Poor and Unsafe Repairs

Poor structural repairs made to a full frame or uni-body vehicle will compromise the future crash worthiness of a vehicle. In repairing a vehicle with any structural damage, it is critical that such damage is repaired correctly. 

Improper repairs or improper replacement of upper and / or lower front frame rails of a vehicle will affect the timing of airbag deployment.

Improper repair and/ or replacement of rear frame rails will compromise how the vehicle “crush zones” will absorb a future rear impact.

Proper welds, made in the repair and / or replacement of structural parts, are critical! Improper welds, of any structural part of a vehicle, will substantially reduce the crash worthiness of that vehicle in the event of another accident.

Improper repairs may just cost you, or someone riding with you, their life!

Following are samples of poor and improperly repaired vehicles:

Clip Repairs

The above pictures are from a 1998 Toyota Corolla. The owner, (a single young woman) purchased this vehicle from a body shop in 2000. This Toyota was hit again in 2005 in the driver and passenger door. The POOR welds broke! The owner had NO IDEA that the car had been a “CUT” into or better known as “Clipped”. Neither did she know that it had been a “total loss” and then “rebuilt”. The young woman put her “trust” in the body shop owner that was selling the car.

Look at the pictures that have black paint in them. Notice the POOR WELDS. See the RUST! And to think that there are more out on our highways like this one. What a Total Loss Re-constructer will do to make a“buck”. And to think, regular body shops do the same. Like the one below.

The above pictures are of a 2001 Mazda 626. The insurance company had offered $800.00 for diminished value. One year after the repairs were made, an inspection was made of the repairs. The owner, a single mother of three had NO IDEA that the insurance company’s “Preferred Repair Shop” cut her car into. The following week after receiving the CSI-NC inspection report the insurance company “totaled” the car. Notice the right upper photo. The area that is marked with the black magic marker is where the body shop had cut the car into and re-welded. The left lower picture is “calking” used to cover up the POOR WELDS. The right lower picture is a small example of POOR WELDS.

“Clipping” or cutting into a seriously damaged vehicle are some of the things insurance companies and body shops WILL DO to keep the vehicle from being a total loss. Clipping a vehicle is NOT “recognized” as a proper way to repair a damaged vehicle by vehicle manufactures.

Incomplete Repairs

The owner of this 2000 Honda Odyssey, a working mother with four children, was having problems with the repairs made to her vehicle. The shop had it back five times and refused to do any more repairs. The insurance company had stated in writing from their independent appraiser that: “the repairs made were of good quality”. The insurance company offered $ 600.00 for diminished value. The owner wanted $ 2,100.00. Thirteen months after the repairs were made, a CSI-NC inspection was made and it was found to be unsafe to drive.

Notice the right lower picture. The right rear frame rail is still damaged. The left lower picture is the left rear frame rail not damaged. The body shop did not even attempt to repair the damaged right rear frame rail.

In the upper right picture is the inner wheel housing and floor pan of this Honda Odyssey. Can you find the “indirect damage” that the insurance adjuster and the body shop some how failed to see?

The results were that the Honda was “totaled” by the insurance company. The owner received payment of the Actual Cash Value from the date of the accident. Good thing the lady held out long enough to get help.

The bad side is that this Honda went to the salvage sale and sold to someone that will put back on the highway and probably never correctly repair the damage.

Incomplete and Poor Welds

Below are samples of improper welds made by body shops from vehicle that were being inspected for diminished value. Proper welds, made in the repair and / or replacement of structural parts, are critical! Improper welds, of any structural part of a vehicle, will substantially reduce the crash worthiness of that vehicle in the event of another accident.

The upper left photo is a underneath view of a 2000 Grand Prix radiator support tie bar that the factory welds were ‘drilled out” and were not “welded” back for some unknown reason.

The right upper photo shows a putty knife in between the radiator support upper tie bar and the panels that were supposed to be welded! “Six out of nine” welds were missing in the radiator support upper tie bar, to the other structural front end adjacent panels!

The upper left photo is a view of a knife placed into a drilled out factory spot weld of the strut tower and lower frame rail. The right upper photo is a view of more drilled out factory welds in of the same strut tower and lower frame rail. These photos are from the same side of radiator support upper tie bar. The vehicle is a 2000 Grand Prix who had the vehicle inspected for diminished value.

The “drilled out” factory welds were found after the removal of the “heavy” undercoating and “bondo” that the repair tech used to cover up this disaster of a repair.

The above four photos are more samples of POOR welds!

Frame Damage and Crush Zones of Frames

In repairing or replacing damaged frame rails of vehicle body shops and insurance companies decide what repair process is needed. The “kinked” vs. “bend” rule comes into making the repair decision. If the frame rail is “bent”, it is possible then to straighten it. If the frame rail is “kinked” then replacement of the damaged area or the complete frame “must” be done.

This damaged frame was replaced because it was “kinked’. The above photos are left and right views of the front left frame rail of a 2003 Ford F-150 truck. Some body shops and insurance adjusters do not adhere to the “kink” vs. “bend’ rule though. Some will attempt to repair damaged frame rails such as the one shown below.

These upper photos are pictures taking of a 1997 Chevrolet Blazer that repaired. The upper left photo is a view of frame “kinked” behind the engine cross member. The right upper photo is right frame rail behind the engine cross member, as it “should” appear on the left side. The owner complained of not being able to drive the Blazer over 45 miles per hour. I can understand why. The body shop “artificially” kept the repair cost below the 75% “total loss” threshold, so the body shop would have repair work to do.

Vehicle Frame Crush Zones

Vehicles full frame and uni-body frame vehicles have crush zones in the front end of the vehicle. Uni-body vehicles also have crush zones in the rear. The crush zones are made into the frames of the full frame in order to absorb the impact during a collision. Repairing the crush zones can affect the crash worthiness of the vehicle. The Safety Restraint System (air bags) timing will be compromised if these crush zones are repaired.

Examples of Upper Crush Zones

These two upper left frame fails are designed to absorb the energy of an impact of a frontal collision. Notice the different designs of the two upper rails. Each vehicle manufacturer designs these crush zones differently. Depending on the impact, repairing the upper frame rails may be an option. The decision falls under the “kink vs. “bend” rule.

Lower Crush Zones

This photo is a right lower frame rail of a uni-body frame. It is designed to absorb the force of energy from a frontal impact. This area is not to be repaired.

This lower frail rail is from a full frame vehicle. Full frame vehicles have crush zones in different location depending on the vehicle manufacture. Each vehicle manufacture has repair / replacement guidelines when a full frame vehicle is damaged.

Many body shops today will repair damaged frame rails that need replacing. Many body shops will replace the damaged area and still do not replace the damaged frame area correctly.

©2004 Hampton Wyatt Collision Consultants, LLC. All rights reserved.