Truck hit in parking lot

Sorry to see.
At least she left her info.

 

Got an estimate to fix it for $1700. The body shop said it was all cosmetic, however when driving it home from the shop I turned sharp right from a stop and heard a POP from the side that got hit. I am really worried there is more damage than "cosmetic".

 

It was not a hard hit. I would be very shocked if there is any mechanical damage. These aren't mopeds. They are trucks.

 

that's what I was thinking! drives more like a fry cook than a insurance agent !

 

It's totaled

 

wut?? good karma coming her way then. fucking rare nowadays

 

Here's the deal. After owning this truck for three years and seeing many before like you in the same situation, it is beyond irrefutable to say that just the simple fact these trucks are already larger than your standard sedan just makes them that much easier to hit. I used to think it was a huge deal. What I have learned is that the best thing to do in these sorts of situations, is to just buy a steel plate or hybrid bumper in the affected area either painted in matte, satin, or gloss black and call it a day. Not only did you just prevent this sort of damage from happening again, AND do it for WAY cheaper then what it would cost for insurance and the downtime for all that, but it is now officially "asshole-proof" on that side of the vehicle.

Or you could restore it to how it was but then insurance nickel and dimes every single possible affected plastic part that was there in the first place. Not only costing you more, but leaving you potentially exposed to having it happen again, which lets be honest, due to the reason I stated at the beginning of my novel, it probably will.

Just my thoughts.

 

Regarding your question op. The damage is just cosmetic. Nothing wrong with your suspension or trans. Hell I've rocked my taco that hard trying to find a squeek in the rear end, and have you seen what some of these guys do offroad?

 

If it were me, I'd get an off-road bumper and you should have more than enough to have one mounted for you by the body shop if you want. Personally, I like the look of ARB and they seem to have a bit more steel on the front wings for more parking lot protection. They are also effective in reducing damage from deer strikes too. Again, if it were me, I'd get front & rear off-road bumpers and put them on myself. Hmmm, send her my way - would you?

 

Even if you aren't immediately going to take the truck offroading much, it doesn't hurt to have some armor. It will protect you from these situations and provide peace of mind, and it looks cool. And later when the truck is a bit older and you are less worried about the cosmetics, you will have what you need to protect it on trails.

Also, I don't think that your desire to keep the truck looking perfect will last long. I've only had mine a couple of years and it's got some decent scratches and a couple of dents and I like it even more.

 

Even tho I'm pretty laid back about this kind of stuff (road, garage & parking rash) I can see it being annoying OP. I doubt there's any other damage but, and I'm sure you will, have the body shop check it out. If there's damage, beyond the obvious, I'm sure the body shop would be happy to score some extra $$ on the repair.

As far as fortifying your ride with a different bumper, don't let the "mall crawl" statement(s) impact your choice. If you like it, do it even if you don't off road...it's your truck and your money.

 

Sorry to see this.

 

Seconded on not letting the "Mall Crawler" comments put you off from a bumper. There are plenty of practical reasons to have a plate bumper even if you don't off road, this being a main one. Like Joe D said, it is your money and your truck, do what makes you happy. I'd be getting one if I were you since insurance is going to shell out as much as an OEM replacement is going to be anyway.

 

Aloha TacoDan723...

My 2015 Tacoma DCSB 4x2 PreRunner was in a similar predicament after 2 months of ownership. It happened about a month ago. However, in my case it was self-inflicted. I hit a girder cable on a utility pole which didn't have any hazardous markings (i.e yellow pvc). I found a reputable repair shop which only used OEM parts and I had to have my bumper, driver side fender, fog light, headlight replaced. The auto body and paint shop had to blend in the driver's door with the new painted fender. To give you some level comfort, it came out looking as if nothing had happened. It rode the same prior to the accident. The key is to find a reputable shop and one that will use OEM parts only to make sure all of the parts fit accordingly.

I'll post my pre and post pictures soon.

This to will pass...

***PRE***




***POST***

 

WOW. Looks good. Thanks. I know exactly how you feel. I know it's a truck and it will get it's dings, scratches, etc in time. I was hoping it would be longer than 3 months and not from being backed in to in my parking lot.

You are right, this too shall pass.....

 

Thanks! After it is all said and done. Your Tacoma will look just as great or better.

 

Still considering an aftermarket steel bumper. After doing some research and talking with the body shop there seems to be some concern that these heavy duty bumpers can actually cause MORE damage when hit vs. the stock by pushing the front end in farther than normal.

Does anyone have any additional information on this? Is this a reasonable concern?

TIA

 

Gawd I wish someone, especially a responsible insurance agent, would destroy that ridiculous plastic abortion Toyota calls a front bumper. Everytime I see someone lamenting their bumper damage all I can think is "why can't that be me?"

 

At very slow speeds that may be true since the bumper will absorb a bit of energy and crumble. But straightening frame horns after a slow impact is probably no more expensive (and maybe even cheaper) than replacing the overpriced factory bumper assembly. But any impact over a few MPH is going to be really expensive and will get your frame no matter what. Look at some of the bumper fab threads here fir Taco "full frontal nudity" to see where the frame begins, then look at how little protection is provided by the stock bumper.