Yaris Accident: How Much To Fix?

[bronsin]

On my way home from work a guy made a left hand turn in front of me. That, or he was trying to do a U or K turn.

I swerved left but JUST caught his rear bumper.

This is the result.

How much do you think it is to fix it? Taking it in today.

Thanks!

[CTScott]

A lot. You tagged every panel on that side. My wife did that once with a Honda Civic Wagon and the insurance company totaled the car. It was fully drivable, but they said that fixing all of the non-removable panels and repainting would be more than the car's value.

[bronsin]

How old was the Honda? Im was thinking possible total too. 2009 30k miles. Perfect condition except for the accident. Been driven from NJ to AK and back but you would never know it. :biggrin:

Will do a blue book. Guessing $10k?


Just got back from the shop. Preliminary estimate they say new door new fender. He thinks suspension dammage. Says wheel is bent. It does not look bent. Car drives OK but steering wheel cocked just a tad to the right.

[Hershey]

Wow , another one ! Sorry to see that . Take it that you're fine . Seems like the bigger vehicles are out to get the Yaris . Shame , black is a great color for the 3 door . Hope all goes well .

[MadMax]

Well, if he hit you then doesn't his insurance cover the repairs? :iono:

[Rockstar]

Wow, insurance companies in America classifies cars as 'totaled' pretty easily. You must have a lot of wrecker car yards.

At least there's aways part for others. :thumbup:

[bronsin]

Well, if he hit you then doesn't his insurance cover the repairs? :iono:

Good question! Im 56 and have never had an accident. I have no idea how this works.

Anyone can help I am most gratefull.

Both cars are from NJ, accident happened in NJ. Both parties have Progressive Insurance.

He made a left hand turn in front of me. Probably he was making a K or U turn. Im thinking he is at fault.

When I called it in to Progressive they said "Hes probably at fault" BUT after I described the dammage to HIS car, they said "Im not sure about that."

I assume there is no fault in NJ? I guessed that means he takes care of his and I take care of mine. I asked Progressive about is he liable and they said they were not sure it might depend.

If the car is totaled this might be trouble. I do NOT want to get a lawyer because that is only going to cost more money Im thinking nd who knows where its going?

You may advise me thank you!

[Hershey]

Their insurance should cover it . The woman that pulled out in front of us got the blame . She moved her S.U.V. back after the incident . We thought that you're to leave the vehicles at the spot of the accident until police arrive to help determine who's at fault or if both parties may not be at fault due to weather conditions , etc...

[Hershey]

Did the Police come to the scene complete an accident report ? Do you know if the other person got a ticket ?

[MadMax]

Not sure about NJ laws, but here in Texas the police don't always come out for accidents that simply involve body damage (i.e. "fender benders"). Hershey has the right questions, if a police report was filed and/or the other person was cited, you want to get that info for your insurance company. If you have full coverage on your Yaris then they are the ones to go after the other person's insurance (even though it is the same company). You only need to file an accident claim with yours and give them all the info you can (to include the police report if possible).

There is more info on NJ's no fault laws here (http://www.njaccidentsattorney.com/nj-car-accidents/fault-vs-no-fault-insurance/), you don't need a lawyer but you would wise to research the legal aspects yourself before talking with your insurance company.

Lastly, you might also want to get some recommendations for local body shops. One might be able to repair that without exceeding the book value of the car. Independent shops are usually cheaper, just find a reputable one as the one thing you don't want is to have someone do shoddy work on your Yaris!

Good luck! M2

[bronsin]

Did the Police come to the scene complete an accident report ? Do you know if the other person got a ticket ?

No they did not. No he did not.

A bicycle cop DID arrive on the scene AFTER we moved our cars from the spot of the accident to exchange information. There is a communter train tracks where we ended up and the train BLASTED its horn at us to move. So we moved!

The bicycle cop stated "I did not see the accident and officially I am not here. I am not filing a plice report. If you want to do that go to city hall. Officially I have nothing to do with this."

This happened in Camden NJ, Official Murder Capitol of the World. Where there is no law north south east or west of the Pecos.

