heartless Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 So coming home the other night, waiting to make a left turn, I got rear-ended in the 2002 Forester... impact speed was probably about 40mph (speed limit is 35, but nobody pays attention to it - it is common for people to run 45-50 through that area)... I was sitting still at the time waiting for some oncoming traffic to clear. Was hit hard enough that my coffeecup went flying out of the cupholder (thankfully it was empty), and the stereo remote came out of the cubby below and ended up on the drivers floorboard. Rear bumper did exactly what it was designed to do from the looks of things... and the car is completely drive-able as it is. At first glance it is difficult to even tell I was hit, but closer inspection reveals the bumper is pushed downward, one side is dented in and several of the upper clips that hold the cover in place were popped out. I also have a small dent in the rear hatch on the right side of the handle - maybe 6-7in long, but shallow (should pop back out easily enough). There is no apparent damage to rear fenders at all... just wondering what the odds are of hidden frame damage? I wont be able to get the car in for a complete inspection for a few days, possibly a week or so. looking at car-parts, a full rear bumper assembly runs from $125 and up... will post a few pics shortly.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forester2002s Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 You were lucky. A rear-ender, with 40mph relative speed, would more likely result in enough damage for it to be written off. Yes check the body carefully. Glad that you're OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted December 10, 2016 Author Share Posted December 10, 2016 yeah, me too! left shoulder is a bit out of sorts from the seat-belt grabbing, but I would rather have that than major injuries. This is what it looks like... doesn't look bad, but I know there is always potential for hidden damage the other side had 2 of the clips pop out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThosL Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 40 mph you say? I thought that would be really serious in the consequences....Whiplash, permanent damage, frame, etc.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bantum Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 The metal 'innards' of rear bumper may well be crushed / bent. hard to tell unless its removed for inspection.Cheers, Bantum ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conman Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 I'd agree with bantam and say that the main worry is where the bumper mounts to the Unibody. Hopefully the mounting bolt holes didn't get messed up! Besides that, I've never seen a cleaner 40 mph crash. Sorry about foz getting smashed in the can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyale 2.7 Turbo Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 You're Lucky! ... especially because you had no health issues. My subie was in similar circumstances in december 11, 2003 ... I got neck whiplash, and had to repair the tail gate's lower part, the Bumper base and even the hiding compartment inside the trunk; the worse part was and continue being the Whiplash, which doesn't make me sleep confortably... The bumper needs to be Removed for a full inspection, and I agree with Bantum, that the metal innards might got bent; but everything looks repairable, maybe you don't need to buy another bumper at all. Kind Regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted December 10, 2016 Author Share Posted December 10, 2016 Yeah, I know I am quite lucky in this one - it could have been so much worse. She did knock me forward a couple/few feet... a very solid, square on hit - she didn't try to swerve at all - i think that was the saving grace. Thanks for the thoughts on possible damages. I will get it in for a thorough inspection as soon as I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 Glad you're okay. Hopefully the beam support underneath took all the bending damage and you're good to go with a new bumper assembly. Verify hatch opens and closes and seals. By the looks of it Id replace the bumper assembly and drive it another 100,000 miles without thinking. But a 40mph relative hit is massive, I've seen crumpled rear quarters at less (and currently have an OBW in my drive way that was totaled like that) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted December 10, 2016 Author Share Posted December 10, 2016 hatch opens and closes fine, and as far as I can tell, it is sealing ok - drove it home that night and to work & back the next day - didn't notice any new wind noise at all, or exhaust smells, either. the impact did cause one tail light to blow out, got that bulb replaced and all lights work as they should. not positive she hit at 40mph, was most likely on the brakes right before impact, but 40 is about the slowest I have ever seen traffic run through there. As long as there is no structural damage to subframe, I plan on driving it till it either quits running, or is unsafe to drive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThosL Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 Take the police report and make sure the opposing party makes good on the damage. In my car's case I don't think it was only the fender as I see some scrapes on the car, and by law they need to pay for new parts not used. But adjusters try to chisel people on their damaged vehicles. They have gotten a lot cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 I've rebuilt a lot of wrecks and totaled salvage Subarus, I've even had a totaled Subaru I rebuilt get totaled a second time (I rebuilt it again!) at 75 mph spinning out on the interstate into a guardrail (not by me). It showed what I already knew - the first accident added no significant weakness to the vehicle. My point is..... That picture is seriously absolutely nothing. Even if it's a minor damage somewhere I can guarantee that car has absolutely no cause for concern. Wether you're comfortable with it or not is another thing but mechanically and structurally it's fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtwinjunkie Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 look at the spare tire well. that will give you a better idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted December 11, 2016 Author Share Posted December 11, 2016 look at the spare tire well. that will give you a better idea good idea! hadn't thought of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirtokesalot Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 (edited) this is the result of a buddy of mines car after he was rear ended. the person that hit him caught just the left corner it was bad the whole corner was pushed back so much there was about a 2 inch gap opened up between the rear hatch and corner that u could look into the car throgh. we spent a few hours with a large hammer and a come along pulling it out to what you see today. if you dont mind things being wrong but looking ok id just make the panel sit right again and drive it if it still drives fine. Edited December 11, 2016 by sirtokesalot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt167 Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 If the bumper is pushed in, then the rear bumper beam is probably pushed in. If you look under the car, you can see the beam and where it mounts. It's designed to do that and they are also replacable/ still available from SOA for not too much money. They rust out so I wouldn't go used in that case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThosL Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 With the lady who backed her 2015 Toyota van into my car, actually her rear bumper suffered a lot more damage than my car. I went through the whole ordeal and the adjuster only offered a base price on the front DS fender $640, unreal they have gotten so cheap. Plus the guy took an inventory of my whole car's body with everything that was wrong. The adjusters/insurance companies are just getting ruthless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 I just attempted to repair similar damage to the Legacy I just bought. The bumper was pushed down so there was almost a 2" gap beneath the rear hatch. The bumper reinforcement was fine. The supports that the bumper bolts to inside the frame were bent. The bolts that hold the bumper on had pulled down the metal around the holes they go through. It took a long steel rod and a sledge hammer and some serious arm swinging to get those things bent back to being flat. The only other thing that may be bent or damaged would be the floor pan in the trunk where the spare tire sits. Or some of the flimsy panels on the outer sides of the frame rails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted December 14, 2016 Author Share Posted December 14, 2016 Thanks for the info, Fairtax. the weather has turned nasty bitter cold here, spending any amount of time outdoors just sucks the life right out of you. hoping it warms up a little bit next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1997reduxe Posted December 16, 2016 Share Posted December 16, 2016 i would say that was a case of you were very lucky her bumper met yours just right like riding up on top of it mostly. 40 is pretty high speed. it reminds me of a (later) very scary one i had once where i went to a bar and the landscapers were just finishing up mowing the yard around the place. when i left the metal pole gate to the place hadnt been fastened, so by weird coincidence it had swung right out toward my then position backing into it. it came right into the rear window kind of riding up over the body there. a few feet further and more to one side and, well you know.but damn it made a lot of noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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