Rear Ended damage to Frame Rails or not?

[Ryom]

In regards to the OP, I don't think he actually has the technical expertise to get a salvage vehicle on the road given that he had to ask if his frame was bent. He should be stripping the vehicle down to the frame and doing a hand inspection of everything, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't know what he'd be looking at. For a hit that hard I can guarantee that there is more damage to other components and structure.

There are people that could pull a high-end vehicle out of salvage and use their extensive technical know how to restore such a vehicle... but the Maverick is going to be tough to recoup those costs on, especially if you aren't doing the bulk of the work yourself in a shop you own.

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[Glen Baker LLC]

In regards to the OP, I don't think he actually has the technical expertise to get a salvage vehicle on the road given that he had to ask if his frame was bent. He should be stripping the vehicle down to the frame and doing a hand inspection of everything, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't know what he'd be looking at. For a hit that hard I can guarantee that there is more damage to more components and structure.

There are people that could pull a high-end vehicle out of salvage and use their extensive technical know how to restore such a vehicle... but the Maverick is going to be tough to recoup those costs on, especially if you aren't doing the bulk of the work yourself in a shop you own.

Let's not forget he lives in Grand forks North Dakota means it has to be fixed and then inspected by an independent certified shop.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

In regards to the OP, I don't think he actually has the technical expertise to get a salvage vehicle on the road given that he had to ask if his frame was bent. He should be stripping the vehicle down to the frame and doing a hand inspection of everything, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't know what he'd be looking at. For a hit that hard I can guarantee that there is more damage to more components and structure.

There are people that could pull a high-end vehicle out of salvage and use their extensive technical know how to restore such a vehicle... but the Maverick is going to be tough to recoup those costs on, especially if you aren't doing the bulk of the work yourself in a shop you own.

I agree I have a good friend that Runs His own body shop. I seen Him replace an entire side of a Honda Civic IIRC and all the spot welds He had to drill out was crazy then You have to weld them back up afterwards. I don't know how He does but He did go to Vocational School in the Auto Body class years ago.

 

[EffNo50]

I was rear-ended just 3 month and almost 3000 miles into the truck I drove off the lot with 26 mile on the odometer. Mine had much less damage and was considered totaled. The manufactured "pinches" in the rail for the crumple zones flexed just enough on one side to wrinkle the paint. I'm pretty sure I could sand it out with 600 grit sand paper and minimal effort, then spritz it with some white paint and no one would know even if I pointed it out.
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/it-happened-anyway-rear-ended.56511/

The collision shop that did the initial inspection gave me the frame measurements: only the bolts holding the receiver hitch in place were out of spec: less than 1/4" on one side and less than 3/8" on the other side. The spec allows +/- 3mm or almost 1/8". I plan on someday loosening the hitch, pull it out about 1/4" on both sides and tightening it back up, I haven't towed anything yet and won't exceed the 2K limit or the 500lbs tongue weight if I do. (Except the one 5 mph for 50 ft tow I did earlier this month...still need to get under and see if my paint is any more wrinkled)
With this knowledge, I took the owner retain route: took the insurance check to my bank and was approved for a personal loan for the remainder. I only replaced the plastic bumper and the supporting plastic underneath that had been damamged, got the brake and light inspection, DMV inspections and another set of license plates (no idea why DMV made me change them). Might be leaving a few smaller items off my list, like restless nights and ulcers figuring all this out.
I now have lower insurance (PL/PD only), a lower monthly payment (personal loan), and anxiety about getting in another accident, but it is now much easier to make modifications to MY truck.

Sounds like you aren't looking for a show car. If you don't ever plan on towing:
1. find out what your state requires for road worthiness
2. see if you can find someone in your state that can give you pointers on what must be done
3. price out the non-tow crash bar and required plastic, required state inspections, forms and fees
4. that you can get PL/PD insurance
5. have a shop measure the frame and see if the damage is all behind the rear axle.
6. decide if you can handle this route, expecting a few more expenses to arise.

 

[Vik]

I was rear-ended just 3 month and almost 3000 miles into the truck I drove off the lot with 26 mile on the odometer. Mine had much less damage and was considered totaled. The manufactured "pinches" in the rail for the crumple zones flexed just enough on one side to wrinkle the paint. I'm pretty sure I could sand it out with 600 grit sand paper and minimal effort, then spritz it with some white paint and no one would know even if I pointed it out.
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/it-happened-anyway-rear-ended.56511/

The collision shop that did the initial inspection gave me the frame measurements: only the bolts holding the receiver hitch in place were out of spec: less than 1/4" on one side and less than 3/8" on the other side. The spec allows +/- 3mm or almost 1/8". I plan on someday loosening the hitch, pull it out about 1/4" on both sides and tightening it back up, I haven't towed anything yet and won't exceed the 2K limit or the 500lbs tongue weight if I do. (Except the one 5 mph for 50 ft tow I did earlier this month...still need to get under and see if my paint is any more wrinkled)
With this knowledge, I took the owner retain route: took the insurance check to my bank and was approved for a personal loan for the remainder. I only replaced the plastic bumper and the supporting plastic underneath that had been damamged, got the brake and light inspection, DMV inspections and another set of license plates (no idea why DMV made me change them). Might be leaving a few smaller items off my list, like restless nights and ulcers figuring all this out.
I now have lower insurance (PL/PD only), a lower monthly payment (personal loan), and anxiety about getting in another accident, but it is now much easier to make modifications to MY truck.

Sounds like you aren't looking for a show car. If you don't ever plan on towing:
1. find out what your state requires for road worthiness
2. see if you can find someone in your state that can give you pointers on what must be done
3. price out the non-tow crash bar and required plastic, required state inspections, forms and fees
4. that you can get PL/PD insurance
5. have a shop measure the frame and see if the damage is all behind the rear axle.
6. decide if you can handle this route, expecting a few more expenses to arise.

