Fr

[Ivflo]

Is my car totaled I was sitting at a red light when a truck comes halling ass towards
Me and hits my car in the back the steering wheel is bent from when I braced myself

[Tcoat]

Depends on what is damaged under all that but at a guess, with very little info, I would say that will be repaired. Worse than that have been fixed.

[Ultramaroon]

Could go either way. Would have to see how well the bumper absorbed the impact.

BODY DIMENSIONS: UNDER BODY: THREE-DIMENSIONAL DISTANCE; 2013 - 2016 MY FR-S [03/2012 - ]

[CincyJohn]

Originally Posted by Ivflo

Is my car totaled I was sitting at a red light when a truck comes halling ass towards
Me and hits my car in the back the steering wheel is bent from when I braced myself

Not sure what the insurance company will decide, but this COULD provide an opportunity for you to make some money if you have the time/interest and you are not that concerned with having a salvage-titled car.

First, whether a car is "totaled" does not have much to do with the actual damage to the car. It is simple math - the insurance company looks at the estimates for fixing the car and then subtracts the estimates for what the car is worth to them to sell, unfixed as totaled/salvaged and finally compares it to what a "fixed" car is worth - namely what they have to pay you (either blue book value of the car when wrecked or replacement cost - depending on your policy). If they are at all close, they generally total the car rather than fix it because they don't want the uncertainty if the cost to fix ends up being more than the estimate.

The insurance company then gives you a choice. You have to either accept the money they give you, you buy a replacement and they take the car OR you say you want the car and they give you the difference between what they owe you and their estimate as to the salvage value of the car.

Here is where you can make some money - if you get your estimates to fix the car at expensive, reputable shops including all OEM new parts, that estimate should be significantly more than it would be if you use a discount/small shop, source used or salvage parts, and/or do some of the work yourself (particularly if there are some things that should be fixed/replaced if done entirely by the book, but could be fixed and/or lived with by you.

I made about 3.5k when my 2007 BMW 335i was broadsided - it was worth 11.5k at the time and the estimate to fix was about 8k and the salvage value was 3k. So I took the 8.5k payment and the car (11.5k - 3k = 8.5k) and then had the car fixed for about 4.5k. I had to do some legwork (I sourced a replacement driver side door from a junkyard and a non-oem "cheap" hood). The fix was fine - never had an issue - and drove it for another 100k miles after that.

There is one caveat, though. Your car, when you are done, will end up with a salvage title (which is a pain to begin with) meaning an insurance company probably won't insure as to collision coverage (which you shouldn't have anyhow because it won't be worth enough when you are done to be worth it) and it could be worth CONSIDERABLY LESS than it otherwise would be when you choose to sell it (depending on how long you keep it/how many more miles you put on it).

I knew that I didn't want/need collision, that I would be able to get it pretty close to back to what it was for a lot less than expensive shops were estimating (which were legitimate - just expensive because of many reasons) because I knew what I was doing and I have "a guy" who does paint and body work cheap, but isn't overly reliable, and that I would drive it into the ground (sold it in 2020 with 235k on the clock for $2,000 - I think the salvage title only cost me about $500 then). I also had another car I could drive while the process (took about a month and a half) took place. It was a risky move, but I think in the end it was well worth the 3.5k (4k on the front end, lost, by my estimate, about $500 on the back end) I made on the deal, especially since I didn't think I could get a good replacement for the 11.5 k the insurance company was offering.

[Ivflo]

Originally Posted by CincyJohn

Not sure what the insurance company will decide, but this COULD provide an opportunity for you to make some money if you have the time/interest and you are not that concerned with having a salvage-titled car.

First, whether a car is "totaled" does not have much to do with the actual damage to the car. It is simple math - the insurance company looks at the estimates for fixing the car and then subtracts the estimates for what the car is worth to them to sell, unfixed as totaled/salvaged and finally compares it to what a "fixed" car is worth - namely what they have to pay you (either blue book value of the car when wrecked or replacement cost - depending on your policy). If they are at all close, they generally total the car rather than fix it because they don't want the uncertainty if the cost to fix ends up being more than the estimate.

The insurance company then gives you a choice. You have to either accept the money they give you, you buy a replacement and they take the car OR you say you want the car and they give you the difference between what they owe you and their estimate as to the salvage value of the car.

Here is where you can make some money - if you get your estimates to fix the car at expensive, reputable shops including all OEM new parts, that estimate should be significantly more than it would be if you use a discount/small shop, source used or salvage parts, and/or do some of the work yourself (particularly if there are some things that should be fixed/replaced if done entirely by the book, but could be fixed and/or lived with by you.

I made about 3.5k when my 2007 BMW 335i was broadsided - it was worth 11.5k at the time and the estimate to fix was about 8k and the salvage value was 3k. So I took the 8.5k payment and the car (11.5k - 3k = 8.5k) and then had the car fixed for about 4.5k. I had to do some legwork (I sourced a replacement driver side door from a junkyard and a non-oem "cheap" hood). The fix was fine - never had an issue - and drove it for another 100k miles after that.

There is one caveat, though. Your car, when you are done, will end up with a salvage title (which is a pain to begin with) meaning an insurance company probably won't insure as to collision coverage (which you shouldn't have anyhow because it won't be worth enough when you are done to be worth it) and it could be worth CONSIDERABLY LESS than it otherwise would be when you choose to sell it (depending on how long you keep it/how many more miles you put on it).

I knew that I didn't want/need collision, that I would be able to get it pretty close to back to what it was for a lot less than expensive shops were estimating (which were legitimate - just expensive because of many reasons) because I knew what I was doing and I have "a guy" who does paint and body work cheap, but isn't overly reliable, and that I would drive it into the ground (sold it in 2020 with 235k on the clock for $2,000 - I think the salvage title only cost me about $500 then). I also had another car I could drive while the process (took about a month and a half) took place. It was a risky move, but I think in the end it was well worth the 3.5k (4k on the front end, lost, by my estimate, about $500 on the back end) I made on the deal, especially since I didn't think I could get a good replacement for the 11.5 k the insurance company was offering.

Thank you man I appreciate it


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