[guapoman2000]

Greetings people!

This is my very first post in these forums and I bought my mother a 2014 Toyota RAV-4 XLE with 4 and a half miles on it back last July. Now in August 23rd, 2015 she was rear ended and pushed into another car that was in front of her. She was stopped so, the Air Bag didn't deploy. Needless to say the vehicle had 8,356 miles at the time of the accident.

It was a young man (Student) with a 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX who hit her from behind and didn't have full coverage, just the State of Florida minimum overages.

Anyway, just providing you all some background because I was shocked that the RAV-4 sustained lots of damage.

How much damage you ask?:nerd

How about $7,140 US worth!:surprise

The Radiator, A/C Condenser, Lower Radiator Hose, Frontal Light Lenses, Bumpers (Front & Rear) and many more parts! The hit was so bad, I guess, that the Radiator support cross member (a large black beam) had to be replaced!:frown

Additionally, when the RAV-4 hit the car in front, the Lower Radiator hose was pushed inwards to the A/C compressor pulley and the friction started to make a hole in the hose such that all of the Antifreeze left the vehicle under pressure.

On the rear, the entire Lift Gate door had to be replaced and the body had to be pulled slightly to get some crinkle out from within the spare tire compartment and the rails were not affected, however. Of course the bumper had to be replaced.

I do realize that automobiles are made to get crushed so, the occupants do not get injured but, I am amazed on the amount of damage a low velocity impact can cause on this vehicle. Yes, the young man was impatient with traffic and he tried to change lanes and miss calculated and gunned his Impreza and hit my mother's RAV-4 with perhaps a good wack.:serious Needless to say, I never thought it would get damaged at this higher level.

Anyone out there have had the bad luck on a fender bender or a rear end collision with theirs? If so, can you please reply on what sort of damages?

I am just curious......:laugh

 

[MTL_Sienna]

Just curious, I am in Canada and am not familiar with who would be responsible to pay for the damages. We have no fault insurance here. So you are out $7140 and have to sue the other driver? Or does your insurer pay you and then they go after the other driver?

 

[guapoman2000]

Florida is a No Fault State but, I am not sure how closely the definition applies to where you live in Canada. I am out of $250 which is my deductible and another $200 for my part in rental as this represents my 20% obligation for rental expenses under my insurance policy so, you can imagine the full bill.

The young man had a limit of $10,000 US for property damages and there were four cars total involve in the accident. It was better to go through my own insurance company to have repairs done and allow them to handle the rest later.

Hope this helps!

 

[Mikey D.]

Civil Court suit to recoup your losses. Impatience has a price tag, but why should you foot the bill for any of it?

Minimum insurance doesn't cut it in this day and age IMHO!

 

[guapoman2000]

Guys,

Thanks for all your replies and do appreciate your views on the Insurance / Legal aspects but, I am looking for anyone out there that might had something similar to what my mother experienced on her 2014 RAV-4.

I just don't understand why:

1. Toyota had to route the Lower Radiator Water Hose directly in front of the A/C Pully?
2. Toyota didn't provide additional space for the Radiator / Condenser to be slightly away from the dangerous frontal edge of any potential light or medium potential damage?
3. Toyota didn't provide enough bumper protection such that the Rear Gate would not be damaged easily?

On item (1.) this will certainly make the vehicle stranded since all of the Antifreeze / Coolant will vacate as soon as the Pulley makes a nice hole in that lower Radiator / Water hose! If that's your Love one and she is female in middle of No where.......you know!

On item (2.) could use some additional Engineering to allow the Radiator / Condenser from being the first item to be damaged in a light to medium impact. I have searched other brands and they seem to be all doing this sort of thing! So, if you crash your small SUV such as the RAV-4 your chances are that an expensive ordeal will be in your cards.

On item (3.), bumper materials are so much advanced and don't understand why Toyota didn't provide the 2014 enough material to withstand 5-10 MPH hit like my 1992 Toyota Camry that is still on the road with 478,893 miles and counting without any Engine Rebuilt history (5S-FE Engine)! I seriously doubt my mother feels safe in her RAV-4 anymore! She asked to ride in my 1992 Camry instead just yesterday!

I am certain that the Insurance companies are going to take notice of this and raise rates!

Okay, enough of my rant.

 

[internalaudit]

Have you spoken to Toyota about your engineering concerns?

Glad everyone is all right.

 

[RobertN]

There is a 2 1/2 MPH front and rear bumper test, which has allowed cars to use plastic covers in instead of bumpers. You are lucky the airbags did not go off, they may have totaled the car if they had.

 

[internalaudit]

There is a 2 1/2 MPH front and rear bumper test, which has allowed cars to use plastic covers in instead of bumpers. You are lucky the airbags did not go off, they may have totaled the car if they had.

Airbag inflation/deflation breaks a lot of car component? Or did you mean that once airbags are deployed, the car insurance will almost write the vehicle off?

 

[Mikey D.]

The latter.

 

[guapoman2000]

Have you spoken to Toyota about your engineering concerns?

Glad everyone is all right.

They are useless!

Customer Service or lets say those toll free numbers to try and contact someone that will listen are ALL TRAINED for possible Litigation and this "Young Lady" quickly went into that Litigation Mode asking all kinds of questions instead of providing me with some information on who to contact.

 

[guapoman2000]

There is a 2 1/2 MPH front and rear bumper test, which has allowed cars to use plastic covers in instead of bumpers. You are lucky the airbags did not go off, they may have totaled the car if they had.

Robert,

The Airbag System works if the vehicle is traveling at a minimum of 10-MPH and anything below that the Airbags will NOT deploy.

Don't take it from me and rather ask the Toyota Service Manager.:wink

 

[Carguy33]

IF the air backs had deployed , you are looking at replacing at minimum the following: The windshield, dash cover/steering wheel cover, A-pillar covers. and if the knee air bags and front pass. seat bags deploy, add these items as well. Unless the vehicle is of high value, most Ins. Co. will total out the vehicle once there is any air bag deployment due to the damage that is involved.

And I hate to say it but you've got to remember, the engineers when designing these cars are concerned about weight & Gov't mandated fuel efficiency. The hope is for the car to not get banged up.

 

[Macadian]

My wife hit a deer with our 2010 rav when it was 18 months old. Had no chance as it came straight out of the bush. Rutting season. Was a fair sized buck. Hit was on front passenger side. Extensive damage, $8500 worth. Neither air bag went off which was surprising. Wish the passenger side one had activated as the insurance might have written the car off. Our policy provided for a new car if written off when less than two years old. No such luck! They fixed it, all genuine Toyota parts. Killer was this month when we traded it in against a 2016 Rav xle. Because of the accident, cost me as least $1500 in trade in value. Double whammy!