Impact damage (from either side) will cause a distortion inwards or outwards -- these are fairly heavy, so a knock hard enough to remove a chunk will certainly bend something else.
I would suspect a defective casting.
Peter
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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!
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