Well, the deer finally found me after all my years of driving and avoiding these creatures. We were traveling north in Michigan doing 70 mph and Prancer decided to cross the four lane highway at full gallop. By the time I saw him, it was all over but the shouting. He hit and destroyed the front right end. Airbags deployed and I managed to aim my Compass it off the highway to a stop. The airbag dust overwhelmed us, then the smell of coolant filled the air. It felt like something hit my lower left leg with a hammer ( knee bolster air bag deployment ). I was sitting and belted in the proper position so the steering wheel airbag only bruised my right wrist. The passenger top airbag deployed but the passenger knee bag did not. airing out the car and facing 30 mph winds with windchills in the single digits was a bit...frosty...The passenger door was jammed by the rt front fender and lower body. It had to be forced open with great effort to get her out. (She's handicapped and needs mobility assistance).
After calling 911, the county police SUV arrived to our rescue. ( I'm sending his supervisor a letter of praise) . We got my wife into a warm SUV while we waited for the flatbed to tow the Compass away. The buck was dead about 30 yards behind us. The police called the county services people and they came to take the fresh kill away (they will process the meat for use at the county homeless shelter).
I took a few images at the time and my dash cam caught the whole "deer suicide crossing". With everything closed on Christmas Eve day I cant get anything going with my insurance until Monday. I'll take some more pictures when we go to clean it out ( I'm assuming there going to total it).
Jeep will be totaled but it did it’s job in protecting you n your wife. I went thru something like that in February with my original 2019 Compass, and was in my replacement 2019 Compass 7 days later. Good luck with everything.
First off, sorry for your misfortune but I'm glad you and your wife are OK.
Yeah, it will be a total. Mine wasn't hurt as bad as yours and it was a total. Like yours, it was less than a year old. I got the same airbag injuries as you, plus my Wife got punched in the face by the side airbag, but that was better than hitting the glass. She went to a doctor who told Her to tough it out. Having had back problems in the past She wasn't taking any chances.
Sadly, mine was totaled not so much for the damage but for all those airbags. I think everything except the driver's side curtain deployed. In my case I'm not sure I would have trusted any repair job. It was another vehicle that hit us -- offset on the passenger side. I'd always wonder if the airbags still work should there be a next time? How to you check? I took a financial beating since it was so new, but I'd rather feel secure.
We bought another Compass immediately but I got options I didn't want and a color I don't care for, but I had to do something. I hope your insurance company treats you well.
First off, sorry for your misfortune but I'm glad you and your wife are OK.
Yeah, it will be a total. Mine wasn't hurt as bad as yours and it was a total. Like yours, it was less than a year old. I got the same airbag injuries as you, plus my Wife got punched in the face by the side airbag, but that was better than hitting the glass. She went to a doctor who told Her to tough it out. Having had back problems in the past She wasn't taking any chances.
Sadly, mine was totaled not so much for the damage but for all those airbags. I think everything except the driver's side curtain deployed. In my case I'm not sure I would have trusted any repair job. It was another vehicle that hit us -- offset on the passenger side. I'd always wonder if the airbags still work should there be a next time? How to you check? I took a financial beating since it was so new, but I'd rather feel secure.
We bought another Compass immediately but I got options I didn't want and a color I don't care for, but I had to do something. I hope your insurance company treats you well.
That's what I'm assuming that they will total it. We'll reorder another Compass but I will get the same color and options again. We really like the Spitfire Orange. Too bad they only offer it in either the Sport and Trailhawk editions. I'll get another Sport with the sport appearance, and cold weather packages.
We hope and pray your wife recovered well. We're still hobbling around a bit but time will heal that.
I hope you were able to see my dash cam video. I can e-mail it to anyone if needed. I don't see a way to post it to the page unless I make it into a YouTube video and link it (which I don't want to do).
That's what I'm assuming that they will total it. We'll reorder another Compass but I will get the same color and options again. We really like the Spitfire Orange. Too bad they only offer it in either the Sport and Trailhawk editions. I'll get another Sport with the sport appearance, and cold weather packages.
