Grrr.....hit from behind by a Yaris
09-21-15, 06:10 PM
#1
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Grrr.....hit from behind by a Yaris
Over the weekend, I got rear-ended in my '03 GS430 by someone who clearly wasn't paying attention behind the wheel.
After 30+ years of accident-free driving, I guess I was overdue for an accident. But honestly, couldn't it have been in my wife's Suburban?
His car, a Toyota Yaris, is probably totaled. My car has some damage (trunk won't close right, driver's side exhaust is bent, driver's side rear door is now sticking, bumper cap is toast, etc), but I have some questions.
At what point does an insurance company total a car? I realize that nobody worships the GS's quite like all of us, but what will Nationwide consider an immaculate but 187,000 mile 2003 Lexus GS to be worth? And for those that have been through an accident where another insurance company is fixing your car, how much latitude did you have when it came to determining the correct value? Should I have a Lexus dealer give my car a once-over to see what damage actually is present, vs. trusting the Nationwide adjuster? Also, do you have to use the body shop(s) that the insurance company will steer you towards?
My concern is I would have a very difficult time finding another 430 like mine, (complete with EVERY factory option, including cell phone and 17" 7-spokes). The other part of the problem is that if it does get repaired, it's going to have the stigma of the accident now showing on the Carfax, even though my car drove off under its own power. That may not be that big of a deal, as if it is repaired I'm likely never parting with it anyway. Think Gran Torino, only in 2035....haha
After 30+ years of accident-free driving, I guess I was overdue for an accident. But honestly, couldn't it have been in my wife's Suburban?
His car, a Toyota Yaris, is probably totaled. My car has some damage (trunk won't close right, driver's side exhaust is bent, driver's side rear door is now sticking, bumper cap is toast, etc), but I have some questions.
At what point does an insurance company total a car? I realize that nobody worships the GS's quite like all of us, but what will Nationwide consider an immaculate but 187,000 mile 2003 Lexus GS to be worth? And for those that have been through an accident where another insurance company is fixing your car, how much latitude did you have when it came to determining the correct value? Should I have a Lexus dealer give my car a once-over to see what damage actually is present, vs. trusting the Nationwide adjuster? Also, do you have to use the body shop(s) that the insurance company will steer you towards?
My concern is I would have a very difficult time finding another 430 like mine, (complete with EVERY factory option, including cell phone and 17" 7-spokes). The other part of the problem is that if it does get repaired, it's going to have the stigma of the accident now showing on the Carfax, even though my car drove off under its own power. That may not be that big of a deal, as if it is repaired I'm likely never parting with it anyway. Think Gran Torino, only in 2035....haha
09-21-15, 06:43 PM
#2
Probably get like $6-$7 grand for it. The car's damage would have to be like 1/4 or 1/3 (not sure which) the total value of the car to be salvaged. So if the car is worth $6k, and the damage is more than $1500 (1/4) or $2000 (1/3) it would be salvaged. Best option if you want to keep the car (because of its immaculate condition) would be to find out how much it would cost to get it repaired, let the insurance company salvage the car, buy it back from them with the money they give you for it and repair it with the leftover money. If you dont mind a salvaged car that is. Not sure how much they would sell it to you for, but when I totaled my Lincoln, they gave me $14k for it and offered to sell it back to me for $700 bucks. (not quite sure how that works)
09-21-15, 06:46 PM
#3
Oh as for body shops they steer you to... No. You should have the option to have them cash you out and you can do whatever you want with the money. Take it to whomever you want to fix it, fix it yourself, or pocket the money. I know that a lot of cars you see around town with damage usually pocketed the money to throw away on stupid sh^t rather than fix their cars lol
09-21-15, 08:17 PM
#4
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Probably get like $6-$7 grand for it. The car's damage would have to be like 1/4 or 1/3 (not sure which) the total value of the car to be salvaged. So if the car is worth $6k, and the damage is more than $1500 (1/4) or $2000 (1/3) it would be salvaged. Best option if you want to keep the car (because of its immaculate condition) would be to find out how much it would cost to get it repaired, let the insurance company salvage the car, buy it back from them with the money they give you for it and repair it with the leftover money. If you dont mind a salvaged car that is. Not sure how much they would sell it to you for, but when I totaled my Lincoln, they gave me $14k for it and offered to sell it back to me for $700 bucks. (not quite sure how that works)
How badly totaled was your Lincoln if they offered it back to you for $700 after cutting you a check for 20x that amount? I'm not sure how that works, either.
It will be interesting to see what they offer. The cool thing is that my agent (whom I've been with for 15 years) told me that if I didn't like the offer I got from Nationwide, I could give him a call and see if he could negotiate something different.
Maybe I'll get lucky with the money on this, and I'll be able to fix it and keep on driving it.
