IIHS documents slow speed collision repair costs

[xcel]

Expensive damage results with no vehicles rated “Good”.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - June 11, 2009

Lowly 2009 Ford Focus - $13,520 to start and 28 mpgUS combined. Lowest overall cost to repair low speed bumper impact of anything tested to date.

With more than 80% of the US population lived in an all-urban environment, today’s reality means a tight parking space is almost a given within a vehicles lifetime. Further, 60% of the population lives in an area with population densities of 200,000 or more meaning tight parking on city streets is in some cases a daily reality. This city street parking all but guarantees bumpers will come into contact with other bumpers.

Unfortunately, one “touch” can add up to thousands of dollars in repairs as bumpers may not adequately protect our vehicles from damage due to overall height.

In the IIHS’ most recent slow speed impact bumper testing, none of the 7 subcompacts, 20 compacts, 12 mid-priced midsized, 7 mid-sized luxury and 5 minivans tested earned the top rating of good. Of the 51 vehicles shown, 70% earned a poor rating adding thousands of dollars to a low speed collision that in most circumstances should cost less than $500 to repair.

Kia’s Rio was a disaster

The worst performer in the subcompact arena was the Kia Rio with $9,380 total damage in 4 tests, 2 full-width and 2 corner impacts, earning it a poor rating. The Rio's repair bill is worse than those of all other small and midsize cars and minivans the Institute tested other than the midsized luxury Lexus ES and absolutely bottom of the charts, Infiniti G35! This subcompact racked up about $3,700 damage, or 30 percent of its purchase price, in the full-front test alone.

Honda’s Fit proves to be an expensive repair when hit in the rear

Damage to the Fit in the rear bumper test was $3,648, or 25 percent of the vehicles list price.

"Just about every panel and part on the back of the Fit had damage in the full-rear test," says Institute senior vice president Joe Nolan. "The bumper isn't in the right place to protect the tailgate, rear panel, and taillights because it's mounted too low. It's built this way to allow easy cargo access through the tailgate. The trade-off is that in an everyday rear-ender, the other car will hit the tailgate instead of the bumper."

Ford Focus – Best of the Best

As we reported last year in the Focus bests the Civic, Corolla and Prius but all could use improvements write-up, the Ford Focus once again earned the best overall rating of all the vehicles tested within the IIHS hierarchy. With an average damage repair bill of just $691 covering all four tests, the Focus proved yet again that it is the least costly vehicle to repair after a slow speed bumper to bumper impact on average.

Smart Fortwo performs well

The Fortwo also proved that an inexpensive vehicle does not mean an expensive repair bill after a slow speed bumper to bumper collision. Repair costs for the Smart Fortwo were reported to be relatively low because its pre-painted plastic body panels are dent-resistant, inexpensive, and easy to replace.

Smart's design saves on repairs: The Smart's plastic body parts can easily be replaced in sections which makes repairs relatively affordable in comparison to other vehicles. For example, the front and rear bumper covers come in 3 sections each (left, right, and center), so mechanics need to replace only the damaged parts instead of the entire plastic cover. Also keeping costs down is the fact that the bumper cover sections are prepainted further reducing repair costs after a minor low speed bumper to bumper collision.

This is the first car the IIHS tested that has prepainted body panels. The panels themselves cost roughly $160 for the center section and $180 each for the left or right fender sections. In comparison, it costs $480, not including labor, to replace and paint a front bumper cover on the Aveo which was rated the second least expensive overall to repair in the IIHS’ bumper collision study.

The Smart Fortwo joined the Ford Focus and Scion xB as the only cars to earn an acceptable rating in the IIHS’ low speed bumper collision repair cost studies.

Bumper design expectations

"You should be able to drive your car home after a low-speed crash, but too often vehicles are sidelined by only minor impacts," Nolan said. "Damage to sheet metal, air-conditioning condensers, and safety equipment like headlights should never happen when your car is bumped at just 3 to 6 miles an hour. Bad bumpers add up to one big headache for consumers."

