My (Kizashi’s) time has come

[KlutzNinja]

Welp, it happened. This was my first accident in 10 years of driving. Was heading home earlier this afternoon and the driver of a brand new RAV4 thought he had the green light (he didn’t) and hit my Kizashi in the front fender. On the plus side, I wasn’t injured really - my airbags didn’t deploy but luckily I’m fine, save for some growing aches in my left side and face. On the down side, the axel is bent, so the car is almost certainly totaled. Headlight shattered, bumper torn, door can’t be opened more than half a foot maybe. In hindsight, I was very lucky, because if I had been driving a bit faster, the RAV4 would’ve hit my door and T-boned me; I don’t think he was going fast enough for that scenario to be fatal, but it could have been serious nonetheless.
The other car was able to drive off to the side, but I was stuck in the middle of the intersection.
Fortunately police were there almost immediately and secured traffic. I haven’t delved into the insurance stuff yet, but I’m told the car will be junked pretty quickly after the insurance appraisal and whatnot happens, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to salvage much. I thought of what I could get for you guys here, although my brain is a little shaken, so for now it’s maybe just unused spark plugs and my spare un-programmed fob lol. Most of the car is fine, save for what’s seen in the pictures.

Turns out the RAV4 is also totaled because its front side curtain airbags went off (on both sides) and they’re $2,000 a pop and apparently not worth the brand new car? I’m not sure how that works. It’s also leaking oil, but again, was otherwise able to limp around. The AAA guy gave me crap for having a Suzuki that was totaled from this incident, and said next time to get a truck, showing me a busted pickup whose front bumper had a good dent from something that smashed into it, but was apparently “fine.” Oh well.

Part of me is relieved, because I’ve been meaning to wash and detail my car, among tons of DIY maintenance and programming the new fob, but now I don’t have to . Good thing I hadn’t bought the transmission fluid or motor oil just yet.

I don’t think I’ll get another Kizashi. I’d love to have one, but the scarcity of parts and service centers in the US is a pain. In a perfect world, I’d like to learn stick shift and get a manual Kizashi, to avoid the CVT drama. But as for next car, I’m not sure. The Kizashi was my dream car for some reason, and I’m grateful for the 49.5 months I had with mine. Before my car, I had hardly seen any around, and the reality of actually having one seemed far away. But one day it happened, and just thinking about the fact that I owned a Kizashi always put a smile on my face, from day 1 to as recent as this week. In the immediate aftermath of the crash, I was too shaken up to feel much. But as more time goes by, the sadder I get. This car saw me through some of my worst years. It felt like a close friend, in a way. I’d walk out of school feeling like crap, get to my Kizashi, and always feel privileged to be able to sit in this car that meant a lot to me; my problems always felt a little less upsetting when I was with my Kizashi. It felt like my comfort zone lol.

In any case, I’ve appreciated the community here. It’s been very helpful over the years and I’ve enjoyed engaging in some of the discussions. Sorry for not replying to some of your posts, Kuro. I keep forgetting lol. I might stick around to keep tabs.

[SAEED_KIZZY]

Oh no sorry to see that KlutzNinja.I suppose the impact sensor is not damaged and the axel absorbed all pressure.
glad you are not injured.

[KlutzNinja]

Thanks, Saeed.

According to my insurance company and their diagnostic “tool” that uses information inputted based on what the agent has been told, my car is repairable somehow. It’s possible I don’t know all the damage and thus their system couldn’t tally it as a total loss. The appraiser who will inspect it within the week will hopefully know more. The other car is definitely a loss, though. I feel bad for the driver because he’d had it for like a month and a half. Anyway, I’m not getting my hopes up, but maybe there is hope. And if it is fixable, insurance should be able to cover it. Apparently Kizashi axles aren’t that expensive, according to EBay? The bumper and fender are another story, though. Now is the worst time to look for another car; the prices of everything I’ve been looking at are absolutely absurd.

[KuroNekko]

Oh man, so sorry to see this but glad you're safe. I agree that the car is likely totaled in the sense of cost to repair vs. value though pros like OldTech can probably get it running again, maybe. I also agree that replacing the Kizashi with another isn't a good plan, especially where we live in SoCal where these cars are super rare. As for the truck comment by the tow truck guys, it's a predicable opinion by those who don't really understand modern safety technology and design. Sure, a truck will have less superficial damage in a minor accident but in a hard collision, body-on-frame vehicles are less safe for the occupants as they don't have a stronger unibody cage structure surrounded by energy-absorbing crumple zones. While a lot of people ridicule the Honda Ridgeline as "not a truck" or a "minivan with a bed", there is one thing that vehicle consistently ranks above all other trucks and that's crash safety. The entire reason for that is because it's a unibody vehicle and not a body-on-frame truck. On the contrary, vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler have the lowest crash test ratings because of its inherent BOF design. It's simply a myth to think a truck is "safer" than a car though it might have less damage in a minor crash. In a major one, it's flipped and the thing more prone to the energy of the collision are the occupants.
Trucks and SUVs also roll over more due to higher centers of gravity. People think bigger is safer thus trucks > cars but that's not exactly the case and fatality data backs it up. The Kizashi is a rather safe vehicle and of all the crashes reported here in which Kizashis were totaled, I don't recall any member reporting serious injuries like fractures. While it sucks that cars like the Kizashi are easily totaled, it's better the car than you.

