[silenthill]

My Sunday evening was anything but relaxing when a deer decided to hop a fence and cross in front of me. The deer kind of was scooped up the hood and rolled up to the windshield and then fell off of the car.

Fortunately, both the Focus and deer managed to get away from the scene under their own power.


Deer vs Focus High-Res by silenthill2011, on Flickr

I've never had to get body work done on a car that's in-warranty. Are there any particular things I need to know about? Or just go to a Ford dealer's body shop?

 

[Jazzdog]

Time to call your insurance company. Actually doesn't look too bad for hitting a deer.

 

[silenthill]

Ha ha, I called my insurance company first thing last night and am waiting back on the claims adjuster. Again, I just don't know if a choice in body shops will impact any warranty coverage.

The damage is deceptive in that picture. You can't clearly see that the grille and bumper are pushed in and the hood has been moved back into the passenger side A-pillar. I can't open the hood, so I don't know if the radiator was hit, but I am not losing any fluids.

I think my saving grace was the slope of the hood. It mainly scooped the deer up on it.

 

[socityjim]

whoa sorry to see that. looks like mostly hood damage. shouldn't be in the shop too long. I came close to hitting a coyote he just froze in place and I managed to get around him. he didn't weigh as much as a deer but eating road kill in the middle of the highway it's just a matter of time before he becomes road kill... sorry about your car

 

[PratoN]

Fortunately, both the Focus and deer managed to get away from the scene under their own power.

I'm glad to hear our cars aren't as good at killing deer as they are at killing insects. My grille, hood, windshield, and mirrors were COVERED yesterday before I washed my car!

 

[socityjim]

I'm glad to hear our cars aren't as good at killing deer as they are at killing insects. My grille, hood, windshield, and mirrors were COVERED yesterday before I washed my car!

yes I have more bugs on this car than I have had on any other car that I have had. must be the design of the slopping hood. friend calls it the bug slayer..

 

[silenthill]

I'm pretty sure impact occurred at 35-40 MPH. The speed limit on this stretch of road was 50 and I was pretty much doing 50.

I'm deciding between using the dealer's body shop or a local place.

My best guess is that in addition to the hood, the front bumper assembly will be replaced. The right headlamp is completely out of place, and then the hood did make contact with the one pillar.

 

[darkangelism]

your insurance company might have a preferred body shop, but if they dont the dealer one is probably fine.

looks like the car can take some abuse.

 

[silenthill]

I stopped by my agent's office this morning. With my last car, I actually had huge issues with their preferred body shop, so I'm wary.

I'm leaning towards having the dealer's body shop do the work, so that way if there are any issues down the road, it's been contained at the same place.

 

[STL 314]

In my case the insurance company had a preferred shop to do the estimate but I could choose any shop to get the actual work done at. Once getting an estimate, I chose to have my dealer work on it. Already had my front bumper, headlight, and fender replaced thanks to a clueless old lady

 

[socityjim]

I stopped by my agent's office this morning. With my last car, I actually had huge issues with their preferred body shop, so I'm wary.

I'm leaning towards having the dealer's body shop do the work, so that way if there are any issues down the road, it's been contained at the same place.

if I was in your situation I would go to the dealer. they keep track of the vin and all the work you have done on it. I think they have a way to scan your vin. now I don't know if they share all that information online. It would be great if they had a site that you could enter your VIN into and have your repair history record online.. I take pictures and take all the work orders that have completed and scan them into a pdf file on my computer. that way if I have a dispute I have all my records and the work done online and ready to email to who ever I need too.

 

[Elizabeth]

New or almost new cars usually get better treatment from insurance companies.
At least they used too..
You will get a replacement hood for sure. if enough stuff is messed up they may even total it out and give you a new car.
And PS, if you get any chance to go for total vs repair, Take the 'total' every time.
Even if it costs you money. You will never regret it. Where if you take the repair, Usually you WILL regret it.
Good luck

 

[estoyloco]

And PS, if you get any chance to go for total vs repair, Take the repair every time.
Even if it costs you money. You will never regret it. Where if you take the repair, Usually you WILL regret it.
Good luck

You mean take the Total every time?

 

[a351must2]

Nice to see the pedestrian protection at work. I had a close call with two yearlings the second night I drove mine. Would have been about the same speed of impact if they'd decided to cross instead of just racing me in the oncoming lane.

 

[wag4513]

Sorry about your car.

If you have or think you may have any mechanical issues I would take it to the dealer. They should have mechanics who are familiar with the car, and with parts in short supply because the car is so new a dealer may have the inside track on them.

 

[completely_focused]

Ouch, I hate seeing damage of any kind to new cars so this is hard to look at.

 

[Elizabeth]

You mean take the Total every time?

Yes yes, sorry I was up late and the mistake was bad.
Thanks

 

[feta_mgp]

OP, you do NOT have to take your car to the insurance co.'s preferred shop! I too had MAJOR issues with the preferred shop they had me take my Mazda to, and after that fiasco I made sure to read up on that.

You have the right to have your car taken WHEREVER you want it to be taken to! It's illegal for the company to tell you where your car will be taken, you pay THEM to insure the car, you get to call the shots!

Take it to your dealership, a new car fixed at the dealership it was bought from normally holds a better chance at having the parts replaced with OEM parts instead of OEM spec parts from 3rd party manufacturers.

Good luck!

 

[silenthill]

Decided on taking it to my dealer's body shop. The manager there was nice, but ran into some trouble when he went to write up the estimate. Something along the lines of, "well, your car is so new it's not in the system yet for parts and rates."

So, he's going to have to go to the parts department and get some quotes on parts. Looks like it's going to get a new hood, bumper cover assembly, right headlamp, and two other things. They didn't want to pop the hood yet to check out the radiator and condenser because it almost certainly won't latch again.

 

[socityjim]

Decided on taking it to my dealer's body shop. The manager there was nice, but ran into some trouble when he went to write up the estimate. Something along the lines of, "well, your car is so new it's not in the system yet for parts and rates."

So, he's going to have to go to the parts department and get some quotes on parts. Looks like it's going to get a new hood, bumper cover assembly, right headlamp, and two other things. They didn't want to pop the hood yet to check out the radiator and condenser because it almost certainly won't latch again.

active shutter system that opens when cooling is needed I guess if you if you haven't overheated then that might be working as designed or it's stuck open. I think if you took it to another shop they would go to the dealer to get the parts anyway as it's so new.