Some 'person of lesser driving ability' backed into my rear-end today in a parking lot. Broke the taillight assembly, and pushed in one side of the center piece.

My main concern is the key not turning now to open the trunk, and it seems like the rear hatch is raised up a tiny bit. I'm sure the latch assembly is pushed in, but the metal seems like it's pushed in too a little, because the weatherstripping it too far forward. You can see it in the picture, the plastic underside of the deck showing.

I haven't tried hitting the 'release' button yet.

If it is totaled, then it's going to be a major battle with the insurance company because they'll say the car is worth $1300 or so, and I just spent too much on a new engine and tranny ($2300 or so if I add up all of it, maybe more, that crap just added up more than I thought it would once I started)

Either way, I'm going to keep driving this car, even if I have to straighten the metal myself.

 

That looks pretty bad for just backing into you. Did they take off?

 

That looks cosmetic I highly doubt they will total the car over a busted tailight and a dented support

Pull the taillights and the bumper cover and look, hard to tell exactly whats wrong from just the pics

 

the rear metal wall of the body does move pretty easily its very braced at all i now this frome xperience when i have stripped down f bodies and taken an axe to the rear, it doesnt take very much at all to bend it, the first wack screw it up really badly, bends easily

good luck

 

Same thing happened to me, just get new tail lights, take the interior piece off the back get a rubber mallet and a measuring take and re-align your hatch. My lower bumper wasn't messed up, but that doesn't look that bad. Pull off the bumper cover and see what's jacked underneath it.

 

It was Ford F250 4x4 driven some 55yr old 4.5 ft tall woman. Didn't even notice she hit someone. She returned though when the cop gave her a call. The fact that the head walmart security guy witnessed it while he got out of his car helped a lot.

I think I might bring my laptop with me, and if they start asking me just what happened or whatever, I'll just play the security camera video of her backing out into my car and trying to make a multi-point turnaround before heading out the wrong direction.

I took a look at the junkyard today, found a formula and the hatch seal looked the same way mine does at the moment, so maybe it's not shoved forward as far as I think. The junkyard car didn't look to be rear-ended.

I can't really tell much though without opening the hatch, and I'm not messing with it until the insurance adjuster and shop look it over. They can be the ones to try and open it.

The left side of the hatch seems raised up though. It looks like it's 3/16 - 1/4 in. high.

 

Well, the repair estimate is less than the car value, so it's getting fixed. Don't get me wrong, I was going to fix it regardless, only now it'll be much more hassle free.

 

Certainly looks manageable... Insurance wise it'd come out to a fortune with the replacement parts, but fixing it yourself wouldn't take too much effort.