My Escape was hit...

[Jake]

...while parked. I parked it at Hunter's Ridge around 12 AM Sunday, and Peter told me tonight that something had happened to it. Went over there and the pix below are what I found. It was a hit and run, and whoever hit it (hard) pushed it up onto the curb. The passenger's front wheel was sitting on the rim. I moved it forward to get it off the curb, and I'm gonna go back tomorrow to put the spare on the front.

The driver's side front wheel is at a left-turning angle when the steering wheel is turned straight. The cop thinks that it could be my suspension trying to compensate (in his words) for the messed up pass. wheel.

The front bumper is messed up a bit and there's some dents on the metal right above the driver's wheel well.

I found some headlight plastic pieces and kept them. Those pix are in here, too. I'm thinking maybe (on a whim) someone has half an idea what kind of car it would belong to.

A big thanks to Peter for letting me know about what happened. I wouldn't have noticed for another few days if I hadn't heard from him.

[dormantgenius1]

Fucking drunk dumbasses. I hate people who do that shit.

Start trollin' around the major complexes looking for busted headlights. Hopefully someone will know what kind of car that plastic belongs to, that might help narrow the search.

I hope you find out who did it, because I think the penalties are even more severe on a hit and run.

[ScottyB]

another reason its good to drive a beater in college...that sucks. sorry to see any MM'ers ride all jacked up. hope you find them.

just looking at the picture of your driver's side strut, does the ball joint on the control arm normally tilt upwards at the steering knuckle (i.e. on the left side too)? if not, then that's where your funky steering might be coming from.

[SethM]

Ooooh this could be a fun game to match the broken plastic to a drunk assholes car...

And slightly off topic but is that CRIZAP parked in front of you in one of the pictures?

[Jeff]

Man that sucks, I'm trying to place that headlight piece in my mind but nothing is sticking out.

[Sijray21]

that sucks man -- i hope insurance takes care of it swiftly

[flintster55]

Man Jake that sucks. I've been hit and run before when I had my Civic so I know how it feels. If you need any help with anything just let us know.

And slightly off topic but is that CRIZAP parked in front of you in one of the pictures?

Yep looks like CRIZAP was at the scene. Guilty until proven innocent for him :lol:

[Goodspeed]

That sucks Jake, sorry to hear about your Escape. I walk past it very regularly through Hunters Ridge when I walk to UREC/back from class so I'm always giving it a once over. I'm trying to remember, but were you parked perpendicular to a Hunters Ridge road? I'm wondering if someone just went straight-on into your car, they must have. That headlight glass is weird in that it has black trim in it, I can't say I've seen anything like that before. Good luck and let us know if you need any help searching Hunters Ridge, I'd ask around the apartments too!

[JackdaMak]

man that sucks jake... I will personally walk southview tonight and look at headlights for you. People from southview are always drivin over that way since it is so far (including myself). Looks like that may be an aftermarket headlight tho cause of the black trim... i'm thinkin riced out honda

[mrbaggio]

Take the broken pieces to Gil Grissom. He can tell you where it came from in under and hour.

[Jake]

Thanks for all the support guys... Dad called Geico today and they're gonna take care of it. It's getting appraised at (of all places) Harrisonburg Hyundai on Thursday, but I'm free to take it wherever for the repairs, supposedly. Let me know if you know somewhere quality.

There was another (un-damaged) Escape a few cars back, so I took a look at it's drivers side wheel to look at that ball joint and whatever else is around it. Here's the pics from the good Escape for comparison - any opinions on the driveability to the Hyundai dealer? I was going to put the spare on the front passenger side, and see if the driver's wheel would straighten itself out a bit once that was fixed.





If any of y'all are free this afternoon and able to help out for a little bit, I'd appreciate some opinions on how driveable this thing is. Just give me a call. Thanks again

[Jeff]

Is the grey part raised up on the outside or on the inside of the lens? I've been looking at google images for "headlight" for hours and nothing like it yet.

[Evan]

tell geico its not drivable and the adjuster will come to you.

[ScottyB]

There was another (un-damaged) Escape a few cars back, so I took a look at it's drivers side wheel to look at that ball joint and whatever else is around it. Here's the pics from the good Escape for comparison - any opinions on the driveability to the Hyundai dealer? I was going to put the spare on the front passenger side, and see if the driver's wheel would straighten itself out a bit once that was fixed.

i think you're fine with that part now that i look at it again. the knuckle is in line with the balljoint so that looks natural.

[balactm]

i hate douchebags like that....

[ViPER1313]

Most likely a bent tie rod - the rod that is running directly behind the axle in all the pictures you took

[Jake]

Is the grey part raised up on the outside or on the inside of the lens? I've been looking at google images for "headlight" for hours and nothing like it yet.

The gray part is raised on the inside of the lens, but as it gets farther away from the little 'kink' (on the right) it becomes raised just a little bit on the outside.

[xvxax]

I am not sure it's a bent rod because his camber is way off, I have not looked at toe though.

[Goodspeed]

I am not sure it's a bent rod because his camber is way off, I have not looked at toe though.

I just walked by and the camber is indeed messed up badly on the driver's side, and toe appears to be out. So negative camber, toe out. In the above pic, I can't see how the upper suspension arm is attached to the unibody but its possible it was bent in some manner, I'm sure the whole thing is beyond alignment repair.

[Jake]

I am not sure it's a bent rod because his camber is way off, I have not looked at toe though.

I just walked by and the camber is indeed messed up badly on the driver's side, and toe appears to be out. So negative camber, toe out. In the above pic, I can't see how the upper suspension arm is attached to the unibody but its possible it was bent in some manner, I'm sure the whole thing is beyond alignment repair.

Update - it's definitely not driveable. I just put the spare on the front passenger side and tried moving it. Above 2-3 mph, it's pretty scary and unstable. Dad's calling Geico and we're gonna see what they say as far as towing or getting an adjuster 'on the scene' so to speak.

I also found more pieces of this headlight-ish thing. They fell down from my car once I moved it some. New picture of what it looks like assembled, with a random clear piece that doesn't line up anywhere:



On a side note, anyone know of a good repair shop around H-Burg?