We hope and pray your wife recovered well. We're still hobbling around a bit but time will heal that.
I hope you were able to see my dash cam video. I can e-mail it to anyone if needed. I don't see a way to post it to the page unless I make it into a YouTube video and link it (which I don't want to do).
Yes, I saw your video. Frightening -- it all happened so fast! Did you even have a chance to get to the brakes? I narrowly missed a bear last summer while driving our Patriot. I'd just crested a hill and was on the downside so gaining momentum. Like your deer, the bear came out of the woods at full speed. I planted the brake pedal and lucky for him (and me) the bear never broke stride. We missed by the breadth of a gnat's whisker.
My accident was 1-1/2 years ago, and yes, we both recovered well, though it took a week or two, particularly the knee injuries. Really, our only injuries were from the airbags. The worst part was all the smoke when they discharged My Wife got more of it than me because I could get out on my side. Her side was jammed shut. She was probably breathing that smoke for a couple minutes since it takes a moment after the impact to figure out what to do, and then the exertion of climbing over the console.
How did you get another vehicle on the holiday? Did the tow company provide a rental?
Yes, I saw your video. Frightening -- it all happened so fast! Did you even have a chance to get to the brakes? I narrowly missed a bear last summer while driving our Patriot. I'd just crested a hill and was on the downside so gaining momentum. Like your deer, the bear came out of the woods at full speed. I planted the brake pedal and lucky for him (and me) the bear never broke stride. We missed by the breadth of a gnat's whisker.
My accident was 1-1/2 years ago, and yes, we both recovered well, though it took a week or two, particularly the knee injuries. Really, our only injuries were from the airbags. The worst part was all the smoke when they discharged My Wife got more of it than me because I could get out on my side. Her side was jammed shut. She was probably breathing that smoke for a couple minutes since it takes a moment after the impact to figure out what to do, and then the exertion of climbing over the console.
How did you get another vehicle on the holiday? Did the tow company provide a rental?
All I remember is seeing "Prancer" then BAM. We slid towards the side of the road but I was not in control. Luckily because there was a semi trailer not to far behind us that passes in the video. In fact, no one behind us stopped. We breathed in that horrid dust. We have the cough but after three days it's getting better. What was painful was having that dust in your lung then going outside of the jeep in the single digit wind chill, that tightened up the lungs.
I'm guessing the cover to the knee air bag is what nailed my left shin. I have about two inch horizontal scrape/cut. No damage to my Jeans. After the accident all I could feel was a burning sensation. It's going to take a few weeks to heal.
I was able to call a family member to come pick us up. The county deputy transported us to the station where we could get warm and use the restrooms. I have a second vehicle, a 2015 VW GTI that I'm driving now. Getting snow tires put on this week.
Just saw online yesterday that the dealer where I purchased my last two Compass's has a 2018 Compass Trailhawk in Spitfire Orange with a shade over 20,000 miles. Looks like a possibility. The one bad part is that I purchased FCA lifetime warranty on my Compass (non transferable and they no longer offer it) and I will loose that. I was hoping to keep it for the next 20-30 years. Not meant to be I guess.
. . . The one bad part is that I purchased FCA lifetime warranty on my Compass (non transferable and they no longer offer it) and I will loose that. I was hoping to keep it for the next 20-30 years. Not meant to be I guess.
Yeah, I had a buy-one-get-two-free on the oil changes. I'd just used my second the day before. FCA would not transfer it. I was a bit disappointed that my dealer didn't honor it or at least throw me a bone of some sort. Then FCA keeps sending me reminders for the next year to use my one free remaining oil change!
Spoke with the dealer today. Looks like I'll get some money back on the lifetime warranty if the Insurance company totals it. Found a replacement vehicle today, so I'm already to go when I hear something.
