Any guesses on whether or not my car might get totaled? Any experts out here?

[SL6827]

Well now I am having anxiety about having to deal with insurance adjusters next week. Wondering whether or not they will total out my Jeep Compass. They did last year. I think the value of it is like 6500-7000. The left front headlight area is crash in completely. You can not open the passenger door and the back passenger door has damage too. There is a bit of internal damage that I know of, the fan will not cut off when driving. It will need two new doors, new hood, well basically a complete front end of it. And this is just what I can see.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

You don't provide the year or equipment on your vehicle or where you got the 6500/7000 value.
Yes, your damage is extensive and expensive. I suggest you start looking at what you can apply the approximately 6000 check towards. Remember they will reduce the amount paid to you by the amount of your collision deductible.

 

[1911]

total loss for sure.

 

[SL6827]

total loss for sure.

You think? Not what I want to hear. I'll find out next week.

 

[SL6827]

You don't provide the year or equipment on your vehicle or where you got the 6500/7000 value.
Yes, your damage is extensive and expensive. I suggest you start looking at what you can apply the approximately 6000 check towards. Remember they will reduce the amount paid to you by the amount of your collision deductible.

It wasn't my fault. My insurance isn't paying. The other lady involved insurance is.

 

[SL6827]

I will let yall know when I find out. But I will start looking at online car deals just in case.

 

[tvguy]

I am frequently baffled when folks have an accident as to how an insurance company determines a total loss. On paper, it should be when the cost of repair gets too close to the actual cash value of the car. But I have seen cars that look like they were totaled that the insurance fixed, and cars that seemed to have minor damage that are totaled.
My son crashed his 2006 Taurus with 180,000 miles on it last year. Actual cash value was about $2,000, damage was $ 6,000. While the insurance claim was in process, he and his wife bought another car. Next day the insurance called and said they would fix it based on the amazing condition it was in. It was very well cared for. They told the claims adjuster they had already bought a replacement car, so at that point they were offered $2,500 if they wanted it totaled.......$1,500 after their $1,000 deductible.

 

[LovesTimone]

Our DD has a accident a few years ago, and thankfully the airbags deployed properly and she was not hurt... a little sore for the next couple of day... when I called the our insurance agent... he was like did the air bags deploy I was like yes... he was like they will total it... 2 years later she had another accident, and was hit broadside on the passenger side.. sorta a striking blow at the right behind the passenger head light, from that quarter panel, to right past the passenger rear door... I thought that they would fix it, Nope they totaled it as well... something about the crinkle zone, and the frame being bent... Both times our insurance took care of everything... neither one was her fault...

 

[PhoenixStrength]

If the frame is warped at all, or air bags go off then it is almost always totaled. I had an accident in October where my car was totaled and had an awesome agent who explained their exact process. Almost every insurance company will total once the cost to repair equals 75-80% of the value of the car. They do it at that amount as there are often unseen things wrong or unexpected costs or delays that cost labor fees so they don't want to get close and wind up paying more than the vehicle's worth to repair it.

The reason it's almost always a total if the airbags deploy is it is very expensive to replace them, usually about $2K per airbag. It's so expensive because there are all kinds of federally required tests and safety measures included in replacing them. As for the frame, it's a similar issue, they have to get it perfectly aligned again and that's difficult and time consuming, which makes it expensive as well.

 

[SL6827]

I am thinking they might fix it. I am driving it even though you cant get a passenger in the front seat and it looks bad. I will find out next week.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

I am thinking they might fix it. I am driving it even though you cant get a passenger in the front seat and it looks bad. I will find out next week.

There is a ratio of repair cost to current value that they generally use to determine if will be declared "totaled".

Even if you had a brand new engine installed 6 months ago, 4 new tires, a new battery, and a recent paint job.............all they focus on is the ratio based on the year/make/model/equipment/odometer reading of the book value of the car .
Being able to drive the car right now, or opening and closing the doors are factors they don't consider.

I am sorry about the accident and thanks for posting that you will not have to eat the deductible..............however, when a car is totaled, it is very seldom that an owner breaks even or comes out ahead on the transaction unless they have industry related resources.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

I am frequently baffled when folks have an accident as to how an insurance company determines a total loss. On paper, it should be when the cost of repair gets too close to the actual cash value of the car. But I have seen cars that look like they were totaled that the insurance fixed, and cars that seemed to have minor damage that are totaled.
My son crashed his 2006 Taurus with 180,000 miles on it last year. Actual cash value was about $2,000, damage was $ 6,000. While the insurance claim was in process, he and his wife bought another car. Next day the insurance called and said they would fix it based on the amazing condition it was in. It was very well cared for. They told the claims adjuster they had already bought a replacement car, so at that point they were offered $2,500 if they wanted it totaled.......$1,500 after their $1,000 deductible.

