Disagreeing with husband

[Mermaid02]

My daughter was in an accident last weekend, her 88 Chevy Nova has been "totalled" by the at fault drivers insurance company- they offered dd just over $1200 for her car. This is the 3rd accident the car has been in (not all by dd). It's a shame because it has less than 75,000 miles on it. My dh wants to "fix it" and her to keep driving it. I say three strikes and you're out. I just worry that it has now structurally been compromised 3 times and in a major accident I'm afraid she would be unsafe. With the insurance company's check she would have over $3000 towards a newer car. What do you think? 2 years ago dd rearended someone, and now she has been hit from behind- not sure where Nana's damage was. This time the impact was so severe it broke the drivers seat.

 

[lovesmurfs]

My daughter was in an accident last weekend, her 88 Chevy Nova has been "totalled" by the at fault drivers insurance company- they offered dd just over $1200 for her car. This is the 3rd accident the car has been in (not all by dd). It's a shame because it has less than 75,000 miles on it. My dh wants to "fix it" and her to keep driving it. I say three strikes and you're out. I just worry that it has now structurally been compromised 3 times and in a major accident I'm afraid she would be unsafe. With the insurance company's check she would have over $3000 towards a newer car. What do you think? 2 years ago dd rearended someone, and now she has been hit from behind- not sure where Nana's damage was. This time the impact was so severe it broke the drivers seat.

An '88 Chevy Nova? It's 23 years old, regardless of the number of miles. I'm with you -- she needs a newer car.

ETA: If my DH was saying that we should fix and keep the car, HE would be driving the '88 Chevy Nova.

 

[ccudmore]

I'd have a mechanic look at it and let you know what he/she thinks. I'd leave it to the experts to make that kind of determination about roadworthiness.

 

[STLDisney_Freak]

My daughter was in an accident last weekend, her 88 Chevy Nova has been "totalled" by the at fault drivers insurance company- they offered dd just over $1200 for her car. This is the 3rd accident the car has been in (not all by dd). It's a shame because it has less than 75,000 miles on it. My dh wants to "fix it" and her to keep driving it. I say three strikes and you're out. I just worry that it has now structurally been compromised 3 times and in a major accident I'm afraid she would be unsafe. With the insurance company's check she would have over $3000 towards a newer car. What do you think? 2 years ago dd rearended someone, and now she has been hit from behind- not sure where Nana's damage was. This time the impact was so severe it broke the drivers seat.

I agree with you. 3 strikes and you are gone. I would not fix that car again. I get something a little newer and a lot more safer.

 

[Mermaid02]

An '88 Chevy Nova? It's 23 years old, regardless of the number of miles. I'm with you -- she needs a newer car.

Yes, the car is older than she is and until the last 2 accidents it was great. These cars have a Toyota engine and I'm sure the engine has life left in it. I'm just worried about her safety.

 

[golfgal]

I don't think the age of the car matters all that much but I would prefer to have my kids drive a newer car with more safety features. I also agree with you that after 3 accidents the structural integrity may be compromised. Chances are you are going to end up with a car with more miles on it for $3000, but maybe not.

You are going to end up with close to $3000 in costs anyway--you have to "buy back" a totaled car, so that $1200 will go back to the insurance company and then however much you have to pay to repair the car. If you don't repair the car, you won't get anything from any insurance company for future accidents and then where will you be?

 

[minniebeth]

I'd say that you can replace it with a decent car for her with the $3,000+ that she gets from insurance. We are now just starting the process of looking for DD16, and we've found some pretty good cars in that price range. Word of mouth is even better. I agree, with it being an older car, even though the milage is good, it should be replaced. ...and if an insurance co. says it's totalled, it's usually for a good reason.

Best of luck to her, and I'm sorry about her accident.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

If there was enough force to break the driver's seat, what else was broken that you can't readily see? No, I'd let the car be totaled and I'd find a new(er) one for DD. Sometimes it's a shame when you know that the engine is still good to go but that body has got to have some pretty decent damage to it.

 

[momof1princess]

My daughter was in an accident last weekend, her 88 Chevy Nova has been "totalled" by the at fault drivers insurance company- they offered dd just over $1200 for her car. This is the 3rd accident the car has been in (not all by dd). It's a shame because it has less than 75,000 miles on it. My dh wants to "fix it" and her to keep driving it. I say three strikes and you're out. I just worry that it has now structurally been compromised 3 times and in a major accident I'm afraid she would be unsafe. With the insurance company's check she would have over $3000 towards a newer car. What do you think? 2 years ago dd rearended someone, and now she has been hit from behind- not sure where Nana's damage was. This time the impact was so severe it broke the drivers seat.

in this case, i would get another car. no way i'd let my child drive something if i even THOUGHT it could be structurally unsafe.

 

[GoldieSaysMeep]

I work for an insurance company. Get her a new car. If for no other reason, you will not be able to get anything for it if it's ever in an accident again. Once it's been totalled, that is it. That designation will be on it's VIN number and while you can insure it, you won't have much luck getting more than a few bucks for it if it's totalled again. Which it would be with even minor damage.

