[seadoons]

Well, my wife rear-ended a Tacoma driving to work yesterday morning. She is OK (which is really all that matters...). Her car is sitting at the body shop right now waiting for an insurance appraiser to check it out. It is an '04 XLE V-6 with 107,xxx miles on it. Leather, sunroof, Nav, etc. We bought it brand new and have pretty solid maintenance records for it.

My question - will this thing be totaled or fixed? The airbags didn't deploy. It obviously needs a hood, grille, both headlights, and a bumper. It is hard to tell in the pictures but both fenders are pushed back and one has a crease in it. The radiator didn't bust but it was definitely crunched.

I really hope it isn't totalled. I enjoy driving a car that is paid for and we planned on driving it for a few more years...

 

[ylen13]

Being airbags didn't deploy chances of it being totaled is pretty small.

 

[SilverSoarer]

Approx 3-4k in repair if you go with dealer bodyshop.

Lights, radiator, hood, bumper, fender all would have to be likely replaced.

 

[Glenn8963]

from kelly blue book, "private party sale"

Condition/Value

Excellent $9,865

Good $9,190

Fair $8,040

so you figure it out when the insurance guy comes along...........will they pay more than half of the car's value, given its an old car...?? i don't think so.......especially since you say "both doors are pushed back". there may very well be A-pillar damage as well and let's also not forget, what's IN FRONT of the radiator...?? the a/c condenser, so that's wiped out, and what is BEHIND the radiator, the cooling fans, and whats holding those items in place...?? the radiator support, and so on and so forth...............i'd kiss it good-bye, and tell the wife to watch how closely she tails someone from now on.........

 

[seadoons]

Thanks for the responses. I never said that the doors were pushed back - only the fenders. I have read alot online about different insurance companies policies' on totalling out a car. The general consensus is that depending on the company, they will pay out anywhere from 50% to 80% of the car's value to have it repaired.

So, the two inputs I need for the calculation are:

1. What is it worth?
2. What is my insurance company's policy..50%? 80%?

Let's say they value the car at $10K; 50% would be $5K in damage. 80% would be $8K in damage. I don't think it has $8K in damage but I suppose it could creap up into the $5K range.

I just don't know what else under the hood is smashed...guess I will know more on Friday.

 

[gdanaher]

Honestly, if insurance offered you close to $10k to total it out, I'd grab the check and run with it. At that mileage you are getting ready to begin spending money on it anyway for mechanical repairs, so this could be a blessing in disguise, but yes, tailgating happens. My wife has had 9 'incidents' in the last 4 years, and only one was her fault as defined by law, but trust me that a little defensive driving would have eliminated all but one of those events.

 

[seadoons]

What I am trying to get at is if the car is valued at $10K, and my insurance will pay up to 80% of the value of the car for repairs before they total it, then I would have up to $8K in repairs available before they total the car. I don't think it has $8K in damage.

Again - I don't know what the car is valued at and I don't know what my insurance company's threshold is for repairs. If the car is valued at $9K and they only do a 50% threshold then they would only provide for $4,500 in repairs before totalling it out...then I might be in trouble.

 

[Glenn8963]

What I am trying to get at is if the car is valued at $10K, and my insurance will pay up to 80% of the value of the car for repairs before they total it, then I would have up to $8K in repairs available before they total the car. I don't think it has $8K in damage.

Again - I don't know what the car is valued at and I don't know what my insurance company's threshold is for repairs. If the car is valued at $9K and they only do a 50% threshold then they would only provide for $4,500 in repairs before totalling it out...then I might be in trouble.

jeez whiz are you that blind...........??

in my posting, i specifically mentioned 'Kelly blue book private party".........couldn't you look up kelly blue book yourself to see...........????

 

[Glenn8963]

sorry, i hit the submit button twice

 

[seadoons]

Well golly gee willakers! I supposed I could look up the KBB value but you already did it for me even though no one ever asked you to do so. Maybe you are the blind one, dear friend, if you think that insurance companies go by KBB values. When was the last time you received anything close to KBB value for a vehicle you were trading in? Or, on the flip side, when was the last time you paid KBB value for a used car you were purchasing?

What I am looking for from the experts on this forum is for someone to say, "yes, I was in a similiar situation and the repairs were $X,XXX." I know right now we are talking pie in the sky stuff since none of us really know what is damaged.

Maybe there is someone on this board that has dealt with insurance appraisals in the past that can tell me how much their insurance would pay out before totalling the car?

 

[DJV]

car looks pretty well jacked up, glad your wife was okay

 

[Glenn8963]

Well golly gee willakers! I supposed I could look up the KBB value but you already did it for me even though no one ever asked you to do so. Maybe you are the blind one, dear friend, if you think that insurance companies go by KBB values. When was the last time you received anything close to KBB value for a vehicle you were trading in? Or, on the flip side, when was the last time you paid KBB value for a used car you were purchasing?

