Hyundai Kills Citroen ZX

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Featch
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Hyundai Kills Citroen ZX

Post by Featch »

Just sitting of in a queue at the lights when a Hyundai 4x4 drives into my boot. The half asleep woman said she was watching the lorry in front of me. She didn't even brake. I reckon she never saw me at all

Shame really - the old 1.9 was a bit slow and steady but it was in great nick and utterly reliable. It's a two door and the offside rear quarter is crumpled as far as the door frame. Well and truly dead I think :( I hope I'll be able to buy the salvage for spares.

I use AA insurance and so far they've been great. The crash happened at 1-10 and I had a courtesy car delivered at 4-30. Unfortunately it's a Vauxhall Insignia 1.6 and its horrid to drive, worse to look at and even more worse to see out of. If it's a typical example a modern car I'm sticking to the 90's.

Anyway, got to get to the doctors on Monday for check up. I've bruises on my shins and I ache pretty much all over. Nothing serious but uncomfortable.
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Post by CitroJim »

Sorry to hear that Andy :cry: Still, at least you're OK and that's the main thing. Easy to replace a bent car, impossible to replace you...

Yes, I quite agree on modern cars. Makes one realise the halcyon days are well and truly over. History will record the best cars were those from the last decade of the last century 8)

Top marks for the AA :D
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Post by HDI »

Just what u don't need at any time but especially just before Xmas !!
Sounds like your ok though which is the most important thing.
What did it do to the Hyundai ?
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Post by Xaccers »

Wonder if it was the same woman who ploughed into the back of my dad's picasso?
He was given an insignia for a courtesy car too and it was awful!
Glad you're ok.
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Post by handyman »

Hullo Featch, chances are the woman's insurance will offer you a pittance for the car, as it has no real value. It will probably be a Cat B, from what you have described, and between the Government and the insurance robbers, anything Cat C and above will only be dealt with by a licenced vehicle dismantler and not sold back to you.

However, you do have options.

You can ask the woman's insurance company to replace the car with one in a similar condition, mileage, year, etc. Give them the hassle of finding a replacement.

Or, and this is the one that really hurts them, get them to repair your car back to a roadworthy condition, which involves all the repairs and the Motor Engineer's Inspection, which is tougher than an MOT. As the value of the repair can be excessive, it may well cripple the woman's insurance record. I have had two occassions where I have insisted on an insurance company do this, and both times, I got back an almost restored vehicle. A nicely rebuilt Yamaha and an MG Maestro with a total repaint.

Whatever you do, do not get fobbed off with a derisory offer, as they will try it on.

As for the driver, if the woman was half asleep, that is dangerous driving. Were the police involved? If not, I would suggest you tell them about this, especially if you have witnesses to the woman admitting to being half asleep. If it is true, she should lose her licence.

Finally, glad to read that you are OK.

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Last edited by handyman on 18 Dec 2009, 23:32, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by handyman »

BTW Featch, if the replacement car is no good, ask them to supply another one. You do not have to accept the first thing they offer, as it is you that has been inconvenienced. :evil:

A few years back, I had a driver decide to bend one of the doors on my old Xantia estate. Outside the approved crash repairers, a car hire company turned up with a Ford Ka. I went ballistic, as I am self-employed and need an estate to lug all my test gear around.

Turned out, one of the hire co's directors was picking up the bint who delivered the Ka. I drove off in his new Rover something estate, while he took the Dagenham Dustbin away. And I got a day's salary out of the insurance company! :P :P :P

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Last edited by handyman on 18 Dec 2009, 20:26, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Featch »

Thanks Handyman. Some good solid advice there. I'll keep you posted on progress.

I'm amazed at just how bad the Insignia is. I can hardly bring myself to use it. The Aura just needs the front calipers cleaning, I might just do that tomorrow, in spite of the snow, and ditch the Poxhall.
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Post by Sl4yer »

Crikey! What a bad day for ZXs. :(

Didn't know that the other driver's insurance could be forced to repair the car (obviously given 100% fault to the other driver). Don't they do the knock-for-knock thing anymore?

