Damn Tires in the Road

[Fun Bobby]

Well, I've had my Vibe now for six months and someone sheds their tire leaving in the middle of the highway at night. Needless to say I hit going 70 and the entire plastic underside in the front is torn up. The car is still drivable and nothing serious seems to be wrong except for the scraping of plastic against the road, the tires and the tire well. From a brief look at the underside, the plastic seems kind of simple to replace. I was wondering if anyone has had any similar experience and can tell me what would be involved. Is it worth taking into the dealership - where they can check the car over but I'm sure will cost me more to have it fixed. Insurance is an option but with a $500 deductible I'm not sure it will be worth it. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[ragingfish]

Depending on what specific parts are damaged, it's likely you can replace them yourself.Can you take pictures of the damaged parts?

[DavidPIL]

Hi Bobby...Yeah, I hit a raccoon while working in Ohio about a month after I got my Vibe. Actually, I hit it twice... That's a long story to explain though...My underside plastic wasn't too damaged but one of the push rivet sockets was completely ripped apart. I took it in, had the service guy check it (He didn't notice the problem after checking it until I had to crawl under the car and show him how loose it was) then he just put in a new rivet in a different location and all was well.Have to imagine that the plastic under there wasn't designed to last during such an incident. Just hep deflect objects from the getting up into vital parts. The cost should be minimal to replace, it's only cheap molded plastic. I think there were 4 or 5 push rivet points which makes it very easy to install oneself.Dave

[ebslopp]

My Dad had the exact same thing happen in his Accord. Take it to the insurance company. It should be covered under comprehensive. If you saw the truck that it came off of, you can tell your insurance company the name of the trucking company and you may not have to pay anything.

[Fun Bobby]

Thanks for the advice. I got a much better look at the damage this morning - unfortunatley though I don't have a camera to post pictures. The left wheel well plastic was hanging by one rivet so I just tore it off. I didn't notice if the rivets were shredded or the plastic just ripped off. The right side was ripped a little in the front and lose on under the fog lamp. I took it to a dealer this morning and showed them the damage and was told to bring it in when I have a free day I can do without the car and they will take a closer look and order the parts needed. Otherwise they said not to worry too much - just keep a close eye for debris on the road (duh!) and don't drive through large pools of water (just in case).Another question: where can I find a parts list catalog so I can order the parts myself or at least know the real price if I decide to have the dealer replace the parts?