So sorry you had that experience and the massive damage to your Compass. I had Bambi run into the front left side of a rental car a couple of years ago and was much more lucky. I had about one second warning before this brown object hit my left tire and proceeded to bounce along the left side and then off into the bushes somewhere - we never found it. Bambi took one of the wheel covers with it and left dents along the side but no deer entrails left behind and no air-bag deployment. We were so lucky looking at what happened to your impact and your Compass. I think it speaks well for the improved safety features of the newer vehicles. Bummer that your Compass is ruined of course but it's wonderful that you and your wife escaped relatively unharmed.
Spoke with the dealer today. Looks like I'll get some money back on the lifetime warranty if the Insurance company totals it. Found a replacement vehicle today, so I'm already to go when I hear something.
View attachment 14571
I took out a deer some years ago and clean got away with it. I was driving my '97 Bravada. Because of oncoming headlights I didn't see her until she stepped into my path -- not even running -- but leaving me with no time to stop. She crouched to jump just at the impact so my bumper hit her square, killing her instantly. Incredibly the only damage my Bravada suffered was a broken fog light lens and the grill got pushed back enough to sever a wire going to a parking light I think. I pushed the grill out and it looked fine, a wire nut and some electrical tape fixed the wire, and a got a new lens for the light. All fixed for a couple bucks (pardon the pun).
That same night I had a brush with a porcupine. He made it. However, did you know a quill can actually pierce the raised letters on your tire sideways? Right through one bar of the M in Michelin and out the other side. Incredible! There were no other quills and the tire survived just fine.
Well, the insurance adjuster contacted me and wanted to know what body shop I wanted to use. I had my Compass shipped on a flatbed to a body shop I trust and use near me. That was Thursday, New Years eve day. There it sits.
So they will do the estimate then I'm assuming it's a numbers game on whether or not they total it. So hopefully I'll know by mid week.
So the Compass was deemed a total loss by my insurance company. The estimate to repair was close to 16 K. I will miss this one because of the warranty it had but I'm happy to be moving up to a new Jeep Compass Trailhawk, Spitfire Orange from my dealer that just came in from a lease end agreement. Only 20 thousand miles. So more to come in the next few weeks.
Not surprised. Mine wasn't hurt as bad as yours and it was totalled too. Airbags are so expensive that they quickly raise the cost of repairs. These cars must be goldmines for junkyards.
Not surprised. Mine wasn't hurt as bad as yours and it was totalled too. Airbags are so expensive that they quickly raise the cost of repairs. These cars must be goldmines for junkyards.
A friend of mine happened to spot my Jeep being towed away from the body shop. Its now the property of the insurance company. What do they do with these?. I'm assuming it gets sold for scrap and stripped for parts.
We have a body shop in town that buys wrecked vehicles for almost nothing. They are in Indiana and have bought from FL and picked it up. They fix it and sell them for a good profit you would not even know it was wrecked unless you checked the number.
We have a body shop in town that buys wrecked vehicles for almost nothing. They are in Indiana and have bought from FL and picked it up. They fix it and sell them for a good profit you would not even know it was wrecked unless you checked the number.
Somewhere on the title of a totaled vehicle it should say "salvage vehicle." I'd always be afraid the airbags got shortcutted. You can't tell by looking at them and the only way to test . . . well, you've done that.
A salvage title always requires the highest form of caveat emptor.
That said, many people are afraid of a damaged vehicle and will sell it to the body shop. And yes, even a salvaged vehicle can be repaired and resold, but there would still be some notation on the title. How that would be phrased would be up to the state where it was sold. That may be what you're talking about. Those can be a great buy if you're willing to cope with things like excessive tire wear.
In my case the hit was offset on the right front, much like @rvwenger's, except I got hit by a 3000 lb. vehicle, not a 150 lb. deer. Had I gotten it repaired I'd always wonder about the integrity of the drive train. A hard hit on a wheel can do internal tranny damage that might not show up until whatever good-luck warranty they gave you has expired. In my case I would have sold/traded it soon. I bet the body shop looked over mine and bought it from the insurance company; she's probably back on the road.
A forum community dedicated to Jeep Compass SUV owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, trail riding, parts, classifieds, modifications, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!
