Warning to Vibe/Matrix owners

duh.

The fact that all occupants came out OK is a good reason to actually consider another Matrix/Vibe. My folks were in a similar accident in a Chevy Celebrity which had no airbags, and despite a few cuts and bruises, they were OK. The car was also written off despite that most the damage was confined to one front corner.

If you are more concerned with the extent of possible damage than with the safety of the occupants, then perhaps you should consider a Hummer.

20 mph is a major not a minor crash! Huge about of energy, especially from a heavy taxi. The car did what it was designed to do.

richard.

ALL cars are now designed as "disposable", thanks to airbags. Wonder why your insurance rates are so high?

The airbags alone are $3,500 - $5,000 to replace right off the top, and the passenger-side bag probably broke the windshield as it deployed, another $500. If the crash tripped side airbags it ripped up the seatcovers and/or side trim panels during deployment, those have to be replaced, too.

Same thing for ballistic seatbelt retractors, they have small explosive charges in them to tension the slack out of the belts before you start moving forward. If your car has them, they have to replace all the seatbelts and retractors - there's another grand or two...

If the car is more than 2 or 3 years old, it doesn't take long before the repair bill is larger than the salvage value of the car.

A lot of that is labor.

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yes,plus the 5mph of the matrix plus most speeds are understated in police reports.

My 2003 Matrix took a very light hit on the rear bumper, didn't touch the back door thankfully. A new bumper cover and rear spoiler (under the bumper) cost $1400 including paint matching. I couldn't believe it... fortunately it was not my fault and didn't impact my premium.

Not to mention that everything expensive is up front, a corner collision absorbs all of the impact with drive train and engine parts..

The airbags might be some the most expensive individual parts to replace.

I'll second that. Try walking unaware into a wall. That's about 2 or 3 MPH. At 20 it's a big hit.

Now now...no need to get nasty Eddie...I think he was just surprised at the amount of damage from a light collision (which it was) but cars now are built to protect the driver/pax more than to withstand damage (which I agree with btw). I suppose that's why they take such a large amount of damage...built like a tank?, naw...sounds ok to me, much easier to replace a few thousand dollars in machinery than your wife/brother/child etc. (I know first hand), my wife lost her life while sitting beside me 22 years ago this coming fall.

An almost identical accident happened to a friend of mine in his 3 month old Passat. With the same result - the insurance company totaled it. As with your vehicle, the drivetrain was severely damaged, but barely any damage beyond the B pillar. The car's safety design did its job, though - no one was injured.

doug

Now you know why the insurance premiums for small FWD cars are so high and the are so deadly. LOL

mike hunt

Chris wrote:

I am agreeing with you 100%. It's one of my pet peeves. People that walk away from an impact, but then complain about how the car should have held up better. A friend in a Toyota truck, smashed into a Chevy truck, going 50mph at point of impact. The Chevy ran the stop sign. The Toyota's frontend was crumpled in and bashed up, but the driver walked away. And it's an old truck with no air bags. They truck did it's final job and protected the driver, who now has another Toyota truck.

Oh, and with help from and body guy and a lot of extra parts, the smashed up Toyota is back on the road and is my daily driver now. Best truck I have ever owned.

absolutely

The car is built to absorb energy by REAL engineers. If your son and occupants were safe and sound what is the car worth vs injury and or life. The car is disposable, your son and friends are not. 20 mph plus

5 mph = 30 mph. Drive your Ford Taurus or Chevy Malibu into a brick wall at 30 mph. Put you seatbelt and helmet on because you are going to get hurrt and the car will be close to a total also. Then some one can put ot on a frame machine and maybe get it straight and put some of the same lousy paint back on it. 25 years as a fixed operations director overseeing service, parts and autobody shops for Toyota dealerships. I am an authority on the subject. Count your blessings and put your son in another Toyota. Would you really want him in a Ford anyway?

I don't let my grand children drive in little FWD cars All cars and light trucks are built to absorb energy by REAL engineers. If his son was driving a Crown Vic his car would not have been totaled. Didn't he say at one point the taxi he ran into had little damage? LOL

mike hunt

cwbjr wrote:

Would

If you believe a truck that was in a high speed collision, then refurbished with used parts is the BEST truck you ever owned, I'll bet you would think you died and went to heaven if you ever bought a NEW truck. Heee HAWW ;)

mike hunt

Eddie wrote:

They truck did it's final job and

10mph(5 is literally a creep) plus 20mph with a 1500lb+(!) differnce in weight. That's like hitting a wall head-on at 35-40mph. Of course it's going to mangle the car.

He should be so lucky. If the taxi had hit the door instead, it would have taken every bit of the airbags and protection to keep his son alive.