Car is fixed

YAY!! So they just called me from the Autobody shop and my poor little Nissan has been all put back together and is ready for me to come and pick up. I am going to work from home tomorrow so that I can go get it during the day. After the crash a couple of weeks ago I wasn’t really sure they would be able to fix the car at all. But it turns out it was mostly body damage with only a few other parts (cooling system and AC) that needed to be replaced. There was no major damage to the frame or the engine so everything was ‘fixable’. What’s shocking is that even though it was mostly body damage… the estimate the called me with just after the accident was just over $4000. But, on a good note insurance is covering the cost.

I understand that cars these days are built to crumple like mine did. Apparently it is designed to spread the force of the impact around the car and lesson the overall structural damage. But it sure is scary to see it happen. I really wasn’t going all that fast on impact yet the car looked like I had crashed into a brick wall at high speed. I would be lying if I said it didn’t make me feel like it was a little bit ‘tin can like’ overall. And that doesn’t exactly bode well for feeling ‘safe’ behind the wheel. It seems like more often than not in today’s day and age the quality of things continues to degrade a little bit. Sure cars are getting cheaper every year…. but are they getting cheaper because we’re finding ways to make them with materials made cheaper by sacrificing the safety and strength that would once be required for such materials? I am not suggesting that we are by any means…. but you have to wonder. If you spend more for a vehicle are you getting a stronger, safer car?? I would guess that some would argue yes.

But all that aside, I am looking forward to getting my car back. I’ve had a great rental car since the accident and have definitely gotten used to driving the bigger car with a few more robust features. But I still really enjoy driving my little car around. It will be nice to have things back to normal in that regard. I just hope that there are no residual (undetected) issues with the car that weren’t assessed, caught and fixed during this process. I really don’t want to spend the next few months going in and out of the dealership b/c something or other isn’t working properly. The overall mechanics of the car should be intact and working as expected…. but what are the unpredictable side effects of a front end collision? I guess I will start to find out tomorrow.