I call this a construction trench, no idea what it's technically called but minor things. I was coming back from the Kitchener/Waterloo Rib Festival Sunday night. Was driving to my grandmothers because she asked me to do a couple chores for her the following morning so since it was quicker to get there from Waterloo than my place I was going to sleep there.

As I was driving down the street she lives on, I hit this trench at about 80. The road is a unmarked 80 out in the country with no street lights or anything. The trench was there because the township was putting culverts under the road. They just cut the pavement, drop the pipe in and filled with gravel. After I'm assuming a couple days of local traffic, the gravel compacted down about 3-4 inches into a inverse speed bump of sorts.

Anyhow, I hit this thing at about 80 in an 80 (yes, I was not speeding) and it hit back... hard. I didn't go into the ditch or lose control but I lost my grip on the steering wheel. After panic stopping to see just WTF I hit ( it was 1200-1230 at night) I tripped over this thing in the road. I got back in the car and started nursing it to my grandmothers about 2 kms down the road. Had to hold the wheel at about 1 O'clock to keep the car in a straight line.

Today, after taking off the wheels to see if anything was obviously, dangerously, broken and out of place, I ever so gingerly drove the car about 15 kms to my local Mazda dealership for hopefully a simple alignment. It wasn't, didn't get a invoice or anything because I didn't want to start work on the car because of the staggering costs involved.



Both front wheels are bent, one has a longitudinal crack about 10 cm along the rim.

Left rear wheel is slightly bent.

All but one of the bolts on the lower A arms are bent or broken on both sides of the car.

Both tie-rods, as I call them, are bent.

Both sets of wheel bearings are broken,

The gasket between the block and oil pan is broken. (Seriously)

The bolts/bracket holding the water pump are/is bent.

The rear springs are over stressed and riding low. (Possibly not related)

All told, $3450, from the dealership which I trust, after taxes and estimated labour costs.



The fun really starts with insurance. If I made a claim, it would be classed as a single car collision ie; my fault. I pay the deductible, they pay the rest. However, my rates go up by $2234 for the first year and decrease a bit each year for the next five years with the claim being on my record for 10 years.

What the hell do I do besides bending over? I was told to write a letter to the City and hope for the best... Other than that, make sure to hold my ankles because it hurts less that way.

 

I feel for you! Those trenches suck. We always have to be watching out for them. As for claiming to the insurance company, you could try making a claim declaring it the cities fault for improper road maintance/ repair. You have the photos to prove it, but you do still need to take some photos of the damage on your car. Either the city would settle or you may have to take them to court. The bottom line is, your insurance company does not want to pay for your repairs just as you do not want to. Therefore getting the city to pay for the repairs should be the insruance compaines main priority upon making this claim.

 

I was thinking pretty much that since, for a big one, there are not flags, signs, lights, tape or anything to warn people, especially in the dark. Still probably have to by some lube...

Crap.

 

Thats another thing you should go out there and take pictures of. The fact that there is no warnings for this whole. I would try all possible angles before paying out of pocket or claiming this as your fault

 

ouch! That's one thing about Canadian roads that I hate, too many potholes everywhere, and those 'trenches' as you call it. Just wondering, did you lower your car?

There are also those times where they just place the huge pipe on top of the paved cement and cover it up with little to no gravel. They have this at my friends house and now I can't even drive my car anywhere near their house when i pick them up because I'd bottom out my car trying to get past one of those pipes. (FYI, I didn't lower my car at all).

 

wow jason. thats brutal. When i read that you were in the area and had to go to another dealer instead of mine for them to check it out i was hurt. then i read on and im glad you didnt come to mine. i would have cried had i had to hand you that estimate. Really sorry for your loss man. any chance i could get the name of the road so i dont do this too?

keep us posted on how this gets handled.

 

Stock suspension so it's not lowered but still pretty low.

EDIT

Greg, this was between Calidonia and Dunnville so way outside of the Tri City area. I was just coming back from Waterloo. Never though of posting a RX8 RibFest thread or something. My friend Kayla would have been there with her WRX so at least no arguments and fist fights broke out over torque.

It's on Marshall or Marshell, can never remember...

 

I would say that is maybe something to talk to your insurance company about, if not email me a copy of the estimate and lets see what we can save you. The wheels can be replaced with aftermarket that look like the stock ones for about $156.00 per wheel........so it might not be as bad as it appears.

