Last Tuesday, a 90-year old came flying through an adjacent parking lot at about 50-60mph and t-boned my parked tC. I wish I were kidding. The impact pushed my car one parking space over into the car parked beside me, and that car into the car beside it. Everyone at the scene was sure my car was totaled. The impact sounded like a truck crashing into a wall or building. When I realized it was my car, I felt pretty crappy.
So, the insurance adjuster goes out on Thursday and inspects the vehicle and estimates damage at $9,700 and therefore, State Farm (my ins. co.) says the vehicle is repairable. Okay, fine. However, I talked to another adjuster on Thursday and he said he saw notes from the estimator indicating the possibility of a total loss. So why are they trying to fix it? I am concerned first and foremost about my safety. Second, the car was perfect (purchased in April) and has low miles - it will never be the same. If they fix it, I'm going to driving around in a car that has had $9,700 in body work that even in good condition is only worth $15,155 give or take. Third, I will be making a car payment on a vehicle that I'm not even getting to drive. The repair facility said it could be a while in repairs with that extensive of damage. I am fighting the insurance company's decision and right now, everything is hinging on what a tear down reveals, but I wanted some other opinions too. Even the guy who towed it was shocked that they are trying to repair it.
Anyway, I'm up in the air on this one. I have a friend who says I can get diminution in value, but that's not the point. My car was perfect and I'm convinced that they will never be able to restore it to that. I do, after all, have to drive the vehicle around..
*Sorry for the links, but the image insertion feature didn't seem to work.
I think it looks repairable. The damage appears to be mostly cosmetic. The frame probably didn't take too much of a hit.
engifineer
12-05-2005, 08:37 PM
I would guess they were moving closer to 20mph when they hit it. Trust me, at 50 it would have completely crushed it! In my first car (a 1976 ford LTD, very similar in ugliness and size to that car :P ) I hit a camaro in the front right hand side running 30mph .. and I hit the brakes first. The lady (a cops wife by the way :P in his car) pulled out in front of me. It wrapped the front wheel around the suspension, completely took the engine out of its mounts and shoved it almost through the opposite fender. Destroyed the camaro... bent my bumper :P
It is impossible to tell just from pics.. but I would say that it isnt totalled, or near it. It looks like a very fixable (safely) peice of damage. I wouldnt worry too much about the safety aspect with that kind of damage, but I would have a GOOD body shop give you thier take on it.
kocho333
12-05-2005, 08:38 PM
yea except for that tire....im sure a whole lotta stuff in ur steering system is mangled...but yea dun seem like ud have serious problems wit it later on, but also this is goin to be put on the car record....if ur lookin to resell...try n get a new car...
ScubaLubaSteve
12-05-2005, 08:41 PM
I have to agree. The damage is not that bad. The windows aren't even cracked. I doubt they were going 50-60mph when they hit it. You will need new fenders and doors, but I doubt there will be any frame damage and the engine should be fine as well.
It totally sucks, and I would not want to drive around in a car that had been in an accident and repaired, but I doubt it will be totalled. But keep fighting, maybe they will give in and get you a new car. Good luck!
mkat07
12-05-2005, 08:43 PM
[quote="engifineer"]I would guess they were moving closer to 20mph when they hit it. Trust me, at 50 it would have completely crushed it! In my first car (a 1976 ford LTD, very similar in ugliness and size to that car :P ) I hit a camaro in the front right hand side running 30mph .. and I hit the brakes first. The lady (a cops wife by the way :P in his car) pulled out in front of me. It wrapped the front wheel around the suspension, completely took the engine out of its mounts and shoved it almost through the opposite fender. Destroyed the camaro... bent my bumper :P
No, I'm pretty sure it was closer to 50-60. Otherwise, there is no way he could have made it over the embankment.
PrivateTucker
12-05-2005, 08:50 PM
The embankment slowed him down, hit you at 20-30 tops.
mkat07
12-05-2005, 08:53 PM
yea except for that tire....im sure a whole lotta stuff in ur steering system is mangled...but yea dun seem like ud have serious problems wit it later on, but also this is goin to be put on the car record....if ur lookin to resell...try n get a new car...
yeah, the car is not steerable...at all.
mkat07
12-05-2005, 08:55 PM
The embankment slowed him down, hit you at 20-30 tops.
he was airborne
jmiller20874
12-05-2005, 09:02 PM
Hmmm...I think they should total it, here's why....
1. The front, drivers-side suspension is done, not cheap to fix. I'm sure under further inspection, this'll be a couple grand here alone.
