Deer hit my smart this morning

[jimvw57]

If you have a decent size other vehicle, rent a trailer and tow it yourself. It wouldn't take much of a trailer, I think a double wide snowmobile trailer would work. Most are good up to about 2,000 lbs, and are 8' x 8' or bigger. Or use a Skid Loader trailer. Just a thought.

Towing should be 1/2 price since it is the size of 1/2 a car...

[meaux61]

Liberty Mutual is going to pay for the towing. WooHOOOOOOOO

Meaux

[Kermit]

Hi Meaux - is everything for repairs with your car going OK? Hope for the best for you.

[jonnysan]

All the posts here about your misfortune. Life throws these things at you, doesn't it....Glad you were not injured. I had the very same thing happen to me in my brand new Honda Prelude back in the late 80's....$600 worth of damage down the whole side of the car except metal panels where dented in, mirror broken off, etc. Know how you feel and there isn't time to react in this situation. The stupid thing just ran out and slammed head on right into the side of the car...happened so unbelieveably fast.
The deer stumbled away, slightly dazed but seemed to be ok.

Good luck getting it fixed.

John

[meaux61]

Ok, weird stuff is happening with the repair.

1. My insurance, Liberty Mutual had the car towed to Tatman's in Urbana

2. They do the estimate, OK, cool, order the parts, coordinate the wrap and ship. Smartcenterindianapolis tells Tatmans that they have to install the windshield and turn off the airbag light. Tatmans arranges for Liberty mutual to pay for the tow to Indianapolis (140 miles). Smartcenterindianapolis tells Tatmans to bring the car over and they can wait for the windshield install.

3. Tatmans tows the car to Indy, SCI says....OOPS, we have to keep the car overnight to do the windshield (they also ordered the wrong side view mirror--SCI did), and that they cannot fix the Airbag light because it is really a warrantee issue and they need to replace the wire harness and they have to order that. (What????????????)
SCI told all of this to the tow truck driver. SCI never called me about any warrantee issue.

4. They tow my car back to Urbana with the windshield and all the parts. I guess they will put the windshield in in Urbana? Now they have used up the towing money from Liberty Mutual. Thank you so much SCI.

5. I call SCI to find out what is this stuff about a warrantee problem when a deer hit the car. Nobody calls me back for 5 hours. I am not home. I call back, talk to Max. Max basically says, he knows what the service manager said about it but Max cannot tell me. I have to wait for the service manager to come in tomorrow. Is any of this making sense??

6. Tatman's thinks that since SCI is calling it a warrantee problem that SMARTUSA will have to tow the car BACK to Indy when the wire harness comes in because the car is not drivable with an SRS light going off. I hope that they are right. Oh...then, of course, I have to pick up the car in Indy myself (100 miles)

Honestly....does this make sense to anyone?

Meaux

[SuperGeek]

The airbag light may be a result of a failed safety system, hence the warranty issue. Either the airbag should have deployed and didn't, or more likely the sensor detected something slightly out of whack and raised a trouble code to insist someone review it. Maybe the wire harness was jerked around in such a way during the crash that it should normally have held up. The service manager can tell you details... if he tries to evade you, maybe that's a cause for concern.

And yes, if there's a warranty issue needing a tow, Smart should handle the towing. The insurance and towing woes are frustrating, but it looks like you've got more than just a collision repair... if the airbag needs something fixed under warranty, legally the service center can't release it to you.

[meaux61]

So, you are saying it may have been a blessing that the deer hit the car so that the airbag problem could be found? You sound like you know alot about repairing cars. Are you in the BIZ?

Meaux

[Big Panda]

don't speculate as to what may have happened. wait and talk to the service manager at SCI.

if after THAT you're confused, then don't lose your cool but instead tell him that "Sorry, but I'm still having trouble understanding what a deer hitting my car has to do with a warranty issue. Can you run through that again?"

don't get off the phone with them without an explanation that YOU understand.

[meaux61]

OK, I talked to Gerry today.

They think there is a problem with an electronic connection in the seat belt.
That is the warrantee problem.

Meaux

[Old smart]

Originally Posted by meaux61

That is the bad news. The good news is that it seemed to mostly get the trid. The windshield is smashed and the side view mirror is gone and the airbag light is on.

Off to the body shop now......for the long wait for parts.

Meaux

I know what deer are willing to do, including attacking (running into you, vice you running into them).

I went out on my rear deck that abuts semi-wilderness. Probably one of the biggest, antlered bucks in SE VA was just below. When the buck noticed me, it did not bound into the close woods, but squared-up, put its nose on the ground, and pawwed up big divots of turf. I am lucky that there was a 6' fence (which a deer can easily clear), plus a raised deck, between us.