Hey,

Looks like my son wasn't paying attention and rear-ended a car in our HCHII. While I'm pretty steamed about having to pay for the damages, FI'm also concerned as if this will permanently adversely affect my MPG.

He hit the Ion pretty hard and the front was damaged to the point that the engine was shifted backwards and it looks like the radiator is cracked also.

Any ideas?

 

engine was shifted backwards?

OMG

Wouldn't that mean the car it totaled since that would cost more to put right than a new car?

What does your insurance company say?

 

Yea, smashed up cars aren't good for fuel economy. Glad your son was not hurt.

 

If it is fixable, it should be restored to 'new' condition and be as good as new.

 

I'd be pretty cautious about letting anyone "fix" a front drive car with damaged engine mounts. If your engine really is shifted backward, so is your transaxle (CVT) and so are your driveshafts out to the wheels, which may have considerably stressed (read: bent) the front suspension components. Also, this car uses a front subframe to mount the engine, so if the engine is shifted, you gotta worry that subframe isn't straight anymore either, and that's holding up the front end of the car and taking all the driving forces from the wheels.

Sorry to rain on your parade, man, but you may have bigger worries than your FE. Of course, as ppgroup points out, if it *can* be fixed, then "fixed" would include "gets astounding fuel economy for a car this size and weight," just like when it came from the factory.

Best wishes on that --
doug