[bronsin]

Not sure about NJ laws, but here in Texas the police don't always come out for accidents that simply involve body damage (i.e. "fender benders"). Hershey has the right questions, if a police report was filed and/or the other person was cited, you want to get that info for your insurance company. If you have full coverage on your Yaris then they are the ones to go after the other person's insurance (even though it is the same company). You only need to file an accident claim with yours and give them all the info you can (to include the police report if possible).

There is more info on NJ's no fault laws here (http://www.njaccidentsattorney.com/nj-car-accidents/fault-vs-no-fault-insurance/), you don't need a lawyer but you would wise to research the legal aspects yourself before talking with your insurance company.

Lastly, you might also want to get some recommendations for local body shops. One might be able to repair that without exceeding the book value of the car. Independent shops are usually cheaper, just find a reputable one as the one thing you don't want is to have someone do shoddy work on your Yaris!

Good luck! M2

I am having the work done at a shop that does work for Progressive.

Unfortunately I have already disclosed everything i know to the insurance company.

Thankyou for your help my friends. I will post as things happen...:headbang:

[MadMax]

Hopefully it can be repaired, I hate to think another beautiful black hatch would no longer be gracing our roads...

Good luck! M2

[nookandcrannycar]

How old was the Honda? Im was thinking possible total too. 2009 30k miles. Perfect condition except for the accident. Been driven from NJ to AK and back but you would never know it. :biggrin:

Will do a blue book. Guessing $10k?


Just got back from the shop. Preliminary estimate they say new door new fender. He thinks suspension dammage. Says wheel is bent. It does not look bent. Car drives OK but steering wheel cocked just a tad to the right.

Glad you are okay. What an idiot. If it isn't judged the other guy's fault, it should be. Just curious what road it happened on (I want to visualize:biggrin:)....one an out of towner who has done a fair amount of driving in New Jersey (surface streets, Interstates, the GSP, and the Turnpike,etc.) would know or a road that is so local only locals would recognize it?

[CTScott]

How old was the Honda? Im was thinking possible total too. 2009 30k miles. Perfect condition except for the accident. Been driven from NJ to AK and back but you would never know it. :biggrin:

Will do a blue book. Guessing $10k?


Just got back from the shop. Preliminary estimate they say new door new fender. He thinks suspension dammage. Says wheel is bent. It does not look bent. Car drives OK but steering wheel cocked just a tad to the right.

At the time of the accident the Honda was about 5 years old with 50K on the odometer. On Her's the scrapes to the front and rear doors and the rear quarter panel were bad enough that both door skins would have needed replacing and the rear quarter would have had to be cut off and replaced.

[bronsin]

Glad you are okay. What an idiot. If it isn't judged the other guy's fault, it should be. Just curious what road it happened on (I want to visualize:biggrin:)....one an out of towner who has done a fair amount of driving in New Jersey (surface streets, Interstates, the GSP, and the Turnpike,etc.) would know or a road that is so local only locals would recognize it?

Google Map Cooper and 3rd street, Camden NJ

[bronsin]

At the time of the accident the Honda was about 5 years old with 50K on the odometer. On Her's the scrapes to the front and rear doors and the rear quarter panel were bad enough that both door skins would have needed replacing and the rear quarter would have had to be cut off and replaced.

Hmmm Im thinking the rear of the car isnt going to need replacing, just the door and fender.

But there may be suspension dammage and the steering wheel is coked to one side.

[CTScott]

Hmmm Im thinking the rear of the car isnt going to need replacing, just the door and fender.

But there may be suspension dammage and the steering wheel is coked to one side.

The cocked steering wheel is probably just a bent tie rod end. Measure the distance between the tip of the A arm and the rear of the fender well on both sides to see if the A arm is bent as well.

[bronsin]

The cocked steering wheel is probably just a bent tie rod end. Measure the distance between the tip of the A arm and the rear of the fender well on both sides to see if the A arm is bent as well.


Seems like compared to bodywork, the mechanical dammage the car might have will be cheap in comparrison to fix?

