Tin can body

[imboden013]

That is terrible, tough luck. This is the second thread I have read here recently about damage to the vapor canister. Sure glad I got the FX/4 with those skid plates. At the time I was thinking the skid plates would be valuable off road, now I am thinking just as valuable on road.

Yep, I don’t do much off roading I usually buy 4x4 for better traction in snow that we get occasionally and the better resale value. I generally add skid plates if not already equipped. But knew I definitely wouldn’t be off road with the mav. sure wish my mav had them now. Light weight aluminum ones would have made a big difference.

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[imboden013]

To be fair, you hit a massive object that weighs probably at least a hundred pounds at highway speeds. That could and would cause considerable damage to any vehicle. If anything, the fact that your maverick was still running and driving after a massive impact like that implies it's a well engineered vehicle. My dad dealt with an insurance claim once, a woman was driving behind an 18 wheeler when the tire detached. Went through her windshield and decapitated her. Those tires are no joke.

Not complaining about out come. I was lucky I wasn’t behind whatever dropped the tire carcass. I was on I-40 eastbound and was just topping the White River bridge at mile marker 199-200. Couldn’t see the debris until right on it. Luckily I was only doing 65 instead of the posted 75.

 

[pigsareus]

I just found out how cheaply made the maverick is made. Today I topped a steep bridge overpass to find a huge chunk of 18 wheeler tire in my lane. Was way to late to avoid it, sounded like I’d hit a bomb. Was able to keep control and pull over at end of the bridge to look at damage. Under body protective cover half ripped from the floor pan and vapor canister dragging on road and paint chipped all along lower side panels. When I say protective cover ripped from underbody I mean ripped the studs(which look like 1/8 bolts spot welded to bottom of floor pan are ripped almost completely off and there are holes in the floor pan. Floor pan is paper thin. The protective cover’s mounting holes are ripped out. Check engine light is on. Mechanic at ford dealer says likely due to vapor canister is destroyed. I do know the mounting points on canister is broke off. Amazingly. The Mav stills run fine and tracks strait down road with no vibration or shimmy as I was able to safely drive it to the local ford dealer for them to look. Estimated cost to repair $1000. There goes my fuel savings for next 2-3 years. I think my mav was mad at me because I mentioned trade for a 1st edition at a nearby dealer.

$1000 is wishful thinking. My sister's '22 Edge got rear ended last week, the initial estimate is at $20K,,,,,

Once I got the muffler ratchet-strapped up, it drove away just fine.

HRG

l

Are you not filing an insurance claim?

HRG

probably has a 500+ deductible...no sense in taking a hit on the increased rates if he files

 

[pigsareus]

To be fair, you hit a massive object that weighs probably at least a hundred pounds at highway speeds. That could and would cause considerable damage to any vehicle. If anything, the fact that your maverick was still running and driving after a massive impact like that implies it's a well engineered vehicle. My dad dealt with an insurance claim once, a woman was driving behind an 18 wheeler when the tire detached. Went through her windshield and decapitated her. Those tires are no joke.

yep - there's a lot of nasty physics involved here...

 

[JennyJoannSuebeeMcNash]

I just found out how cheaply made the maverick is made. Today I topped a steep bridge overpass to find a huge chunk of 18 wheeler tire in my lane. Was way to late to avoid it, sounded like I’d hit a bomb. Was able to keep control and pull over at end of the bridge to look at damage. Under body protective cover half ripped from the floor pan and vapor canister dragging on road and paint chipped all along lower side panels. When I say protective cover ripped from underbody I mean ripped the studs(which look like 1/8 bolts spot welded to bottom of floor pan are ripped almost completely off and there are holes in the floor pan. Floor pan is paper thin. The protective cover’s mounting holes are ripped out. Check engine light is on. Mechanic at ford dealer says likely due to vapor canister is destroyed. I do know the mounting points on canister is broke off. Amazingly. The Mav stills run fine and tracks strait down road with no vibration or shimmy as I was able to safely drive it to the local ford dealer for them to look. Estimated cost to repair $1000. There goes my fuel savings for next 2-3 years. I think my mav was mad at me because I mentioned trade for a 1st edition at a nearby dealer.

We call those "road gators" here in Florida. Had a similar experience with my 2002 Civic driving in FL back in the day. Hit the front end, slapped around on the underbody, and came out on the rear, smacking my rear bumper leaving it cracked in half.

 

[DavidLs]

Happened to the wife. Filed a claim insurance covered it not in a mav it was a Mitsu. ( Road Gator) I myself have hit worse in my 05 Ranger with NP. On the Mav I think its the sam as the Mitsu just low to the ground. That being said how mush does it cost to Lift a Hybrid 2 inches or so.

