Frame damage?
 

Waiting to bring it to the body shop. Does it look like frame damage?

Picture from the driver side will tell the story better.

Side view and view of muffler damage

Most probably no frame damage. X5 is relatively high and the rear and even lifts more when braking, and the car behind deeps even more under braking. The main impact was under the bumper reinforcement which is connected to the frame rails.

Yeah it definitely seems like the frame rail took most if not all of the impact especially considering how much the car that hit me deformed..it look like half of the car hit a brick wall...so it must've hit the frame rail. The car drives pretty normal except lots of hatch movement. over bumps What do you think oo the much wider gap between the fender and bottom hatch on the left side than on the right side?

The rear valence may be deformed, but the frame rail did not sustain any damage, I am 99% sure. The other car was deformed because the parts over it's frame took the impact, and they are pretty weak in a situation like this.

Check this:

Got Rear Ended...The X5 is tough - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/att...8&d=1470079087

More pics there....

Okay so these are the last pics I am going to post on this topic before I take it in and get a definitive answer i swear lol! I was able to move a piece hanging down and get clearer pics.

The first pic is where the beam meets the frame...looks to be slightly bent but an easy fix? I know the impact hit the crush beam where it connects to the frame rail b/c the four lug nuts holding the beam onto the frame are crushed through the bumper and sticking out. It was a 2007 fusion that hit me going about 30-40 mph.

The second pic is a profile view behind the bumper (like your looking down a tube)...it looks like the metal edges are bent back a little.

I just want to have as much knowledge about the damage as possible, so if I get any push back from the adjuster to do a proper frame check/repair, I have the knowledge to push back. Thanks for chimig in ard

IMO, your focus should not be on the adjustor and what he says. That hardly matters. My issues would be:

1. What is the very best shop to do these repairs in my locale?

2. Establish my relationship with them.

3. Do I want this totalled or not? Do I care one way or the other?

If you want it fixed, DO NOT point out frame damage to the adjuster- let the shop do that later.

If you DO want it totalled, load on every major issue you can find up front- make a big deal about frame damage, exhaust compression up into the CAT and headers, etc, etc

4. Start looking at comps and $$$.

I researched a place in Atlanta called Bavarian Collision. They have really good Goggle reviews and they said that they use a BMW certified frame measuring machine. However, I looked on BMW's website and their not certified. There's only two certified locations: United BMW (United Collision) and Nalley BMW (Nalley Collision Center). Do you recommend I use a bmw certified collision center?

Spoke to adjuster today. They told me they are allowed to use aftermarket parts if available. I told her my concerns about aftermarket parts and she said I'd have to discuss it wit the appraiser.:(

Personally I wouldnt care. IMO these are marketing ploys that the shops try to achieve to pull in customers. Yes you will hear 'they dont do used parts' or 'they follow factory procedures', which while possibly true does not mean another shop cannot do the same. (You would be shocked at how few 'factory procedures' there really are on bodywork repairs...)

As long as the shop you chose will go to bat for you, and understands your demands for a perfect result, THAT is what matters.

Sigh. You are not controlling the situation...


This is the adjuster for the other parties insurance? What is in their policy with their insured has no bearing on what you are required to accept from the person that hit you.

(Caveat- I am not sure how GA/MA law works in terms of insurance laws modifying legal liability questions)

How I would handle: They are liable to the damage their insured caused. Their insured hit your car with original BMW parts- hence they will be paying for original BMW parts. Period. You will be having the work done at XYZ. They have had the opportunity to inspect the car. You are done with them. you will pay the bill and present them with the final repair amount. there is no requirement that you allow them to be involved with any aspect of the work. Should they refuse to pay the claim once the repair is done, you will sue the insured. (not them, you will sue the other driver!) This is hardball. we can do this the easy way, or the hard way- they chose.

Or you can just talk to the adjuster and the claims people and let them control the process. this is how it works, when you ask them for permissions and pre-approvals, they know they have you.

You should also research Diminished Value in Georgia.

Hey ARD, the accident occurred in MI, which is a no fault state. As a result, my insurance covers my damage and their insurance covers theirs. So the adjuster from my insurance company stated that they can use after market parts if available.

Sorry. I thought I read you were dealing with their insurer. I got confused with you were moving to GA...

Where is the car registered and where is your policy? Still in MI?

Do you HAVE TO deal with your policy? As a matter of law? I dunno

FYI, quick read that even in MI, you should be able to go after the other driver for up to $1000 of stuff not covered by the policy. Read up on your rights, figure out how to leverage....

GL

A BMW certified shop is supposed to use only BMW parts. If the other shop will do that for you it should be OK.

Chuck

So I got the initial estimate from the appraiser. My insurance company sent me an app that I used to take pictures of the car. See attached estimate.

I got rear ended about the same as you and the initial estimate was about the same as yours. The final bill after disassembly was $13,700. It was repaired very well by a BMW certified shop. I noticed that your estimate included an aftermarket bumper. I would not allow that even if I had to pay extra.

Guys picked up mine from the certified BMW shop and disappointed in quality of repair. The SA said they did their best to align both tailgates but the gaps are a bit bigger compared to what was before, and that's after use of brand new OEM parts.

Makes me feel pissed off for going BMW-certified shop route. Guess not one shop will make the vehicle the same.

In the past when Ive had repairs done I will arrange to have interim inspections by me during inspections to make sure it will turn out right. Before paint; after paint but before re-assembly. On the P car the last time, there were some issues with orange peel, which I identified after they did the buffing but they had not started re-assembly. Easy enough for them to work on it some more without major re-prepping.

If you wait until pick up- all shiny and done- you will surely get nowhere- they arent going to repull the body work at that point.

BMW-certified is just a marketing gimmick that shops achieve to get them BMW customers...IMO.

Found pics of the car that rear ended me. How fast do you guys think he was going?

Im gonna WAG 15 at impact

I was thinking atleast 25 mph since the airbag went of in the fusion. Or can it go off for slower impacts?

I THINK 28 MPH is the minimum speed. I had a POS Camry rear end me not too long ago. His Airbag popped as did my active head restraint.

How much damage?