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Is my Prius done for? :(

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by man4857, Sep 18, 2017.

  1. man4857

    man4857 New Member

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    I was involved in a pretty bad rear end accident yesterday by someone texting and ramming me probably at 45-50 mph at a red light. Does the damage look like insurance will declare it as totaled?

    I just finished paying this car off last month so I felt extra sad to see my baby hurt. :(
    It was my first new car purchase and I took so much great care of the maintenance and the interior keeping it in tip top shape to see it messed up like this. It hurts to know that it could be done for! :(
     

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  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome!

    bummer! doesn't look too bad though. sure doesn't look like 45-50 mph, does the hatch work?
     
    GrGramps likes this.
  3. man4857

    man4857 New Member

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    I haven't tried. The police had the car towed out of there pretty quick before I was able to catch up to what was going on and what just happened.
     
    bisco likes this.
  4. Beachbummm

    Beachbummm Senior Member

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    it doesn't take much to total a car these days..
     
  5. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Hmmmm It's a wobbler...
    A lot is going to depend on how many miles are on the car.

    The most IMPORTANT thing is that you (and anybody else involved directly) are uninjured.
    Take steps to ensure that you have no as-yet undiagnosed soft tissue injury!!!
    Some soreness the next day might be 'normal'

    K....
    If it is 'done for' I'd be reeeeally tempted to buy the hulk from the insurance company and have it repaired.....IF you're really taken care of it.

    You see....
    Some people confuse "taking care of a car" with "keeping a car clean" and so there are a lot of really pretty G3's out there that are starting to use a LOT of oil before 150K miles.
    Of course, they're still good for another 50-100K miles even if they smoke like John Wayne (did!)
    BUT(!!!) Priuses that start drinking and smoking are 'dirty little Priuses" and if you live in a place where "vet" means something having to do with CARS, then your car will start costing you enough money for you to trade it in so that it can be a dirty little Prius in somebody else's backyard, which is what happens to Priuses that don't pass SMOG in "some" states.

    If you're one of those rare people who actually check your oil volume semi-occasionally, and you know that all of the preventative maintenance has been done..............correctly, then I'd have the car repaired and run it to dust.
    Better for you.
    Better for your family.
    MUCH better for your retirement......and if your car isn't a burner....it's even better for the environment some would say.
    You can expect to get about 200-250,000 reliable miles out of the car and those years of "no car payments" can be rewarding.....especially since you'd be driving a car that you already know and love.

    See what the local customs are in AZ for something called "diminished value" unless the person who hit your car didn't have insurance, which basically means that it will be just you and your insurance company paying the bills.

    Good Luck!!!
     
    Robert Holt and man4857 like this.
  6. BZzap!

    BZzap! Senior Member

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    Judging from the severity of the damage to the unibody structure behind the crash bar, I would say, it's a goner.
     
  7. ih8spm

    ih8spm Junior Member

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    Looks repairable but only parts and labor to value will tell.

    SM-G935P ?
     
  8. TinyTim

    TinyTim Active Member

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    That looks like you were hit by a car going maybe 10 or 15mph.
     
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  9. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Was expecting to see the hatch somewhere near the front seats.........like this.........hope everyone is ok! All accidents stink....especially for the ones who were just minding their own business.


    rearended.jpg
     
    #9 TMR-JWAP, Sep 18, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2017
  10. spiff72

    spiff72 Member

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    I was thinking the same thing. That doesn't look like anywhere NEAR a 50mph rear-ender!
     
  11. ih8spm

    ih8spm Junior Member

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    That's probably because the car hit square on the bumper on both cars unlike the Honda Acoord which was probably hit by a lifted truck or tractor trailer. The Prius did its job well considering the owner is here to ask questions.

    SM-G935P ?
     
  12. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    Depends on KBB value of your car, you didnt mention about miles driven either, thats one of the main information whether it will be totaled/salvaged or not. Monetary repair price in relation of value of car will determine if it is.
     