I had a thought. The shop isnt stupid. If they make a bill high enough to total the car, they dont get to fix it and therefore lose business/money. So its in their interest to overlook things or whatever to keep the price below the ins company totaling the car.

What keeps them honest?

[CTScott]

Seems like compared to bodywork, the mechanical dammage the car might have will be cheap in comparrison to fix?

I had a thought. The shop isnt stupid. If they make a bill high enough to total the car, they dont get to fix it and therefore lose business/money. So its in their interest to overlook things or whatever to keep the price below the ins company totaling the car.

What keeps them honest?

The insurance adjustor makes an assessment to keep the repair shop honest.

[harda toenail]

In my wreck, progressive took care of all the who's at fault stuff. We had a cop come out. You should always call for a cop to come write a police report!

But since both parties had progressive, progressive pays either way so they won't work as hard to make sure you don't pay.

[bronsin]

In my wreck, progressive took care of all the who's at fault stuff. We had a cop come out. You should always call for a cop to come write a police report!

But since both parties had progressive, progressive pays either way so they won't work as hard to make sure you don't pay.

There was a cop there after the accident and after we pulled over to exchange information. He said

"I didnt see the accident. Im not writing out an accident report. If you want that you have to go to city hall. Im not even here officially"

You are probably right about P not working to protect the person who wasnt at fault.

We will see...whatever happens happens...

But I can use all the information and advise I can get...thanks!

[harda toenail]

I can't believe the cop was that lazy. For him to say "Im not even here" would piss me off. They should always write a report. How often does the officer writing the report actually see the incident?

But sorry for the bad luck. Looks like it was a super clean yaris.

[fnkngrv]

Did you happen to get the officer's name? If so and it were me I would try to make an anonymous complaint. This type of thing gives law enforcers a real bad name :thumbdown:

[MadMax]

Well, in defense of the officer if he didn't witness the accident and the evidence doesn't clearly show who was at fault; he cannot make a determination nor can he issue a citation. Given the nature of this accident, it is entirely possible that either party involved could have caused it. Normally, unless it is blatantly apparent (i.e. rear-end or 90° collision with impartial witnesses), no one will be ticketed. If it is, and there is evidence to prove it, an investigating officer will file charges against the offending driver.

Hopefully your insurance company, which has a lower standard for burden of proof, will be able to resolve this in your favor based on the information they have.

[bronsin]

Did you happen to get the officer's name? If so and it were me I would try to make an anonymous complaint. This type of thing gives law enforcers a real bad name :thumbdown:

Yes I have his name. Having never had an accident before like this I have no idea whats involved. If I had nothing better to do, it might be interesting to pursue it. But I have other things going on.

Maybe I will wish I HAD done that before this is over...

[bronsin]

Well, in defense of the officer if he didn't witness the accident and the evidence doesn't clearly show who was at fault; he cannot make a determination nor can he issue a citation. Given the nature of this accident, it is entirely possible that either party involved could have caused it. Normally, unless it is blatantly apparent (i.e. rear-end or 90° collision with impartial witnesses), no one will be ticketed. If it is, and there is evidence to prove it, an investigating officer will file charges against the offending driver.

Hopefully your insurance company, which has a lower standard for burden of proof, will be able to resolve this in your favor based on the information they have.

Although I dont know anything about this, thats about how I felt about it when it happened.

Any comments furthering my education appreciated!

[bronsin]

Wow , another one ! Sorry to see that . Take it that you're fine . Seems like the bigger vehicles are out to get the Yaris . Shame , black is a great color for the 3 door . Hope all goes well .

Yes I am Ok. No one was injured.

[bronsin]

Just for gins and giggles, here is what happened.

I was driving down Cooper St. Coming in the opposit direction, was a driver unfamiliar with the area. He was looking for an address on Cooper. He realized he went by it. He had to turn around.

He made a left turn right in front of me. At the time I thought he was making a left into a driveway. I thought he had time to complete the turn safely.

Then he stopped.

