Hit and run bumper question.

[SuperGeek]

"Over 10 miles an hour, the tridion safety cell transmits impact over its entire surface to dissipate energy and protect its occupants (assuming a perpendicular impact involving the entire front width). At the rear of the car, the crash box is also built of steel, which crumples much like the front slip tubes do. At an impact exceeding the severity threshold, the fuel supply to the engine is stopped and the central locking system is automatically unlocked."

The slip tubes are in the front. The rear has the crash box, and if you were indeed hit at > 2mph, it very likely needs replacement. Above 10mph and below somewhere around 20-40mph (depends on type, angle, etc of impact), the Tridion will absorb and transmit those forces like a gigantic bumper - it's really amazing how well it does that without bending. If the cell does bend, sometimes it can be repaired by welding - but it'll take someone trained in smart Tridion repair to do that properly; after all, you wouldn't want any old person to replace a load bearing stud in your house if a tree falls on it... you'd want someone trained.

Get thee to a dealer for an estimate; don't blindly accept insurance opinion if they insist on their own "certified" (a.k.a. guaranteed contract) shop. The smart design is different from most cars.

[Neonspinnazz]

Originally Posted by SuperGeek

The slip tubes are in the front. The rear has the crash box, ...

Both ends have slip tubes in the crash boxes.

What's a crash box?

The smart fortwo is designed with steel bumpers at the front and rear that are bolted to the safety cell´s longitudinal beams via slip tubes. They can be replaced after minor collisions at low costs. For parking lot bumps, an impact of less than 2 miles an hour won't affect the crash box at all. Up to about 10 miles per hour, the slip tubes move to keep impact away from the tridion safety cell. Over 10 miles an hour, the tridion safety cell transmits impact over its entire surface to dissipate energy and protect its occupants (assuming a perpendicular impact involving the entire front width). At the rear of the car, the crash box is also built of steel, which crumples much like the front slip tubes do. At an impact exceeding the severity threshold, the fuel supply to the engine is stopped and the central locking system is automatically unlocked.

smart fortwo safety design