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Got rear-ended, but not the good way. :(

amdhunter

amdhunter

Lifer
- Year: 2007
- Make: Volkswagen
- Model: GLi
- Engine: 2.0L Turbo
- Trim Level: Fahrenheit
- Modifications: None
- Mileage: 5450 Miles

What happenned: Stopped by Crossing Guard to let kids pass by. 4 seconds after being stopped, rear ended by a one of these. Since crossing guards are employed by NYPD, the Police Officers took only her word and determined the other driver at full fault. Police didn't even bother asking either of us what happenned.

There is very little cosmetic damage to the car, but a lot of little weird problems. The car took almost all of the force on the bottom of the car, but the piece is plastic and popped out and looks normal.

After getting hit, I have a lot of small problems. Keep in mind that the car only has 5450 miles.

WORST PROBLEM: Clutch pedal clicks midway and I can hear a cracking sound when I push the pedal from the engine bay. When I downshift, it slips weird. Shifting sounds crunchy when the pedal hits that point. If the stick is in nuetral position, the pedal still clicks loud at the same point. I had ZERO problems before the hit. I was in gear when I got hit and let go of the clutch to brake, to avoid hitting passing kids. Car stalled very hard.

ANOTHER WEIRD ONE: Car turns weird, like the back isn't turning with the car. It feels like I am driving on snow and it's sliding. I can also hear the back of the car rattle from the roof area, and it sounds like it's flexing. It looks normal otherwise. I can't reproduce it 100% but it's there and makes me feel uneasy.

ANNOYANCE: Something in the dashboard broke off, and is sliding left and right...Also rattling like crazy. What the hell?

ANNOYANCE: Muffler has a hole in it. Really bassy sound from the car. I thought I smelled gas this morning also when I started it?

Cosmetically, the trunk was hit and slightly dented, the bottom of the car took all the impact, but it's a plastic piece and snapped back into place, so it looks normal. Paint was chipped at the point of the hit. Spoiler was cracked in half.

What do you guys think? Someone mentioned it could just be knocked out of alignment, but I am kinda depressed now. 🙁 There wasn't a single dent. scratch or swirl mark on the car in the 16 or so months I have owned it. 🙁




Locked at OP's request


esquared
Anandtech Senior Moderator

 
Take it to a VW dealership and they them sort it out and fix everything that is wrong with it. Document everything that is wrong, and don't accept it until it drives like new
 
Originally posted by: CptCrunch
Take it to a VW dealership and they them sort it out and fix everything that is wrong with it. Document everything that is wrong, and don't accept it until it drives like new
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I plan to do, but why so many problems from a hit with so little cosmetic damage. Does it sound weird that I have gearbox problems after a hit?
 
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Why the hell am I downloading a RAR file when you could just host the pics? :|
Click to expand...

It's a vid. The camera died on me when i switched it to take pics...
 
Originally posted by: amdhunter
Originally posted by: CptCrunch
Take it to a VW dealership and they them sort it out and fix everything that is wrong with it. Document everything that is wrong, and don't accept it until it drives like new
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I plan to do, but why so many problems from a hit with so little cosmetic damage. Does it sound weird that I have gearbox problems after a hit?
Click to expand...

I couldn't tell you honestly, as much as I'd like to pretend I know stuff about cars, I really dont. That would be more of a question for ZV
 
Originally posted by: amdhunter
Originally posted by: CptCrunch
Take it to a VW dealership and they them sort it out and fix everything that is wrong with it. Document everything that is wrong, and don't accept it until it drives like new
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I plan to do, but why so many problems from a hit with so little cosmetic damage. Does it sound weird that I have gearbox problems after a hit?
Click to expand...

Yes, it sounds very weird to me. Even if you dumped the clutch it shouldn't make the clutch action *feel* any different. It might slip, or smell funky, but you shouldn't have a crunchy feeling.


I'd take it to a VW dealer. I can't help but to wonder if these problems existed before but you didn't happen to notice until looking for it?
 
Probably the clutch is non-related. Some of the other stuff might just be in your head. Get someone else to drive your car and ask them.
 
Originally posted by: Deviant Grasshopper
Originally posted by: amdhunter
Originally posted by: CptCrunch
Take it to a VW dealership and they them sort it out and fix everything that is wrong with it. Document everything that is wrong, and don't accept it until it drives like new
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I plan to do, but why so many problems from a hit with so little cosmetic damage. Does it sound weird that I have gearbox problems after a hit?
Click to expand...

