jaythetaxm

Hi Everybody,

Long time lurker first time poster.

I love my 2010 RX 350 but I think it's time to cut ties with it.

Recently my parked RX 350 was crashed into causing $14,000 worth of damage. The driver hit my rear right tire and both passenger doors (pics attached). Fortunately, no one was in my car and the person that hit me called the police and filed a report (he was okay too).

Before the accident, on my normal commute I would get anywhere from 18-21 mpg. After the accident, in about 1 week with my normal driving, I got about 16 mpg.

About 10 days after we got the car back, the engine died while my wife was driving the car. She pulled over but the engine would not start. So now I have to take the car back in.

I purchased the car because I thought it would be a good, low maintenance family car that I would drive for years. Now I'm thinking, after $14,000 worth of repairs, the car won't be the same and I'll be facing much more maintenance in the future.

I leased a 2010 RX 350 and before the lease was up I took it to Carmax to get an appraisal. The offer came in at $29000. I took my car again to Carmax and after the accident the car was worth $26000.

My next step is to get the other guys insurance to get me a rental car again, while my car is being fixed again. Then I'm going to file a claim with their insurance to make up for the loss of value in my car. Then I need to decide what to do with the car. If I get it back and it gets 16 mpg, I will definitely know my answer.

If any one has any feedback that would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Sevn86

That sucks! I'm glad everyone is okay. Ya I would proabaly just trade it in and buy another RX. Maybe a 2013? Good luck with whatever u decide, keep us posted.

ecr72

How is the engine trouble related to the accident? I think the insurance company is going to have a hard time seeing the connection. Let us know how that goes.

As for the value dropping, how much time lapsed between the quotes from Carmax and was the accident a specific reason listed for the decrease. Again, I have a hard time seeing the insurance company accepting your claim for lost value unless you can prove it. If the vehicle had $14K worth of insurance work performed, it should be as good as it was prior to the accident. In the eyes of insurance in CA, they will have made you whole by fixing the vehicle.

"Should be" is subjective which leads to your rel question. Should you get rid of it? From the tone of your post, the answer is YES. It sounds like you will not be satisfied with this car any longer and any problem that comes up will have you second guessing that it was a result of the accident.

Oh, the 16 mpg. Did they do a 4 wheel alignment? Have that double checked.


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jaythetaxm

The 1st appraisal happened in mid December. The accident happens mid January. The 2nd appraisal happened in March. So I think I'm good there.

The car has never given me any trouble prior to the accident. It's hard for me to believe that the engine problem would not be related to the accident that just happened. The guy that towed me said that it might be caused because of the wiring issue during repairs.

Good call on the alignment. I kind of figured they'd do it on their own but I should double check.

What I'm trying to see if anyone's had an experience similar to this and the car was fine overall.

ecr72

I see your point. It would be one heck of a coincidence for the engine trouble to have just popped up so soon after getting the car back. I'm just not so trusting of insurance companies that they'll agree, especially on the loss of value. Expect a fight on that one. If the accident is on a Carfax, that may give you leverage. Good luck. I hope you get what you deserve.


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vlad_a

MPG issue might be related to the battery being disconnected while the work was performed. Maybe it will improve with the next tank or two, after the ECU has re-learned its parameters.

Personally, I would use this as an excuse to get a new ride. Repaired vehicles are never the same.

cindytoo

Wow -- that sure doesn't *look* like $14K damage! Sorry about that. Whether the car is the same or not is kinda moot -- because every time your car hiccups, you are going to think about this accident and wonder if that is the cause of the current problem. It just isn't worth it especially if you have family in the car. Who needs getting stuck somewhere? Document everything so you can continue to argue with the insurance company about the loss in value before/after accident (and good luck with that) -- and get a new car so you have peace of mind.

biggame

iTrader: (9)

You can sometimes receive a depreciation loss from the Insurance co. Normally you have to prove it first. That being done by the sale of your car. I would get in touch with the dealer and they can write something up showing what the vehicle would be worth without an accident and what they would be willing to offer you showing a car fax accident report. Because they changed the doors there will no longer be a Vin plate on them.
Good luck

go3Ds

What a way to start off your first post. Glad everyone is okay. $14,000 worth of repairs, your wife getting stranded, along with all your other concerns, doesn't look like trust would come back for either one of you. You said you think it's time to cut ties with it, and I agree. You have been "lurking" on the forum for a long time, so you know it's a great time to get a great deal. I highly recommend the refresh year 2013, if you can swing it, as a step up from your 2010. Lots of nice improvements, new look, and back to zero miles again. Keep us posted what happens.

UCSB

As a guy that went through the whole teenage driving experience with my kids, I have some experience with getting crumpled cars fixed and putting them back into service. If the repair work is done by a quality professional, the repairs are good for the life of the car. That being said, I would replace the car with a new one if it was my personal car and I was financial able to absorb the loss. But, often these cosmetic upgrades are not for everyone and many will just not appreciate the difference.

jaythetaxm

Well I took my car in today and it turns out it had something to do with the fuel gauge. The car actually ran out of gas. The empty light was not on and the cruising range stated we had 22 miles left. Now it's in the shop again. Hopefully they have the parts there.

ecr72

I'd still be suspicious of the fuel level sensing problem being a result of the accident. Maybe the jarring of the impact messed up a sensor in the fuel tank or something like that.

See what an accident does. It's were your mind goes first.

Keep us updated... and don't go replacing it with a German vehicle.


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