I swerved to the left violently to go around him. I ALMOST missed him! I just caught the rear bumper of his car down the right side of my car.

We were on railroad tracks for a commuter rail line. The train blasted his horn at us so we moved.

When we got to a safe location, a cop on a bicycle showed up. He said he didnt see the accident, wasnt involved, wasnt writing a report, we had to go to city hall if we wanted that.

We exchanged info and parted amicably. I assumed theres no fault and it didnt matter who caused the accident. Although he did.

I returned to the accident scene the next day. There was NO driveway where he turned! Just a solid curb! THAT is why he stopped. That or he was making a U or K turn.

The only dammage to his car was a smal tear in his rear bumper cover. And a black swipe mark across it.

I have a $2000 deductable. The repairs will be more than that. I hope the insurance company protects me. I dont see the sense of getting a lawyer and pursueing it. It would cost more to do that than its worth. I wasnt hurt, he wasnt hurt.

Am I wrong? Coments welcome!

[otterhere]

Believe it or not, I've had to have FOUR panels replaced in four years (on one side, a snowplow scraped two; on the other, I "Titaniced" a telephone pole while backing down a curved road); $2500 each go-around, with me paying $500 in deductibles each time.

Just now noticed a dent in my newest panel; someone must've breathed on it...

It really doesn't take much to damage the body of this car; one wonders what it's made of and how safe it would be a in crash...

: (

[bronsin]

Believe it or not, I've had to have FOUR panels replaced in four years (on one side, a snowplow scraped two; on the other, I "Titaniced" a telephone pole while backing down a curved road); $2500 each go-around, with me paying $500 in deductibles each time.

Just now noticed a dent in my newest panel; someone must've breathed on it...

It really doesn't take much to damage the body of this car; one wonders what it's made of and how safe it would be a in crash...

: (

There have been many pictures of accidents here of our cars that were in pretty bad accidents. The people werent seriously hurt...

[nookandcrannycar]

I can't believe the cop was that lazy. For him to say "Im not even here" would piss me off. They should always write a report. How often does the officer writing the report actually see the incident?

But sorry for the bad luck. Looks like it was a super clean yaris.

It would piss me off too. The cop, though, knows that he won't pay any consequence for acting like that. If the situation ever got to the point where he felt his job was threatened and his union had public meetings with Gov. Christie like the teachers union did I'll bet he'd act as childishly as some of the teachers did.

[edmscan]

There have been many pictures of accidents here of our cars that were in pretty bad accidents. The people werent seriously hurt...

Maybe that is cause the Yaris has some pretty good safety features ? AirBags, ABS and the rest of the things we take for granted, until we actually need them. Just imagine if they weren't there .. I don't think that we would be walking away from these crashes quite so fast.

[edmscan]

Am I wrong? Coments welcome!

Maybe you were too busy pumping the brakes ? :bonk:

[nookandcrannycar]

Well, in defense of the officer if he didn't witness the accident and the evidence doesn't clearly show who was at fault; he cannot make a determination nor can he issue a citation. Given the nature of this accident, it is entirely possible that either party involved could have caused it. Normally, unless it is blatantly apparent (i.e. rear-end or 90° collision with impartial witnesses), no one will be ticketed. If it is, and there is evidence to prove it, an investigating officer will file charges against the offending driver.

Hopefully your insurance company, which has a lower standard for burden of proof, will be able to resolve this in your favor based on the information they have.

Well.....now that I just read your post.....you're right, HOWEVER he could have handled the situation better, He could have been more diplomatic re his choice of words.

[nookandcrannycar]

Maybe you were too busy pumping the brakes ? :bonk:

:bellyroll::bellyroll:

[nookandcrannycar]

Maybe that is cause the Yaris has some pretty good safety features ? AirBags, ABS and the rest of the things we take for granted, until we actually need them. Just imagine if they weren't there .. I don't think that we would be walking away from these crashes quite so fast.

I happened to read this post after your following one, but I'm glad I did as that made it even funnier on it's own (for those of us who read a certain recent thread Bronsin started:biggrin:).