09-22-15, 11:11 AM
#6
Former Sponsor
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: California
Posts: 141
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The adjuster will determine if the car is salvaged or not. In the simplest of terms, the insurance company will salvage the car once the cost of the replacement outweighs the cost of the vehicle.
Keep in mind if you salvage the car, you won't be able to get full coverage with most insurers. You can always request the estimate and get a second opinion, too. Best of luck
Keep in mind if you salvage the car, you won't be able to get full coverage with most insurers. You can always request the estimate and get a second opinion, too. Best of luck
09-22-15, 11:18 AM
#7
Lead Lap
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: TEXAS
Posts: 516
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How badly totaled was your Lincoln if they offered it back to you for $700 after cutting you a check for 20x that amount? I'm not sure how that works, either.
It will be interesting to see what they offer. The cool thing is that my agent (whom I've been with for 15 years) told me that if I didn't like the offer I got from Nationwide, I could give him a call and see if he could negotiate something different.
Maybe I'll get lucky with the money on this, and I'll be able to fix it and keep on driving it.
It will be interesting to see what they offer. The cool thing is that my agent (whom I've been with for 15 years) told me that if I didn't like the offer I got from Nationwide, I could give him a call and see if he could negotiate something different.
Maybe I'll get lucky with the money on this, and I'll be able to fix it and keep on driving it.
When your vehicle is totaled, they basically give you two options:
1. They write you a check minus your deductible for the book value of your car.
2. They write you a check minus your deductible for the book value of your car and they give you the opportunity to BUY IT BACK from them for very cheap. By doing this, you accept a "totaled" car with a SALVAGE TITLE. Its up to you to do the repairs.
Trending Topics
09-22-15, 12:16 PM
#8
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Flawda
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm an auto collision appraiser in Florida. Based on prior experience with working for Lexus Collision Center and dealing with several insurance companies included but not limited to Nationwide some things to expect/look for are.... A lot comes into play when determining the value of the vehicle and typically it goes off local average and if there's not enough local data present then nationally. If and when the car becomes a total loss and you don't agree with the value, request a list of comparable vehicles that they're using to come up with the value. In other words, if they're saying your car is worth $3,500 make them provide a list of comparable vehicles in the area for that price. Also, request a valuation breakdown to make sure they're including all of the vehicle's options including the v8. Typically Nationwide will write up to 75% off the value fo the car. So if the car is worth $4,000 then it will total at $3,000. Then you have salvage bids coming into play. If the car is worth 4, repairs get up to 2500 and the insurance company has a bid fo over 1,000 for salvage they will most likely total it to avoid unforseen costs (rental, parts price difference, additional damage, etc.). There's also a lot that comes into play with being able to retain your vehicle once it's deemed a total loss. If the insurance company decides to total it and you wish to retain it, they will let you do so as long as you cover what the salvage bid was. Keep in mind, the vehicle will now have a title branded "salvage title". The only way you'll eb able to register the vehicle again is if you have a reputable shop repair the vehicle. At that time you would bring it to your local DMV for an inspection. IF it passes inspection the title will then be branded, "rebuilt title". You will then be able to register the vehicle. Although, you won't be able to have full coverage on the car again. Keep in mind i'm in Florida and laws/regulations can vary from state to state. Let me knwo if there's anything else I can do for you.
09-23-15, 09:59 AM
#10
My 98 gs4 was rear ended by a full size Ford pick-up last summer. The trucks tow eyelets poked holes in the bumper, broke the mount bosses for both outer tail lights, and pushed the back tail light panel into the trunk about an inch or so. All that looked fairly repairable but then I noticed that the spacing between the back door and quarter panel lip decreased from about 1/2 inch down to about 1/8inch on the passenger side. The quarter panel also had a very slight (maybe 1/8 inch) ripple/bulge right at the wheel well (hardly noticeable unless you looked real carefully).
The insurance estimate was somewhere around $2k but they didn't want to take the chance of finding more damage when they pulled the back end apart so they wanted to write the car off. My car otherwise was in excellent condition and the appraiser made note of this as well. After much discussion they told me based on the book value of the car and the potential for extra unseen damage they were not going to fix the car. They offered me market value for the car and allowed me to purchase the car back. I accepted as long as they did not brand the car salvaged. So in the end I was able to fix the car and still make close to $1K on the deal. In reality though, I got my used parts on my own and did everything myself except paint and pulling the the quarter panel straight.. If I had farmed everything out I probably would have just broken even. My car by the way looks great after the repair.
I suggest you take a god look at the damage and see if the repairs can be done for less than the estimates. If so, buy the car back and fix it. I would be surprised if a Yaris could do more damage than a full size pick up. These cars are remarkably solid underneath.