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Post by handyman »

The last thing you want is your insurance to go knock-for-knock as it means you will also have your no-claims record affected.

I think in this case, as it is a rear end shunt, the other driver and their insurance are totally liable. It would be a difficult case to argue that if Featch had not been there, there would not be an accident, so he is partially to blame!!! :shock: :shock: :shock:

I think that sometimes we stand in awe at these organisations and get frightened to stand up to them.

If we had stood up to the banks, maybe we would not be in the sh** now. :?

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Post by DickieG »

Sl4yer wrote:Don't they do the knock-for-knock thing anymore?
That relates to a collision where its not clear who is at fault such as a mirror clash, a rear end prang is normally down to the following driver unless there are some extenuating circumstances.
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Post by CitroJim »

Featch wrote: I'm amazed at just how bad the Insignia is..
If you think they're bad, try a Corsa :evil: I drove one to pick up my daughter's 206. Corsa on a 55 plate, 206 on a T plate. 206 the better car by several orders of magnitude in every department.

Quite shocking really. A Viva in 1978 put me right off Luton's finest and nothing since has convinced me to change my opinion. That Viva was a truly horrendous car. So bad I swapped it for a Renault 4 and never looked back...

Handyman, some very valuable information there and not generally known I suspect. Very much appreciated :D
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Post by Sl4yer »

DickieG wrote: That relates to a collision where its not clear who is at fault such as a mirror clash, a rear end prang is normally down to the following driver unless there are some extenuating circumstances.
I thought they got caught out a few years ago applying it in most circumstances (because it suited them), hence the question. Hopefully they've packed it in now.
Featch wrote: I'm amazed at just how bad the Insignia is..
Quite surprised to be honest. From following a couple, they appear to have fully independent rear suspension (as per the Mk1 Focus). Although a 1.6 in an Insignia must be like an outboard motor trying to pull a frigate!
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Post by Peter.N. »

My wife has a ZX but fortunatly she wasn't driving it when she demolished a keep left sign, lamp post and bus shelter - she was driving my XM :x It was her first accident in about 40 years but she made a good job of it completely destroying the o/s front quarter right back to the windscreen. Fortunatly she wasn't badly injured, our daughter in law and the grand children were with her but they were OK. The most surprising thing though was that the main shell of the car stayed perfectly intact, all the doors opened and still fitted, I don't think the ZX would have come off so well.

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Post by handyman »

Oh yea of little faith! :cry:

The ZX uses the same technology as most Citroens in that it uses energy absorbing systems so, in the event of an accident, the rusty inner wings collapse progressively to absorb the impact! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Ask Featch if he could open the doors after the impact. Most cars are designed to take front and side impacts while the passenger cell remains intact. Rear end shunts should be absorbed by the underbody, as long as the fuel tank does not split. :shock: :shock:

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Post by Featch »

My insurance company are treating it as a no fault collision and are claiming all costs of her. They've already said I won't lose my no claims discount.

The damage doesn't look too bad at first glance, just a big crease over the wheel arch with lesser ones either side. The back lights aren't even broken. I haven't looked underneath but that's where the real damage will be as the whole back of the car is wonky. The rear sub-frame has moved forward on the offside and the towbar mountings are bent. The aperture for the drivers door is now slightly smaller making the door a tight fit, though it still opens.

As for the Insignia, it manages to be both choppy and harsh on the small bumps yet wallow with the contour of the road at the same time, it feels like there's someone else in the boot trying to steer as well as me! We've a Peugeot 407 estate pool car at work which isn't great but it's loads better than the Insignia, so I guess it's a Luton thing and not entirely down to modern cars :wink: And as for the Insignia's styling :mrgreen:

I really can't wait to get the XM back up and running in the new year - just a long list of minor issues that I needed a break from for a while, but now I'm remembering just what an excellent car it is.
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