When is a car totalled?

[RearEndCollision]

Just an fyi, because this might be a little bit of a long story thing. Well, the title is pretty much the question. I always thought it was when it was a car crunched up, and undrivable, but I learned the last week that it is not the case.

 

First let me introduce you to the drivers side of my car, it's nothing special, but it runs.

 

Now let me introduce you to the passenger side of my car, and if you haven't picked it up by now, I was in a reck.

 

Another fyi, I got hit while making a left with the turn arrow and the lady ran the red, so she was at fault. As you can see, it's not to bad, because lord knows it could of a lot worse. Oh here is a close up shot of both sides, to show a more detailed diffrence.

 

Now at this point comes the point of the title. That damage that I've just shown you, is a now totalled car. It was declared by Gieko auto insurance(the lady's company) that it would cost more to repair then the car was worth, so therefore it is totalled.

 

I was amazed when they told me that, and amazed when I found out what it would cost to fix it. For the insurance to fix the damages, it would of cost $3,600, and believe me, my car is no where near worth that. So, after being told that a few unpretty things about my car hurt the valus, I still walked out of there with $1,800 dollars, and a car that works just as well as it ever did, and just looks a little worse.

 

So there you have it, the smallest damage that has ever totalled a car.

[maws]

How on earth can that possibly cost that amount of money to repair?

 

I'm sure you didn't object to pocketing the insurance though.

[Antinark]

Weird.

 

Looks drivable to me, and when you're in high school, all you really need is a beater.

[Vin.]

You've got to be joking me. That is absolutely rediculous. Your rear bumper is a little f*cked and they tell you it's totaled? Crazy.

 

Anyway, I guess that $1,800 can go to your next car then, aye

[RearEndCollision]

 

How on earth can that possibly cost that amount of money to repair?

 

I'm sure you didn't object to pocketing the insurance though. 

It cost so much, just because anything that got scratched, they had to replace. And, hell no, I didn't object to free money.

 

@Narky - I've driven 200 miles since I got hit, and there is no diffrence.

 

@Vin - Sure...towards the next car

Edited August 4, 2005 by RearEndCollision

[Taxman]

....Lucky.

[Iminicus]

Nice. I love free money. Care to share? Anyway, isn't Geiko the insurance company with the Gecko? I wouldn't trust that bastard. 1,800$ should help you pay for your ps3 and Xbox 360. But, don't expect change.

 

Lucky SOB you are.

[Taxman]

Nice. I love free money. Care to share? Anyway, isn't Geiko the insurance company with the Gecko? I wouldn't trust that bastard. 1,800$ should help you pay for your ps3 and Xbox 360. But, don't expect change.

 

Lucky SOB you are.

Hell, he could get both of those and a good computer with that money.

[SWEETSAPRIK]

So there was no damage that we can't see, like to the frame and such?

Either way, yeah, I'm pretty sure that it's totalled whenever the insurance company says that it's cheaper to by it at it's current book value then it would be to fix.

[Hurricane5]

lol.

 

My old truck (94 Dodge Ram) Has as much damage as that. Runs a hole in the wind though.

 

Anyway... someone put a fence where I wanted to go, so I claimed it was their fault. f*ckers.

[Akyra]

Just to add a further point to this thread. My car is insured for $8200.00 (au). A few months ago it got hail damage, which ended up to the value of $4300.00. Now if I insured my car for the price I brought it, $4500.00, my car would've been written off. The point to take in was that the extent of the damage on my car was approx. 5 dents on the bonnet, 7 or so on the roof, chips on the windscreen, and cracks / peices broken off the strip near the windows.

So long story short, because I insured my car for what its worth instead of the bargan price I brought it for, I saved it from being written off, when it was still 100% drive-able and in near perfect condition.

[Macintire Sniper]

What the f*ck. One little scratch and its considered totalled? Thats just f*cking gay, i couldnt even tell that there was anything wrong with it by looking at the first 2 pictures.

[I<love>AMG]

Thats pretty interesting...I have never thought about that....

[Mercedes-Benz]

No way would that cost $3,600 to fix. But your a lucky f*cker getting $1,800. Go buy an other Bronco II (a clean one) for $1,000 and you still got $800 in your pocket.

[Trueno_Drifter86]

Lucky. Free money is awsome it's the best kind . I can't beleive they said it was totaled what a bunch of dumb f*cks.

[Dup]

That means the car has been classed as a write off, as in its not supposed to be driven on th road again?! Thats how it works in the UK.

 

Funny though, but thats how it works ever here. People then keep the car, break it for parts and sell the parts on ebay, which amounts to a lot of money compared to selling it whole, usually.

 

At least you got your money. It took me a whole year to the day and a court appearence to get mine from a small accident that wasn't even my fault.

 

The damage is expensive. Mainly sill damage which needs the use and time of expensive machinery to put right, plus parts might be rare. A respray and paint job can alone cost $1000 and with the amoun of panels needing a respray the adjasent panels need to be blended in due to paint age and colour varient etc etc. then you have labour costs on top of that.

 

Insurance repariers are approved and charge top dollar for small work, but you can never ell the difference afterwards .

[cold blooded]

When a car is totaled, the cost to repair it exceeds the total vehicle value. If it’s worth 2000 and the cost to repair it is 3000 then it’s a total loss to the insurance company

[EmSixTeen]

If it's 'totalled' I presume you won't be able to drive it again though, no matter how drivable it is. Bleh, sell the parts.

[That guy.]

Is that thing 4x4? $1800 should get you a lift and tires.

[Martini Racing]

I can't believe that was "totalled", it shows how stingy some insurance companies can be, huh?

[SIP YEK NOD]

I can't believe that was "totalled", it shows how stingy some insurance companies can be, huh?

its not always how stingy, its how lazy too.

 

we had a buick rendezvous that got in a front-end collision, it was still driveable, but the parts were so expensive, rather than bother to fix a 20k vehicle, the insurance company wrote it off, and gave us $23,500. i tried to find out where they sent it to grab some parts out of it(peticularly the leather bucket seats, and 6-cd in-dash changer.) but they just said it was sent to an auto wreckers, and wouldn't say any more. i am guessing they fixed it for less with used parts, and sold it themselves.

[Martini Racing]

The deviant batards!

[turbosax05]

My old car (the Escort) was close to a write off, it was worth about $2200 US, and when it got backed into my back porch (long story), it needed a new rear hatch, new pass taillight, some repair work in the rear bumper and a sh*t load of work on the pass side rear quarter panel (part of it had pulled out about 3-4 inches, and the estimate put the damage at about $1500 US, dunno how much it really was, but it looked show room new when we got it back. Too bad the motor blew 5 months later

[RearEndCollision]

Is that thing 4x4? $1800 should get you a lift and tires.

lift no, new tires hell yes. The car is too old to put lots of money into, so I'm gonna save it and put it towards a nicer car later.

[Mega]

Well i came a little late for the topic. But from my own experience after my accident in Czech Rep. last year i can say that insurance companies are always multiplying the costs as hell for the repairs.

 

The Volvo before the accident was worth around 13 000 euros, after the crash they listed the repairs for 15 000 euros (it was around 8000, i know my sh*t...), and the value of the vehicle 7500 before the accident (13 000 i told you).

i sold it as is for 3500.