  13. High Mileage

    High Mileage Active Member

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    Man4857, that's too bad, nobody wins in an accident. You never get what your vehicle is worth, and your out money to replace it everytime. I would say it will depend on what the left side of the vehicle looks like. If the left quarter panel, roof structure, or rear suspension mounting areas are bent then its a total. As ETC said it depends on what you mean by taking excellent care of it. If it is truly in great shape it may be worth buying back and having it repaired. I have a 1997 Ford Expedition that was totally by my wife hitting a dear. In this case it was a total because both airbags deployed and that was an instant $2000 hit for parts. I was able to buy back the vehicle for $400 and fix it myself with some paint work done at a local body shop. It was worth it to me to keep and fix since I knew the history of the vehicle, rather than try to find something comparable to replace it that I had no history on.
     
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  14. man4857

    man4857 New Member

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    Was definitely not hit at 10-15 mph. The car was coming at me much quicker than that and I had about a second or 2 before the moment of impact once I noticed he wasn't stopping in my rear view mirror.

    Once I was hit, I was probably pushed 10-15 car lengths away from where the impact occurred. It was a minivan that hit me (Nissan Quest). I didn't hear any tire screeches either which would be the driver slamming on his brakes.
     
  15. man4857

    man4857 New Member

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    The mileage was about 77500 miles. KBB says it's worth about 11K or so give or take.

    I didn't take a picture of the left rear side but definitely remember seeing that it's more bent than the right side, as I'm betting the driver tried to swerve at the last minute. I remember seeing the fuel door bent and what looks like the structural frame of the Prius itself exposed and bent.
     
  16. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Probably depends on the shop. We had something like that not quite as bad but the shop fixed it and we have a 2006. But it is not a top quality shop more a volume place. So if you want to keep the car going thats one thing or if you want top notch rapair that's another thing.
     
  17. MelonPrius

    MelonPrius Senior Member

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    This is a state by state law. In Nevada, the threshold is 65% . The lower the better, IMO. From my experience, it depends more on the adjuster than the shop.

    I had a Subaru, which I considered nearly impossible to sell at a good price. The body was beat up badly from a hail storm, the paint was peeling from the Vegas sun, and the interior had wear and tear. It wasn't worth that much. I was lightly rear ended in what I considered to be a fender bender. The adjuster was nice and made the numbers work (on my request) where he estimated the repairs would cost 65%- he was generous with the repairs and stingy with my car's value. The car had to be declared a total loss and I was given a check for more than what the car was worth (IMO).

    I had a friend in a similar position. He had a Tundra, which was T-boned and had structural damage. The insurance adjuster seemingly went out of his way to make sure the repair stayed under the 65% threshold. My friend was hoping to have the truck declared a total loss because he didn't want to drive a truck with structural damage, plus nobody wants to buy a truck involved in a major accident without a discounted price. Making matters worse, the repair shop probably had to cut corners to make the math work.

    But, I digress. For the OP, Arizona goes by a total loss formula (TLF). In states without a specific threshold percentage, TLF refers to the "total loss formula".....cost of repairs plus scrap value must equal the pre-accident value of the car. Most owners would want to have their cars declared a total loss and receive a check. Plus, they usually get first shot to buy the car in the accident.
     
    #17 MelonPrius, Sep 19, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2017
  18. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Maybe the cops able to access the driver's phone, see what he was doing at time of impact?
     
  19. BZzap!

    BZzap! Senior Member

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    "May I see your drivers license, proof of insurance and your smart phone please?", said the officer.
    In my opinion, that should be a requirement of the law.
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  20. Robert Holt

    Robert Holt Senior Member

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    To add to the environmental aspect of your decision, I read an analysis of the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process for a car in the late 1980s or 1990s, and the conclusion was that the carbon emitted because a car is simply being built was a very large percentage (50%?) of the total carbon footprint for the life cycle of the car including all gasoline and oil consumption . Your safety supersedes all else, of course, but if the car can be restored to safe drivability , then the carbon footprint of repairing it is much, much better than purchasing a new vehicle. Good luck in with your decision either way!