Audi A2 vs Renault Espace

[deheld]

Hi,

Last friday my A2 was hit by a Renault Espace. I drove about 50 km/h, the espace maybe 60 km/h. He had to let me pass but he claimed he never saw me (the downside of a small car....) and he almost never braked.
The espace hit the A2 on the side between the headlights and the wheelarch.
The damage is substantial but I don't think the car is totalled. The front is cracked open, both front sidepanels are bent, both headlights are damaged, foglights are gone, left wheel is damaged, hood is bent. servicemodule is cracked and when pushing the car from the road the driversdoor was damaged.

But perhabs the leasecompany decides that it's financially wiser to sell the A2... I expect an answer tuesday when a damage report is taken.

I took some pictures but they are very bad since it was dark. I enhanced one:

http://picserver.student.utwente.nl/getpicture.php?id=418704

The Espace had a flat tire and some minor scratches. Since the Espace is from the same leasecompany both cars were towed together, but I don't have pictures of that.



Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi

[shezlee]

From the text it sounds as if the front had been distroyed but to look at the pictures it don't look to bad.

Hope your OK and you get a new A2 soon.

Lee and Sheridan,
TDI SE, Build 11/01, Dolphin Grey (http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk18.htm)
50% Brighter Bulbs : Audi 6 CD Changer (http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/guide1.doc) : Rear drinks holder (http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/guide2.doc) : Floppy Wiper (http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/guide4.doc) : Centre Tray (http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/guide5.doc) : Elasticated Belt System (http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/guide7.doc) : Chrome Numberplate Surround (http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/guide11.doc): A3 Transmission Nets (http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/guide10.doc)

[A2rijder.nl]

It`s sometimes strange how one car is a "bit" more damaged than the other. A friend (driving a VW Lupo) [37] rear-ended a Citroen Picasso, the rear doors from the Citroen could not be opened anymore. The VW Lupo had a bended license-plate and a scratsh on the front bumper.

[img=left]http://www.home.zonnet.nl/e.van.woudenberg/a2 small.jpg[/img=left]A2 1.4 TDI S-line
Ipaq 3870 + TOMTOM II navigator

Homepage (http://www.home.zonnet.nl/e.van.woudenberg/)

My car (http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/europe39.htm)

:)and having fun driving it:)

[Kaine]

Dennis,

Sorry to hear about your accident. Glad your ok.

Kaine

[runboy]

Dennis

Nasty!. Glad your OK. I take it the Renault driver admited it was their fault and you won't have to pay (much anyway)?

Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit

[deheld]

Hi,

I spoke to the damage repair company and they told me that the damage is about 8600 without taxes and that the frame is bent. The "langsdragers" are some kind of beams that are a part of the spaceframe. These are (slightly) bent. The repaircompany has no clue what to do with it, since it's their first damaged spaceframe.
My case is now at the department that decides whether or not the car is financially totalled. From them I heard that they are not to happy straightening cars and certainly not aluminium ones.

More news is expected on wednesday. It looks bad though....

Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi

[Shaf]

Dennis

Sounds like the A2 will be an uneconomical repair/total loss, but it did its job and kept you safe and well. Hope you get it resolved soon.
Shaf

Nov 2002 TDi Sport, Silver,Black/grey interior,climate. Replaced previous Mar 2001 TDi SE

[swiv]

Hi Dennis, glad you are okay.
Must say I had the same respone as shezlee: the text makes you expect the worst, but the picture doesn't look too bad.

Bad still bad enough. Judging the license plate your car is quite young, but 8600 is a lot, especially when the repair company doesn't even know what to do...

I sure hope that the lease company doesn't start to complain to you, making you pay additional fees because of a young car getting totalled so soon. They shouldn't.

Oh, and about the difference in damage. I've rear-ended other cars three times so far, and was rear-ended once too. In all cases the cars that are hit from behind were better off than the one doing the crash. I guess that's the way those front crumple zones work.

Good luck!

--
Edo
(2003 Silver 1.4 Tdi Exclusive(SE), black interior, sport seats, heated mirrors, JVC KD-SH909RB cd-receiver, Infinity Kappa 63.1 + Vifa on-dash tweeters, 12" Subwoofer on 300w Amp)

[deheld]

Swiv,

The car is from March 2002.
They will not bill me for the car, if it is totalled. That would be the bloody limit !!
The other driver admitted that it was his fault, since he had to let me pass but claimed he never saw me....

Still, I'm curious what the outcome will be...


Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi

[Dieselpower]

Hi Dennis,

I was just wondering why i did not see your A2 in the parking lot at HP, our A2's did look nice together.
Good to see that you're alright, reading your posts i do think Leaseplan will write off your car.

Good luck!


'08/'02 A2 1.4 TDI, Ebony black, DIS, Cruise Control, sportseats, open sky system, 16"wheels

[deheld]

quote:Originally posted by Dieselpower

Hi Dennis,

I was just wondering why i did not see your A2 in the parking lot at HP, our A2's did look nice together.
Good to see that you're alright, reading your posts i do think Leaseplan will write off your car.


