its at a BMW shop right now...I will update when I they have it apart and see what was done under the skin...

Glad you are ok. If the damage is anywhere close to 80% of the vehicle value the insurance company will total it. I'm guessing your KBB is about $11K and repairs will be close to that 80% threshold. The estimate they gave is initial w/o looking at the frame, etc--and once they get into it more the repair bill will keep going up. So, I would say the insurance will total it out.

Just got a call from the dealers body shop...They are now up to a little over 11k for repair, I will be meeting there with the insurance guy early next week to discuss...

That is crazy. Im glad both of u came out all right. Hopefully the insurance doesnt act up

Was there any frame damage?

yes...

Depending on your insurance, they may or may not give you a good deal on the "total". Check KBB for your specific year, trim, and mileage. My mom had GEICO when they called a "total" on her Camry. And they gave her an excellent amount, something like $1K over KBB.

If they go below KBB, be prepared to stand your ground and fight.

I have already looked up values and everything.. Im just waiting it out until I have to fight with insurance company...

They are required by law to give you retail + tax/title fees etc. Don't let them low ball you on it.

sorry to see such a nice X5 get totalled

I'm still shaking my head over that E39. When are those side airbags supposed to go off????



Gar

I felt the same way but the car held up well. It was doubly frustrating because I spent 500 bucks extra for the rear side bags, which were an option at the time. Obviously could have saved the money but who could have known?

If you look at the interior picture, the leather cover for the airbag is pushed in so far that you can actually see the unexploded airbag sticking out into the passenger space.

Still, I figured the engineers were lying in order to avoid liability, and that there was a malfunction of some sort. I went ahead and paid an extra 500 bucks again when I ordered the rear side bags on my new X back in 2001 thinking -- who could be that unlucky twice?

Alot of the BMWs have the rear side airbags deactivated, for child seat safety. If you want to make sure they are activated you can have the dealer check via the "retrofits" section of the programming software.

Sorry to hear about your accident. Glad you guys are ok. My parents just got t-boned in their acura tl at 35mph and it was totaled out. I think the insurance company will total it because they take the least expensive route. It would probably be more expensive to repair than to total it out. Don't let the insurance co. low ball you. Sucks to see a great car go to waste, but hopefully your next BMW will be as good or better than this one. Good luck and keep us informed.