Not-so-tiny repair bills on low speed collisions article

[Suze]

I had an '02 Tacoma that I ever-so-slowly backed in to a parking lot concrete light post cylinder. I couldn't have been going over 5 mph. Seriously!

The repair bill was over $1000.


What is a bumper for? Certainly not to protect the vehicle from costly repairs. That truck had a beautiful chrome bumper.

Loved the truck, but that incident and another accident (not my fault no matter what the judge said) caused me to lose faith in the whole "bigger is better" ideal.

[forestacademy]

Originally Posted by SmartAzz

Gee, guess what, "Crash Tests Show Midsize Bumpers Costly to Repair"


http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009...er-Safety.html

Bet the media won't make as huge a deal out of it as they did with the small cars

NO!! But we can make a big deal out of it


Remember, the only way to get a GOOD raiting from the IIHS is to have the damage under $500 so you don't call your insurance company

[Orphan-Beggar]

"Although midsize car bumpers still allow way too much damage in minor impacts, it's encouraging that some manufacturers are designing better ones," Nolan says. He points out that the front and rear bumpers of the 2009 Mazda 6 are wider, taller, and higher off the ground than the 2007 model. The Mazda 6 is only the fourth car tested under the new protocol to earn an acceptable rating for its bumpers. The others are the Ford Focus, Scion xB, and Smart Fortwo

"Consumers buy midsize cars for practical reasons. There's nothing practical about a $1,000-plus repair bill after a minor bump in commuter traffic," says Joe Nolan, Institute senior vice president

Bumper performance in low-speed crash tests:
MIDSIZE CAR RATINGS

Mazda 6 ACCEPTABLE
Honda Accord MARGINAL
Hyundai Sonata MARGINAL
Nissan Maxima POOR
Ford Fusion POOR
Chevrolet Malibu POOR