2. Body damage. Both front fenders, both doors and both rear quarter panels need to be replaced. Welding in the quarter panels, placing the doors and fenders plus I'd imagine they'd have to paint the whole car = $$$$$. I've seen less damage on the rear of my in-law's Rav4 and it came to $7,500.
I feel there is much more than $9,700 in damage with or without frame damage. They should total this car.
TOAST3R
12-05-2005, 09:05 PM
the rear panels is whats gonna suck. you cant just unbolt those and put new ones on like the front fenders, theyll have to cut them out and weld new ones in. or pull the dents out and bondo it all up
VVTIGUY
12-05-2005, 09:49 PM
I think that they need to total it. body work and is not cheap (as many of us know) Painting a car is not cheap and neither is fixing any machanical things (steering etc.) Unfortunatly I believe that the Insurance company will do what is cheapest for them and not what is best for you. just my .02
schwettynuts
12-05-2005, 10:05 PM
total it.. both sides are messed up man. I dont know what the hell they were thinking. Do you have gap insurance?
mkat07
12-05-2005, 10:15 PM
total it.. both sides are messed up man. I dont know what the hell they were thinking. Do you have gap insurance?
Oh yeah. Definitely got the gap insurance.
ROBOTCRANKIT
12-05-2005, 10:58 PM
:clap: I'm traumatized by old people's driving now, because when I borrowed a Toyota corporate tC back in August, one totally did a hit and run on me and then we found her later and she didn't remember it. We found out that she could barely walk, and shouldn't have been driving anyway....
That sucks, man, I really hope you get things straightened out with your insurance company, I totally feel for ya.
xBSciontist
12-05-2005, 11:07 PM
Where in Tampa did this happen? It was probably a snow bird. :rofl:
Look on the bright side, you can now get that wide body kit and your ride will be somewhat unique in Tampa. Hope everything goes well. Later.
And of course she was driving a POS too. Hope you get it totalled.
neotim
12-05-2005, 11:36 PM
Yep, I know what it's like to be hit by old people...
An older couple were drivin' an F250 with a hugh travel trailer and hit us while we were stopped as a stoplight. My xA had just over 500 miles on it at the time. Damage estimate from the body shop - $6,800:
http://www.neotim.com/images/xawreck2.jpg
scandalous
12-05-2005, 11:36 PM
My car was hit about two months ago in the front and my damage was estimated in at a little below $8K and they fixed it.
They replaced the entire front clip... both front fenders, from bumper, radiator core support + all the other ____ around the site of impact, replaced the hood, had to pull the frame because it was slightly off, alignment... etc.
Took them nearly two months but I finally get it back tomorrow :)
emiller
12-05-2005, 11:54 PM
Damage adds up really fast. Looking at the pic of your drivers side wheel you have some major suspension damage right there. Just the parts for that could cost 1.5-2k. The rest of it looks like mainly body damage though. That top pic looks like it went under your car which means your frame might not take a direct hit and might be ok. I would want to make sure that the frame is straight before they do anything. Hopefully its totaled because it will never be the same no matter what they fix.
A friend of mine did 7k in damage without any suspension damage. Mostly just front end and 1 door body damage. Didnt bend the frame. This has to be at least 10k with cheap parts and no frame damage.
lucky
12-06-2005, 12:34 AM
Doesn't look totalled to me, but I'm no expert. I feel your pain, I really do. 85 year old man hit me ( http://photobucket.com/albums/v283/nvaughan3/car%20crash/?action=view¤t=accident011Large.jpg ) , and that about 8K of damage when my car was 4 months old.
gwtc
12-06-2005, 01:09 AM
Man, why is it that our cars are such accident magnets? :nails:, if I had a second car I would prob. drive my tC less.
FromThisSoil
12-06-2005, 01:23 AM
Looks perfectly repairable to me...mostly you'll just need a new door shells or door skins, a mirror or two, a new rim/tire and some suspension parts, some front/rear quarter panels.
The reason why the insurance company doesn't want to total the car is because they'll end up paying you more than the repairs would cost and insurance companies don't like losing money.
Do yourself a favor and pick the best body shop you can find and don't let them take it to one of their "prefered" shops. Make sure you over see the cars work every now and again. Request they use only 100% OEM parts and no body filler, if the rim is gone, make sure they get you a new one and don't send it out to be refurbished.
Take it from me, my car was rear-ended and then sideswiped with a total of $13,649 worth of damage and they fixed it. I took it to the best shop I could and they did a wonderful job.