"At a minimum, repairs should cost less than the typical insurance deductible for a collision, which is $500," Nolan explains. "This is why we set the benchmark for a good rating at less than $500. Damage at this level may be only cosmetic, so consumers may choose not to bother with repairs. Likewise, $1,000 is about the cost of a new bumper cover, reinforcement bar, and paint, while $1,500 includes replacing vehicle parts like grilles and headlights. When you reach $1,000 the bumper isn't doing its job and anything $1,500 or higher is egregious."

The IIHS tests

The Institutes 4 slow speed impact tests include a full front and rear into a 18” high, stationary barrier that mimics the front or back bumper of another vehicle plus a 16” high stationary barrier for the front and rear corner impact tests. The full-width impacts are run at 6 mph while the corner impacts are concluded at 3 mph.

To place the stationary barrier heights into perspective, a 2005 Honda Accord’s front and rear bumper heights are 19” and 18” from the ground to the bumpers centers respectively.

Pricey styling decisions: The Mini Cooper is the only car the Institute has tested with a hood that buckled in the front corner test. This is a pricey styling design on the manufacturer's part, Nolan pointed out. Instead of replacing just a fender, the car needed an $810 hood. Repairs totaled $2,637 in just this one front corner impact test.

"Bumpers are doing their job if the only damage is to the bumper cover. Bumpers aren't doing their job when headlights get knocked out or sheet metal crumples after a low-speed impact," Nolan says.

"With consumers watching every penny in this shaky economy, no one should have to shell out hundreds and even thousands of dollars to fix damage that shouldn't happen in the first place. That's not to mention the time that's wasted coordinating and waiting for repairs," Nolan says. "Our new bumper ratings should help streamline the buying process so consumers can zero in on vehicles with good bumpers. At the same time, the ratings should encourage automakers to make improvements that help move cars off their lots."

Better bumpers don't have to be complicated. Auto manufacturers already know how to make good ones. Longer and taller reinforcement bars and energy-absorbing material are key to reducing damage in low-speed collisions.

IIHS Subcompact vehicle repair costs after low-speed collision tests

Vehicle	Rating	Front Full	Front Corner	Rear Full	Rear Corner	Weighted average
Smart Fortwo	Average	$1,480	$663	$631	$507	$899
Chevrolet Aveo	Marginal	$1,071	$1,437	$1,370	$612	$1,155
Mini Cooper	Poor	$2,291	$2,637	$929	$743	$1,637
Toyota Yaris	Poor	$1,688	$1,167	$3,34	$474	$1,951
Honda Fit	Poor	$1,124	$1,216	$3,648	$999	$1,960
Hyundai Accent	Poor	$3,476	$839	$2,057	$831	$2,123
Kia Rio	Poor	$3,701	$1,758	$3,148	$773	$2,705

IIHS Compact vehicle repair costs after low-speed collision tests

Vehicle	Rating	Front Full	Front Corner	Rear Full	Rear Corner	Weighted average
Ford Focus	Average	$588	$1,329	$529	$585	$691
Scion xB	Average	$789	$1,028	$868	$1,012	$892
Scion xD	Marginal	$1,135	$594	$1,499	$907	$1,128
Mazda 3	Marginal	$1,117	$1,389	$1,120	$1,233	$1,183
Nissan Sentra	Marginal	$1,451	$1,684	$1,043	$730	$1,234
Subaru Impreza	Marginal	$2,023	$1,705	$893	$1,072	$1,435
Dodge Caliber	Marginal	$1,408	$1,285	$1,966	$663	$1,449
Mitsubishi Lancer	Poor	$1,939	$1,569	$1,642	$1,228	$1,660
Suzuki SX4	Poor	$3,450	$965	$779	$657	$1,680
Saturn Astra	Poor	$2,774	$962	$1,550	$612	$1,704
Nissan Versa	Poor	$2,795	$1,213	$1,429	$715	$1,729
Toyota Corolla	Poor	$3,444	$1,203	$863	$1,295	$1,852
Chevrolet Cobalt	Poor	$3,654	$1,169	$929	$1,101	$1,906
Chevrolet HHR	Poor	$2,259	$1,491	$2,227	$1,440	$1,984
Honda Civic	Poor	$4,328	$917	$883	$751	$2,015
Kia Spectra	Poor	$3,430	$979	$2,505	$675	$2,254
Chrysler PT Cruiser	Poor	$3,642	$1,627	$2,138	$854	$2,340
Hyundai Elantra	Poor	$4,954	$2,090	$1,304	$628	$2,539
Toyota Prius	Poor	$2,876	$1,208	$3,964	$1,022	$2,652
Volkswagon Rabbit	Poor	$4,078	$1,841	$2,775	$817	$2,727

