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You imply inaccurately that Korean parts cause more damage because they're inferior, which is merely anecdotal.
What you've apparently ignored is the fact that every single hit is different. Two seemingly identical accidents can cause vastly different amounts of damage, in totally different ways. Hoods flying through windshields can happen with Volvo parts too. Quarter panels are almost ALWAYS jammed against the doors, in a front end collision of even moderate proportions. A lot of them have the "VOLVO" stamp on the upper lip, indicating original pieces. The quarters can come in and block the doors in even minor collisions. You never open doors on a wrecked car without watching the edges for signs of binding or blockage. You never open the hood on a front end wreck without seeing if it will damage the cowl or the windshield. Korean parts or not, a wreck is a wreck. If you get hit by a truck, all the original sheet metal on the planet won't save your day.
Furthermore, sheet metal does not make protection from a collision. It's just window dressing, put there to look nice. If you hit a car directly on the quarter panel, it will hardly move until the quarter is depressed all the way to the frame rail, the wheel, strut, or something else that is structural. The quarter itself doesn't make or break a wreck.
Ditto for hoods. Rear end another Volvo bumper-to-bumper, and you'll probably have intact quarters, despite the frame rails being folded up. Rear end a Grand Cherokee and your hood will be folded all the way to the windshield, but the bumper might still be perfect. Likewise for the frame rails.
Also, pay attention to the severity of an accident. I read from your post, "...the same car [that had been repaired with Korean parts] in a serious front end collision was a mess".
A serious collision caused a mess. That much is easy to establish. All serious collisions cause a mess. To imply that it was somehow worsened by thinner sheet metal is thoroughly inaccurate. The visible damage might have appeared somewhat worse, but the Korean stuff is still made to distort the same way as the original parts. Just not as strong.
While I don't really recommend Korean parts, they do serve a purpose, and that purpose is being cost effective. Sometimes cost is an issue, especially when safety isn't being sacrificed--which it isn't. We're not talking about frame rails or roof structures here. You SHOULD use the original parts especially when the car is a few years old or less, but the assertion that sheet metal makes a difference in a "serious collision" is a weak assertion, and from what I can determine, is based upon the casual observation of one wrecked car.
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Chris Herbst
1992 745, 68k
And others:
93 944, 150k
90 245, 110k
88 744, 160k
87 245, 185k
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