Yes, it sounds very weird to me. Even if you dumped the clutch it shouldn't make the clutch action *feel* any different. It might slip, or smell funky, but you shouldn't have a crunchy feeling.


I'd take it to a VW dealer. I can't help but to wonder if these problems existed before but you didn't happen to notice until looking for it?
Click to expand...

No, the clutch pedal is making a "CLICK" when I depress it now. That was definitely not there before. I am wondering if the bottom of the car got shifted somehow, since the doors rattling and the dashboard sounds weird.
 
Originally posted by: amdhunter
Originally posted by: Deviant Grasshopper
Originally posted by: amdhunter
Originally posted by: CptCrunch
Take it to a VW dealership and they them sort it out and fix everything that is wrong with it. Document everything that is wrong, and don't accept it until it drives like new
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I plan to do, but why so many problems from a hit with so little cosmetic damage. Does it sound weird that I have gearbox problems after a hit?
Click to expand...

Yes, it sounds very weird to me. Even if you dumped the clutch it shouldn't make the clutch action *feel* any different. It might slip, or smell funky, but you shouldn't have a crunchy feeling.


I'd take it to a VW dealer. I can't help but to wonder if these problems existed before but you didn't happen to notice until looking for it?
Click to expand...

No, the clutch pedal is making a "CLICK" when I depress it now. That was definitely not there before. I am wondering if the bottom of the car got shifted somehow, since the doors rattling and the dashboard sounds weird.
Click to expand...

I'm sure it's possible, but typically cars go through a lot of crash testing. If VW's are falling apart from a minor rear-end collision I'd think VW would know by now.




The clutch is probably hydraulic and has nothing to do with the frame of the car unless it was enough to bend a mount for the pedal, which I'm assuming didn't happen. Everything clutch related is in the front of the car.
 
Originally posted by: amdhunter
Originally posted by: CptCrunch
Take it to a VW dealership and they them sort it out and fix everything that is wrong with it. Document everything that is wrong, and don't accept it until it drives like new
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I plan to do, but why so many problems from a hit with so little cosmetic damage. Does it sound weird that I have gearbox problems after a hit?
Click to expand...

did you get hit while in gear? Did you stale it when you got hit?

My assumption is when you got it hit staled in first, and he pushed you a bit??? or were you in N with the brake?
 
Originally posted by: ViviTheMage
Originally posted by: amdhunter
Originally posted by: CptCrunch
Take it to a VW dealership and they them sort it out and fix everything that is wrong with it. Document everything that is wrong, and don't accept it until it drives like new
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I plan to do, but why so many problems from a hit with so little cosmetic damage. Does it sound weird that I have gearbox problems after a hit?
Click to expand...

did you get hit while in gear? Did you stale it when you got hit?

My assumption is when you got it hit staled in first, and he pushed you a bit??? or were you in N with the brake?
Click to expand...

It sounds like he has a 5 speed and was in first gear. When he got it he dumped the clutch and stalled the car.


Really, no worse than stalling at a red light or stop sign. I hope that VW clutches can hold up to something like that.
 
oh, they can deviant...I had my sister drive my 5 speed so she could learn stick...did she suck and stale it numerous times....but if he got pushed a bit, it may cause an issue...and the 2.0T has a 6 speed 😀
 
Originally posted by: ViviTheMage
Originally posted by: amdhunter
Originally posted by: CptCrunch
Take it to a VW dealership and they them sort it out and fix everything that is wrong with it. Document everything that is wrong, and don't accept it until it drives like new
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I plan to do, but why so many problems from a hit with so little cosmetic damage. Does it sound weird that I have gearbox problems after a hit?
Click to expand...

did you get hit while in gear? Did you stale it when you got hit?

My assumption is when you got it hit staled in first, and he pushed you a bit??? or were you in N with the brake?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was in gear. It stalled super hard. 🙁

I had a green light, and was stopped mid-intersection and ready to go. Usually I am in nuetral at a red light.

When I got hit, I panicked at the kids in front of me, and slammed the brakes first thing. I didn't really think about letting the clutch in and braking. 🙁
 
my first reaction is to slam clutch and brake, but I would assume that is what is causing the issue...have VW fix it, and of course document it....if you have to pay anything, the guy who hit you from behind will have to pony up.
 
Originally posted by: zoiks
Probably the clutch is non-related. Some of the other stuff might just be in your head. Get someone else to drive your car and ask them.
Click to expand...