The insurance estimate was somewhere around $2k but they didn't want to take the chance of finding more damage when they pulled the back end apart so they wanted to write the car off. My car otherwise was in excellent condition and the appraiser made note of this as well. After much discussion they told me based on the book value of the car and the potential for extra unseen damage they were not going to fix the car. They offered me market value for the car and allowed me to purchase the car back. I accepted as long as they did not brand the car salvaged. So in the end I was able to fix the car and still make close to $1K on the deal. In reality though, I got my used parts on my own and did everything myself except paint and pulling the the quarter panel straight.. If I had farmed everything out I probably would have just broken even. My car by the way looks great after the repair.
I suggest you take a god look at the damage and see if the repairs can be done for less than the estimates. If so, buy the car back and fix it. I would be surprised if a Yaris could do more damage than a full size pick up. These cars are remarkably solid underneath.
)
09-28-15, 10:21 AM
#12
Pole Position
Thread Starter
The adjuster will determine if the car is salvaged or not. In the simplest of terms, the insurance company will salvage the car once the cost of the replacement outweighs the cost of the vehicle.
Keep in mind if you salvage the car, you won't be able to get full coverage with most insurers. You can always request the estimate and get a second opinion, too. Best of luck
Keep in mind if you salvage the car, you won't be able to get full coverage with most insurers. You can always request the estimate and get a second opinion, too. Best of luck
Depending on your state, most insurance companies work the same.
When your vehicle is totaled, they basically give you two options:
1. They write you a check minus your deductible for the book value of your car.
2. They write you a check minus your deductible for the book value of your car and they give you the opportunity to BUY IT BACK from them for very cheap. By doing this, you accept a "totaled" car with a SALVAGE TITLE. Its up to you to do the repairs.
When your vehicle is totaled, they basically give you two options:
1. They write you a check minus your deductible for the book value of your car.
2. They write you a check minus your deductible for the book value of your car and they give you the opportunity to BUY IT BACK from them for very cheap. By doing this, you accept a "totaled" car with a SALVAGE TITLE. Its up to you to do the repairs.
09-28-15, 10:22 AM
#13
Pole Position
Thread Starter
I'm an auto collision appraiser in Florida. Based on prior experience with working for Lexus Collision Center and dealing with several insurance companies included but not limited to Nationwide some things to expect/look for are.... A lot comes into play when determining the value of the vehicle and typically it goes off local average and if there's not enough local data present then nationally. If and when the car becomes a total loss and you don't agree with the value, request a list of comparable vehicles that they're using to come up with the value. In other words, if they're saying your car is worth $3,500 make them provide a list of comparable vehicles in the area for that price. Also, request a valuation breakdown to make sure they're including all of the vehicle's options including the v8. Typically Nationwide will write up to 75% off the value fo the car. So if the car is worth $4,000 then it will total at $3,000. Then you have salvage bids coming into play. If the car is worth 4, repairs get up to 2500 and the insurance company has a bid fo over 1,000 for salvage they will most likely total it to avoid unforseen costs (rental, parts price difference, additional damage, etc.). There's also a lot that comes into play with being able to retain your vehicle once it's deemed a total loss. If the insurance company decides to total it and you wish to retain it, they will let you do so as long as you cover what the salvage bid was. Keep in mind, the vehicle will now have a title branded "salvage title". The only way you'll eb able to register the vehicle again is if you have a reputable shop repair the vehicle. At that time you would bring it to your local DMV for an inspection. IF it passes inspection the title will then be branded, "rebuilt title". You will then be able to register the vehicle. Although, you won't be able to have full coverage on the car again. Keep in mind i'm in Florida and laws/regulations can vary from state to state. Let me knwo if there's anything else I can do for you.
This is really useful info -- thanks! I will probably bounce a few questions off of you once I have the estimate, if you don't mind.
09-28-15, 10:30 AM
#14
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Here are some pics ---- and Alphaman, I appreciate you spending some of your life on my question!!
Clearly, he hit me from behind -- haha --- and more on the driver's side than the passenger's side. All the tail lights are intact, as is the spoiler. The decklid and bumper cover? Not so much....lol.
Here you can see where the panel gap disappears about halfway down the rear passenger door. The door still opens, but makes a metal-on-metal sound when you close it. The gas door still functions as new.
I haven't crawled under the car to examine the damage, but it looks like the muffler might not survive, as well as the exhaust tip (though I bet it would polish out okay).
The paint on the rear quarter is still in excellent shape, but if you look close, you can see the metal is wavy on the far right side of the picture:
09-28-15, 11:06 AM
#15
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Okay, I screwed up on the size of the pics. Here's a link to my Flickr folder with larger images. I'm going to go to my mechanic on Thursday to get some shots of the underside:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/86555781@N04/2B56d8
https://www.flickr.com/gp/86555781@N04/2B56d8