You're better off having it repaired anyway because you won't get what you paid for the car, you'll get fair market value. You won't see any of your taxes or anything back either. Drop the car off and take a rental car. The woman who hit you, her insurance company will reimburse you for the rental. And depending on your state, you may be able to put in a claim for diminished value with your insurance company, if not, you can try taking it to small claims court.
If you need any help, send me a private message. I've been through the loop twice already with this car and I know how it works.
tunerbox
12-06-2005, 01:24 AM
I would think that they need to total it because there may be damage that you can't see. I know that it makes you sick seeing your car messed up. I wish you luck.
RedLine_tC
12-06-2005, 01:55 AM
that sucks man..i hope u can get a new tC with all that damage..its not worth keeping
ISmokeGuys
12-06-2005, 02:43 AM
I know how you feel. I got hit by a 40something yr old man on Halloween. I was scared that they were gonna repair mine and had the same concerns that your having. Thank god they deemed mine totaled. I finally got my second TC last friday. All I can ssay is just keep fighting and if you have to, threaten with a lawyer if you feel the need. The way I looked at it was, I'm not paying for a car that needs to be extensively repaired because some idiot can't drive. It's a waste of my money and no one is going to want to buy it if I ever decided to sell it. ANyways, here are my pics and good luck!
honestly, once your REAR quarter panels are bashed... I think its done for... and to add, your steering was mangled... I can hear it now, "when I hit 45 mph, my car starts to vibrate like crazy...etc"
lucky
12-06-2005, 04:29 AM
"The woman who hit you, her insurance company will reimburse you for the rental. "
Depends on what state you are in.
oldmanatee
12-06-2005, 01:35 PM
PLEASE, don't just take the ins. co. word for damages! Get the best custom shop in the area to go give you an estimate. Then go to carmax.com and see what they offer for a car with frame damage.... NOTHING! SO, tell the ins. co that when you want to sell it down the road, no reputable car dealer will accept it. So, you can sue them for diminished value. Because the car will be worthless, not just worth less.
And I know, the tC doesn't have a frame, but the point is still there to be made.
SpdLmtNA
12-06-2005, 02:32 PM
^ uh, yes it does... dont mean to call you a :loser: , but there is a frame
oldmanatee
12-06-2005, 02:39 PM
ISn't it a Unibody?
SpdLmtNA
12-06-2005, 02:45 PM
a Unibody is still a type of frame guys... I think what oldmanatee ment by frame is like how trucks are built- with a subfram only (sorta like a table)
oldmanatee
12-06-2005, 02:48 PM
Yes, that is what I meant to imply. I am old school, and a frame is a frame, a uinbody is "frameless".
Am I still a :loser:
SpdLmtNA
12-06-2005, 02:51 PM
lol... no! I didnt mean to call you a :loser: I just thought it was a funny face
zinczipper
12-06-2005, 03:00 PM
...1st don't sign anything !
...2nd seek legal advise .
...if they don't total it , do as 'FromThisSoil" suggest :
... find the BEST shop + 100% OEM parts + total repaint or the shades of silver wil be noticeable .
............................... have your attorney find out if she was on a cell phone at the time .
oldmanatee
12-06-2005, 03:08 PM
...1st don't sign anything !
...2nd seek legal advise .
...if they don't total it , do as 'FromThisSoil" suggest :
... find the BEST shop + 100% OEM parts + total repaint or the shades of silver wil be noticeable .
............................... have your attorney find out if she was on a cell phone at the time .
I bet she had a $200 cell phone in that $50 car...... :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
And it's all good speedlmt... :P
mkat07
12-06-2005, 03:16 PM
...1st don't sign anything !
...2nd seek legal advise .
...if they don't total it , do as 'FromThisSoil" suggest :
... find the BEST shop + 100% OEM parts + total repaint or the shades of silver wil be noticeable .
............................... have your attorney find out if she was on a cell phone at the time .
Don't worry. I am totally fighting this. I work in a law office and am going to law school, so at least I have several friends who can offer legal advice. Haven't signed anything - haven't authorized repairs. There was no word on the suspension on the estimate - so if that costs more than 1K, they should total it because I would be right at 75% of the value of the car. I should hear something this afternoon.
My whole point is that I am not hot on getting a new car, but what the hell am I going to do with a car that has had such extensive body work? Cosmetic or not, no one is going to want to buy a vehicle that has had that much repair. I wouldn't. Furthermore, I still have to pay for the car for the next 5 years and I didn't even do anything wrong....maybe that's what ____es me off the most. Of course, the insurance company doesn't care about that. They just want to pay out as little as they possibly can get away with.
