Rear Ended Camry with Bumper Damage

This Toyota Camry was hit from the rear and is our Car of the Day. We disassembled the bumper to check for hidden damage and managed the process with Travelers Insurance to ensure that everything was repaired properly.

Often in a minor accident, if people don't see a big dent they think there is no significant damage. As these photos show, there was little obvious damage at the impact point because the plastic bumper was able to flex then pop back into shape. However when you look around the edges the bumper no longer fits properly and inside the trunk there are broken fasteners. There could be even more damage underneath the panel. So it is a great idea to exchange insurance information even in the most minor accidents.

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Close-up of Damage:

Close-up of Damage:

Close-up of Damage:

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Acura Collision Repair

Today's Car of the Day is an Acura RL that was hit on the side. Farmer's Insurance paid to have the exterior door panel replaced and factory paint applied to the door and blended onto the adjacent panels. Of course we removed all of the chrome, weatherstrips, mouldings and lights to prevent paint from getting on them.

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Brand New Car Body Damage

This 2015 Toyota Camry had less than 200 miles on the odometer when an accident happened. The fender, bumper, brackets and fender liner were damaged. When we disassembled the car we also found that the headlamp was broken and had to be replaced. Insurance covered the cost of the repairs and damaged parts were replaced with original Toyota parts.

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Crunch! Collision Repairs on 2010 Prius

This poor Prius had a bad day. We replaced the bumper, headlamp, wiring harness, fender, wheel, door and some internal parts and repainted everything with the factory paint. The story ends happily with the insurance company paying for repairs and the Prius good as new.

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Things to Look for After an Accident

Bumpers are designed to take minor hits without showing much damage. Generally it's a good thing. But when the bumpers pop back into shape, they can hide damage. Almost Everything's Car of the Day is a good example. This 2000 Civic was hit from behind in the center of the bumper. There's a dent on the corner but that is actually from a previous accident. The photos below show some telltale signs that there may be more damage than is obvious on the surface.

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This is where the impact occurred. The dent is almost unnoticeable.

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Panel gaps up to 1/4" and sometimes even 1/2" can be normal but this one is approx. 1" and is uneven.

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Gaps on the side of the car are bigger than at the front bumper and the bumper is pushed forward.

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When we take the bumper cover off, you can see more significant damage.

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The bumper reinforcement has a big crease and the energy absorber is cracked.

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Flange where bumper attaches is bent.

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Large, irregular panel gap indicates damage under the bumper cover.

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Panel gaps are back to normal after the bumper and components are replaced.

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Large, irregular panel gap indicates damage under the bumper cover.

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Panel gaps are back to normal after the bumper and components are replaced.