2005 Prius in At-Fault Rear-End Accident

[snakeman]

Originally Posted by GreenGirl8

Here's some more info about the accident:

The airbags did not go off.
The car was still running after the accident.
Red fluid was coming out of the "injured" area.
The driver's side door was not opening correctly.
No broken glass.
It was towed to a tow lot nearby. There are plenty of Toyota dealers around.
(We're in the south of Boston area.)

Thanks for your replies.

In September of last year, I was struck by a Sienna in the same area of my 2004 Prius. I was waiting to come out from a cross street so she hit me at an angle. My damage looked very similar to yours minus the leaking fluid. Here's what happened with us through Commerce Insurance living just north of Boston:

- The car was towed to the body shop
- Initial estimate was $9,000 of damage
- The body shop took stuff apart and found that there was frame damage in addition to cosmetic damage
- The insurance company totaled the vehicle and we got a check for ~$18,900 which paid for most of the 2007 Prius I'm driving today


Based on my experience, your picture, and the fact that the driver's door doesn't open properly I'd say you should start checking blue book values and such (Auto Trader was my friend in this) to get ready to negotiate with your insurance about exactly how much they'll pay out for totaling it. Still, I'm hoping they don't total it on you as you might have a harder time getting a new Prius now than we did 8 months ago and that would suck.

[jammin012]

Can we start bidding for parts yet?

Just asking......

[jelloslug]

That car is totaled. It seem these days that anything other than a deep scratch totals a Prius. The reason seem to be that there are no aftermarket parts for the Prius and there are very few Priuses in salvage yards to get parts from. This limits the adjuster to using new Toyota parts only.

[GreenGirl8]

Thanks for all your input. Yesterday I was called by the insurance co. to ask about which auto body shop I wanted it taken to. (It had been at a tow lot.) It has to receive further inspection to determine whether it's repairable or not. I chose to use the body shop that works with my local Toyota dealer, whom I trust. The insurance co. kept telling me that if I used "their" shop the work would be guaranteed, but I would think that the work is guaranteed by Toyota anyway if I choose to go through Toyota. I didn't want just anyone working on a Prius if I'm going to get it back repaired. No word yet on whether it can be fixed.

[felton]

I am no expert, but I have recently weathered the storm of having my son move from his teen years to his early twenties, so I have been to the body shop a time or three. From that picture and your description, I would say that barring any frame damage the car is repairable. I think we should start a pool. I believe the car can be repaired for $8,915.37.

Recently I have begun to develop a certain amount of paranoia about being hit. If someone were to run into me, I would be hard pressed to replace my baby, the market being what it is and I wouldn't be happy with anything other than a Prius. Maybe I'll stay in tonight

Anyway, good luck and I am glad no one was hurt. It really doesn't look that bad. The engine was running, the collision was not enough to set off the airbags or break glass. I think it is just a fender bender.

Keep us posted.

[GreenGirl8]

Hopefully I'll have some news soon.

[PattiRose]

I totalled my 2005 Prius on 6/2. I hit a Honda Accord at approx 55mph. Both my airbag and the passenger side airbag deployed. I was the only person in the Prius. I was able to walk away from the car. It was of course totalled. I had a little over 65,000 miles on the car. But it was in exceptional condition. Allstate was more than fair with my settlement.

[GreenGirl8]

The Prius wound up being a total loss, but at least Progressive was very fair with our settlement. We've put a new one on order. It turned out that there was heavy structural damage, including problems with wiring, and the damage was too expensive to repair. Thanks to all who posted.

[Godiva]

Bummer.

Be sure to do your homework on value. Prii are in high demand and even used ones are going for higher than new. Don't let them lowball you.

If they let you recover your personal items, make sure you take the mats and the tonneau cover. You bought those extra. You can use them in your new car or sell them on eBay for a nice chunk. If you can, grab the manual too.

[GreenGirl8]

I need to know the mileage on my Prius at the time of the accident. Wasn't something we checked when the car was smashed in the middle of the road. Does the insurance company adjuster check the mileage? I had it serviced a couple of weeks before the accident and have that reading from the receipt and I can estimate the final number from that, but I want an exact figure. How can I get this info? Is it present in writing anywhere (Such as an odometer disclosure form or some such? We weren't asked to sign anything like that when the vehicle was declared a total loss.) Thanks!