The driver was 90 years old. He probably doesn't even know what a cell phone is...lol. But seriously, he claimed that his accelarator was "stuck." When the tow company showed up, they said that the accelerator in his car was absolutely not stuck. In fact, it was still driveable which in itself was kind of funny. That old lead slead is probably what saved his life. Too bad for my car though.
oldmanatee
12-06-2005, 03:34 PM
I'd still get at least 2 more estimates from the best body shops in town, it's your car, you have that right. And since you can prove you had no 'body filler' in the car last week, you will not accept any in it next week. 100% new TOYOTA parts, not OEM equivilant, even down to Toyota nuts and bolts.....have them check all 4 rims for true, after a shot that moved 3 cars from a standstill...sideways there is a possibility of bending the center of a rim...This isn't just some fishing scheme, these are things I have learned the hard way.
And demand that they check the straightness of the car in every way possible. You don't need a sand crab....
Driver_Lost
12-06-2005, 04:37 PM
This sucks to go through. My Bride just got her RS 2.0 back after a month. She has had migraine head aches every other day that last two to three days, and major neck pain.
http://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=89875&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0
Be glad you we not in it. T bones are hard on the human body.
I hope it all works out better for you.
FromThisSoil
12-06-2005, 08:03 PM
I would think that they need to total it because there may be damage that you can't see. I know that it makes you sick seeing your car messed up. I wish you luck.
Usually, the way it works is, if there's damage you can't see...the insurance companies will cut a check for the damage they CAN see. The body shop will start the repair with the first estimate. As they take it apart and find more damage, they will take up another estimate and the claim adjuster will come out and take a look at it again. Then the insurance company will cut another check.
I can tell you this from experience because my tC got hit offset in the rear end and then side swiped. The first estimate was Just under $9000. There was hidden damage with the suspension and a cross member and they cut another check for just under $5000.
mkat07
12-07-2005, 04:18 PM
Given the choice of the two - IF I have to get it repaired:
The Scion dealer where I purchased - they have a body shop
OR
A local repair shop. Word of mouth says they do excellent work.
Both just happen to be on the insurance company's list. I didn't look them up from that list though.
They are now estimating closer to 12K in repairs. It is at the local body shop at the moment though I haven't authorized repairs yet. I'm wondering if I should have it moved to the dealership's repair facility....this whole thing is confusing.
State Farm still hasn't talked to the person that hit my car so no deductible money for me until they do.
What to do what to do?
oldmanatee
12-07-2005, 04:31 PM
IF and that is a huge word, the dealer has an excellent body shop, then, it might be easier to get future issues resolved.
FromThisSoil
12-08-2005, 03:44 AM
Only bring it to the dealer if they have a shop in house. Usually, a dealer will say they have a shop, when in fact they just outsource the job to a group of body shops they use.
mkat07
12-08-2005, 02:05 PM
Only bring it to the dealer if they have a shop in house. Usually, a dealer will say they have a shop, when in fact they just outsource the job to a group of body shops they use.
Yes, the body shop is definitely in house.
David616
12-08-2005, 09:22 PM
I feel your pain man. I had an old man hit me on my drivers side. I was crossing an intersection and he hit me on my drivers side when he was taking his left turn. He said he didnt see me. $3,200 worth of damage for mine. Drivers side fender, Side mirror, quarter panel, drivers door, front bumper and drivers side headlight was messed up, CAI intake and drivers side strut was damaged as well.
-David
zinczipper
12-09-2005, 06:53 PM
...if ya got 12K of damage..its totalled
mkat07
12-09-2005, 07:26 PM
...if ya got 12K of damage..its totalled
could you call my adjuster and tell him that? :-)
FromThisSoil
12-10-2005, 05:31 AM
I had just under $14,000 and the car was fixed.
If the claim adjuster can't see the damage, they don't write a check for it. Once they see the damage and the body shop has already disassembled the car, it's pretty much a done deal unless under extenuating circumstances. The insurance company will just issue another check. $12,000 is still a lot less than the actual cash value of the car which almost always means they'll fix it. Insurance companies don't like losing money.
People will often say when a car's damages amount to 75-80%, the car is considered totaled. Fact of the matter is, there really is no set limitation...It's all based on the circumstance.
I got mine back at the beginning of January. Despite my concerns, it all turned out great. In fact, it's better. I had some paint chips on my back bumper that are now gone, etc. The total repair bill ended up being close to $14,000, but it wasn't on my dime, and that's what matters.
So what happened??
FromThisSoil
02-23-2006, 08:38 PM
That's about how much mine cost to repair...I think it was something like $13000, I can't remember the exact cost, but it was a lot.