 

i imagine the rims are the most expensive part. this scares me a little i fly over bumps train tracks all the time. ill make sure i'm a little more careful.

btw i just wrote a nice email trying to get compensation for my shatter windshield

 

Nate, how bad was the windshield? any pics??

 

Damn man that sucks, You could sue the city for the damage. It happens alot in Montreal, which have terrible roads in downtown.

 

its fucked enough that im not driving it. ill post a pic tomorrow

 

I would definately go after the city for the damages, make sure you take pictures of the area around the road to prove that there were no warning cones, siqns, etc...

Good luck, hope you get her back on the road soon!

 

That really sucks Sanguine sorry to hear that! Any city work, they have to put up a bump sign, or road/construction work as a warning. If a serious accident occurred, say you were killed or seriously injured, the city would be liable since no sign was posted. Most definitely call, write, visit whatever the city as it is their responsibility to post 'construction'.

However, if this is the way the road is; meaning the pavement ends and it is a dirt road after, no sign has to be posted.

I have roads like that on my way to my cottage, and one particular one is turny and tons of fun to get going on. There was a new ditch dug out, but they had a sign up so I slowed down in way more than enough time to turtle over it.

As Al said...might be a good time to look at some after market parts as a positive note.

GL!!

 

Not true... if it's a public road there's still suppose to be a sign warning of the transition from pavement to dirt.

I think he also mentioned that it was like this because they were doing road work. As ZmFnZm stated.. .I'd go after the city.. also take a picture along the road to show that there was no sign. That's going to be the big deciding factor. On the downside... even it the city does pay you out... chances are you're not going to see any money for quite some time.

 

I really need to stop going to my local dealership without leaving hand written notes on the work orders. The shop staff is great, the office stall is great but there is no communication between the two.

Called the dealership and told one of the guys behind the desk to NOT replace the bent wheels and that I was getting a set of aftermarket, non-OEM wheels.

Got a call about an hour ago that the wheels were on and what do I want to do with the bent ones.

Me asking, 'what wheels' and 'why were the old ones taken off'.

Reply was, 'the wheels were not safe to drive on sir, they needed to be replaced'.

Me, 'Yes, I know that. I told ***** that I was going to buy my own set because I didn't want to pay the retail cost of the three new OEM wheels'.

Flustered reply, 'I see, that wasn't mentioned on the work orders... What I can do for you is sell you four wheels to you as take offs, wheels that are taken off of customer's cars when they order the optional wheels, at $225 each and include installation at no charge'.

Me, '... fine... just have the mechanic take note of everything that needed to be replaced and I want everything that had to be replaced kept as I may need them for evidence'.

Reply, 'Will you want the wheels we took off your car Mr Parker?'.

Me, 'Yes, everything that had to be replaced kept as I may need them for evidence...'

Reply, 'Yes sir, everything will be kept aside for you. Thank you for your co operation'.


I was kind of looking foreword to the Enkei wheels I settled on... but I guess a full set of factory new OEM wheels for ~900 isn't bad...

 

Or you could tell them to shove it and suck up the loss for their own ineptitude (which I would have done)

 

i would have told them to stuff it, you didn't order the wheels, you specifically requested they not order the wheels, tell them to get stuffed and order yourself something nice as a replacement!!!

DO NOT SETTLE!!!

 

Jason man. i would have PEEKED! thats rediculous. firstly, what kind of douchbags have you let work on your car. they slam you with a quote for over 3 grand and dont offer up those rims at a decent price to save you money in the first place. thats bull **** right there. Those wheels more than likely didnt cost them a dime (if they were left overs from the "performance pack"), so its all profit anyways. Good luck getting the rest of the damaged parts back and good luck fighting the city.

 

You gave in way to easy man. You should have stood your ground and bought the aftermarket rims

 

I would have to agree with you, but I have seen many roads like that that don't!

What the HELL are you doing?!?!?! They can't do that without your approval, I would walk in with a flat bed and tow it over to scarb mazda and freak on them. Do NOT settle if you don't want it. IT is your money, your car, u have the power here. What if they went ahead and fixed the whole thing for $3000 plus and you never said YES. You just going to pay it. Come on, ballz up and get what you want!

GL man, don't settle if it's not what you want!

 

^+1

 

Be glad it didn't happen in Manitoba, you wouldn't even have the option of insurance to cover this type of damage. Any damage caused by terrible roads is called normal wear and tear to the provincially owned insurer. Nor would you be able to go after a government body when the insurance is all government owned.