rear ended yesterday

[littlewaywelt]

We were rear ended yesterday at a little over 5 mph if I had to guess. Everything looked ok at the surface and the dealer's confirming. Anything I should be aware of or ask to have checked mechanically when the dealer looks at it?

[v70+xc70]

You can easily have hidden damage concealed by the bumper.
Do NOT open the trunk except at the dealer the bodywork under the latch could be bent and may not close again afterwards.

[Vwvolvo]

I wouldn't necessarally worry. I got rear ended last summer by a Dodge caravan at approximately 30Km/hr (20 miles/hr). When it happened, I still remember the whiplash protection from my seat wich really impressed me and at the same time I said to myself F............. and was affraid to go out and look at the damages. From my rear view mirror, I could see the smoke coming from the other car's damaged radiator. Guess what, I stepped out and NOTHING but a scratch ! Waited with the other driver for the tow truck because it was raining then I whipped my bumper and left. Got the car checked by the dealer and nothing was affected.

Regards

Luc
Montreal, Canada

[nwxc70]

Great post. Sure makes me feel good! :D

[barrysharp]

We were rear ended yesterday at a little over 5 mph if I had to guess. Everything looked ok at the surface and the dealer's confirming. Anything I should be aware of or ask to have checked mechanically when the dealer looks at it?

Soory to hear this - and didn't you just buy a new XC70. What a bummer.

What I'd look for are any skin deformations above rear wheel weels. Stand/crouch at rear of car and sight along the side of the car looking for any tell tale signs of body panel creases or waviness. We had a 245 awhile back that took a bump in the rear and the whole backend bodywork
deformed ever so slightly down and left crease marks in the rear panels above the two rear wheel wells. Looking at it from the side showed little damage but when sighting along the side as described above it could be seen clearly. It all got straightened out but at first blush nothing seemed amiss.

Make sure the cargo area floor panels open as they should and check both the rear floor panel flaps - not just the rear one.

Do you have rear radar sensors - if so make sure they still work.

Good luck and sorry to hear about this. Hope all occupants were safe and no injuries.

[littlewaywelt]

Soory to hear this - and didn't you just buy a new XC70. What a bummer.

What I'd look for are any skin deformations above rear wheel weels. Stand/crouch at rear of car and sight along the side of the car looking for any tell tale signs of body panel creases or waviness. We had a 245 awhile back that took a bump in the rear and the whole backend bodywork
deformed ever so slightly down and left crease marks in the rear panels above the two rear wheel wells. Looking at it from the side showed little damage but when sighting along the side as described above it could be seen clearly. It all got straightened out but at first blush nothing seemed amiss.

Make sure the cargo area floor panels open as they should and check both the rear floor panel flaps - not just the rear one.

Do you have rear radar sensors - if so make sure they still work.

Good luck and sorry to hear about this. Hope all occupants were safe and no injuries.

Great tips. Thanks, Barry. Everyone was fine. My neck is pretty sore, but I'm sure it'll go away in a few days given enough IB. The kids couldn't have cared less. The dealer is going to check it out today when the Sirius is installed and a few other adjustments are made.

[mrb]

I had a Chevy Surburban back into our car in a parking lot-damage looked minimal but under closer observation- noticed cross country decal looked wrinkled. Fiberglass door was cracked all the way through-- $2,000. Luckily someone wrote down the License number of car which backed into us.

[Willy]

As already mentioned, damage behind the outer bumper is possible. My waife's car once took a hit from behind, seemingly undamaged. However, the "real" (steel) bumper was damaged beyond repair, the plastic outer bumper had simply jumped back into its normal shape.
Willy

[Timbob]

I was at a light behind another car and heard the squeal of tires for 2-3 seconds, braced and then the 5 mph? impact. Two teenager cowboys in their mom's minivan. The impact felt pretty bad but when I got out nothing on the bumper but later after some summer heating the crease appeared and now on closer inspection the steel beam under the bumber was creased also. Sorry to hear but make sure they pull the plastic off and take a look!
Over, Timbob

[SYS]

A few months ago while out driving, I was at a stop to make a left turn when I heard a horrific squeal of tires. Knowing that I was about to get hit real badly, I punched my gas pedal forward for a few yards. I didn't get hit, but it was the closest to a collision there ever was. Should have looked at the other driver's facial expression of relief. :eek:

If any of you ever hear squealing sound of tires right behind you, punch the gas pedal forward for a few yards, i.e., if there's a clearance in front of you, of course.

[littlewaywelt]

A few months ago while out driving, I was at a stop to make a left turn when I heard a horrific squeal of tires. Knowing that I was about to get hit real badly, I punched my gas pedal forward for a few yards. I didn't get hit, but it was the closest to a collision there ever was. Should have looked at the other driver's facial expression of relief. :eek:

If any of you ever hear squealing sound of tires right behind you, punch the gas pedal forward for a few yards, i.e., if there's a clearance in front of you, of course.
This was in the pouring rain. No squeal. Just a Thump. He tried to blame it on the rain. The concept of leaving more space in bad conditions, which I tried to explain to him, was completely lost on him. He said he was, to which I responded "well it wasn't enough was it?" I would have had more success explaining distances, space, speed and braking to my three-year-old.

[SYS]

This was in the pouring rain. No squeal. Just a Thump. He tried to blame it on the rain. The concept of leaving more space in bad conditions, which I tried to explain to him, was completely lost on him. He said he was, to which I responded "well it wasn't enough was it?" I would have had more success explaining distances, space, speed and braking to my three-year-old.

My Nissan Maxima, for some reason, must have a magnetic "male" personality or something. It got hit twice -- both times while parked nicely -- by female drivers who had parked right next to mine. For the life of me, why can't they just back out their car first AND THEN turn their wheels after having cleared the neighboring car???? NOOOOOO....!! Their idea of doing this in a proper manner is to 1) start the engine; 2) set the gear to Reverse; and 3) start turning the wheel right away while pushing the gas pedal to pull out of the parking space. Then say, 4) OOPs!!

I almost had my third such exact encounter about a couple months ago. This time I was fortunately in the car and started honking like crazy. She looked at me like "What's wrong with this crazy idi0t?" while her car is only a few centimeters away from scraping my car. Nowadays, when a female driver pulls in next to my car at a parking lot, I just pull out quietly and park elsewhere farther away. After two incidences that caused me so much headache and another close encounter, I'm NOT taking any chances.

I'm hoping that my new Volvo XC70 DOES NOT come with such magnetic "male" personality!!!

You try to explain to them the proper manner in which they should pull out of their parking space, and you draw blank expressions on their faces. One lady even tried to tell me that I should take half the blame (for having parked next to her???), at which point I totally lost my temper in a flash. I found out then that she got into so many little bumps and little crashes that she was about to lose her insurance. Being sympathetic I told her to just cover my repair expenses without going through the insurance, but to my surprise, she had already contacted her insurance with her cell phone to consult with them to find out who's at fault!! Some people just never learn.... She's probably driving her car without any insurance now...

N.B. - My above comments shouldn't be taken in any manner as misogynist or meant as an insult to any female members of this forum. I was just stating my own experience as it took place exactly. If it came off as an insult to anyone, I offer my apology in advance.

SYS