raptorht

Rear ended LS600HL.




I've only had her 3 months and I get rear ended. Blam!










I am going through the painful process of getting the other driver's insurance to commit to the repairs. I am going to insist that it gets repaired by my local Lexus collision center. Hopefully that won't be too much of a fight. I would like to get some fellow members to provide some advice on what to look out for. Mainly looking for the little details that are easily overlooked but I am open to all opinions and suggestions. I want to be as prepared as I can when inspecting the collision center's work when they are all done with the repairs.


Just doing a little research I am already putting "diminished value" and "sunroof caving" on my list. What else do you think I should look out for?

dal20402

Sorry for your loss!

I chose not to buy one LS460 local to me because of (among other issues) poor-quality repair to a rear bumper damaged much less severely than this. Two issues were visible: 1) the plastic of the bumper was slightly wavy after the repair, and 2) the bumper was poorly aligned with the rear quarter panel along the seam below the taillight. That seam has been troublesome even on cars that don't have damage, so watch it carefully.

Looks like the quarter panel itself is damaged too, so inspect the metal very carefully from a variety of angles.

Also looks like you'll need a new trunk lid, so make sure the badges are placed correctly. Poorly placed badges are often the most obvious sign that a car has had rear-end body work.

Finally, have an alignment shop look over the car after the repairs are complete. I could imagine this accident damaging the rear suspension, which could lead to unpredictable handling or premature tire wear if not fixed.

superdenso

1. The major concern would be frame damage.
2. Where are the batteries in the car and how do they absorb impacts. If there was any involvement of the battery compartment that would make me nervous about their longevity.
*Was the other vehicle totaled? And what kind of car was it?

Sorry this happened to you. Happy you could walk away to talk about it. Have a good weekend...

raptorht

The other vehicle had nearly no damage. Just a crack in the plastic grill... Ford Explorer.


Thanks for the tips on the seams and badges, that's the kind of stuff I am looking for.


The car was drivable at first, but the 12V battery was leaking (you can see it spilling out in the pic) so it's not drivable any more. Luckily it is already at the collision center, so it won't need to be towed.

CRowe14

Glad that you seem to be ok.
Unfortunate that this happened to you, but hopefully the end result will be to your desire.

I have attached a few different links below. One in particular a thread that was very similar to this one, as a member was badly rear-ended and ended up getting his car fixed, although it wasn't a 600h, but a 460L.
A lot of great insight was posted in the thread and hopefully it will serves as a source of information for you and help you.

Good luck!

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ear-ended.html

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...-in-trunk.html

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...questions.html

dlbuckls10

Having one of the best automobiles in the world for only 3 months and you get rear ended. I know that's disappointing and when it's repaired it just isn't same. Keep us posted.

raptorht

Thanks for the links CRowe14 I am going to add "check for water leaks into trunk" and "paint matching" to my list.


Does anyone have any experience with getting paint work on the LS? One of the things I love about the LS600H is the metallic paint highlights that are embedded into the factory paint. Is that going to be lost on the repaired portion of the car or will the Lexus collision center be able to replicate that look?

Nospinzone

Sorry to hear about your accident.

Last year I had some one gently rear end my bumper and cracked it, so it had to be replaced. I used a top notch independent shop to do the repair. The rear bumper had to be replaced. I can look at the bumper in all different lights and all different angles and I can't tell any difference from stock, a perfect match. So don't accept anything less from your repair shop.

BTW, why were you rear ended? Was the other driver on their cell or texting?

raptorht

I'll just say that i don't have anything against dogs but if you are going to take them somewhere, then strap them in or crate them, don't take them up front with you. Common sense to me but maybe not for others...

zeyger

Ouch, sorry for your loss. Glad you're OK!

If you have access to an attorney, contact them in the event the insurance company starts low balling. Once insurance companies hear that an attorney is involved, they move much quicker. Their goal is to avoid going to court at all costs.

Good luck!

HenriChaz

I would try to get it declared total loss. Some shops will keep estimate low to avoid total loss then discover additional damage which they will submit to insurance company after there is an.
Take it to Lexus for your repair estimate as you have the choice of what shop to use.
From your picture, there appears to be a lot of damage and will never be perfect after its "fixed". Plus, it will show in cars history which effects your value down the road.

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Insurance companies generally don't compensate you for "diminished value". Good luck!

HenriChaz

Absolutely agree with ☝which is why you don't settle for anything less than what you had before their insured hit you.

GearGrind

Poor car...

raptorht

Does anyone have a close up picture of the sunroof of an LS460L or LS600HL? Insurance adjuster is not putting the sunroof repair into the estimate and I want to be able to show them that the roof area should be flat and not concave. The sunroof still works fine but the roof is "dimpled" on all 4 corners. I'm not sure if that is how it is supposed to look because I never really looked that closely before the accident.


Thanks in advance!