I don’t post much here. I’ve been lurking since late 2024 when I decided to buy. I ordered exactly what I wanted, Tasman Blue, white roof, white alloy 20” S wit pretty much every option. I loved that Defender.

3 weeks ago, I was stopped in stop and go traffic, and got rear-ended by a Harley Davidson (820 lbs + 200 lb rider) at less than 30 MPH. He managed to swerve, so made contact with the right rear corner and fender.

Yesterday, I got word that insurance has declared it a total loss. 10 months, 13000 miles.

I’m about to pull the trigger on a leftover 2025 V8 at $15K off MSRP.

Really odd that a motorcycle can total an SUV, but here we are. The body was tweaked badly. After impact, the rear hatch would not open, then when opened, it would not close.

Interesting note, there are some body parts that are not available except to LR certified body shops.

Don

 

Wow, that is a lot of damage from a motorcycle. I guess the Defender (or any other vehicle) isn't designed to take an offset hit up that high.

I got rear ended by a RAV4 and needed a new bumper cover and tire cover. RAV4 was probably totaled.

 

It does not take much to get one totaled. I had two Defenders that got totaled and I can testify they are built like tanks.

 

That damage looks so minimal, it’s a shame a vehicle with such a high price tag cannot be repaired. But that’s the downfall of how they’re built these days. In the past, body panels could be replaced easily. But the kicker is all the hidden parts, the cameras, sensors, wiring harnesses, etc. From the picture the damage looks easily repairable but add up the sum of all those parts, plus the ridiculous labor costs and the total to repair climbs rapidly. I had a minor fender bender in a previous Evoque and the initial estimate from an insurance damage appraisal came in at a couple grand. Once they got into the actual repair it climbed to over $14k.

 

QT panelThis is likely why the insurance company totaled the Defender. Replacing that rear quarter panel (QT panel) at a dealership is a major undertaking. According to the repair procedure, parts of the roof have to be removed, along with several other assemblies. It’s a very involved and time-consuming job.

Yes, a skilled independent shop could probably handle it well. However, insurance companies are usually reluctant to approve that route — they prefer to avoid the risk and simply write the vehicle off.

 

Thanks for that. I was told that part is not available to independent shops, and is only sold drop-shipped to certified body shops.

 

That is absolutely true. They don't want "us" to fix it, just buy more vehicles.

 

On top of that, there are very few Land Rover certified body shops that can work on these since most of the panels are aluminum.

 

So just curious, how did the motorcycle rider make out in the crash - hope he had a helmet on!

 

A hit doing that much damage could be fatal on a bike.