Rear end collision (no, not me personally)... - Benzworld.org

12-12-2001, 10:12 AM

but all in all no injuries and the ML held up well. The ML's rear end structure is designed to be very strudy to maintain cabin integrity in the event of a rear end collision. In normal cases, it is purposely rigid to activate the crumple zone of the other vehicle. However, it is not so rigid so as to not be able to absorb the impact either. The underbody spare tire carrier (most vehicles don't have carriers, just straps that hold them in) was designed to break away in an accident to further dissipate energy and eliminate the slight chance that it could cause intrusion of the cabin floor. 'Hello Everyone! Last week while my wife was stopping to avoid an accident occurring in front of her. Our 2001 ML430 was rear ended by a Nissan mini van. The mini van was running about 30 mph, my wife had come to a complete stop. All occupants in the ML are fine, no injuries whatsoever (wife, 3 small children). The minivan driver went to hospital for a check out but no obvious injuries, no passengers. The minivan, that thing is dead, an alarming amount of damage. It had to loaded on a flat bed, it will never see the road again. The ML seems to have inflicted the maximum damage to it. The ML - broken/cracked bumper and bent the spare tire support. You can't really tell that the ML had been in an accident. Amazing. 5 seconds after the accident MBUSA came on over the speaker to make sure that all was well. Asked if she should call the police. My wife said 'yup, I think so'. The police, fire and 2 ambulances arrived within minutes. My first question: If we had not been automatically renewed for Tele Aid, would this call to us have happened? (it is a very secure feeling in this situation) During the accident, it seems that the seat belts in use 'retracted'. They tightened up very snugly on the occupants in the truck, and then stayed tight. Now the seat belts that were in use are all 'sprung' and stuck in that retracted position. The SRS light came on, no airbags were deployed. Currently the truck is at the dealership getting repaired, $1200 for the bumper cover, paint and spare brackets, $1000 to fix the seatbelts. My second question, the seatbelt retraction and not unretracting. Is this a normal occurrence? Thanks! -Phil Tome-'

12-12-2001, 10:22 AM

Does anyone give me advice regarding my 98ML320 engine oil changed? Follow SSA or 5000 mile/each Thanks!

12-12-2001, 10:29 AM

Not that I don't think it's a ripoff (I do) - but to me, safety always comes first. God forbid someone had been seriously hurt - the minutes saved by having that ambulance dispatched immediately could mean the difference between life and death. That's an interesting question, though - would Teleaid still monitor your car and call you? See - this is where I think per-incident charges should apply, or they should come out with a barebones, ala carte package. -J <ul><hr>Originally posted by Drew but all in all no injuries and the ML held up well. The ML's rear end structure is designed to be very strudy to maintain cabin integrity in the event of a rear end collision. In normal cases, it is purposely rigid to activate the crumple zone of the other vehicle. However, it is not so rigid so as to not be able to absorb the impact either. The underbody spare tire carrier (most vehicles don't have carriers, just straps that hold them in) was designed to break away in an accident to further dissipate energy and eliminate the slight chance that it could cause intrusion of the cabin floor. 'Hello Everyone! Last week while my wife was stopping to avoid an accident occurring in front of her. Our 2001 ML430 was rear ended by a Nissan mini van. The mini van was running about 30 mph, my wife had come to a complete stop. All occupants in the ML are fine, no injuries whatsoever (wife, 3 small children). The minivan driver went to hospital for a check out but no obvious injuries, no passengers. The minivan, that thing is dead, an alarming amount of damage. It had to loaded on a flat bed, it will never see the road again. The ML seems to have inflicted the maximum damage to it. The ML - broken/cracked bumper and bent the spare tire support. You can't really tell that the ML had been in an accident. Amazing. 5 seconds after the accident MBUSA came on over the speaker to make sure that all was well. Asked if she should call the police. My wife said 'yup, I think so'. The police, fire and 2 ambulances arrived within minutes. My first question: If we had not been automatically renewed for Tele Aid, would this call to us have happened? (it is a very secure feeling in this situation) During the accident, it seems that the seat belts in use 'retracted'. They tightened up very snugly on the occupants in the truck, and then stayed tight. Now the seat belts that were in use are all 'sprung' and stuck in that retracted position. The SRS light came on, no airbags were deployed. Currently the truck is at the dealership getting repaired, $1200 for the bumper cover, paint and spare brackets, $1000 to fix the seatbelts. My second question, the seatbelt retraction and not unretracting. Is this a normal occurrence? Thanks! -Phil Tome-'<hr></ul>

12-12-2001, 10:32 AM

12-12-2001, 11:04 AM

12-12-2001, 11:08 AM

A while back, Robert Exconde's ML430 was rear ended really hard by a Chevy Tahoe. He did have the trailer hitch, which sacrificed itself by bending downwards. The rear crossmember (which is the rear bumper) was damaged and replaced, but other than that, the tailgate, and the seatbelt pretensioners, everything was just fine. Follow the link below for Robert's account, as well as pictures. The bumper didn't even look scratched up! <img src='http://www.exconde.com/5.jpg'>

12-12-2001, 04:28 PM

The hitch probably will cause more internal (cross-member, frame etc.) damages in a rear end collision. It may also transfers greater force, through the frame, directly to passengers. It basically bypasses all crash absorb materials hidden in the rear bumper and direct the impact force to the main structure. Thinking of â€œa point of impactâ€? and â€œan area of impactâ€?, Iâ€™d prefer an area one. In Robertâ€™s case, without the hitch, the result might be better, the damage could be less(no major frame works, the Tahoe might just plunge under). The only thing a hitch could do is it might save the bumper and some plastic parts, but does it worth it? IMHO, no. THOSE ARE ALL MY VERY UN-SCIENTIFIC OBSERINGS, ANY EXPERTS, PLEASE OFFER YOUR INSIGHTS.

12-12-2001, 05:00 PM

In a higher speed collision, the effects of the bumper are negligeble. They're only rated for 2.5 mph and there is no energy absorbing material inside, just a very tough plastic structure that is supposed to absorb the impact and bounce back to shape (hopefully). The impact force shouldn't be any greater with/without the hitch since the vehicle is still moving at the same speed. If you don't already know, the rear bumper is the last crossmember of the frame. The hitch receiver is attached to the bumper, unlike most other SUVs where it is a separate bar underneath the bumper. Don't forget that MB designed it (the trailer hitch) with rear end collisions in mind. Since the bumper is the frame, and the trailer hitch is attached to the bumper, the impact forces should be the same. I think the extra reinforcements from the trailer hitch braces should help though. Also, don't forget that the ML is a body-on-frame SUV, and not unibody like many others on the market.

12-14-2001, 10:56 AM