IIHS Midsized average price vehicle repair costs after low-speed collision tests

Vehicle	Rating	Front Full	Front Corner	Rear Full	Rear Corner	Weighted average
Mitsubishi Galant	Marginal	$929	$1,138	$1,048	$1,162	$1,042
Toyota Camry	Marginal	$936	$1,467	$1,480	$1,028	$1,221
Ford Fusion	Marginal	$1,620	$991	$1,298	$1,121	$1,325
Volvo S40	Marginal	$2,252	$1,306	$802	$1,240	$1,442
Kia Optima	Poor	$1,730	$1,534	$1,715	$756	$1,530
Nissan Altima	Poor	$945	$969	$3,114	$1,431	$1,753
Saturn Aura	Poor	$1,032	$1,152	$3,191	$999	$1,766
Chrysler Sebring	Poor	$1,084	$2,061	$3,210	$1,099	$1,958
Subaru Legacy	Poor	$3,911	$1,287	$1,122	$1,128	$2,080
Volkswagen Passat	Poor	$4,594	$1,544	$982	$1,139	$2,306
Volkswagen Jetta	Poor	$2,598	$1,223	$3,375	$1,824	$2,499
Pontiac G6	Poor	$4,588	$1,183	$1,638	$1,510	$2,524

Midsized Luxury vehicle repair costs after low-speed collision tests

Vehicle	Rating	Front Full	Front Corner	Rear Full	Rear Corner	Weighted average
Saab 9-3	Marginal	$1,476	$1,076	$1,722	$969	$1,407
Lincoln MKZ	Poor	$1,001	$1,966	$2,330	$670	$1,550
BMW 3 Series	Poor	$3,658	$1,256	$989	$778	$1,888
Volvo S60	Poor	$4,517	$544	$2,142	$1,022	$2,481
Lexus IS	Poor	$4,696	$2,223	$1,931	$817	$2,716
Lexus ES	Poor	$3,921	$2,094	$3,709	$1,101	$3,076
Infiniti G35	Poor	$5,223	$3,544	$4,035	$1,181	$3,874

Minivan repair costs after low-speed collision tests

Vehicle	Rating	Front Full	Front Corner	Rear Full	Rear Corner	Weighted average
Honda Odyssey	Marginal	$1,538	$1,446	$1,531	$743	$1,388
Dodge Caravan	Marginal	$1,347	$1,581	$2,084	$48	$1,488
Toyota Sienna	Poor	$840	$767	$2,890	$1,229	$1,576
Kia Sedona	Poor	$1,176	$1,854	$2,369	$1,126	$1,678
Nissan Quest	Poor	$1,603	$1,955	$3,549	$99	$2,209

Conclusion

Unlike what the over the air, general print and much of the online community is trying to portray regarding the IIHS’ most recent slow speed crash tests, smaller vehicles are on average less costly to repair than the larger and far more expensive brethren. With lower total costs of ownership due to lower upfront costs and lower maintenance, repair and fuel costs over time, smaller cars make the most the most sense for those looking to purchase a new car on a tight budget today.

Minivan slow speed average collision damage = $1,668
Compact slow speed average collision damage = $1,753
Subcompact slow speed average collision damage = $1,776
Midsized Low Priced slow speed average collision damage = $1,787
Midsized Luxury Priced slow speed average collision damage = $2,427

[cpeter38]

Even though our beloved hypermiling machine is an '09 Focus, I can't say we purchased it because it is cheap to repair after a crash

[PaleMelanesian]

Originally Posted by xcel

Minivan repair costs after low-speed collision tests

Yep. Last fall's rear corner parking lot bump was $750 to repair. A dented corner on the bumper and a broken light. The other driver was a real gentleman and left a note and then paid it out of pocket.

[worthywads]

Better recheck your math Wayne, my calculator comes up with an average for the subcompacts of $1776 not the $1647 that you got?