Please keep me posted regarding the fate of your Kizashi because yours looks just like mine and if it's totaled, I'd like to possibly head up there and get some parts, if that's cool. Looks like the crash happened in Pasadena given the Pasadena PD police car in the photo. You live around there and not in SD anymore? I just moved over this past weekend and now live very close to the Suzuki Authorized Service Dealer in Santa Ana that I think you took your car to for recall work.

Again, sorry to see your beloved Kizashi like this but I'm so glad you are safe. I also hope you check in once in a while and let us know which vehicle you got to replace the Kizashi.

[Drem]

Sad day.

Any chance you could sell me some parts? XD

I'd be interested in:
both front a-pillars (mine were modified and I wish to modify them again)
the passenger side wiper arm (mine is cracked)
and one of those ski-rack mount hole-covers on the top of the car (someone stole one of mine while it was at a shop)

[KlutzNinja]

Sad day.

Any chance you could sell me some parts? XD

I'd be interested in:
both front a-pillars (mine were modified and I wish to modify them again)
the passenger side wiper arm (mine is cracked)
and one of those ski-rack mount hole-covers on the top of the car (someone stole one of mine while it was at a shop)

Wow, very random thing to be stolen, from a car as uncommon as the Kizashi, to boot lol. It’s possible it was just knocked off due to negligence at the shop. Last time my car was detailed by someone else, I came back to find one of these covers barely hanging on; the detailer somehow got it loose and almost knocked it off. Amazing how negligent and oblivious some of these automotive professionals are.
Where are you based, Drem? In the US?
As for the A-pillars, I’m assuming you’re referring to the interior? Just need to check lol.
I don’t have any experience with salvaging a car, the window of time I’d have to get these components, etc., so I can’t make any promises. But I will try, if the car ends up being a loss. I’ll know more soon enough, hopefully by end of week.

[KlutzNinja]

Oh man, so sorry to see this but glad you're safe. I agree that the car is likely totaled in the sense of cost to repair vs. value though pros like OldTech can probably get it running again, maybe. I also agree that replacing the Kizashi with another isn't a good plan, especially where we live in SoCal where these cars are super rare. As for the truck comment by the tow truck guys, it's a predicable opinion by those who don't really understand modern safety technology and design. Sure, a truck will have less superficial damage in a minor accident but in a hard collision, body-on-frame vehicles are less safe for the occupants as they don't have a stronger unibody cage structure surrounded by energy-absorbing crumple zones. While a lot of people ridicule the Honda Ridgeline as "not a truck" or a "minivan with a bed", there is one thing that vehicle consistently ranks above all other trucks and that's crash safety. The entire reason for that is because it's a unibody vehicle and not a body-on-frame truck. On the contrary, vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler have the lowest crash test ratings because of its inherent BOF design. It's simply a myth to think a truck is "safer" than a car though it might have less damage in a minor crash. In a major one, it's flipped and the thing more prone to the energy of the collision are the occupants.
Trucks and SUVs also roll over more due to higher centers of gravity. People think bigger is safer thus trucks > cars but that's not exactly the case and fatality data backs it up. The Kizashi is a rather safe vehicle and of all the crashes reported here in which Kizashis were totaled, I don't recall any member reporting serious injuries like fractures. While it sucks that cars like the Kizashi are easily totaled, it's better the car than you.

Please keep me posted regarding the fate of your Kizashi because yours looks just like mine and if it's totaled, I'd like to possibly head up there and get some parts, if that's cool. Looks like the crash happened in Pasadena given the Pasadena PD police car in the photo. You live around there and not in SD anymore? I just moved over this past weekend and now live very close to the Suzuki Authorized Service Dealer in Santa Ana that I think you took your car to for recall work.

Again, sorry to see your beloved Kizashi like this but I'm so glad you are safe. I also hope you check in once in a while and let us know which vehicle you got to replace the Kizashi.

Thanks for the kind thoughts, Kuro.
And good eye! I figured the letters on the police cars would be too blurry for some when zoomed in, but if there was one person who could connect the dots, it would be you. The crash did occur in Pasadena, at the edge of Old Town, if you’re familiar at all. I’ve lived in the area my whole life, and haven’t been to SD in many years. Sorry for any past confusion there. If my car is a loss, I won’t miss the drive to the service center in Santa Ana because it was a pain in the early pandemic with little traffic, and so I’d imagine it’s abysmal with classic LA traffic lol. You’re welcome to anything from my car if it ends up being a loss, but I won’t know until later this week or maybe next week if the body shop is busy.

