fender bender

Or fender-bender

noun

Informal.

1. a collision between motor vehicles in which there is only minor damage.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fender bender¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

A fender bender that would be a simple fix on a traditional vehicle could require an expensive and lengthy repair on an EV to mend the battery and recalibrate the car and its sensors.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

About a month ago, rafters and kayakers were jetting through popular rapids here with names including Black Bottom Falls, Squashed Paddler and Fender Bender.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

What may have once been a simple fender bender has “turned into a major claim,” he said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

On one particular trip late last month he drove through a red light into a fender bender.

Read more on Salon

Then, when I departed said strip mall and made a left-hand turn across four lanes of traffic, I hit another car—it was worse than a fender bender, but no one was hurt.

Read more on Slate