My conclusion, non-luxury cars of all sizes tested were statistically the same cost, minivans marginally better (-6%). Luxury cars are more expensive to repair.

[xcel]

Hi WW:

___Thanks for the catch! And it still does not change the conclusion vs. what the mainstream media was portraying yesterday and today.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

[worthywads]

Originally Posted by xcel

Hi WW:

___Thanks for the catch! And it still does not change the conclusion vs. what the mainstream media was portraying yesterday and today.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Haven't seen that reporting yet, I'll check it out.

Having only done a quick google and a read of the IIHS I see your point somewhat. The IIHS press release focused solely on the minicar does leave the reader thinking they singled out the minis as bad.

This quote "Besides this group of minicars and a microcar, the Institute has tested 54 other vehicles under the new ratings protocol. The Smart Fortwo joins the Ford Focus and Scion xB as the only cars to earn acceptable ratings. The Aveo is 1 of 15 to rate marginal. Of the 61 cars the Institute has tested so far, 43 rate poor." is the only clue that none of the other tested vehicles performed any better than the micro/minis.

The IIHS message should be more clear that the vast majority of currently available micro to midsize cars fair really bad/expensive in even slow speed crashes.

My guess is the IIHS would like to see micros that perform great on their crash test with zero $ become a popular choice, but that release doesn't conveys their intent well.

[WoodyWoodchuck]

What ever happened to the 5 mph bumper impact with no vehicle damage? What ever happened to an actual bumper? You know the shiny metal thing that was in front and behind a car. A couple bolts and you could replace it or a sledge hammer/pry bar would put it back to acceptable looking! The actual bumpers are now hidden behind painted bumper covers and the corners of the vehicle itself it seems. Sure they look fancy but boy are they expensive. There were bumpers that were integrated in the design and still did their job, don’t remember when they disappeared. They were rectangle, stood out a few inches from the vehicle and were able to retract that few inches back before causing the vehicle damage.

I’m a believer in the K.I.S.S. philosophy and vehicles seem to be moving away from that in leaps and bounds. I’m not so much referring to the propulsion as the aesthetics and designs. I’m also a utilitarian, everything should be designed to serve its purpose. I guess I am unlike a majority of the population, I do not need a lot of extras on anything to make me happy or feel like I have succeeded.

[Taliesin]

Originally Posted by WoodyWoodchuck

What ever happened to the 5 mph bumper impact with no vehicle damage? What ever happened to an actual bumper? You know the shiny metal thing that was in front and behind a car. A couple bolts and you could replace it or a sledge hammer/pry bar would put it back to acceptable looking!

That's one thing I like about the Ram I have.

My room mate backed it into a concrete post. Luckily I have the "upgrade" bumper. It's actually a downgrade (cheaper), but we got to looking at it and it only takes 4 bolts and an electrical connector to replace. And it's solid steel.

[seftonm]

Originally Posted by WoodyWoodchuck

You know the shiny metal thing that was in front and behind a car. A couple bolts and you could replace it or a sledge hammer/pry bar would put it back to acceptable looking! The actual bumpers are now hidden behind painted bumper covers and the corners of the vehicle itself it seems. Sure they look fancy but boy are they expensive. There were bumpers that were integrated in the design and still did their job, don’t remember when they disappeared. They were rectangle, stood out a few inches from the vehicle and were able to retract that few inches back before causing the vehicle damage.

I'd like them to bring back the real metal bumpers, but somebody probably decided they're too ugly. The plastic bumpers of today are even worse at -20F, where sometimes they just fall apart instead of denting. A couple years ago, my dad hit a deer with his truck, which had a metal bumpter. It ended up with a few dents that most people wouldn't notice unless they were inspecting the bumper, so he just left it as is. I'm certain that the plastic bumper that was put on later years of his model would have needed much more attention after hitting something like that.

[Right Lane Cruiser]

Mike, the '70 VW Beetle I learned to drive on had a metal bumper that was dented and rusted. I took a pair of pliers wrapped with an old towel to it and used some elbow grease to get it straight again. Then I just used a dremel to remove the rust and put some wax on it.

From 15' away you'd never know it wasn't a new bumper!