Your situation was the exception and not the rule of how crashes are handled by an insurance company.
If we only knew what was going on behind the scene...............

 

[tvguy]

Your situation was the exception and not the rule of how crashes are handled by an insurance company.
If we only knew what was going on behind the scene...............

Oh, I agree. That's why I said I am frequently baffled.
My wife's best friends pickup got totaled She bought it used with 25,000 miles on it, she put 100,000 additional miles on it, and the insurance paid her $1,000 less than she paid for it.
On the other hand, my wife's cousin totaled his new car two weeks after he bought it, insurance offered him $2,000 less that what he owed on it, not counting his $2,000 down payment. Does a $12,000 car really depreciated $4,000 in 2 weeks?

 

[happily single]

The insurance company will total it if the cost of repair equals 75% of the “book value” of the vehicle. Whenever I’ve settled auto claims (personal injury paralegal for over 25 years) we used N.A.D.A. As the book used to value. Be sure to request sales tax as well since you will have to pay sales tax on any new vehicle

 

[seashoreCM]

Do you use N.A.D.A retail value (plus sales tax)?

That is what the car owner sees when shopping for a car he can inspect and test drive.

 

[ozziejen2000]

Adjuster with 20+years experience

1.They will usually total out a car if the damage is at 75% because once they start repairing the vehicle, if they find hidden damage, it will probably exceed that threshold.
2.Regarding the depreciating comment, the insurance companies owes for the value of the car. If someone has bad credit or rolled a prior loan into their new loan, the amount they owe is going to be more than the car is worth.
3.Frame damage will usual cause a total because the structure of the car is now compromised.
4. Newer vehicles with the pre collision sensors etc are totalling out cars more than older vehicles because those sensors are so expensive to repair.

 

[Miffy]

Not because of an accident--in fact we don't know the cause--but the back window of our Fiat cabrio was destroyed last year. We had the car parked on the street overnight and the next morning found the damage. We thought perhaps it was an attempted robbery, but nothing at all in the car had been taken, and there was quite a bit of stuff in the trunk.

We were more than a little surprised to find out that replacing the window meant replacing the entire roof since the rear window of the cabrio is encased in the cloth roof. Cost? $5K. Our insurance covered it, minus the deductible. I think the book value of our car at the time was maybe $8K at most. I guess the $5K falls below the 75% threshold, but now, a year later, the book value of our car is probably $6K, and DH and I are not too amused by the thought of this happening again. Especially since the rest of the car is in near-perfect condition. We toyed with the idea of trading it in for a Fiat hardtop and shopped around a bit but couldn't find one we liked half as much as our cabrio.

 

[seashoreCM]

Another question worht asking regarding the convertible minus the top: How much would they pay as the insurance settlement and also let you keep the car itself as-is?

(You would not be able to put collision or comprehensive insurance on the car any more.)

In an earlier lifetime I was given the choice of turning in a car for a $700. settlement or keeping the car for a $500. settlement. The car was perfectly drivable so I chose to keep it and it lasted for another two years with no needed repairs from the collision.

 

[kymom99]

Not because of an accident--in fact we don't know the cause--but the back window of our Fiat cabrio was destroyed last year. We had the car parked on the street overnight and the next morning found the damage. We thought perhaps it was an attempted robbery, but nothing at all in the car had been taken, and there was quite a bit of stuff in the trunk.

We were more than a little surprised to find out that replacing the window meant replacing the entire roof since the rear window of the cabrio is encased in the cloth roof. Cost? $5K. Our insurance covered it, minus the deductible. I think the book value of our car at the time was maybe $8K at most. I guess the $5K falls below the 75% threshold, but now, a year later, the book value of our car is probably $6K, and DH and I are not too amused by the thought of this happening again. Especially since the rest of the car is in near-perfect condition. We toyed with the idea of trading it in for a Fiat hardtop and shopped around a bit but couldn't find one we liked half as much as our cabrio.

Strange coincidence. My step daughters van was parked in her driveway and she came out to a busted back window. They live on a quiet cul de sac and really not likely someone was trying to steal anything. Strange.

 

[tvguy]

2.Regarding the depreciating comment, the insurance companies owes for the value of the car. If someone has bad credit or rolled a prior loan into their new loan, the amount they owe is going to be more than the car is worth.

I could see them not paying to cover a prior loan was rolled in, but how can bad credit impact the value of a new car that was just 2 weeks old? It certainly would raise the interest rate on the loan, but it shouldn't make a $2,000 down payment and an additional $2,000 vaporize.
May be moot now if you believe all the ads for Auto Insurance companies now saying they pay for full replacement cost for the first year you own your car.