What is your Worst New Car or Accident Story?

[stepper]

While replying to Phalon in another thread I was reminded of a cousin who drove her brand new Cougar off the dealers lot, going all of 10 feet and then she stopped at a light. A vehicle rounding a corner too fast hit her, totaling her new car.

I lot of people have commented that it seemed like someone had targeted their new car/truck and dinged it, or worse. So here's your chance. What's your story?

[Phalon]

If your friend's Cougar was a model close to the same year as my Cougar, Stepper, I'd bet it was the front of the car that was hit when he rounded the corner. They usually arrived 10 minutes before the rest of the car.

It was the car that replaced my Cougar that was both my Worst New Car and Accident story. Hubs and I were barely married; vehically speaking, he brought a Ford LTD to the marriage, while I contributed my Butterscoth B!tch, (aka - the Cougar). Both were gas-hogging, big boat-cars, and Hubs was driving fifty miles each way to work, so we decided to get an economy car for him to drive. The Cougar was the older of the vehicles, the one with the most milage at 200,000 plus, and the one with the most quirks, (it idled at forty mph) - so it was the obvious choice for a trade-in. Sniff and sob. I loved that car, and it was hard to say goodbye.

Of all the economy cars out there at the time, it was the Dodge Dealer that offered the best price on the trade-in, (Toyota offered only $25.00!!!! Even at the fuel prices back then, the gas remaining in the tank was worth more than that! I was insulted and stormed out of the showroom).

And so, we ended up with a brand new (the first brand new car either of us owned) metallic powder-blue Dodge Omni. I was extremely surprized not to find it on the "50 Worst Cars" link that Siren posted in the other thread. To say it was a piece of crap is actually giving it a compliment. The first new car we owned, was also the worst we've had.

Luckily, Hubs totalled it soon after. Driving to work in the snow, he crested a hill and found himself on the tail-end of a pile-up just on the other side. Unable to stop on the snow, the Omni slid into the last car in the accident...which happened to be a police car. Hubs got a ticket, of course - the person doing the rear-ending is always at fault.

I've always wondered though, what the police officer got - he too rear-ended the vehicle in the accident in front of him.

[stepper]

When I was 20 something I purchased my first new vehicle. A Chevy Monza with a 262 short stroke engine, 4 on the floor, metalic blue, and a freaking dream to drive. It had so much get up and go that on a rain slicked road I had to start out in second gear because first had too much torque. It had the added advantage that it was comfortable even on long drives. Of course, there was no room for back seat antics, but it was, and still is, my favorite vehicle. I had it about three weeks when the inevitable ding occurred. I was working one weekend afternoon, the only person there. I had the only car in the parking lot; a wide open and at the time (except for my dream car) completely empty lot. Then this rust bucket appeared. It sort of circled the otherwise empty lot and then for some unknown reason the driver decided that parking next to my car was the thing to do. Right next to my car. So close that I couldn't have opened the driver's door close. I'm sitting in my office looking out the window and I'm already more than a little concerned. Why next to my new car? Why is it so close?? Half a second after pulling in to the slot next to my car, the rust bucket starts to back up. Did I mention the lot was unoccupied so this person could have backed up 50 feet in a straight line and it wouldn't have mattered? Of course, that's not what happened. The driver didn't back up until clear of my car, he/she tried to turn towards the exit about 2 feet too soon and I saw the back end of my car rock a little as that heap of refuse made contact. There was no doubt that something bad had just occurred. I ran from the office towards my car in time to scare the heck out of the driver who was, to say the least, speeding while leaving the lot. Now, I'm glad I didn't catch who ever it was, but back then I was using some fairly unkind words and ending this person's ability to walk or eat was a definite possibility.
The damage to the car was that the driver side rear wheel well was slightly dented and was missing paint in a couple of spots. The car was mechanically sound, and still great fun to drive, but it wasn't a "new" car anymore and I hadn't even made the first payment.

[moonglum]

Does it have to be about accidents involving only new vehicles? Cos I've got two real doozeys to tell.

[stepper]

Apr 17, 2009 14:49:23 GMT -6 moonglum said:

Does it have to be about accidents involving only new vehicles? Cos I've got two real doozeys to tell.

No restrictions MG. I was thinking of an adventure I had in NJ that involves a motorcycle and a buck. If you've got a story or two to share that'd be great!

