27th Jun 2010, 21:46

Your Dad might have believed you were only going 10mph, but all that damage doesn't happen to any vehicle at that low speed. $3000-$5000 for repairs? Your dealer is ripping you off. Have a trusted mechanic look at your vehicle next time. Dealerships charge 2-3 times what your local certified mechanic does.

16th Jan 2011, 06:46

I am the original poster, the final repair bills were a little over $3000. For those who disbelieve my original post, it is actually possible to do that much damage, not that there wasn't padding in this case, because it was an insurance claim. The only thing I can suggest for any non believers is to try it yourself, and see what damage is done, I'd be interested to see if someone can prove me wrong.

I saw the damaged parts, and the suspension components are no longer steel, they are now cast aluminum, just fine for everyday driving, but any excessive force, and they just bend out of shape or break off. The pinion gear in the steering rack seems to be designed to sheer off, disconnecting the gear from the column shaft if the rims hit a curb. The only fix for this is to replace the steering rack and any other damaged components at a cost of $400 or more each, plus the cost of labor to realign all the components to factory specs again.

The car still runs like new, but I needed to upgrade the tires to an aftermarket winter tire. The car went into a skid a couple times on the highway without warning when the roads were snow covered or icy, even though speeds were reduced. Luckily, I was able to get the car back under control without any more mishaps. Apparently the factory all season tires are just crap in slippery conditions. The new winter tires are a $900 upgrade, and make the car look uglier than a Pacer, but the car no longer has any handling issues in winter.