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I was driving on my way to my fathers this morning and while I am waiting on a red light, I felt a jolt. I was rearended. It wasn't hard but enough to get my attention. I get out to see who hit me and any damage. First off the damage was limited to my hitch cover was cracked, no other damage. I then turn my attention to the car that hit me, a prius that had mild damge to its front end, not too bad still drivable. The older gentleman that was driving looked almost scared. I told him not to worry about it as he had alot more to fix and all I had to get was a new hitch cover (about $10) . The irony of it being a prius that hit me kept me smiling all day.
Intertia is a hell of a thing. Considering you were stationary, there wasn't much to dampen the impact and the bolts took whatever energy was left after the Prius crumpled. It may not have broken them, but there's still the shock loading that occurred which may very well manifest whenever you hook up a trailer.
It's also about what parts of the vehicles stuck each other.
I drove a late 70s era Econoline (E350?) when I did repair work, and had a Dodge Van rear end me at a stop sign. I got out and observed a small crease around the pass-side rear taillight, and the lens was broken. The Dodge's grille hit my rear bumper, his coolant was spewing out everywhere, his hood buckled, his fenders had bowed out from the grille parting sideways.. he had to get towed away. I installed red tape over the broken taillight and that E350 ran 2 more years until the engine went and we scrapped it.
Maybe, that's why I love my Ex so much - it reminds of that huge van and being "youngish" again.
I had a Subaru WRX rear end my EX a few years ago, no damage to the EX at all, took the impact fully on the hitch but the Subie had a 2.5" X 2.5" hole punched in its front. I felt bad for the girl driving her boyfriend's WRX, I'm sure he wasn't happy when she got home.
My favorite rear ending story though was when the Fire Engine I was driving to a call (code 3, lights and sirens) got rear ended at an intersection. My traffic light was red (the optical traffic controllers sometimes fail to trip the lights) so I came to a stop to check for clear passage when a Chevy Lumina hit the back of the rig. He was going about 20MPH when he hit us, fortunately due to the Engine's ride height he went under the tailboard and the overbuilt 20K hitch took that full impact also. When I walked back to his car his first words were "Why did you stop!", the State Trooper LOVED that, I think he had writer's cramp by the time he was done with the Chevy driver.
Had them drop the tank and check all of the hitch mounting bolts and put it on a laser frame checker...no frame damage, but they did notice that when they pulled the hitch bolts, some of the threads were flattened where the hitch mount slid forward from her hitting me. A day later got my rig back with new hitch mount bolts and a new 3-way hitch (sans "the claw").
...her car was retired if memory serves...cracked engine block, couldn't get the passenger door open
Had them drop the tank and check all of the hitch mounting bolts and put it on a laser frame checker...no frame damage, but they did notice that when they pulled the hitch bolts, some of the threads were flattened where the hitch mount slid forward from her hitting me. A day later got my rig back with new hitch mount bolts and a new 3-way hitch (sans "the claw").
...her car was retired if memory serves...cracked engine block, couldn't get the passenger door open
ok from everything I can see the bolts have zero damage. I tried to get pictures but can't see much. So once again Excursion wins!
I was glad no one was hurt also, except his pocketbook when he gets his vehicle fixed.
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. First off the damage was limited to my hitch cover was cracked, no other damage. I then turn my attention to the car that hit me, a prius that had mild damge to its front end, not too bad still drivable. The older gentleman that was driving looked almost scared. I told him not to worry about it as he had alot more to fix and all I had to get was a new hitch cover (about $10) . The irony of it being a prius that hit me kept me smiling all day. 
when I did repair work, and had a Dodge Van rear end me at a stop sign. I got out and observed a small crease around the pass-side rear taillight, and the lens was broken. The Dodge's grille hit my rear bumper, his coolant was spewing out everywhere, his hood buckled, his fenders had bowed out from the grille parting sideways.. he had to get towed away. I installed red tape over the broken taillight and that E350 ran 2 more years until the engine went and we scrapped it.
