Got rear ended by a taxi today and went into the car in front. Rear bumpers totally shot and front of the car is looking pretty sorry for itself. What are the chances of it being a write off? Its an 02 1.6 dynamic. If it is what would I expect to get in settlement? Like the car but they're never the same after a bump. Would appreciate any comments.

cheers Phil

depends how bad the front is.
Ours got rear ended but its only needing the bumper replaced and some touch up minor repairs to the boot.
Nothing that would make me feel uncomfy with the car anyway.
repair work was a quoted £850 anyway

Id say it depends on if you've knackered the track rods and supports for the rear wheels, they're rather costly, thats what wrote my punto off when i had my accident, the rear bodywork wasnt even that bad. The problem you face is fiats are exepensive for parts!

The Stilo's design actual is supposed to make repair easier and more cost effective, which is partially why insurance groupings are so low.

Sorry to hear about your accident though, hope you are ok?

Sounds morbid, but a few pics will make assesment easier!

As for written off by bashing the back and front a bit, i don't think it will be a write off myself. I remember someone quoting on here that practically every panel would need to be smacked before they'll write one off as the structure is generally very good.

As for a car never being the same after a bump..... might be true in the old days, when you got a new chassis if it was bent. Don't really think its the case these days..... if anything sometimes your car might come out better than when it went in. Think about it, a quality independant repairer is going to take more time than Fiat took to bodge the car together.

StiloBoy said:

Think about it, a quality independant repairer is going to take more time than Fiat took to bodge the car together.

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If only this was true.
Mine went back to it's repairer this week with a list of 12 things to be looked at.
All it had was a bash to the rear corner needing a new bumper, tailgate, wing and light cluster.
I'm sure there was also some damage underneath but all the bulbs in the smashed light still worked after the accident.
The car looks fine initially but when you start looking closely you start to notice poor panel gaps and the wing sits proud of the bumper instead of flush, etc.

Not that I'm saying a Fiat dealer could've done it any better (the Fiat dealer in Kirkcaldy uses the bodyshop at the Honda garage which isn't the best).

The bodyshop at the Honda garage in Kdy is also Arnold Clark....... need i say more!

Although large chain bodyshops are often as bad.... i had my mini fixed after it was crashed into by the bodyshop in Cupar. While it was being repaired its MOT lapsed, and believe it or not it failed its MOT on a bit the bodyshop "fixed".

I have to say my experience of having my Stilo repaired wasn't great either, its ok now, but its been back and forth several times.

Although my car is still the same, this all happened when the car was only a few weeks old, so that was the end of the new car feel good factor

Ours is going into kirkcaldy honda to get the new bumper done and fix up the boot sections damaged when the bumper was pushed up into it

Over £3000 damage on my front end, 52 reg 1.6 Dynamic last year, looked awful some here saw pics.
Like someone said they must be designed to crumple that bad, Mine was repaired 3 months.
5 sheets of a4 paper in parts. Pristine job no probs at all (air bags are a pest)
have to fit them then take car to dealership to tie up with computer.
With a good outfit like I had I was more than pleased.

StiloBoy said:

i had my mini fixed after it was crashed into by the bodyshop in Cupar.

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That's where my Stilo was 'fixed'.

My coupe's going in there today for its MOT.
One of my oldest mates is the tester (although I don't expect any favours) so even if it fails I know he'll not be recommending stuff to get done that doesn't need doing.

Another friends mum has bought 2 Civic from the Honda garage at Kdy and each time they've done a half assed pre-delivery job on repairing the paint and the second Civic was a brand new Type-R.

to start off with have you got whiplash, because i would sue the guy that rear ended you (if youve got any injuries)!! Which ull give you an extra bit of £££! Even if they repair your car; you could trade it in and and money you lose from when you brought it you could gain that back through the injury money you could claim off the guy?!

Falsely claiming for an imaginary injury not only puts up all our insurance costs, it also leaves you open to being done for fraud were you to get found out. Plus since philmgro was too close to the guy in front and rear-ended him, he could also end up getting stung for imaginary injuries once everyone starts claiming .

I got asked about this by some friends.
They knew someone in a similar position who went to their doctor complaining (falsely) of having a stiff neck & he wrote them a line saying they had whiplash.
I think they got about £700 but what's the point?
Your own insurance will go up next renewal time because of everybody making similar claims.
Although you'll have £700 in your hand now, in a few years time you'll be much further out of pocket.

Yeah, totally agree, the blame culture in which we all live, where it seems standard practice to make a claim, is just going to come round and bite us all on the bum.

We think insurance is too much now, but imagine 4 or 5 years time, younger drivers (under 25) will probably find it impossible to be insured as a result.

compensation culture - pisses me right off

Anyone notice there are always stacks of those 'where there's blame there's a clame' adverts are always on during Trisha?

Not to stereotype they're trying to appeal to

Its becoming just like it is in america.

My mother in law has made a claim for compensation after being smashed into by a drunk.
But she WAS injured and required surgery on her spine. She is expecting her settlement in the next few weeks and the lawer believes it to be around $100,000 ... can't wait for our cut

NB: i did say only fink about makin a claim if you do have injuries (i wasnt hinting to fake them!) as i fink this is totaly wrong like said!

Just i have been in a simular situation were i was in sitting at a junction and a t***er rear ended and push me into the car in front and i did suffer injuries and made a claim; it helped me because the company i worked for then only paid stat sick pay and i lost quite alot of wages and wouldnt have been able to make them back otherwise! To make it worse in my incidence the poor lady in front was only pregnant, i nearly had a panic attack when i saw! But she was ok, my punto just took most of the impact and was sandwich inbetween the ford transit and landrover; having carbon fibre bodykit bumper it crumpled pretty easy!

1.8Stilo said:

NB: having carbon fibre bodykit bumper it crumpled pretty easy!

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Bet that was expensive!