[MadMax]

Well.....now that I just read your post.....you're right, HOWEVER he could have handled the situation better, He could have been more diplomatic re his choice of words.

I agree, but having done several ride-alongs with various police departments, you never know what kind of day a cop is having hence sometimes they are not in the best of moods.

He still should have pick his words better, but sometimes the duties of the job can be a lot to handle even for the best of individuals...

[Hershey]

The trooper that came to our accident was very courteous and said that she was at fault . There are a few in the field who care . If it shows her responsible on paper , not known . Think you have to pay for that info .

[nookandcrannycar]

I agree, but having done several ride-alongs with various police departments, you never know what kind of day a cop is having hence sometimes they are not in the best of moods.

He still should have pick his words better, but sometimes the duties of the job can be a lot to handle even for the best of individuals...

I agree with you re those who are out in a patrol car and must manage all that entails, but Bronsin's cop was on bicycle patrol (he did post that after my initial comment though:biggrin:). The impetus for my initial feeling is that I think that many police officers in union states, especially older ones with quite a bit of seniority within their departments, don't appreciate what they have as much as they should. Some LEOs in Texas have that type of protection and relative security, but many don't. LEOs in many jurisdictions in the Tri-State area (NJ,NY, and CT) don't get the super generous pensions (in dollar amount relative to their salaries) that many jurisdictions in California enjoy, but they get them after less time on the job (especially NYC -- 20 years -- although I heard for new hires they raised it to 22 years).

[Red Horse]

This just happen recenly and my insurance paid for it.

I had to pay $500 dedutible and $117 betterment.

This wasnt my fault, but no witness and police did'nt come so insurance can't do anything about it.

Lesson learn, now im buying a dash camera.

[edmscan]

I happened to read this post after your following one, but I'm glad I did as that made it even funnier on it's own (for those of us who read a certain recent thread Bronsin started:biggrin:).

I just hope that Bronsin has learned a lesson here. The safety features in the Yaris are there for a very good reason. I have had several accidents myself and have walked away from every one of them. I have hit a deer (try that one in a Tercel) and a transit bus (same Tercel) and several cars (yes the drivers here are that bad), and have never been hurt.

Why .. cause manufacturers like Toyota put things in their vehicles that make walking away a possibility.

I am just happy that no one got hurt in this case, cause cars can be repaired and humans, not so easily.

[nookandcrannycar]

I just hope that Bronsin has learned a lesson here. The safety features in the Yaris are there for a very good reason. I have had several accidents myself and have walked away from every one of them. I have hit a deer (try that one in a Tercel) and a transit bus (same Tercel) and several cars (yes the drivers here are that bad), and have never been hurt.

Why .. cause manufacturers like Toyota put things in their vehicles that make walking away a possibility.

I am just happy that no one got hurt in this case, cause cars can be repaired and humans, not so easily.

Agreed. Humans don't heal as easily. I learned something as well (as I found myself agreeing with Bronsin at times on THIS point (I agree with him on other points.....except which baseball team to root for:biggrin:....boo Yankees!). It's almost like karma...after Bronsin's rant and then my rant and then comments from others it seems as though a rash of YW members got in accidents in a short period of time.

[nookandcrannycar]

This just happen recenly and my insurance paid for it.

I had to pay $500 dedutible and $117 betterment.

This wasnt my fault, but no witness and police did'nt come so insurance can't do anything about it.

Lesson learn, now im buying a dash camera.

I imagine that if (or should I say when) budgets get more strapped over time and services re LEOs are cut, the need for a dash cam will become even more critical.

[bronsin]

Yes I have championed dash cams for all cars for quite some time.

Then you dont need cops. Everything is sorted right away and everyone would drive safer KNOWING whatever they do is recorded...

[nookandcrannycar]

Yes I have championed dash cams for all cars for quite some time.

Then you dont need cops. Everything is sorted right away and everyone would drive safer KNOWING whatever they do is recorded...

My first thought = Good point. In our increasingly Orwellian world it seems the only place we have an expectation of privacy is in our own homes...and only if we own the property, so why not.

