I was on my way home with my wife this evening, and my car got rear ended by a pickup truck when we were waiting at a stop sign, sigh... no one got hurt, but my heart is still bleeding due to the damage done to my dear 35k miles stick shift 997.2.

It was rainy and dark, and my car is also black so I am not sure the degree of the damage. From what I can tell, rear bumper took the hit and the engine lid looks warped. Because the truck did not carry much speed, I really really hope no harm is done to the structure.

I pulled over to the parking area next to the stop sign and took a few photos:


















1. Any recommendation for auto body shops who specialize in Porsches in Seattle/Bellevue area?
2. The car was bought a year ago as a Porsche CPO vehicle with clean history, and I hope to keep it for long term. Nevertheless, at this moment do I have to talk to my insurance company (or the other driver's insurance company?) about diminished value? (It's 100% the other driver's fault; police officer showed up and the report has also been filed.)

Thanks in advance for all the inputs!

 

There are a couple insurance nightmare threads on this board currently, so check out those for what not to do. Basically, don’t talk to anyone other than your insurance company. The other one may try to entice you with quick money, don’t fall for that. Go get your own estimates from a good shop before the appraiser meeting, and show them to the appraiser. Then let your insurance co negotiate rates with them. It may take a bit longer and you may have to front some $ as the subrocation plays out, but this is best way to get it fixed right. Good luck and sorry this happened.

 

There are a few threads around here with similiar stories. I read one recently and the Tl;Dr was make sure you find a Porsche certified body shop if you want the work done right.

 

Doesn't look too terrible from the photos.

Definitely sucks, but get it fixed right by a good body shop, and don't get too alarmist and lose sleep over it. Keep good records of the fix, including photos and body shop estimates and the ultimate fix.

Good luck.

 

Good news is that it doesn’t look severe. You might just be in for a new rear bumper and deck lid. I’d get it checked out independently and take next steps from there (contacting insurance, diminished value, etc).

 

One of the posts referred to above was about a car that had less visible damage than this one and still required $35K to restore due to engine out work to the body and frame components that required a special factory rig to install properly. Don't count on it being inexpensive or fast.

 

Just out of curiosity, during December do you go around telling little kids there is no Santa Claus?

 

I suppose the smart thing to do is not panic and not to assume the worst case scenario. Maybe better to wait for the body shop analysis.

 

That's really disappointing.

From what I see in the pics and if you were able to drive it home, I think you'll be OK. muffler tips don't even look out of position. Bumper cover obviously will need to be replaced and the aluminum structure under it and maybe the shocks for it, and possibly the decklid, but I think you're looking at leas than $10k on a $55k car so nowhere near the 75% totaling threshold. Airbag deployments add a lot of cost, but not usually in a rear end collision and if you don't have an airbag warning light, then the bags and seatbelt pyro pretensioners are fine.

 

It's likely no structural impact due to the center high hit that appears to be well distributed and not a point contact.

 

Sorry to hear that. That can't be a good feeling. I know you said it was rainy and dark, but I've noticed any time I am out in my 911, it is ALWAYS a pickup that has to tail me too close while going down the road, gets too close to the back of my car at lights, or that wants to race. What is the deal with pickup drivers?

 

Hopefully the damage is not serious.

Your comments about seeking out a shop that specializes in Porsches is right on target - and I would not deviate from that course of action.

When the repair is completed, you'll want to feel 100% assured that everything was properly addressed. I would stress the importance of having photos taken throughout the repair so that you have full documentation on what was affected and the degree and quality of the repair work. A future prospective buyer of the car will want to see that.

Good luck with the process.

 

Glad that there were no injuries. Hopefully the car's damage isn't too bad viz the internal components. I'd take it to Queen City Auto Rebuild in Redmond. They're certified by Porsche.

 

There were probably a boatload of Camry's, SUV's or Hyundai's that he could have hit- he really had to target your Porsche with his incompetence and lack of attention?! So sorry, but let's hope it's just a matter of bolting on new parts and you're back in business.

 

Many thanks for all the replies! Really really appreciate the inputs and help info from this community!

The car has been taken to a Porsche certified body shop, and the initial inspection suggests that the rear bumper and deck lid need to be replaced, along with some small parts attached to them. The good news is that no structural damage has been found so far, which makes me feel a little better.

Now waiting for the claim to be approved and then the shop could proceed to begin the repair job. Next thing I am hoping to do is to figure out filing a diminished value claim. Any info regarding this matter is great appreciated.

I could only lament that another clean and low mile manual 997.2 now has a history with an accident. Sigh...