Cars are deemed "totalled" when the cost to repair is more than the value of the car. It will cost less to get a comparable car (same year, mileage etc.) than to repair this one. If you do fix it, correctly, you will be looking at a car deemed a "prior total" and it will be worth less than half of what it's worth now because of that. If there's any other accident, it will be deemed totalled again and you'll be stuck.

Also, as others have pointed out, some structural damage can sometimes never be made right, although that type of structural damage does not usually happen in rear end type collisions. Minor to moderate rear end incidents usually only effect the bumpers, trunk and possible some computer functions on certain cars (ie. lights coming on when they shouldn't). They do not typically cause severe undercarriage damage. But if the seats broke, it's best not to risk it.

 

[golfgal]

I'd say that you can replace it with a decent car for her with the $3,000+ that she gets from insurance. We are now just starting the process of looking for DD16, and we've found some pretty good cars in that price range. Word of mouth is even better. I agree, with it being an older car, even though the milage is good, it should be replaced. ...and if an insurance co. says it's totalled, it's usually for a good reason.

Best of luck to her, and I'm sorry about her accident.

The only reason for insurance to total a car is because the repair costs more then the car is worth. It isn't an indication of the safety of the car going forward. Many cars with minimal structural damage are "totaled" these days because the airbags went off and they are SO expensive to replace, even though the structural damage may only be a dented bumper and everything else is fine.

 

[GoldieSaysMeep]

You are going to end up with close to $3000 in costs anyway--you have to "buy back" a totaled car, so that $1200 will go back to the insurance company and then however much you have to pay to repair the car. If you don't repair the car, you won't get anything from any insurance company for future accidents and then where will you be?

It's true, they would have to buy back the car, but the buy back cost is generally a salvage yard price which would equal what the car is worth in it's current condition, for spadre parts etc. I've never seen an older than 2000 non-luxury car have a salvage value of more than $75.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

If you get the 3000 grand and run out and buy another old car without airbags and other modern safety features then I say keep the Nova.

If you are "worried about her safety" why are you allowing her to drive a 88 Nova in the first place? That seems contradictory to me.

 

[Mermaid02]

If you get the 3000 grand and run out and buy another old car without airbags and other modern safety features then I say keep the Nova.

If you are "worried about her safety" why are you allowing her to drive a 88 Nova in the first place? That seems contradictory to me.

It was her Grandmothers car so we knew the history and that it had been taken care of (maintence etc). If the car hadn't been in these last 2 accidents (this one being the worst) I wouldn't have a problem with her driving the car. I caved to my husband last time, this time I really think I'm going to stand my ground.

 

[Hercules10]

i'd have a mechanic look at it and let you know what he/she thinks. I'd leave it to the experts to make that kind of determination about roadworthiness.

+1

 

[Disney Doll]

I don't know what to tell you. I had a 1985 Toyota that I drove for 13 years and had 8 accidents with it....one of which was being backed over by a truck.

I finally got rid of that car at my husband's insistence that he was afraid that someday I would step on the brake and the chassis would stop while the biody kept going because there was so much rust underneath. I thought the car still had a couple of years of life left in it.

I bought a 1998 Ford Explorer next and am still driving it. I'm all for getting as much life out of cars as possible.

I would take it to a trusted mechanic. If he said it was OK, I wouldn't have a problem fixing it.

 

[dakcp2001]

Have a mechanic take a look. Does she drive on the highway? How far will she be driving? How old is she and how soon will she be heading off to college?

Honestly if it is just for kicking around town and the mechanic says it is ok, I would prob just keep it. But if she is driving out of the area or on any highway or freeways then she needs a new safer car.

Were there airbags in 1988? I dont remember lol. If not, get her a new car! I do love the old tanks though, nearly indestructable. If only they had airbags.

 

[Mermaid02]

I don't know what to tell you. I had a 1985 Toyota that I drove for 13 years and had 8 accidents with it....one of which was being backed over by a truck.

I finally got rid of that car at my husband's insistence that he was afraid that someday I would step on the brake and the chassis would stop while the biody kept going because there was so much rust underneath. I thought the car still had a couple of years of life left in it.

I bought a 1998 Ford Explorer next and am still driving it. I'm all for getting as much life out of cars as possible.

I would take it to a trusted mechanic. If he said it was OK, I wouldn't have a problem fixing it.

I appreciate your post- I was starting to feel like an unfit mother....

 

[golfgal]

It's true, they would have to buy back the car, but the buy back cost is generally a salvage yard price which would equal what the car is worth in it's current condition, for spadre parts etc. I've never seen an older than 2000 non-luxury car have a salvage value of more than $75.

True, but you still have to pay for the repairs after you buy the car back, at whatever cost that might be. They could just junk the car here for $500 if they bought it back at $75.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It was her Grandmothers car so we knew the history and that it had been taken care of (maintence etc). If the car hadn't been in these last 2 accidents (this one being the worst) I wouldn't have a problem with her driving the car. I caved to my husband last time, this time I really think I'm going to stand my ground.

We would not let our dd's drive around a car with no airbags, period.

Make sure the car you get has modern safety features, one being airbags!

You can pick a Pontiac Grand Prix's all day long for 3000.

My 19yodd has one and we will probably get another one for the soon to be 15yo. Yea they are cheap but you can see pretty well out of them, big windows.