Missed your post. No, I am very particular with rattles. I took apart the interior of my Civic to fix a small rattle that was barely audible to most people. Right now, something is loose inside of my dashboard, and theres a rattle by the airbag near the front passenger door. The noises can interuppt normal conversations.

When I drive, it sounds like someone is having sex on my roof.

The clutch was 100%, no clicks or rattles. If you stand 20 feet away, you can hear the clicking noise. You can also feel it when depressing the clutch. The clutch is making a zipping noise in every gear when I drive now, always at the point where the clutch pedal clicks.

Yearrgh. Monday is my appointment with Geico, I might just let them tow it tomorrow.
 
Originally posted by: amdhunter
WORST PROBLEM: Clutch pedal clicks midway and I can hear a cracking sound when I push the pedal from the engine bay. When I downshift, it slips weird. Shifting sounds crunchy when the pedal hits that point. If the stick is in nuetral position, the pedal still clicks loud at the same point. I had ZERO problems before the hit. I was in gear when I got hit and let go of the clutch to brake, to avoid hitting passing kids. Car stalled very hard.
Click to expand...

Most likely a broken spring in the clutch center that has come out and is now stuck in the friction material. The clutch center has springs in it to absorb some of the engagement force, but they can break if a lot of force is applied suddenly. It sounds as though this is what happened when you (very correctly) chose to let the car stall and just hit the brakes to avoid the kids. The bad news is that you will probably now need both a new clutch and a new flyhweel since the spring will have likely gauged the flywheel.

Originally posted by: amdhunter
ANOTHER WEIRD ONE: Car turns weird, like the back isn't turning with the car. It feels like I am driving on snow and it's sliding. I can also hear the back of the car rattle from the roof area, and it sounds like it's flexing. It looks normal otherwise. I can't reproduce it 100% but it's there and makes me feel uneasy.
Click to expand...

Definitely an alignment issue. It's possible to have structural damage even without significant exterior cosmetic damage. You will need to have a professional check your car's frame before having an alignment done.

Originally posted by: amdhunter
ANNOYANCE: Something in the dashboard broke off, and is sliding left and right...Also rattling like crazy. What the hell?
Click to expand...

If the frame got tweaked (even if it's reparable), it's possible that one of the plastic clips that hold the dashboard in place snapped off and now is creating a rattle. These kinds of things are a royal pain to fix, but the insurance of the person who hit you is indeed obliged to correct this issue.

Originally posted by: amdhunter
ANNOYANCE: Muffler has a hole in it. Really bassy sound from the car. I thought I smelled gas this morning also when I started it?
Click to expand...

Again, the insurance company should fix this. If you were hit hard enough for the muffler to have a hole put into it, then it's likely that the frame was tweaked at least a little.

Bottom line: Have a very good body shop (of your choice, the other driver's insurance company should not get to choose, it's your car and it's almost brand new, there's NO excuse for the insurance company to try to use cut-rate parts or service) check the car over thoroughly. Drive with them and point out the rattles. Get a comprehensive estimate and have them contact the insurance of the person who hit you.

ZV
 
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
<snip>
Click to expand...

Ugh, that sucks. My insurance is taking care of all the repairs. They will go after the other insurance company when they receive the police report.

Damn, I didn't think the damage could be that bad. The car seems to be driving straight, but when I turn, its a problem.

Arrgh, I hate the Winter. People forget how to drive. I am glad I didn't hit a kid, but I thought after a year of driving a stick, I'd remember to clutch in when I brake during an emergency situation. 🙁

They have to fix the rattles right? 🙁
 
Originally posted by: amdhunter
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
<snip>
Click to expand...

Ugh, that sucks. My insurance is taking care of all the repairs. They will go after the other insurance company when they receive the police report.

Damn, I didn't think the damage could be that bad. The car seems to be driving straight, but when I turn, its a problem.

Arrgh, I hate the Winter. People forget how to drive. I am glad I didn't hit a kid, but I thought after a year of driving a stick, I'd remember to clutch in when I brake during an emergency situation. 🙁

They have to fix the rattles right? 🙁
Click to expand...

If the car didn't rattle beforehand, then yes, they have to fix them. They may not want to because it will cost a lot, and it may be a hassle, but with a car as new as yours with as few miles as yours has, you absolutely deserve to have them fixed.

Don't be hard on yourself about the clutch. You made the right decision. When the engine stalled, it gave extra resistance and actually helped you to stop more quickly. In the end, the car is much easier to fix than a child and you did the right thing.

ZV
 
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