My second thought = ....championed dash cams for all cars for quite some time....then.....why don't you have a recording of your accident?:biggrin:

[bronsin]

My first thought = Good point. In our increasingly Orwellian world it seems the only place we have an expectation of privacy is in our own homes...and only if we own the property, so why not.

My second thought = ....championed dash cams for all cars for quite some time....then.....why don't you have a recording of your accident?:biggrin:

Yes dash cams are Orwellian. But people drive like lunetics and with the knowledge what they do is being recorded and they will be held accountable accidents, suffering, and tradgedy should decline.

Also there would be less litigation, lying, cheating, and fraud saving everyone $$$$$$.

Cant find investors for my camera + the lawyers dont like me. :biggrin:

[bronsin]

This just happen recenly and my insurance paid for it.

I had to pay $500 dedutible and $117 betterment.

This wasnt my fault, but no witness and police did'nt come so insurance can't do anything about it.

Lesson learn, now im buying a dash camera.

THAT was ~$6500???!!!

Im doomed....

[nookandcrannycar]

Yes dash cams are Orwellian. But people drive like lunetics and with the knowledge what they do is being recorded and they will be held accountable accidents, suffering, and tradgedy should decline.

Also there would be less litigation, lying, cheating, and fraud saving everyone $$$$$$.

Cant find investors for my camera + the lawyers dont like me. :biggrin:

.......but you personally could have one in just your car as some other YW members do:biggrin:.

[bronsin]

I have a question.

I owe $2000 on the car. If the insurance company totals it, do they cover what I owe?

In other words, I have a $2000 deductible. I owe $2000 on the loan. Its worth $11,000.

So if its totaled, do I get $7000.

That would suck! I would have to just drive it probably.

[CTScott]

I have a question.

I owe $2000 on the car. If the insurance company totals it, do they cover what I owe?

In other words, I have a $2000 deductible. I owe $2000 on the loan. Its worth $11,000.

So if its totaled, do I get $7000.

That would suck! I would have to just drive it probably.

Unless you have gap insurance (which covers the difference between what you paid for the car and what it is currently worth), you will only get current value minus deductible.

[bronsin]

Unless you have gap insurance (which covers the difference between what you paid for the car and what it is currently worth), you will only get current value minus deductible.

Current valve - deductible = $11,000 - $2000 =$9000.

New Yaris = ~$16,500 bottom line. (and I have 0% interest for another 20 months on the current one. No way Im getting that on a loan tomorrow)

So it would cost me $7500 to get a new one.

I guess I could go used $11,000-$9000 = $2000 OUT OF POCKET.

Makes sense to drive the old one as is!

[edmscan]

The damage on your car is very minor in nature .. so depends if you want to fix it or pocket the money the insurance company will give you as some people do.

[bronsin]

estimate $3400 + fix the suspension

[Hershey]

Does your suspension creak since the collision ? Ours does when stopping and sometimes when cornering . Hope all goes well for you .

[bronsin]

Not so far. Appears to drive normally. Happy with the estimate given the possible extent of the dammage.

[bronsin]

After two weeks of driving a rent a reck (Cavalier w 148k) my Yaris is back from the shop! It feels like Im driving the most awesome car in the world compared to that.

Jebus they detailed it! Its beautiful!

The drivers door inside surface had marks and scratches all over it. They are GONE!

The RF hubcap was trashed but they put 4 new ones on. I think. Unless they rubbed the scratches off the other 3? Is that possible? Do caps come only 4 to a set?

This is the car I drove NJ to AK and back last summer 10,400 miles 17 days.

[nookandcrannycar]

Congrats! It looks as though they really did do an awesome job:thumbsup:.

[Hershey]

Better than ever :clap: . Black is excellent color for the 3 door . Haven't decided on ours yet . What to do ? :iono:

[bronsin]

The only thing I forgot was to ask them why does the paint scratch so easily?