 

[gp1200x]

Lucky the tire debris was run over and not hitting the truck airborne though. I saw a tire with wheel come off a tractor trailer on the NYS thruway near the NJ border. It was probably going around 75-80 when it came off. It hit the divider, went airborne to the oncoming traffic in my direction (that's when I saw it high in the air in front of us) and came down on top of the engine hood of a new Mercedes. It flattened the hood, pushed the engine block to the road and pushed out both front wheels at a 45 degree angle. The people inside were all okay (a miracle) and there wasn't a major pileup fortunately. The car was totally destroyed sitting in the center lane and the oncoming truck was long gone. The truck driver probably didn't even know he lost a tire. I never even thought of taking a picture of that car damage before I had to leave. The NY-NJ thruway border area is a dangerous place to be stuck at.

 

[Hdscreens]

Locally, there was a lady killed with a tire going thru her windshield a few weeks ago. If I can remember the tire came detached from rim so it didn’t even have the force of rim and tire.

Last week I was in my bronco and 18 wheeler had a tire blow out with large pieces flying all over but 18 wheeler driver didn’t realize it for more than a couple mins so he kept driving full speed. Lexus in front of me and myself were one lane over but close behind 18 wheeler. Lexus decides to slow down and we have smaller debris falling in our lane and I’m signaling to Lexus to go and go fast to pass 18 wheeler but idiot just decides to hang around behind this 18 wheeler while I’m stuck back there too.

 

[CX430-4ME]

Sheet metal is paper thin! Our rear driver side door did not shut good so my wife leaned on it to push it closed. I watched her do it and she just nudged it gently to get it to latch fully. In doing so, it put a basket ball size dent in the door. We had to take it to a PDR place and have them do a glue pull on it. They were able to pull the dent out fortunately. I have never owned a vehicle, and I have had dozens, that would ever "dent or bend" when pushing a door closed?!? I'm not just singling out the Maverick since nearly all new vehicles are made out of tin foil. I'm just saying make sure you do not lean, press, sit on, or bump your vehicle. Heck, I'm so afraid the sheet metal will bend that I now close the doors by holding the outside door handle instead of putting my hand on the sheet metal. I also won't sit/stand on the tailgate because I don't think it's able to hold my weight and I'm only 200lbs. That's the level of confidence I have in the strength of the panels.

 

[Grabber Rick]

So someone buys the cheapest truck and then complains that it's cheaply made. Good grief! Hit road debris and you're going to have damage on most passenger vehicles.

I ran over a dead deer in my 93 Ford Tempo once. It was foggy and didn't see it till the last minute. I braked and drove right over it. Made a loud clunk but car was okay. Got lucky I guess.

 

[Dudley]

Sheet metal is paper thin! Our rear driver side door did not shut good so my wife leaned on it to push it closed. I watched her do it and she just nudged it gently to get it to latch fully. In doing so, it put a basket ball size dent in the door.

And, really, nothing new. Had a 94 Jeep Cherokee. When niece got out with stuff in her arms she hip bumped the back door to close it. Created a dent. Vehicles have been being designed for some time to fold up around the passenger area in an accident in an attempt to give the passengers the best possible chance of survival. The down side is they total out a lot faster than the "tanks" of yesteryear. Remember when in the 70's and 80's they made cars with a large area between the front bumper the had a collapsable frame mount and engine as a safety feature?

I called them Road Barges.

 

[Maui]

While northbound on 95 in Connecticut, traveling at 70+ (a rare occurrence due to sheer traffic volume there) the car next to, and a car length ahead hit one of those. It wrapped around his axle, therefore locking the right front wheel. Major smoke show! Involuntary breaking in the left lane of a busy highway. The driver kept his head, and steered left into an available breakdown/emergency lane to his left. I am sure the natural direction of the vehicle with one wheel locked would be directly into my ride, so lucky for me it was an experienced driver behind the wheel. Nobody hit him while in my rear view mirror range.

Sometimes, like that time, you can't steer around road stuff. Those tire chunks are no joke.

 

[Jah.]

Road debris can be a problem and very destructive . hit a semi brake shoe with toyota small p-up years ago . fortunately a couple of dents on underbody and oil pan . another time had semi (ups double trailer )blow tire in front of me . damaged front of truck . ups driver was able to control and pulled over
. ups covered damage and I replaced my underwear . learned not to drive near a semi .

 

[Gardner79]

I have to agree with other about those tire debris on the road. Those things are strong and heavy, they will have signicant force when hit at highway speeds. In order for a vehicle to protect against that, would likely require significant cost and weight(reduced mpg) to the vehicle. I doubt if the Mav fares any worse then other vehicles of similar size and cost.

The highway is a dangerous place. Personally, I am happy to have an affordable truck with modern safety features. If I lose the truck in accident or have large repair bill, but everyone walks away, I will accept that (it might be hard though!)

 

[Superdog3657]

Skid plates are not intended for road hazards found while driving at normal road speeds on pavment, they are for off roading . Any vehicle would be damaged hitting a semi tire, unless you have enough ground clearance to avoid it. A 100k
Porsche would probably have been totaled.

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