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Fender-Bender Can Put Dent In Your Wallet

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By KEN THOMAS, The Associated Press

Published: December 21, 2007

WASHINGTON - A minor fender-bender in a minivan can rack up thousands of dollars in repair costs, according to new crash tests conducted by the insurance industry.

Repairing damage to minivans involved in low-speed crashes of 3 to 6 miles per hour could range from $483 to more than $3,500, according to test results released Thursday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The institute conducted a series of four low-speed crashes on six 2008 minivans.

The Nissan Quest had the most expensive bill, costing $3,549 for a low-speed crash to the rear bumper. In the four tests, the Quest tallied $8,102 in combined damage.

The Dodge Grand Caravan had the lowest costs in one of the four tests, $483 for damage to a rear corner of the minivan. In all four tests, the Grand Caravan had a combined $5,495 in damage.

The Honda Odyssey had the lowest combined repair costs of $5,258 in the four tests. The Toyota Sienna cost $5,726 in repairs for all the tests, while the Chevrolet Uplander had $5,799 in expenses. The tests estimated $6,525 in damage to the Kia Sedona.

Tailgates on five of the six minivans - all except the Uplander - had damage in the rear full-width test. Only the Quest and the Sienna required the tailgate to be replaced.

Institute Senior Vice President Joe Nolan said the Quest "miserably failed" the test to the full width of the rear bumper and sustained twice as much damage as the Honda Odyssey in that specific type of crash.

In the Quest's rear test, a reinforcement bar cracked and was driven into the rear of the vehicle, requiring costly repairs, Nolan said.

Jeannine Ginivan, a spokeswoman for Nissan Motor Co., said the automaker thinks the Quest "performs competitively in terms of cost of repair."

Ginivan said it was "difficult for these four combined tests to accurately reflect the various conditions experienced by drivers every day and it is highly unlikely that anyone would be simultaneously involved in the four low-speed crash modes" under normal driving conditions.

Kia spokesman Alex Fedorak said the Sedona's bumpers are designed to protect motorists in a severe collision. He noted that the minivan has received top scores in the government's crash tests and received a "Top Safety Pick" designation by the Insurance Institute.

Bumpers are designed to absorb the energy of a low-speed collision and prevent damage to the front and rear ends. Serious injuries are uncommon in low-speed crashes, and the institute's bumper tests did not assess passenger safety.

Insurance claims of under $4,500 for front and rear repairs from low-speed crashes account for about $6 billion in insurance payouts annually, or about one-third of all insurance payouts for vehicles, said Russ Rader, an institute spokesman.

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