Fremont Collision Center

5 Most Damaged Cars Parts Caused by Collisions

Here at  Fremont Collision Center , we obviously witness a wide range of different types of  vehicular damage. Over the years, we have seen what parts of a car get damaged and how often. Of course, it changes based on the weather or traffic congestion like during holidays, for instance.  

Here are the five most commonly damaged car components based on a survey that was conducted six years ago by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA).

1. Front Bumpers (28%): This is no probably surprise, because logically the front bumper is the very first part of any vehicle to collide with another object when proceeding forward. There is usually one car getting hit in the front and another being rear ended, so in more than 50% of the time, one of those two components are damaged. Although bumpers are built and designed to withstand impacts at low speeds (less than 5 mph), any collision at standard driving speeds is likely to cause major damage to this indispensable safety feature.

2. Headlights (21%): This is directly related to front-end impacts, which is the most common type of accident and we see a lot of them here in  Fremont ,  CA . So, right after the front bumper, the headlights are usually the next part of a vehicle to take on some damage. Most headlights are made out of plastic and glass, which only increases its chances of disintegrating  even in a moderately low-speed crash.

3. Fenders (21%): Fenders customarily take the brunt of side-end collisions. They often undergo minor damage as well when drivers, trying to maneuver through tight spaces, brush up against things such as fences, garage walls, fire hydrants, trees, etc.

4. Grilles (20%): Since a vehicle's front grille is right behind the headlights in front-end collisions, it means that they often take a hit as well. Grilles don't usually get a direct hit, however, which tends to make the resulting angle-of-impact slightly off-center. That's why a front bumper and headlights will be destroyed while the grille experiences only minor damage, in many cases.

5. Wheels (8%): Wheels get damaged not only in side-impact collisions, but also as the result of running over potholes and debris in the street. In some cities where drivers have to parallel park in tight spaces or on hills, cars will normally undergo wheel damage then as well. Wheels are expensive and fixing them is never cheap, so always be aware of how to park and where you're driving to save them for yet another day.

Sources: NHTSA, Huffington Post and Car Talk