MV

Hi everyone.

I was just one turn away from taking my family to a kiddie attraction, and wham, there is a loud thud, we get thrown around a bit, and all the kids are crying. I'm thinking what the hell just happened as I look in front and to the sides. Of course when I look back I see what's in the first of the below pictures -- we were rear-ended!

Almost immediately [and surreally] a BMW Assist agent was talking to us [through the speakers] making sure everyone was OK. They did an excellent job in getting all the necessary authorities and emergency crews to the accident. They happily stayed with us until I told them it was OK to disconnect. Unfortunately, I can relay that BMW Assist works better than I expected, and can be extremely valuable in certain accident scenarios -- especially when young kids [who can't make phone calls] are passengers.

We are mostly OK given the impact; however the car took a bit of a beating. I'm posting to share our experience with BMW Assist, and get advice on what to do with the car.

As far as the car goes, it's definitely injured. I've attached pictures of the damage. The entire back bumper is bust, and the impact managed to deform the area above the right rear tire well. The engine also cutoff on impact and will not start. Could my engine and drive train have been damaged in this type of accident? Are there any other non-obvious components of the car that could have been damaged as well?

It's currently sitting at the towing company's lot while I figure out where to send it. Should it visit a BMW service department or a body shop first? Can anyone recommend either in the San Francisco Bay Area?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

One last thing -- when all is done, how do I know the car was put back together OK?

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MV

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chowdah

First, I'm very sad to see this happen to a grey brethren; I'm glad everyone is OK.
IMHO, the most critical step is to ask around for the singular best body shop for high end cars. Regardless of whose insurance is paying, insist that it go to a body shop you can trust to be your advocate. In general, I would say such a place has little to do with a dealership.

Barry Lausch

I feel you pain..........it's probably not as bad as it looks. I'm glad everyone is OK. If the driver that hit you was on a cell phone, I hope they swallowed it.

If it were my car I'd run it by the BMW dealership because of the level of sophistication of the electromechanical aspects of the car. Let them assess that part of the damage in parallel with a body shop they work with. It's the best way to get the car back on the road working properly, safely and looking good. In other words it isn't a Toyota......

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runutzzzz

I looked at the rear pic first and thought it was just a bumper. Then I noticed the quarters were wrinkled!

How did BMW assist know?!? Any airbags deploy?

Yeah, looking at those cars in that body shop I would take it somewhere else!

M CRISIS

Ouch! Hard to look at! (from another gray brother!) First of all - glad everybody is OK.
Your car shut down probably because of a battery disconnect that was triggered automatically thus not allowing you to start it. I wouldn't think that the engine or drive train is damaged but of course have it thoroughly gone over. She'll be good as new in no time.
It's amazing but I can't help but think that she's a bute even after taking a beating!

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MV

No airbags deployed -- I imagine there are sensors in the rear bumper that detected a rear collision??

Btw, I would run if that were the body shop as well -- it's the storage facility of the towing company.

Clyde

It's good to know that BMW Assist does work, sorry you needed to test it.

The battery is disconnected in the event of an accident. All the high current systems are disabled, but leaves emergency circuits (like BMW Assist) enabled. This is an explosive disconnect (like a mini airbag), so parts need to be replaced.

A good body shop should take care of all the repairs. I have had very good service from Testa's Auto Body in San Jose, I've known the owners for 40 years.

Contact your insurance company first, but get the car out of the towing company storage ASAP. It is just a waste of money (no matter who pays) to have it sitting collecting storage fees.

JoeClothing

Sorry, I feel your pain as I too have to have my car repaired. I searched around, talked to many different people, and have been able to locate the absolute best body shop in my area.
I would suggest that you ask around to members of this board, and to others in your area. Often times the best body shop is not your dealer. I might suggest calling an exotic dealership to find out who they recommend and go from there. It will cost more, but atleast you are not at fault and won't have to shoulder any of the financial responsibilities.
Best of luck to you.

EM_5

Sorry to see... where in Cali are you located?

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