[nookandcrannycar]

Better than ever :clap: . Black is excellent color for the 3 door . Haven't decided on ours yet . What to do ? :iono:

Black is an excellent color for the 3-door re LOOKS (when washed regularly) in VIRTUALLY ANY location. Living with it day to day......claim of excellent = depends on the location. In SE Texas Black, IMHO, is NOT an excellent color for ANY car....unless you plan to be away for the Summer:biggrin:.

[bronsin]

The AC makes the building I work in so cold that even when its 100 degrees when I leave work in the afternoon I dont use the AC in the Yaris.

On weekends at home its another story. Although for the sake of economy I use it sparingly.

[Hershey]

The clearcoat does get swirls and scratches in it very easily . We always politely ask service departments that give car washes not give one due to the clearcoat . One service center did it when asked not to and there were swirls all over it . That was the Blazing Blue 3 door .

[nookandcrannycar]

The AC makes the building I work in so cold that even when its 100 degrees when I leave work in the afternoon I dont use the AC in the Yaris.

On weekends at home its another story. Although for the sake of economy I use it sparingly.

I haven't looked up the stats to be certain, but going by feeling/experience (time spent at the hottest points of a summer in NJ, PA, and TX) the lower heat index in your area would still be within the realm of the bearable during the Summer (but just barely:biggrin:). Here...people do it, but I wouldn't. In August 2011 on the hottest day of the month the measuring pod in our subdivision (then posted to NWS) was 105 F and the heat index was 120 F. A few miles away (where the humidity level was a fair amount higher) another NWS measuring pod (for lack of a better term) measured that location at 107.9 F and the heat index was in the HIGH 140s (either 147 or 149...I posted it to a thread earlier this year).

I can see not turning the A/C on on the way home from work, especially if you don't have to sit it traffic for a long time on 80, 78, 287, the Turnpike, or the GSP.

It's amazing how cold A/C can make some offices, shops, restaurants, etc. Here in SE Texas I notice this re Starbucks, so I keep a rain poncho in my Yaris to put on if I get too cold in a Starbucks (and to keep me dry when a 'not in the forecast' bout of rain comes along....happens more often than in California).

[bronsin]

The heat and humidity in Houston in the summer are brutal. AC is a matter of survival.

Clyde Barrow and his family moved to the Dallas area after giving up sharecropping in the 20s.

They lived under a wagon for 2 years.

Unimaginable.

In NJ the humidity can rival Houston, the heat not quite so much but we can have a couple of uncomfortable weeks in summer.

[nookandcrannycar]

The heat and humidity in Houston in the summer are brutal. AC is a matter of survival.

Clyde Barrow and his family moved to the Dallas area after giving up sharecropping in the 20s.

They lived under a wagon for 2 years.

Unimaginable.

In NJ the humidity can rival Houston, the heat not quite so much but we can have a couple of uncomfortable weeks in summer.

Matter of survival. Yeah. Literally for some. During August 2011 a few times I heard TV news reports of people dying from the heat (because they didn't have A/C or couldn't afford to use it and couldn't get outside to a place with shade). My house here is Energy Star Certified and cools and maintains it's temperature pretty easily......the opposite of my house in California that had 47++ single pane windows and no A/C (I put ++ because some of them were those slat/louver windows and re toward the 47 I counted each group of those within 1 cut out as 1 window). I had an energy audit done and it was the least energy efficient house the power company had ever tested up to that point, and had all those windows within the low 2000s in square feet. Occasionally, I'd hear a thud that would make a few windows in that house rattle and it would be from a Blue Jay getting 'drunk' on the Pyracantha berries nearby and flying/crashing to its demise against the window...never did hit a window hard enough to crack it though. My house here feels less disruptive to the environment...if I hand water at night, frogs will usually join me.

[edmscan]

I don't think I could handle that heat .. which is for me harder to handle than the cold. I can handle -40C/-40F .. without too much pain (for short periods of time anyways), but anything over 86 degrees (30 C) is just too hot for me. I know I am a wimp .. but really it seldom gets much over 30C here, which I am very happy about.

