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Mustang Crumple Zone
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Posted by: OldFart

Hello folks,

I haven’t been around for a while but I couldn’t resist posting about the new Mustang’s built-in crumple zone.

As you can see from the attached photos, it really works.

The story: My son and his girlfriend were traveling down a rain slick, 4 lane, divided median road. He was in the slow lane behind a tractor/trailer. It started to slow down so he moved to the "empty" fast lane – only to discover the reason the semi was slowing down was a stop light – and he was doing 40 mph 3 car lengths from stopped cars. He hammered the brakes and slid into the stopped car in front of him at around 35-mph.

He car he hit was an older Jeep Cherokee. As you can see it barely damaged the trailer hitch and rear bumper of the Jeep – but the Mustang was totaled. It not only damaged the frame but the engine and transmission were pushed upward and even the transmission tunnel was damaged.

The insurance company estimated the salvage value at $2,200.00

The moral of this story is that the crumple zones really work. Both of them walked away with no more injury than mild air-bag burns. But I suspect the cost of insuring a new Mustang is going to go up as the insurance companies get more data on them and discover that even a mild collision results in a totaled car.

So my son's days of chasing the cones in his fairly well set-up Mustang are over. It's amazing how fast a car can go from pride and joy to total wreck.

Good luck,
OldFart

Posted by: ExBamaGal

Oh wow!! So sorry to hear about the car but at least everyone is okay...that's all that counts. Does he plan on getting another?

Posted by: speedytang

Crumble front ends suck. I was going 55 on a dry looking road and hit ice in a 89 Cougar 10 years ago and hit a stopped car(not sure why he was stopped on a open road) and nailed him. $2600 worth of damage and insurance company had me back on the road in 2 weeks. Only needed a hood ,nose assy, headlights and both fenders. Didnt even damage the radiator or fan. I will take rigid then having the engine go under my feet. This is why insurance rates are climbing. Sure they save on some injuries but when a $28k car is a total, rates will go up.

Posted by: Mac

Being able to walk away is a good thing. Ford has worked with the insurance industry on the '05' and have learned some tricks from their ownership of Volvo.
Dave

Posted by: Aussie XAXB

If my car will look like crumpled up tinfoil and I can walk away I would be happy. I am far more important than any car.

As mentioned, Ford worked extensively with the insurance industry on the design of this car to make repairs (I suspect other than head on) less costly and therefore the rates on the new Mustangs has been lower than previous models.

I would suspect that the insurance companies are ahead of the game if they pay for cars that are totalled more than they pay for people that are killed in them.

Steve

Posted by: Donna

Oh, that just breaks my heart for him. I am thankful they didn't get hurt. So sorry to hear this...

Posted by: Rick Sample

Ouch so sorry to hear about this!