QuestionAn accident involving a Suburban and a BMW, colliding while both were backing out of opposite parking lot stalls- so- about 3 mph or less. The BMW was stopped. Collision was to the left taillight of the BMW. Total damage to the 2003 BMW M3 amounted to $5,000 or so, all on the left rear portion, bumper etc. Part of the estimate was a "judgment item" of a "unibody pull." Is it likely that such a pull was really necessary, and if so, was 4.0 hours for the pull and another 2.0 to "set up and measure control points" reasonable? Is unibody damage likely in such a low-speed collision? They also did a four-wheel alignment.
AnswerWILLIAM.... WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE DAMAGES IT IS DIFFICULT TO ACCURATELY DIAGNOSE.
THE UNIBODY PULL IS TO ROUGH OUT THE UPPER PART OF THE VEHICLE...THAT IS ANY STRUCTURE THAT SITS ABOVE THE FLOOR PAN. TRUE UNIBODY DAMAGES NORMALLY INDICATE THAT THE FRAME RAIL WHICH IS WELDED TO THE FLOOR HAS MOVED.
IN SUCH A LOW SPEED COLLISION THIS IS PROBABLY UNLIKELY. HOWEVER IF THE UPPER PARTS IE QUARTER
PANEL...REAR BODY PANEL HAVE MOVED IT IS CUSTOMARY TO BRING THEM BACK INTO SHAPE USING THE UNI BODY PULL DESIGNATION ON THE ESTIMATE.
THE ALIGNMENT WILL CHECK THE LOWER UNITIZED STRUCTURE FOR DAMAGE BUT NOT THE UPPER HENCE THE
SET UP AND MEASURE THAT IS LISTED ON THE ESTIMATE.
THIS WILL ENSURE THAT THE REPAIR FACILITY WILL MEASURE THE REAR DOOR OPENING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS SQUARE AND IN FACTORY SPECS.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO VISIT HTTP://MPKGLOBALSOLUTIONS FOR AN EXPLANATION OF THE ESTIMATE AND REPAIR
PROCESS.
THANKS AND GOOD LUCK