Dieselpower,

Usually I'm not at the office. Anyday at the office is mostly not billable and therefore not good. I try to be out of the office and with customers as much as I can :)

I spoke to the leasecompany today and currently they are accepting bids on the car. This will give them a indication of the value of the damaged car. If this value and the damage add up to the day-value, the car is gone. If not, it is fixed.

They should have an answer next tuesday....

Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi

[deheld]

Surprisingly the car is (already) being fixed....

On one hand I'm reliefd (no more waiting) and glad that I'll get my A2 back. On the other hand I'm somewhat worried whether or not the repair is done correct...a part of me expected never to see the A2 again, 9000 Euro's damage is quite a lot....

I contacted the repair company and they assured me that they have all the equipment and that they are certified and that the car will have a ISO and FOCWA certificate when it's fixed.

So, I'll guess I'll have to trust that and just wait and see.

Keep you posted !


Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi

[deheld]

Update time again,

The new crashzone is welded into place and the mainbeams are straightened again. However it turns out the airco pump was also damaged so the airo system has to be fixed and refilled. I expect to get the ar back next friday.

Can't wait, I'm really starting to miss my A2... I've been driving a Chrysler Neon 2.0 since the accident. Nice car, but I feel like a pimp in it...



Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi

[swiv]

Hi Dennis,

Amazing story. I also didn't expect your car to be fixed, for that amount of money... Hope everything turns out okay for your A2. So no nagging voice in the back of your head, telling you that you think to notice a small change in ...steering....alignment....sound.... ;) I'm just teasing you!

And about the Neon: you should be glad you didn't get any of the other Chrysler types! How about a PT Cruiser with the nice chrome-plated alloy wheels!?!

--
Edo
(2003 Silver 1.4 Tdi Exclusive(SE), black interior, sport seats, heated mirrors, JVC KD-SH909RB cd-receiver, Infinity Kappa 63.1 + Vifa on-dash tweeters, 12" Subwoofer on 300w Amp)

[deheld]

Did I mention the Neon is Black Metallic on the outside, has chrome alloy wheels and a light grey interior ??

Big Pimpin....

Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi

[swiv]

quote:Originally posted by deheld

Did I mention the Neon is Black Metallic on the outside, has chrome alloy wheels and a light grey interior ??

Big Pimpin....


[8D] OMG!

Let me add "50 cents"'s words to that....."I don't know what you think about me...but I'm a motherf.....g P.I.M.P !"

Windows rolled down of course. And nod your head slowly to the beat.

Good luck in regaining your social position in your neigborhood ;)

--
Edo
(2003 Silver 1.4 Tdi Exclusive(SE), black interior, sport seats, heated mirrors, JVC KD-SH909RB cd-receiver, Infinity Kappa 63.1 + Vifa on-dash tweeters, 12" Subwoofer on 300w Amp)

[deheld]

Even worse,

The interior is leather :)

Slowly cruising through the 'hood at 5 km/h....

BTW they now say that the A2 should be finished on tuesday....

Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi

[deheld]

Well,

I've got the A2 back and I must say they did a nice job. If I didn't know any better I'd say it looks like new. Paintjob is factory quality and all the panels and bumpers fi correct. Ride quality is exactly the same, no squeeks or creeking noises, nothing.
Carradio, heater, satnav everything works.
One minor problem is that the steering wheel is a little bit twisted, but that's fixed on friday.

All in all, I was worried but it turned out good ! Maybe it's the modulair construction of the A2 that allows it to be repaired to this degree. And maybe it's the stiff frame that prevents it from squeeking.

Anyway, I'm glad to have the A2 back !

Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi

[swiv]

Good to hear that, Dennis!
So now I can crash my A2 into other cars to my own heart's content. They can fix it! ;)


--
Edo
(2003 Silver 1.4 Tdi Exclusive(SE), black interior, sport seats, heated mirrors, JVC KD-SH909RB cd-receiver, Infinity Kappa 63.1 + Vifa on-dash tweeters, 12" Subwoofer on 300w Amp)

[deheld]

Swiv,

It did take them 6 weeks and nearly 10.000 Euro's to fix it so you might want to reconsider that :-)

Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi

[swiv]

Please call me Edo, Dennis. Swiv is just a nickname ;)

Anyway, my car's a company leasecar too. Not that I'm saying that I'd like to be without my A2 for 6 weeks. Nor do I make a habit out of crashing into other stationary objects.
But when it happens, at least I do not have to fear that it _cannot_ be repaired right.

So far you're the first A2 I've read about that got this kind of damage repaired. All other stories are about people 'totalling' their A2.
I rate your story as valuable information!

Drive safely, take care of your refurbished A2 ;)

--
Edo
(2003 Silver 1.4 Tdi Exclusive(SE), black interior, sport seats, heated mirrors, JVC KD-SH909RB cd-receiver, Infinity Kappa 63.1 + Vifa on-dash tweeters, 12" Subwoofer on 300w Amp)