[moonglum]

I used to work over in West London at New Covent Garden. It's a fruit and vegetable wholesale market that used to supply the city. It was shift work, 6.00am till 2.00pm. I used to leave home about 5 and get in work just after 5.45 (the roads were a lot quieter in those days).

My journey took me down a one-way street in south London where I always seemed to catch the traffic lights. This particular morning I was sitting at the red light waiting for it to change and idly looking around, trying not to look at the light, because everybody knows they change quicker if you don't stare at them!!

The light changed to green and I pulled away, gradually increasing speed to about 25mph. Suddenly a man stepped out from between two parked vans, straight in front of me. I hit him full on and swept his legs out from under him. What happened next seemed to occur in slow motion. His legs swung away from me and upwards, while the rest of his body sort of rotated as he 'rolled' up the bonnett (hood) of my van.

Now, a bit of windscreen history. It was in the dark ages before laminated screens. This one was what used to be known as 'Toughened'. Why toughened?...... god knows, cos they certainly weren't. When they broke, they used to shatter into millions of small shards of glass.

Back to the plot.

The mans left elbow impacted with the screen and it duly did what it did best under those circumstances, it exploded, inwards. The pieces of glass showered me, closely followed by the weight of the man, who had come through the opening, over the steering wheel and was now lying half in and half out of the cab. Slow motion, being what it is, chose this point to make it's exit. The van came to a dead stop. I sat there with this body lying across my chest. I reacted the only way a human could react, I shouted 'S**T', and pushed him off me. Then watched, as he slid down the bonnett and slumped to the ground in front of the van. He did not get up. I sat there in a state of shock, just staring at the end of the bonnett where the body had disappeared.

Then.........he stood up. He brushed himself down and tottered off across the road. By the way he was staggering, I could tell he was as drunk as a skunk.

Shock is a strange thing, up until he stood up, I was unable to move, unable to speak. Totally stunned. But when stood up and started walking, relief kicked in. Relief and a feeling of intense rage. When he didn't get up, I thought I'd killed him. When he did get up, that's all I wanted to do............Kill him!

I threw open the van door and jumped out...............straight into the arms of a policeman. They had been a ways behind me and had seen it all. The policeman bundled me into the back of their car while his colleague went over to the man, who was still tottering along the pavement. By this time I was shaking like a leaf as shock returned to visit.

Eventually I was breathalysed, found to be sober and let go. I hadn't been speeding, so there were no charges brought against me. An old lady living in an apartment block, came down and said she's seen it all from her balcony, so I even had an independant witness.

The strange thing was, an ambulance was called but the drunk refused to go to hospital. The ambulance men said 'ok' and left again. The two policemen got into an argument about whether that was right or not and eventually decided they were going to go after them and caution them for leaving the scene of an accident.

I just sat there, bemused, and waiting for our tow-truck.


All true, I promise.

[stepper]

Wow! That's an incredable story MG! It's lucky that both of you survived unharmed. All the flying glass might have done all kinds of ugly things. Thanks for sharing!

[Mini Mia]

Wow, MG. I'm so glad it wasn't a kid who had stupidly walked out into the road. A drunk adult is more than enough shock to your system, for sure.

[Siren]

I can totally believe that that drunk walked away unharmed. A friend of mine used to drive an ambulance, and said that in most drunk driving accidents, the drunk driver is much less injured than anyone else in the accident. Said drunks are so relaxed, the impact doesn't harm them like it does the poor, sober folks, who tense up when they see the accident coming.

My first brand-new car was a '93 Honda Civic EX, with sunroof and optional spoiler, in Camellia Red, a dark burgundy color which shined hot pink in the sun. It was a beautifully-designed, slick-looking little car, which gained me many compliments. Got excellent gas mileage, and gave me no trouble at all. But a friend swore the car was cursed. And it did get more than its share of dents. First, a co-worker backed into it, bashing in a door. Fixed that. Then, a guy pulled out in front of me at a stop sign, and dented the front end. Fixed that. Then, a woman made an illegal left turn in front of me, and I hit another car while avoiding her. Fixed that. At this point, my friend swore the car was out to get me, and insisted that I get another. Nope. But then, I (distracted by my first-ever cell phone) rear-ended another car, which had stopped on a bridge. Totalled my little Civic with 7 payments, and probably another 100,000 miles, to go. *sob*