Sad Story (long post)
 

I've posted a bunch of questions prior to buying my new Mazda3 about a month ago and I love it. I really appreciated all the help.

However, before we even made the first payment, my wife got rear-ended on the highway - about 2 weeks ago. Even better, it was a day before she was to meet me in Alaska for a vacation. Dumb college student driving her parents' minivan, rammed another minivan, which then hit our car.

The damage isn't too bad. However, I've never had a car like this (all trucks and old sedans with steel bumbers) and I could use any insight into hidden damages and what I need to demand gets done so this car is as good as new. This might be out of the scope of this forum, but I thought I'd through the story out there to at least get some sympathy.

The damage - rear bumber scratches and indendations (you can read the word TOYOTA), the liscense plate lights are broken and detached, no obvious displacement of the bumper though.

The only thing I came up with so far was to demand the work get done at a Mazda dealer. Any thing else anyone can think of would be greatly appreciated.

Insist on genuine mazda replacement parts, no aftermarket.

also, make 100% sure that you sue the perps insurance company for the LOSS OF VALUE on your brand new car.

Now that your car is wrecked/repaired it has dropped SUBSTANTIONALLY in value. You'll never be able to sell it for what it's worth. They OWE you the difference in value.

You don't necessarily have to get the work done at the mazda dealer. In fact many dealers don't do their own body work anyway. Just make sure it goes to a good body shop. I'm sure your insurance co. has a list of preferred body shops, but ask around once you find out which ones those are. Once you find the good body shop make sure they (and not only your insurance) garauntee their work for as long as you own the car. If you're dissatisfied with the work you need to have assurances that they'll fix it at no cost. Make sure they replace anything with genuine mazda parts. It's a brand new car, so most likely insurance will pay to have anything remotely damaged replaced new.

It sucks, but as long as the frame isn't damaged then it can be fixed like new. Like they said though, it'll never be worth as much again.

Have the body shops that do the estimates put it on a frame jig and make sure it's straight. If it's bent, offer to buy the body shop guy some beer if he helps to 'bring extra attention' to that fact and hope it gets totaled.

I've never driven a car that was wrecked that drove the same way again after repairs. If you're a daily driver sort you may not notice as much, but if you push cars like I tend to, you will notice it and it will make you nutty.

Best of luck and I hope it isn't 'bent'.

Thanks to everyone. If you all care, here is what happened. They replaced the bumper (both parts) and the absorber. They wouldn't check the frame because there was no real internal damage to the bumber (If the plastic bumper clips didn't break, I agree the frame won't be bent). It doesn't drive any different.

One interesting thing. The body shop guy showed us a sticker inside the front door that lists codes to mix the paint. The new bumper looks good too.

Hey, glad that worked out for you! Nothing worse than getting hit in a new car.