The interesting thing .. is that my brother has a house in Phoenix (where it gets as hot as anywhere in the US), and my parents have a house in Palm Springs (not much better). So .. what is it. Well it is a Canadian thing .. that if you can afford it, you can actually enjoy warmer climates rather than freezing your *** off at home. I don't think that I will ever get to that state .. so for me I just hope that me and my Yaris will get thru the winter.

Personally .. the best climate I have ever seen is in Hawaii where 78F/26C is just about right. I also like southern California (Los Angeles area .. where I have found it very nice in January.)

Anyone that is tired of the heat can come for a visit .. it was 53F / 12C here today. That is definitely not hot and not cold. Just about where I like it.

Oh yea ... one final little note. Unlike all of you, I have never used the air conditioning in my Yaris. Helps with the fuel economy.

[nookandcrannycar]

I don't think I could handle that heat .. which is for me harder to handle than the cold. I can handle -40C/-40F .. without too much pain (for short periods of time anyways), but anything over 86 degrees (30 C) is just too hot for me. I know I am a wimp .. but really it seldom gets much over 30C here, which I am very happy about.

The interesting thing .. is that my brother has a house in Phoenix (where it gets as hot as anywhere in the US), and my parents have a house in Palm Springs (not much better). So .. what is it. Well it is a Canadian thing .. that if you can afford it, you can actually enjoy warmer climates rather than freezing your *** off at home. I don't think that I will ever get to that state .. so for me I just hope that me and my Yaris will get thru the winter.

Personally .. the best climate I have ever seen is in Hawaii where 78F/26C is just about right. I also like southern California (Los Angeles area .. where I have found it very nice in January.)

Anyone that is tired of the heat can come for a visit .. it was 53F / 12C here today. That is definitely not hot and not cold. Just about where I like it.

Oh yea ... one final little note. Unlike all of you, I have never used the air conditioning in my Yaris. Helps with the fuel economy.

Yeah, Phoenix is the one place I can think of where the heat index is usually higher than Houston, and I find it hard to travel through there during the Summer heat and could never live there. One of my relatives lived there for almost a decade and he had to head up into the mountains on the weekends to escape the heat. In 2009 I was driving from California to Texas in July and the dust there really disrupted my already disrupted sleep schedule. I eneded up staying for a few days just so I could leave at the right time.

You're right, Palm Springs is a bit better, and I find that I can handle being there. I have a friend who lives in Rancho Mirage and has spent at least 6 months a year in that valley since 1984. He told me that the valley has become less dry re all the development and especially because of the addition of so many golf courses. When I thought about the time I've spent there over the same period (but I was young when I first went there) I'd have to say I agree with him. His wife loves it there too and some of her relatives have made that move as well.

Wow! No A/C use ever. I wonder how many of your fellow Canadian members can say that.

[nookandcrannycar]

^^^^^ I should say Phoenix is the one place where the heat index often gets higher than the Texas Urban Triangle because the heat index can in Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin get as high as it does in Houston.

[edmscan]

Wow! No A/C use ever. I wonder how many of your fellow Canadian members can say that.

Well I have only had my Yaris for 4 months .. so really maybe someday it will happen. But at this point being September, I am not likely to use my AC this year. But soon I will be using the heat in my Yaris .. this is for certain.
Just a difference in perspective as we live in very different climates.

[crashboombang]

On my way home from work a guy made a left hand turn in front of me. That, or he was trying to do a U or K turn.

I swerved left but JUST caught his rear bumper.

This is the result.

How much do you think it is to fix it? Taking it in today.

Thanks!

From what I can see in the picture, it looks like it's, fortunately, not too bad of an accident. It seems like you'll mostly need to replace the doors and the right front wing, but it doesn’t look like there’s significant structural damage. The cost of repairs will depend on the price list of your specific mechanic. I hope the repair costs won’t be too crazy, but definitely get a good estimate when you take it in. On a side note, my friend recently got into an accident and ended up with injuries. He’s going through the whole process of gathering here (https://388ceda.com/locations/) medical evidence for a lawsuit. He was not lucky, unfortunately.