Hello fellow Fit lovers. I bought a 1st gen Fit from 2007 recently (2007 manual, LX trim) and sadly got it into a parking lot accident. Did a very stupid mistake of using the wrong pedal, hit a pillar at approx 10-15 km/h speed. No airbags deployed, the cracks on the windshield are from the previous owner. No leaks from the radiator, as well as no warning signs on the panel. The car behaves normally, at least for now.

The bumper, together with the front reinforcement beam and air filter are bent, you can see it on the attached photos.

My question is - is it worth it to try to repair the damage? I mean, I can find all the parts, used or new, and install them. However, I'm concerned that the mount points for the reinforcement beam can be bent/misaligned as well. Concerned about the overall safety, as well as installation of the parts.

Will appreciate any advice. Thank you.

 

Get a quote.
It's likely that you can get a replacement one with that kind of mileage (260k km) for cheaper than the repair costs.

 

Thanks! I actually got two, plus asked an experienced friend mechanic. The official quotes are four times bigger than I paid for the car, however my friend checked the wheel alignment and told me it's OK. So most likely I'll replace the bent parts with something from a local junkyard, for now at least. Apparently, it was good that I moved really slowly, but still some work is required. Thanks again for the suggestion.

 

If it drives straight, there are no engine problems/leaks, the doors open and close properly and the headlights are aligned correctly, then why not.
Just brainstorming here: make sure that the new front bits are repaired sufficiently so that they function as a crumple zone to protect you in case of a future accident. It's especially important in this model car where the front is so compact.

 

If you're a handy person, the parts that need replacing are bolt-on thus you can save the labor by doing it yourself with a socket set. I'd be tempted to repair it myself but it does depend on the cost of the parts vs a replacement car.

 

I've done this same repair. My kid crashed it 11 days after I got her the car. I sourced a hood and complete bumper at a junkyard, bought a new radiator support (the entire metal frame in piece) - that does require minor welding - it can be terrible as long as it holds. The biggest key is for you to pull that dent out of the frame and bumper pieces before you take anything apart. Get a ratchet strap and hook it to something solid (I used my other cars trailer hitch), then slowly start pulling those pieces straight. You need to get it as close as possible before you remove a thing. Not bad end to end took me a few weeks in the evenings and maybe $800 in parts (I had to buy new aftermarket headlights).

 

oops, just now realized this is a few months old now... oh well, fyi if you haven't done it yet.

 

This is very good advise for those looking at this post for future problems. While it may not help the OP of this thread, it is still good advise for future readers. Thank you,