Taking a tight 180 turn in a parking garage this morning, some goon coming at me in a big dualie pickup, I pulled too far over and wham, dragged the last 6 inches of my door and right rear quarter panel on a parked cars rear left bumper corner. Heard that sickening sound, god it was terrible. "Good" news is that the parked car was a 20 or so year old Iroc, with faded/chipped/rusted paint over the entire car. Scraped his back left bumper which looks the same as the right so its not clear if I did any damage to his car or not. I took out my camera and took a number of pictures of both bumper corners so he couldnt claim I did anything drastic, and left a note with my info. Then I threw up when I saw my car. Paint damage to back part of door, dented right rear qp. No functional problems that I could tell, door opens just fine without making creaks or anything, fully functional. Just dented with paint damage. Going to a Geico and Maaco garage today to get repair estimates luckily they are nearby and next to each other.

Fawk. I know it happens from time to time, but I am just sick to my stomach right now. Driven now for 16 years, grew up driving in atrocious New England winters and this is the first damage I've ever done to a car, in a damn parking garage. Just sick.

 

aww man.. I'm sorry to hear it.. .it sucks bigtime... but it happens to the best of us. She'll be fixed and pretty in no time

 

Really sorry to hear about your morning....it just goes to show it can happen anytime if you aren't careful.

 

I love a parking garage with the car windows down, and the exhaust sound echoing off the walls. I understand the incident.

Sorry about the damage.

 

Some cop told me that most fender benders happen in parking lots/parking garage. Ever since that, I'm like a paranoid Skitzo in a parking lot, driving like 5 miles per hour.

 

I tried to come to work for a few hours but I cant concentrate. I am going to go have the estimates done and will post some pics.

The good news is that I start a new job in a week and a half so I dont have to use this parking garage anymore.

 

Please do not take your car to Maaco, your insurance will cover where ever you take your car, so why would you want to take it to such a crappy "body shop". Call around or talk to people to find a good body shop or just take it to the dealer (last resort), but do not take it to Maaco.

 

Well the two body shops are next to each other so while I'm at the Geico one I am going to get a second opinion.

 

Yeah MAACO is crap to say the least

 

In Arizona one can use any repair shop they use - insurance company cannot dictate. Had my first damage a couple weeks ago - covered parking outside. They have stalls 2 cars wide - so you try to park fairly close to the posts - either the post is on your left or on your right. I have been parking in these stalls almost daily since I got the Z 18 months ago. This time I was backing out and twisted the wheel to the left too quickly and hooked the front bumper on it . I hear the BAD noise as I backed - was afraid to get out and look. I drove it to a Nissan dealer immediately and gott he back news. Basically it was just replace the front bumper - some braces on it and paint it several coats. Toatal $800. I didnt turn it in to insurance company - have a $500 deductible. Insurance companies have a way of raising rates after any claims it seems. Decided it was easier to swall the $300 than have the rates raised for a few years. We get both our cars for $1580 per year - which is a nice deal anyhow.
Lesson learned: ALWAYS DRIVE CAREFULLY - EVEN AT 5 MPH/ OR LESS!

 

DON'T GO TO MAACO!

For the love of all that is holy, do not go there! Go to the best body shop in town. Maaco is the absolute WORST place you could go to, believe me, unless you don't care if the paint starts peeling off the day after their one-year warranty expires. Insurance companies have contracts with certain shops, but to you, that will be of no other advantage except less paper work. I don't think any state mandates you the shops your insurance company suggests. That would put all others out of business.

So first take it to the best place possible, get an estimate, and then get at least two more from slightly less expensive (but equally reputable) places. Give those to the GEICO adjuster and insist on the best. You have to strong arm insurance companies to get what you want.

And did I mention....DEATH TO MAACO!

 

Sorry to hear that....atleast you were honnest and left your info, too many ppl dont and its bad 'Karma''

 

Sorry to hear about the accident, but I'm glad you came out alright.... I almost totalled my Z on the way to work this morning. A lady in a Ford Taurus was completely stopped in a tunnel and I was coming up behind her at around 70mph. Luckily I wasn't fidgeting with my radio too long, and had the chance to look up soon enough to brake, barely crashing into her.

Try to stay safe and have a happy weekend everybody

 

Why was she stopped in the tunnel? Good luck!

 

She must've been staring at the light at the end of it.

 

Sorry to hear that DC, I think the size of the dent/scratch and the effects it has on the car doesn't really matter when it compares to how you feel. I have a couple of nicks on my front bumper from pebbles and such, and I feel like **** about it.
But you made it out ok, and that's what's most important. Goes to show that it can happen to the best of us (16 years). I've been driving for 11 years and I've yet to get into an accident or even get pulled over. I guess me being "pessimistic" by getting in my car and thinking "It's going to happen today". Keeps me aware of everything around me.
Chin up, is an easy fix.
Love, peace and chicken grease.

 

I will second, third, and fourth that. DO NOT, i repeat, DO NOT take such a beautiful car to a low end body shop. Go to the dealer and ask what body shop they use, and if you aren't going through insurnace, ask them if they can cut you a deal. If you take it to the dealers body shop, they will do it right the first time, since they work on Zs all the time. Good Luck!

 

"Go to the dealer and ask what body shop they use, and if you aren't going through insurnace, ask them if they can cut you a deal. If you take it to the dealers body shop, they will do it right the first time, since they work on Zs all the time. Good Luck!"

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Um, just view my post. I'm sorry this happened to all of us.

https://my350z.com/forum/2003-2009-nissan-350z/149827-2nd-incident-hit-and-run-is-my-car-jinzed.html

 

So sorry to hear about your devestation bud. I park in a parking garage 4 days out of the week. And we all know we want one of the 4 sometimes 8 outer corner spots. Then if we have to we'll take the inner 4 or 8. And everytime i get stuck with the one of the inner 8 I worry that my car will be swiped when I come out. Screw parking garages...

Anyhow on to what I wanted to really put my input about...

Macco = no go!!! I had a buddy get a yellow car painted black at Macco. It was cheap, and looked great for about... hell I dunno 4 months. Now a year or so later every and i mean every single seam, and any panel thats not relativley flat you can see the yellow. And I mean you can see the ****ing yellow! please please take the pain and pay someone way more than you want to and get it fixed with some quality work!