Rear ended today - tow hitch damaged

[Mojave2021]

How fast were they going? Make sure to keep track of any aches and pains in the next couple of days. Even a stiff back or neck could turn into bigger problems down the road.

I’m not really sure- guessing around 45 mph. The Gladiator barely moved when hit. I saw the guy coming fast in my rear view mirror - it didn’t seem like he was slowing down at all when he rammed into us. No clue what the guy was thinking. We were sitting at a red light behind about 5 others cars.

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[Mojave2021]

I’m not really sure- guessing around 45 mph. The Gladiator barely moved when hit. I saw the guy coming fast in my rear view mirror - it didn’t seem like he was slowing down at all when he rammed into us. No clue what the guy was thinking. We were sitting at a red light behind about 5 others cars.

 

[Mojave2021]

Pictures of my bumper and hitch.

 

[JRobes]

Go to a body shop that will quote repair using OEM parts ($$$) and their estimated shop time, and then submit that quote to their insurance. Then collect the check and fix yourself (or upgrade to something else).

Before collecting the check though, drive around a lot and make sure there's no other issues that you notice since any damage/issues to any other parts that wouldn't be noticed right away from a visual inspection won't be included in the quote. You want to make sure the frame/engine/trans/drivetrain weren't somehow affected by the impact.

Btw, during impact the guy was looking at his phone notification thinking "OMG my BFF liked my Instagram pic!".

 

[Mojave2021]

Go to a body shop that will quote repair using OEM parts ($$$) and their estimated shop time, and then submit that quote to their insurance. Then collect the check and fix yourself (or upgrade to something else).

Before collecting the check though, drive around a lot and make sure there's no other issues that you notice since any damage/issues to any other parts that wouldn't be noticed right away from a visual inspection won't be included in the quote. You want to make sure the frame/engine/trans/drivetrain weren't somehow affected by the impact.

Btw, during impact the guy was looking at his phone notification thinking (OMG my BFF liked my Instagram pic!).

I'm almost certain he was on his phone as well. Thanks for the suggestions, it's been a while since I've had to deal with insurance. I like the idea of getting the check and fixing myself/upgrading while I'm at it.

 

[mert34]

Make sur to look at panel gaps and everything else to make sure they are still all even, like tail gate and bed to cab. really suggest what others said it take it to a shop that does repairs and get a quote, they know what to look for as it may look fine from the outside but frame, such might not be so much. man that little car cruched up.

 

[Mojave2021]

Took it to the body shop. Looks like there are some panel gap issues between the bed and the cab, and the tailgate looks slightly higher up on the left side than the right. Awaiting my initial estimate from State Farm to come back, and then I will get the body shop estimate after that.

 

[Lost1wing]

Not good. I hope the frame is not bent. By the looks of the car, I would have thought to see more on your truck. But if it pushed you up, maybe the frame got tweaked a bit. Let's hope not.

 

[JRobes]

Yeah, if the frame is tweaked, give it to the body shop, don't risk taking the check and having issues down the road.

I'd also ask their insurance to provide some extra cash for "diminished value" of your truck since if the shop fixes anything substantial there's now damage reported on it's history and it affects resale value. That accident may already be on it's history due to the police report (depends on your state), but getting work done by a shop almost guarantees it showing up. You'll likely have to push hard for diminished value, but worth the hassle.

 

[Mojave2021]

Yeah, if the frame is tweaked, give it to the body shop, don't risk taking the check and having issues down the road.

I'd also ask their insurance to provide some extra cash for "diminished value" of your truck since if the shop fixes anything substantial there's now damage reported on it's history and it affects resale value. That accident may already be on it's history due to the police report (depends on your state), but getting work done by a shop almost guarantees it showing up. You'll likely have to push hard for diminished value, but worth the hassle.

Agreed, taking the check is out the window now. I was worried about the resale value impacts too - I will look into if I can get some additional $s for that. There was no police report filed, but I'm assuming the repair work will show up.

 

[Mojave2021]

Thanks again to everyone for your replies - they've been extremely helpful!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Took it to the body shop. Looks like there are some panel gap issues between the bed and the cab, and the tailgate looks slightly higher up on the left side than the right. Awaiting my initial estimate from State Farm to come back, and then I will get the body shop estimate after that.

Hate to say it - but these come from the factory with uneven gaps between box and bed.
I'd not get crazy and assume the worst.
My 2020 was perfect in box to cab alignment - my 2022 not so perfect.
And the tailgates? There's a thread here where several months ago a member asked if others had a tailgate alignment issue like he had. Same result - several others said yes, theirs was off like his. One side was further in, and the tops didn't line up perfectly.
In short, likely your truck came with imperfect alignment unless you can recall it being perfect.
Nothing wrong with getting it checked by a pro - but the misalignments are all but meaningless unless it was perfect before. And with an impact to the frame - it could only mean the box shifted slightly.
A pro will be able to run a couple of diagonal measurements and tell real fast.

if the shop fixes anything substantial there's now damage reported on it's history and it affects resale value

Only if that shop reports it. Many don't. Even some dealerships don't.
Worth looking into IF there is major damage, but it's not an automatic thing that stuff gets reported.

A consumer group looked into this in detail.
If it's a dealership it's more likely than not to report - if it's an independent shop, the majority don't as the group found out.

 

[Mojave2021]

Agreed Shadowspapa. I recall seeing those threads. The body shop guy who eyeballed it said it looked a little off, but I just did some of my own measurements myself. I may not be doing it correctly, but it doesn't look far off at all to me.

 

[JHydroJ]

Let the insurance handle it and kick back in their rental while it's being fixed. Use a body shop in their program so you get the guarantee from the shop and the insurance company as well. Any adjuster or shop worth a damn would have a frame set up and measure due to the hit to the hitch. You can always work with the shop to get an aftermarket bumper, and just pay a little out of pocket if it's more than the oem part on the estimate. Parts delays could be a huge issue though.

 

[LCF]

i was in a similar situation....what i thought was a few suspension parts and some paint....turned into $32k lol

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