You're f'ed at that point regardless, so I'd prefer a new panel over any bondo or filler of any kind.

 

Its a lease, so that probably doesn't make sense.

I was considering buying the car at lease end but I've lost that option and there isn't a way to make a legal claim for lost optionality.

 

I'm pretty sure that even with a brand new panel, they're still going to use body filler.

 

OK, this thread needs to calm down a little bit. Everyone go to the refrigerator, find a beer, a magnet and your favorite piece of microfiber cloth and inspect your car. The rear fender of our cars is steel. The back bumper is plastic and can be replaced easily,along with that super awesome engine air filter change. This car will likely need some suspension bits replaced, but those are also bolt in parts. From the picture, I suspect that the rear fender may need to be repainted but from what I can see the sheet-metal isn't badly bent. A decent shop should have no trouble making this right. If the OP doesn't want to buy the car at the end of the lease guys like me will gladly pick it up after a proper repair.

 

This is comforting. You think the bent axel is just going to be fairly minimal?

I remember the impact being moderate.. the body damage is minimal so that energy had to go somewhere....

 

I strongly suspect that the loadbearing parts of the suspension took most of the force of impact. All of these pieces are cast aluminum. It seems unlikely that the axle itself would be designed in a way that would allowsignificant lateral force to transmit directly to the transmission but there's no way to rule it out. Even if your transmission and differential were damaged, a certified shop should be able to figure this out pretty quickly. at the worst, you may be the beneficiary of a new transmission and rear suspension. The underlying steel structure of the car is probably preserved. Again, a good shop could confirm this as part of routine business.

 

So is obeying the speed limit.

 

This event is an example of why leasing can be an attractive option for some, if you only keep your cars 3 or 4 years. Your car gets fixed, it looks like new but it's value is diminished to someone else, but not you. PCNA picks up the diminished value.

 

As n8 mentioned, the aluminum arms are probably bent. Hopefully because they are so soft, no damage was passed on to the frame. In fact, aluminum suspension arms are so soft, they can bend if used to hold down the vehicle when it is towed, which is why they now tow most cars with straps holding the tires.

 

I agree wheel bent. Otherwise it's a trivial paint job.

 

 

it is????

 

+1

 

Good luck with that negotiation.

 

That's not necessarily the case. A 991 that has been badly damaged can easily be worth $10K to $15K less than an undamaged car. So when the lessee returns a previously damaged vehicle at lease end, the lessor may hold them liable for the amount of the diminished value.
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It's always a good idea to pursue diminished value to offset the loss that was sustained. I have only one experience trying to collect diminished value and it was a real struggle, despite the fact that there was a police report which clearly blamed the other driver and an arbitration case which found the other driver at fault. It took nearly a year before I finally collected $7500 from the other driver's Insurance company.