By coincidence, this morning the IIHS uploaded a new test video of the Wrangler once more flubbing a crash test lol. Oddly enough, the previous generation aced this same test, but the two current gen Wranglers tested have both flipped over. I’ve seen crash test videos of older trucks becoming an automotive accordion so I know exactly what you’re referring to. Even large cars like the Lincoln MKS failed tests spectacularly. Crash safety has come a long way, though, even for trucks. In my case, I’m glad the airbags didn’t go off because I ultimately didn’t need them, and had they gone off, the car almost certainly would be written off immediately like the RAV4 was for its airbags. At least I have some hope. I showed my insurance folks the pics I shared here and they were still confident that the car could be fixable.
When I visited the tow lot again yesterday, the guy there (someone I didn’t see Monday) was saying that the Kizashi is a total loss because of how the affected axel bent into the transmission or something, and even if it could be repaired it would be very expensive and would take months due to the parts shortage. Not much of an optimist, clearly. He must not know EBay offers decent Kizashi parts with quick and free shipping . For what it’s worth, the other driver admitted fault to the accident, and so everything on my end is covered by insurance, from rental to towing and storage to repairs. I hope to make good on that last one, if possible.

But I’ve never wanted to live in PA so badly, assuming old tech could fix this. By coincidence, when I was looking around on CarGurus for potential replacements, I had to look for Kizashis, of course, and 1: didn’t find any in California, or at least within 50 miles, and 2: saw most were in PA and quite a few in OH. No way old tech hasn’t had a hand in a least several of those .

I still hope to post around here regardless of my Kizashi’s fate. I’d like to get a Mazda or a slightly older Volvo, but I’m worried about the maintenance for the latter. My first instinct when looking at used cars is to look for my favorites, that are all coincidentally discontinued models or brands and would be realistically as logical to own as the Kizashi, such as the Saab 9-3, Honda CRZ (lmao), and Volvo C30. I was interested in the OG Chevy Volt for a bit before I realized their batteries are probably out of warranty at this point. Oh well. Everything is so expensive on the car market these days.

[old tech]

Sorry this happened to you and glad you are ok . The car from an insurance stand point is definitely totaled although quite fixable. $3000 is my estimate for fixing with used parts and then would carry an R on the title. Wish you were closer. Id buy this and fix if you passed on fixing it. All parts on hand although fender and hood would need painted.

[KlutzNinja]

Sorry this happened to you and glad you are ok . The car from an insurance stand point is definitely totaled although quite fixable. $3000 is my estimate for fixing with used parts and then would carry an R on the title. Wish you were closer. Id buy this and fix if you passed on fixing it. All parts on hand although fender and hood would need painted.

Thanks, old tech.
I absolutely plan to have my car fixed if the body shop thinks they can do it. If they can’t, I’ll reach out to another local one not in my insurance’s network that seems to be good at tackling tough jobs, and see if they can do it. The impression I got from the day of the accident was that it’s a loss, but I now think the people who said that are of questionable credibility lol. For what it’s worth, they work for an AAA-subcontracted tow lot/repair shop that’s a little shady with some of their practices, according to web reviews. I don’t understand what they get out of being so pessimistic about car repair outlooks. It’s not like they have cars to sell to people. I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near them if I could have helped it, but that’s who showed up to tow me on Monday when police called AAA. Thankfully my car has been dropped off at the body shop as of yesterday afternoon (a couple days later than expected). I’ll call them Monday to see what’s what.

I’ve been looking into costs for transporting a car cross-country though (specifically PA ), just in case. It’s less than I expected, if I’m being honest.

At this point I’d really rather have my car repaired, even if it’s for quite a bit of money, if it means I don’t have to look for a new (used) car. Can’t find anything for a decent price that has decently low mileage or hasn’t been in an accident already. The cost of repairs (covered by insurance or not) would be way less than the cars I’ve seen on the used market.

[KlutzNinja]

Plot twist: the key fob was apparently lost by the tow truck driver who transported my car from the storage lot to the body shop. As mentioned earlier in this thread, I have a blank fob, but that’s it. No second programmed fob. That’s on me, although I’ve never lost a fob/key in my decade of owning cars. But I’m having a slight panic attack right now lol. The body shop is looking into it and calling the tow company. Maybe it’s still at the storage lot somehow. I was told this happens occasionally, but I don’t get why. It’s not hard to keep track of a fob - just put it in your damn pocket if need be. Why are these automotive “professionals” so sloppy…

Update: the body shop received the fob from the tow driver. Saved me a trip from visiting the storage lot, which I’m grateful for because I hate interacting with the people there. But this hassle probably pushed things back so the evaluation of the car will be later. Feels like things are happening at a glacial pace. If the car gets fixed after this, I’m definitely getting that blank fob linked to the car right away.