Nightmare 101

 This is going to be a public running tally of an incident that happened Dec 28, 2021. Its the kind of nightmare scenario as a parent and a vehicle owner that no one wants to go through.

I loaned my 2019 Transit 250 XLT to inlaws as they were going to take my 3 year old twins and my two oldest daughters to Louisiana for Christmas. Our van was the perfect size to transport their dogs, kids, and luggage while having plenty of room. The wife and I were on a flight out to Colorado to enjoy an adult vacation and anniversary at the hot springs around Denver. Late one night ont he 28th, we got a call from my eldest stuttering that there was a wreck and then she broke down crying. After a few minutes we were able to glean that they had just mad eit into town in Bossier City, LA and as they went to back the van into the driveway, the ground sunk in and the van got stuck blocking half of the road. See the crude diagram for reference.

They immediately got out, started pulling people in the house while having designated people as flaggers with lights to warn people. The cars interior lights, headlights, and hazards are on so it was a light show and anyone could see it a mile away. Several people slowed and asked if they needed help to which they were told no thanks but thank you for asking. A few minutes into the unloading, the inlaws youngest and my youngest boy were the last two in the car and were getting out. A sedan came flying down the road, made no attempt to stop at the people waving them down and slammed into the front driver side of the vehicle at 45+ mph.

 The car kept going after knocking the 3/4 ton van completely in line with the road in the ditch.

The car kept going until its brakes failed and it slammed into a tree.

My Van:

The two kids inside were thrown around the inside of the car pretty bad. The youngest had to be evacuated to the emergency room for head trauma and a CT scan while the older child was evaluated on scene and released.

Now that the backstory is out of the way, the documentation can begin.

The car was towed to a lot after being assured by USAA that this would be a total loss. We stripped our stuff out of it and prepared to begin vehicle searching. What actually happened:
1. The other drivers insurance declared the other driver not a fault. I had a pay the deductible for the damage to my car.

2. Caliber Collision in Bossier City, LA was the one USAA deemed to repair the vehicle. We didnt want that as we live in West Texas and it would be cost prohibitive to travel back and forth to the repair site to deal with the vehicle.

3. The vehicle wasn't ready for pickup until June/July. When we got there I immediately pointed out a lot of damage and such remaining. The manager on site told me that we could just deal with it in West Texas at our local Caliber. Then he pointed out the battery cover under the seat that his techs had damaged it and the wiring harness but the cover wouldnt be something they would replace. I would have to "figure something out" on my own. 

On the drive back I could tell the vehicle seals on the doors and trim were gapped. I was fighting pressure equalization in my ears the entire way home. We got in contact with the local Caliber and they were a 10/10 on promptness, customer service, and even fought the fight to get us a rental on Calibers dime. We dropped the van off after pointing out a sundry list of items.

1. Back brake lines are hanging down and the bracket is bent. - USAA denied repair

2. Driver door wasnt fitted properly. - Caliber adjusted to my satisfaction

3. AC wasnt blowing cool - Caliber recharged (again)

4. Sliding door is out of alignment and has a loud pop when opening it - USAA denied repair

5. Passenger visor mounting clip is damaged from the impact - USAA denied repair

6. Vehicle ambient temp sensor reads up to 20 degrees hotter than it actually is once vehicle is running - USAA denied repair

7. Drivetrain would lose power when idling at a stop and then accelerating for a few seconds - USAA denied repair

8. Popping sounds coming from front of car when braking - USAA denied repair

9. Font window has 3 chips that have splintered into cracks - USAA denied repair

USAA wanted me to go to the Ford dealership and pay out of pocket for a diagnostic on these items and they would reimburse me. The standard diagnostic fee is $230 per item. So now I have to choose between putting groceries on the table or doing this diagnostic so I said no. USAA you need to figure this out.

Now these were the easy to find things and I hadn't even opened the hood until today. Because I am just done. Check out these beautiful pictures.

Passenger Rear E Brake

Driver Rear Shock Cover & AC Lines

Driver Rear Brake Line Holder

Air Filter housing is actually broken

Power Steering Reservoir bracket is broken

Control Arm on the passenger side is actually dented and slightly bent

Timeline to follow soon on this post. I have to keep my head clear somehow.