[SvenGG]

I got in a minor fender bender this morning after the car in front of me suddenly stopped instead of merging into the empty street we were both signaling onto - I just did not expect it to happen.
The impact was slow enough that it didn't trigger the automatic drive recorder. I got some scrapes on the front around the grille, headlight, fender, and notably one of the battery cooling slats was knocked loose.

I have an appointment to get it looked at on Friday, but I'm dreading how long it will take to fix - I can't bear to drive it while it's marred and I've only had it a month just to have my first ever accident. Luckily everyone is fine, but I just feel like embarrassed garbage that doesn't deserve the car. With supply chain issues being what they are, does anyone have any guesses of how long it would be in the shop for?

I have family visiting from out of state next month and would strongly prefer to avoid having them know this happened if possible, so I'd need it back by then, but I don't know if that's realistic.

 

[Paladin1]

Pics would be nice, but sounds like most of the repair would be paint work with the exception of the cooling slat, which might be repairable without replacement. Driveable (I assume), so waiting for parts not as much of an issue. But hard to tell, just guessing....

 

[SvenGG]

 

[SteveBK123]

Really doesn’t look bad at all
You’d be amazed at what can be done these days

I scraped paint off rear quarter panel of Tesla few years ago against a garage pillar, deep enough I thought I had actually dented the metal. A dude in south Brooklyn repaired the whole thing for $400 lol. Got my annual state inspection done while he had it to save me the hassle.

things are never as bad as we fear

 

[Paladin1]

Looks like mostly paint and body work, although that front passenger side sensor appears to have taken a hit, which could be a problem if it starts to throw error codes. And not sure how essential that cooling slat is, but that could be problematic for battery optimization. Again, drivable, but would certainly have diagnostics on it if you haven't already. Unfortunately the iX is so new you're likely stuck with dealer repair if you elect to go that route, but as far as bang-ups go, could be pretty light. Although everything about this beast is expensive, so maybe looking at some bills if restored to new, but again thankfully no injuries, and (seemingly) driveable. Sorry it happened, but that's part of sharing the road with other drivers, and no point in beating yourself up. As the cowboy community says "If you never been throwed, you never rode."

 

[SvenGG]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the external thoughts since this is all new to me. I got a couple weird error codes right after it happened, but from a brief call with my local dealership, they think that's from the battery slat not being able to close (though the parking sensor is a good call). Weirdly none of the sensors or anything went of when it happened and the incident drive recorder didn't kick in either. I wish it were always on like Teslas.

I know nothing about repair, so I don't know what can be fixed to new vs what would need to be replaced. The front seems like such a solid chunk with a lot of tech that I worry replacement would be wild. I'm also concerned that all the parts are going to new models and that we might be waiting for a while to get it repaired.

My biggest concern is just how long I could expect it to take to get it restored to new condition and whether it can happen in less than a month before family visit from out of town. They're not the most understanding and so if I have to explain this to them it would be a fairly miserable experience.

 

[EV_technician]

That hurts my feelings..... let's hope you get it fixed soon.

 

[SvenGG]

Yeah... this has been a rough day. It makes me want to move to Europe and give up on car ownership in someplace walkable with trains.
It's just so dense and crazy here, I know it was only a matter of time, but now I'm just wary of everything - I saw so much insanity just on the drive home today.

 

[einert]

Speaking from experience (with another BMW) make sure you check headlights for signs of moisture/condensation. An impact in that area can potentially unseal any gaskets protecting the interior of headlights from the elements.

 

[SvenGG]

It's at the service center for the recalls right now and I had their collision guy look it over. One of the problems is going to be that it's at least a 3-month wait for parts because everything is going to the production of new vehicles right now.
They pointed out something really interesting / weird: the selling dealership applied a protective clear coat to the hood, mirrors, and front, but they even included the self-healing grille. I can't imagine having a film on top of a self-healing thing is necessary or appropriate. Do you think they just didn't know? I already need to have the clearcoat removed because there were bubbles in it I pointed out at the time of taking delivery. It's just taking a long time.