WASHINGTON — A minor fender-bender in a minivan can rack up thousands of dollars in repair costs, according to new crash tests conducted by the insurance industry.
Repairing damages to minivans involved in crashes of 3 to 6 miles per hour could range from $483 to more than $3,500, according to test results being released today by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The institute conducted a series of four low-speed crashes on six 2008 minivans.
The Nissan Quest had the most expensive bill for the minivans, costing $3,549 for a low-speed crash to the rear bumper. In the four tests, the Quest tallied $8,102 in combined damages.
The Dodge Grand Caravan had the lowest costs in one of the four tests, $483 for damage to the rear corner of the minivan. In all four tests, the Grand Caravan had a combined $5,495 in damages.
The Honda Odyssey had the lowest combined repair costs of $5,258 in the four tests. The Toyota Sienna cost $5,726 in repairs for all the tests, while the Chevrolet Uplander had $5,799 in expenses. The tests estimated $6,525 in damages to the Kia Sedona.
Tailgates on five of the six minivans — except the Uplander — had damage in the rear full-width test.
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