[Yobyot]

A couple of weeks ago, I was stopped a stop sign waiting for a clear path onto a highway. A rental van thought I should go -- and so he did.

He hit us, I would estimate, at about 10MPH, causing the damage you see here: a destroyed bumper, a dent in the tail gate and a couple of smashed parking distance sensors. Underneath, the muffler mount was trashed (you can see my temporary repair -- a strap through the tow hook to hold the muffler pipe off a structural cross-member), though the pipes and muffler itself were undamaged.

Cost to repair? $7200. Take a gander at some of these parts costs:

• Bumper cover (with auto park) (p/n 51128091992): $975.41
• RT Backup lamp assy w/LED (p/n 63217408746): $278.76

And my favorite: $47.58 to replace the tow hook cover.

It's no secret that OEMs make more money on parts than on the cars themselves. But my winter beatah (this is Mass. and Massholes need a wintah cah), a RAV4, was repaired after a similar rear-ender for about $2500.

Adding to the disappointment of having my M40i beat up through no fault of mine is the struggle one has to go through with the insurance companies to get the damaged fixed correctly.

It would take me a two-page post to describe all the ups and downs of that process but the bottom line seems to be that, in Mass at least, the costs of parts determine the flexibility of the insurance adjuster's willingness to fix the car correctly. For example, if that bumper cover was $15 -- about what it's worth -- the adjuster is going to not argue the point. But at $50, well, the bottom line looks worse when you add up all the doubly-inflated BMW parts costs.

So, you end up paying more for collision and comprehensive insurance based on the costs to repair the car but the insurance companies still want to pay Toyota rates to fix a BMW.

Oh well, at least I'm gonna get it back next week -- after nearly four weeks in the shop, of which three were spent haggling with the insurer.

[fricfracfrank]

Sorry to read about the unfortunate events. Hopefully she is back good as knew when the repairs are done.

Is Massachusetts a no fault state?

[TheusBimmer]

Sorry to hear.

That's why I invested on rear hitch at http://sparebumper.com/

My impression is that drivers behind me never tailgate and always leave room to spare

I do too when I see another SUV with a rear hitch - simply catches the driver's attention and it will be more careful.

[Yobyot]

Originally Posted by fricfracfrank

Sorry to read about the unfortunate events. Hopefully she is back good as knew when the repairs are done.

Is Massachusetts a no fault state?

I appreciate your condolences.

Mass is a no-fault state. But that applies to personal injury, not collision. In a collision claim, fault is assigned. The driver who is 51% at fault is responsible. The driver suffering damages may the either negotiate with his or her insurer (who then subrogates to the at-fault driver's insurer) or deal directly with the at-fault driver's insurer.

As you can tell, this sets up quite a confusing set of issues and choices for the driver who suffered damages.

Because Mass IS a no-fault state for personal injury (which is a whole other topic), it's important to buy uninsured/underinsured limits on your policy in case the other guy isn't properly covered and you or your passengers are injured.

I chose to make my collision claim through my insurer. They're not easy to deal with (their original appraisal was $2200). But at the end of the day they wanted to retain me as a customer and they aren't going to suffer the loss. They're spending the other guy's insurer's loss funds.

[Yobyot]

Originally Posted by TheusBimmer

Sorry to hear.

That's why I invested on rear hitch at http://sparebumper.com/

My impression is that drivers behind me never tailgate and always leave room to spare

I do too when I see another SUV with a rear hitch - simply catches the driver's attention and it will be more careful.

Interesting idea. But fugly, IMHO.

[BobsM3Coupe]

Originally Posted by Yobyot

Interesting idea. But fugly, IMHO.

Certainly is ugly. But even uglier are the meatballs that ride around in their pickup, suv or whatever with the extended hitch ball mount sticking out the back by at least a foot with a giant hitch ball on top. Ridiculous.

[fricfracfrank]

Originally Posted by BobsM3Coupe

Certainly is ugly. But even uglier are the meatballs that ride around in their pickup, suv or whatever with the extended hitch ball mount sticking out the back by at least a foot with a giant hitch ball on top. Ridiculous.

x2

[Slalom]

Maybe add an NRA decal and see if you get more respect. One of my professors installed a gun rack in the back window of his pickup. He did not own a rifle so it was empty, but that got him even more "respect".

[Tchgrif]

Originally Posted by Slalom

Maybe add an NRA decal and see if you get more respect. One of my professors installed a gun rack in the back window of his pickup. He did not own a rifle so it was empty, but that got him even more "respect".

More likely to "accidentally" slam into a NRA car and in my confusions ram it over and over and over again. thoughts and prayers

[TheusBimmer]

LOL everyone.

I can see how for some it's a bit fugly, but I rather have a fugly but safer ride, where I don't have people riding on my arse. I do also have a blackvue installed lol.

Taking my precautions. I would rather also avoid dealing with insurance companies and any other hassles (like time spent in body repair shop).

I don't think it looks too bad ha.

To each their own of course.

[TheusBimmer]

lol agreed - don't think the people who ride with hitch ball mount sticking really understand how if they get rear end, it could bend their frame and total their car (assuming their hitch is attached to the frame of the car and not on their bumper). Or so I have read.