Frame damage to 2003 Accord?

I was wondering if anyone knew how far the unibody frame extended toward
the rear of a 2003 EX Accord Coupe?

I was hit from behind by a utility vans while waiting to make left turn
(the van driver was talking to his dispatcher and not paying attention).
The damage estimate was $9,500 -- with supplements it came to over $10,000
-- I probably should have argued that they total it, but I love my Honda
and just wanted to get behind the wheel again. With what the insurance
company paid to keep me in a rental and the diminished value claim (State
law in Georgia... max is 10% of ACV, but it is better than nothing), the
repair costs definitely approached that line.

I have my car back now and am satisfied. They matched the paint perfectly
and a trained eye could surely examine the trunk and instantly tell it had
been repaired, but it isn't obvious. But I've heard horror stories of
frames not be repaired properly, and wondered if that could be the case.
I've gone over the insurance companies estimate and the body shop;s list
and don't see anything related to the frame. Is it possible it wasn't
damaged?

The car "pancaked" on impact and looked awful, but the damage did not
quite reach the rear windshield (which extends over much of the trunk).
Does anyone know where the frame ends?

TIA, Rich

PS/Mechanically the car seems fine... no shimmies or rattles... I'd been
driving a Taurus and there's just no comparison to being back in a Honda.

 

From what you described, your frame was damaged. It runs from bumper to
bumper. The body shops have a straighting machine that can bring them
back within specifications. They are truely amazing. I would be more
worried about the paint. Often, the unbaked matched paint fades after a
few years. Most people don't keep a car past 3 or 4 years, so the shops
are not concerned with it. I hope you have a lifetime of ownership
guarentee. Then you can make them repaint it if the paint goes bad as
mine did on my '88 Accord.

 

It is reassuring you believe my biggest worry should be paint. That is
the one thing I haven't been concerned with -- examining in bright sunlight
I honestly can't tell where the original and body shop paint meet now.
I'll deal with that one when it happens.

 

Regardless of where the frame starts or ends, the only way to know if it's
out or not is to put it up on a frame machine and measure it. There are
different qualities of frame machines, some use lasers to measure, the
older ones don't but still you can find out the measurements and check them
against what the car actually shows and know if indeed the frame is out or
not.

If they haven't put the car up on a frame machine, then they've just made
the assumption it wasn't worth it to check if it was out or not. They
don't really know if it was damaged or not.