Is it a write off? Totaled?
#21
12-23-2008, 06:44 PM
Re: Is it a write off? Totaled?
Well....... just got off the phone with the adjuster and he's sending me the estimates etc... and when I get off the phone I get a call from my dad.... he just wrecked his '08 TCH as well..... see pictures here
Hopefuly the New Year will bring better luck to your family.
#22
12-24-2008, 05:53 AM
Re: Is it a write off? Totaled?
How did it happen? It looks like neither car was on the road. I hope everyone is OK. Your father's damage does not look too bad considering it was a head-on collision.
#23
12-24-2008, 11:29 AM
Re: Is it a write off? Totaled?
Ice on the road in a curve, she tried to steer left into the curve, he tried to steer right into the curver, and neither car turned, they just slide right into each other.
#24
12-24-2008, 02:46 PM
Re: Is it a write off? Totaled?
I'm in the auto insurance industry and we have gone 'round and 'round about offering discounts for Hybrid vehicle owners and we always wind up scrapping the idea because of how expensive they are to repair. They are, on average, 20% more to repair than a non-hybrid and often require several repair supplements. On the flip-side however, the hybrids historically have retained their value well and are often found to be under the company's total loss threshold despite the high cost of repair. The damage looks significant, unfortunately. I wish you luck!
#26
12-29-2008, 06:47 PM
Re: Is it a write off? Totaled?
I believe, if you had the car replacement insurance, or whatever it is, and you car is less than 6 months old, then you insurance company would write the car off, buy you a brand new one, right the old one off as a Total Loss, and then sell it to a body shop for a reduced, de-valued price (the price of the car minus the cost of the repairs). That Body Shop would, depending on their quality, would rebuild the car, with OEM Toyota Parts, and then post it out on Ebay, or Craigslist somewhere... I can't tell if your car is completely loaded, but if it is, it books, NADA, with 2300 miles, for anywhere between $27K and $32K (depending on if it has navigation and leather). The damage, looks like it will require a new Hood, Fender, Left light, and possibly front quarter panel. THere might not be any frame damage at all. But the fan assembly within the front grill will need to be replaced. Basically with all of the labor, it looks like a $5-10K job, if they use genuine Toyota parts.
Some guy like me, will come along, and buy your car from the Body Shop, for $22K after the body shop buys it for maybe $14K off of an insurance company's salvage\total loss auction. Of course, after the car has been recovered by the insurance company, and you have been compensated, the car gets a salvage title (Flood damage, stolen, accident) until it is "Rebuilt" and given a rebuilt title.
Let us know what the adjuster says...
#27
12-29-2008, 08:50 PM
Re: Is it a write off? Totaled?
I am pretty sure the Toyota Camry does not have a "frame" as most cars these days are unibody and not body-on-frame. That being said, the car does not look that bad and my bet is that they will fix it.
Early this year my wife had an accident with her 2005 Lexus. The resulting damage was similar in appearance to your car. The insurance company decided to repair the car, and the ultimate cost of the repairs was greater than the value of the car (over $30,000). The reason the insurance company repaired it is because the Lexus approved body shop knew exactly what sort of estimate to give so that the repairs would be approved, and then they "found additional damage" in the process of repairing the vehicle.
It would probably have been better for us and the insurance company to have declared the car a total loss, but it was better for the body shop to do the repairs, and the insurance company's inspector was probably asleep.
The Lexus is perfectly fine now, and the repairs remarkably restored the car to its original condition, although it is nearly impossible to sell a car that has been in a car accident. We would probably have replaced the Lexus with a Toyota hybrid for now if not for the accident because now we would lose a fortune trying to unload the car after the accident. Our only option is to drive it until most of its value is gone anyway and then the loss of value wouldn't be too great. Perhaps we will trade it in when the plug-in hybrids are ready for prime time some time in 2012.
Early this year my wife had an accident with her 2005 Lexus. The resulting damage was similar in appearance to your car. The insurance company decided to repair the car, and the ultimate cost of the repairs was greater than the value of the car (over $30,000). The reason the insurance company repaired it is because the Lexus approved body shop knew exactly what sort of estimate to give so that the repairs would be approved, and then they "found additional damage" in the process of repairing the vehicle.
It would probably have been better for us and the insurance company to have declared the car a total loss, but it was better for the body shop to do the repairs, and the insurance company's inspector was probably asleep.
The Lexus is perfectly fine now, and the repairs remarkably restored the car to its original condition, although it is nearly impossible to sell a car that has been in a car accident. We would probably have replaced the Lexus with a Toyota hybrid for now if not for the accident because now we would lose a fortune trying to unload the car after the accident. Our only option is to drive it until most of its value is gone anyway and then the loss of value wouldn't be too great. Perhaps we will trade it in when the plug-in hybrids are ready for prime time some time in 2012.
#28
01-04-2009, 04:29 PM
Re: Is it a write off? Totaled?
Finally heard back from the adjuster on Wednesday, and the initial repair estimate is 10K, but they haven't "gotten under the hood" yet..... to be continued....
#30
01-12-2009, 09:09 AM
Re: Is it a write off? Totaled?
and the final update... drum roll please...... Geico called today to let me know that the body shop asked for additional money for more repairs that needed to be done under the hood that were found when they finally started taking the car apart. As such they are now totaling it..... it only took 65 days for them to make this decision. Time to go shopping!