Thanks Man. I really appreciate the answer.

 

[MaverickDragon]

If they Hid damages can't You sue them? If there's nothing else You can do I would part it out to try and get Your money back out of it as long as the drive train isn't messed up like the guy in post 36 mentioned..

If the vehicle was an as-is sale there is no legal recourse, unless the title can't be transferred, but apparently it was.

Most businesses are pretty adept at CYA declarations, and considering the Mav was new and sold for cheap, it was likely totaled by insurance and sold with a salvage title.

That should be enough to "let the buyer beware" that the vehicle had more than some cosmetic damage, and I doubt that any legitimate attorney would have any interest in the case.

Hopefully the OP finds some way to recoup his losses, or is able to get the Mav on the road, but considering that his state requires a business to do the repairs on a salvage titled vehicle, and requires a different business to certify the repairs, the "do it for cheap" option appears to be unlikely if he wants to be able to drive it legally on the road.

That's why I suggested a part out option, but the OP may not be in a position to go that route as
some expertise, storage space, tools and logistics are required.

I hope something other than a painful lesson is on tap for Vik, the OP, but it doesn't look too promising. Hopefully I'm wrong about that.

 

[ShadowBlack XL440]

Rear tow‑beam on my 2025 Maverick Hybrid got pushed downward. Two shops say the rear rails (boron steel) must be replaced. My photos look like the integrated hitch/impact bar is bent and some thin white sheet‑metal lips got wrinkled. I need the community’s eyes: is this truly rail damage, or just the beam + thin flanges + brackets? What should I measure/check before authorizing a rail job? Is there a diagram that i can look into?

Personally, I would pull the unibody rails out as well as possible and cut off the trailer hitch. Fix the cosmetic damage to pass a rebuilt inspection. Drive it for 200K without towing anything ever again. Liability insurance only. Scrap it once wore out. This is the best possible way of getting your 14k back out of this truck.

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

https://www.bodyshopbusiness.com/working-with-boron-steel/

There is no straightening of boron steel.

 

[CNJFF]

Rear tow‑beam on my 2025 Maverick Hybrid got pushed downward. Two shops say the rear rails (boron steel) must be replaced. My photos look like the integrated hitch/impact bar is bent and some thin white sheet‑metal lips got wrinkled. I need the community’s eyes: is this truly rail damage, or just the beam + thin flanges + brackets? What should I measure/check before authorizing a rail job? Is there a diagram that i can look into?

...

These are the engineered crumple points on the frame (top pic is driver side but they are the same). The red pair on your truck is obviously damaged but even the blue is crushed a little. I assume the other side is similar.

It looks like the rails had their own part numbers (can't find it listed for 2025) inside the assembly but even replacing just that would likely require taking almost everything apart.

 

[EffNo50]

From the pictures given I have no doubts about the repair cost exceeding the value of the truck. I am wondering if there is any visible damage to the bed floor from just looking at the top side. I'd bet there is some visible damage there as well. This truck sustained a HARD hit. How do the gaps between the rear fenders and the doors look?

 

[Escapologist]

Saw a good project for this the other day, saw off front of Winnebago LeSharo, insert Maverick,

 

[Rockingchair]

IF you are keeping it as YOUR ride and IF you are in a semi-lenient state odds are you can pass an inspection and register as a prior salvage vehicle. once upon time in Calif I bought a 1 yo pickup with NO straight panels. I made sure all lights worked and the glass was intact. It passed smog, brake and light inspection and the VIN was verified by law enforcement. The way it looked didn't matter one bit to any inspector. Registered it and carried minimum required insurance. Drove it as I slowly made it pretty again. The pickup does NOT have to win a beauty contest, just be safe. Remember that its NOT a car and the bed is NOT a passenger compartment.

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

IF you are keeping it as YOUR ride and IF you are in a semi-lenient state odds are you can pass an inspection and register as a prior salvage vehicle. once upon time in Calif I bought a 1 yo pickup with NO straight panels. I made sure all lights worked and the glass was intact. It passed smog, brake and light inspection and the VIN was verified by law enforcement. The way it looked didn't matter one bit to any inspector. Registered it and carried minimum required insurance. Drove it as I slowly made it pretty again. The pickup does NOT have to win a beauty contest, just be safe. Remember that its NOT a car and the bed is NOT a passenger compartment.

Bill,
The problem is it already has a salvage title. It was bought from copart as an insurance write off.

 

[MaverickDragon]

Personally, I would pull the unibody rails out as well as possible and cut off the trailer hitch. Fix the cosmetic damage to pass a rebuilt inspection. Drive it for 200K without towing anything ever again. Liability insurance only. Scrap it once wore out. This is the best possible way of getting your 14k back out of this truck.

You might be able to do that in Ohio, but in the OP's state, North Dakota, salvage titled vehicles (what the OP has) MUST be repaired at a licensed repair business, rather than his backyard, and must be certified by another, different licensed repair business, not his neighbor for a 6 pack of beer.
In entirely different circumstances, your idea might work, but in the OP's it won't.
He can't do the work himself and get it back on the road legally in his state.

 

[EffNo50]

You might be able to do that in Ohio, but in the OP's state, North Dakota, salvage titled vehicles (what the OP has) MUST be repaired at a licensed repair business, rather than his backyard, and must be certified by another, different licensed repair business, not his neighbor for a 6 pack of beer.
In entirely different circumstances, your idea might work, but in the OP's it won't.
He can't do the work himself and get it back on the road legally in his state.

But it only has to be repaired to road worthy, not showroom condition.

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