What I am looking for from the experts on this forum is for someone to say, "yes, I was in a similiar situation and the repairs were $X,XXX." I know right now we are talking pie in the sky stuff since none of us really know what is damaged.

Maybe there is someone on this board that has dealt with insurance appraisals in the past that can tell me how much their insurance would pay out before totalling the car?

what are you some kind of an idiot..........??

NO ONE can say what their damages were and how their insurance paid as EACH accident will be different.........just because YOU HAVE records of how well maintained your POS car was, doesn't hold water with the insurance company. how many times a day you waxed the car don't matter, its the down and out blue book (or even black book) value, and that's all there is to it. iif the insurance compnaies were NOT to go by blue book value, what do you think they are going to do, go by your word how great the car was and how great a settlement you should get.......??

how do you think your state evaluates the car taxes you pay each year on your car........?? by guessing.........?? no KBB............how do you think each state determines sales taxes on a used car sale, by what's on the bill of sale.......??? no.......KBB values...........

 

[eyeball96]

Please be civil guys!........subscribed!

 

[seadoons]

I'm sorry, I must have missed something, Glenn. Or is your name Kelly - and do you own Kelly Blue Book? You are clearly mistaken if you think that insurance companies look to Kelly Blue Book to determine a car's value. Let me point you in the direction of facts - not opinions - on this topic (link to article below, and I also pasted an important section below for your reading pleasure). I would encourage you to read the first paragraph and then the second bullet point, and then come back to the class with your apologizes for not being nice and pretending that you know it all. You have 3 hours, Kelly, to respond.

Your car's real worth

The value of your "totaled" car may surprise you. Auto-insurance companies don't use the standard Kelley Blue Book or National Association of Automobile Dealers value. Instead, each company has its own proprietary list of car values, and most have specialized software for valuing cars in each region. They take into consideration the car's mileage and pre-accident condition.

The insurance company may also ask local dealers what they'd charge for a similar replacement car. However, the insurer will consider quotes from suburban towns as reasonable estimates, even if you live in the city. You might have to drive several hours to reach the cheapest dealer, just to save the insurance company money. And they might be quoted a better deal than you could get if you walked onto the lot.

Tip: If you disagree with your insurance company's value determination, there are several things you can do:

• Next time, get "gap" insurance. It will pay the difference between what an insurer will cover and what you owe, which can be several thousand dollars.

• If you have maintenance records that show you've had the oil changed every 3,000 miles and you've had the car checked routinely by a mechanic, present copies to the insurance company to show the car was in good condition. If you've been paying premiums on any special parts or upgrades, make sure those are included in the insurance company's evaluation.

• Get price quotes on replacement cars from three dealers within a reasonable driving distance and submit these to your insurance company. Ask the insurance company for a list of dealers within a specific distance who can sell you an equivalent car for the value the company is claiming.

• If you still aren't satisfied, you can step up the process and go to mediation or arbitration. Mediation involves presenting your case to a neutral party for help in reaching a compromise; arbitration is a binding decision. You can also, of course, take the issue to court.



Here is the link:
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourCar/12hiddenWaysToSaveOnAutoInsurance.aspx

 

[ItsMeJon]

If you love the car so much even if its totaled you can always purchase it back from the insurance company and repair it. Also it seems you know so much about how insurance agents work then you should know weather your car is totaled or not. Like djv said keep it civil. Good luck glad your wife is ok.

 

[islandboy57]

It's impossible to tell whether the car will be totaled based on pictures alone. The insurance company will probably do a preliminary estimate then decide for sure once the body shop gets inside the car to see what exactly needs to be replaced. If there's more damage than meets the eye, it might end up being totaled. I hope not though, the car looks like it's in really great shape and well taken care of.

How's the Tacoma she hit? I'm guessing little to no damage? You should just offer to pay cash for whatever damage to it. Repairing the Camry is already going to be a fairly large claim.

 

[seadoons]

Fair enough. I will let everyone know what the insurance guys says on Friday.

The Tacoma was an '07 (I think). It needs a tailgate and bumper for sure. I think it had some damage to the rear quarter panel right behind the tire and the trailer hitch was definitely bent down...meaning possible frame damage. Our insurance is taking care of everything since our car is torn up and the other guy's truck needs a few grand in work as well.

Peace.

 

[islandboy57]

Damn. She must have hit the Tacoma pretty hard. Rear quarter panel damage = $$$. Good luck, I hope everything works out the way you want it to. It definitely IS nice to be able to enjoy your car after you've paid for it. Keep us posted.