Hit a deer on the way to work

N

Nmr1981

Joined
Jan 30, 2016
Messages
169
Location
Nj
I was trying to avoid a huge traffic jam on my way in to work on Friday, so I took some back roads and out comes a doe. What’s annoying is that I already let my work know I was going to be late, and I had my first period prep as well. I just don’t like being late.

Anyway the left headlight was jammed up under the hood and broken tabs, hood seems ok, grill is in a million pieces, but the worst part is the condenser got shoved into the radiator and is now leaking. I drove it the 12 miles home but now waiting on insurance to tow it to the body shop and get the bad news.

I’m fearing they’ll total it as it’s a 2007 with 196,000 miles. I love this car and have owned and maintained it since we bought it with 7 miles on it. I can’t imagine finding anything that is equivalent for the amount the insurance will pay.

Best case they fix it. Worst case they total it and I can scour used parts and rebuild it. Sorry for the long post just venting…I never wanted to go deer hunting until Friday.
IMG_1757.jpeg
IMG_1757.jpeg
 
Start calling the auto dismantlers close to you looking for the suspected parts that you need. Ask them for a "complete delivery price" . This means all parts sourced that you need whether or not they come from their yard or another yard they deal with. Once you have the quote you can use that as leverage source to bargain with your insurance company that you prefer to get the car fixed.
 
You have my sympathy. Every member of my family (4 of us) has hit a deer. Just recently I had such a close call we had hair on the bumper but no damage. They certainly are a hazard.
 
They might not total it. My boss has an '07 or '08 CRV for her teenage daughter and she's had 2 wrecks in the last year (not her fault) that looked identical to that, and the insurance fixed it both times. And I really do mean both wrecks were identical lol.
 
Did you have the frame recall done yet? Depending on rust for the rear arms might be totaled anyway on a buy back. If not check at your Honda dealers and junkyards. Many are getting scrapped due to the recall.
 
I wish you luck. I hit a deer a few years ago, grill, hood and fender but the killer was it set the air bags off which meant new ECU and air bag controller, cost was $8500. I was surprised when they said the ECU had to be replaced if the air bags go off because I was able to restart the engine and drive it home.
 
Based on the newer costs (for parts and repair) I’d say totaled.

But, still a pretty easy fixed as long as everything under it is still good.
 
Seeing this, and the fact that here in Minnesota deer season kicked off in full Saturday, I can relate.

Except mine was a close call vs a strike.

I’m selling my Mini Cooper S, and was on my way to show it to a prospective buyer. I turned onto a straightaway county road and spooled it up to get to speed. Clear traffic, and a Silverado coming the other way.

Out of the left side ditch, bounds a huge buck! I had glanced out my window and saw the eye, antlers, and he was in full leaping speed intersecting my Mini! Oh cr@p! My Mini is going to be wrecked before I sell it?

No… I veered right, put my foot into the turbo and outraced the buck, and he gave up and went behind me. Very close call. I’ve no idea what the people in the Silverado thought, but I’m sure they were wishing they had that guy in their sights instead of watching him near hit my Mini.

I’ve hit deer with my trucks in the past, but never with such a small car, and never a buck. Wild… 😎

No, the buyer was tire kicking. So I grabbed lunch. 😁
 
atikovi said:
Looks like a bumper and grille and maybe a headlight if the tabs can't be repaired. $400 in used or knockoff parts. Can't imagine they would total it for that.
Click to expand...
Yeah it’s the condenser and radiator that have me worried…I’ve already priced used parts and am prepared to diy it if need be.
 
Sequoiasoon said:
Did you have the frame recall done yet? Depending on rust for the rear arms might be totaled anyway on a buy back. If not check at your Honda dealers and junkyards. Many are getting scrapped due to the recall.
Click to expand...
Yeah I saw many on car-part.com that looked fine all around but the back wheels were all kinds of crooked I’m guessing that’s the rear subframe rotting off.
 
I feel for ya. That's a similar deer strike to what our 2019 Nissan Pathfinder took a month or so back. Ours was both headlamps, the condenser and radiator, hood, one fender. $8700 repair. About half of what its worth in today's market.
 
Wrenchturner44 said:
Start calling the auto dismantlers close to you looking for the suspected parts that you need. Ask them for a "complete delivery price" . This means all parts sourced that you need whether or not they come from their yard or another yard they deal with. Once you have the quote you can use that as leverage source to bargain with your insurance company that you prefer to get the car fixed.
Click to expand...
No insurance company has any interest in bargaining with you over your ability to source parts at a specific price. I have never heard of auto dismantlers offering a "complete delivery price," and can't think of a reason in the world why they would. With regard to this repair, the costs are all in the labor, part refurbishment and refinishing. If this were my car, it probably would not have anything but liability insurance on it, and I would be content with aftermarket "pattern" parts or indeed parts from a wrecked vehicle. This car seems to have light damage, but could easily require bumper supports, radiator mounts and so on. From here, the displacement of the driver side headlight assembly is a red flag on the damage being more than skin deep. A 200,000 mile CRV with fogged over headlights is generally speaking, close to the end of the road. (although that 2.4 is arguably just broken in!) Given it's limited remaining utility, resale value and age, it is very likely to be totaled.
 
Nmr1981 said:
I was trying to avoid a huge traffic jam on my way in to work on Friday, so I took some back roads and out comes a doe. What’s annoying is that I already let my work know I was going to be late, and I had my first period prep as well. I just don’t like being late.

Anyway the left headlight was jammed up under the hood and broken tabs, hood seems ok, grill is in a million pieces, but the worst part is the condenser got shoved into the radiator and is now leaking. I drove it the 12 miles home but now waiting on insurance to tow it to the body shop and get the bad news.

I’m fearing they’ll total it as it’s a 2007 with 196,000 miles. I love this car and have owned and maintained it since we bought it with 7 miles on it. I can’t imagine finding anything that is equivalent for the amount the insurance will pay.

Best case they fix it. Worst case they total it and I can scour used parts and rebuild it. Sorry for the long post just venting…I never wanted to go deer hunting until Friday.
View attachment 187006View attachment 187006
Click to expand...

that sucks... where my brother lives it is so overloaded with Deer that he has hit 7 of them over the years.. I've never hit a deer but I've came close, just luck .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Mailbox hit by drunk driver
2 3 4
Replies
68
Views
3K
D60
R
Deer and other animals continuously ramming my car
2 3
Replies
40
Views
952
ARCOgraphite
AZjeff
Huge structure fire nearby last night.
Replies
3
Views
383
RhondaHonda
paulo57509
Donated the Safari - On the auction block
Replies
5
Views
328
Kira
Jackson_Slugger
The Solar Eclipse & The Path to Totality
3 4 5
Replies
94
Views
3K
4WD
Back
Top