I’m putting this in “Factual Questions” because I’m truly hoping for a factual answer that works, but there may be more than one solution.
A week or so ago, I was driving home from work on the interstate at approximately 75 mph. There were a few trucks in front of me, and one of them was hauling dirt/rocks/debris with no cover on it. Apparently, it hit a rough spot and a rock must have become airborne. As you can easily envision, a body frame runs down each side from the roof to the front, and these are the frames that hold the windshield in place.
I heard a heavy impact on the left frame but saw no damage from inside the car. When I got home and looked, there was a heavy indentation in the frame. Providence must have favored me because, had it struck 3 inches to the left, it might have shattered the windshield and hit me or, had it struck 3 inches to the right, it would have shattered the driver’s side window. I’m surprised that the impact didn’t even cause a hairline fracture in any of the glass.
I have a crater on the frame that has the diameter of, approximately, a baseball. The paint and finish are gone, of course, and a little rust may already be forming.
My question: Is there a way to sand it smooth and “fill” the crater and finish/paint it, or should I just give up and consult an auto body person? I have no idea how easy or hard this would be to deal with.
If you’re talking about your first – or one of your first – DIY auto body repair jobs, this (what sounds like an A-pillar) would, IMHO, NOT be the way to learn.
I believe the conventional term for this is “A-pillar”.
As to the core issue, I don’t have enough bodywork knowledge to know what’s sufficient to address it. But I’d be inclined to take it to a professional to estimate it, and then consider letting my insurance comprehensive coverage pay for the fix.
ETA:
Fuck these non-gendered guys:
This shit is illegal in every jurisdiction I’m aware of. This kind of shit is a powerful argument for a high-resolution dashcam just so you could have the culprit identified and their employer pay for the repair.
I was afraid of that. Even with my limited auto body knowledge, it sure looks like it is a rigid part of the body and not something replaceable like a door or a fender or a bumper.
The A pillar s a structural member, and really should be looked at by a professional. Windshield may start leaking, and that support won’t be able to protect you the way it’s supposed to in an accident.
How much is your vehicle worth and what do you have in terms of comprehensive insurance–and if you have it how high is the deductible? [people with newer vehicles tend to fix any little thing while those of us with old vehicles often drive around with vehicles with body damage which would cost thousands of dollars to fix]
I have a year left on my payments, but I’d like to keep it a couple of more years and save my monthly payments for a good down payment on a new one. That would be twelve large plus the trade in which, for Hondas, is pretty good.
The A pillar of a modern car is a serious miracle of engineering. A major dent has the very real possibility of compromising the pillar’s structural strength - with respect to it protecting the occupants from a roll over or similar serious accident. It might be fine, but dents in any tubular structural members are grounds for concern. The A pillar is what keeps the roof away from you when things get bad.
Do you have the license plate for the truck? If so, I would definitely make a claim against them through my insurance and let them deal with it. Even if they had the infamous “Not responsible for stuff flying out of our truck” that does not absolve them of their liability.
There’s 99% chance there’s nothing about that damage that renders the car structurally unsound. But you now have something applying a smidgen of continuous pressure to the windshield frame. Which will crack the windshield on some extra warm or extra cold day soon.
A body shop can readily tweak the windshield frame back to flat, fix the cosmetics, and send you on your way. Readily is not the same as “cheaply.” But that’s what your insurance is for.
Unfortunately not. The shock of the impact caused me to take my foot of the gas and recover myself. By then, he had disappeared into the crowd of traffic.
The first thing you should do is contact your insurance company and start a claim. This is likely going to be an expensive fix. These days, pretty much all body work is expensive. I’m guessing the cost will be in the thousands.
I’m a lot more optimistic and would lean toward No Big Deal. If the door and windows open and close and the windshield area (sealing surfaces, mostly) isn’t compromised, my sight-unseen guess is that it’s just cosmetic.
