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Rear ended think it's fixable?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by ias61489, Jun 7, 2022.

  1. ias61489

    ias61489 Junior Member

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    I was rear ended today while stopped at a light. Apparently his foot slipped off the peddle. It was a hard hit and my neck is feeling it. Anyway rear bumper, trunk lid, broken driver side tail light and it's pushed up. The trunk won't open it won't even budge like it's welded shut. I'm wondering what other damage is done besides what's visible. Looking at the top the hinges seem bent also since it's got a gap now on both sides.

    Anyone have any opinions on it? Fixable or maybe totaled? It only has 66k on it I'd hate to lose it! Thanks for your thoughts. 20220607_160656.jpg

    SM-N986U ?
     
  2. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Looks good... Don't let them tell you its totaled. Sometimes in a crash like this rear hatch latch needs some hammer blows around sheet metal to realign and Gen2 Bumper covers are harder to find than they used to be. Bumper cover clips are still easy to get for cheap too. If you can find someone to paint your new bumper cover for cheap, or first try a heat gun to get it fixed after you pull it... And if you indicate what region in US you live or offer up a zip code your odds are way better for one or more of us who may be interested in helping rather than over-charging / scamming.
     
    #2 PriusCamper, Jun 8, 2022
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2022
  3. JohnPrius3005

    JohnPrius3005 Active Member

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    Everything is fixable. Get a good attorney. On contingency only.
     
  4. Another

    Another Senior Member

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    Better call Saul.
     
  5. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Millions of them out there to get the parts off of for free I just stripped the blue one like this yesterday and 08 that was in mint condition look like nary person ever sat in it. If I didn't need the trunk I wouldn't do much screw the bumper back on with some screws if it doesn't fit in the clips and run the crap out of it as long as the back doors close .. drive it to 666 just like that but tied it up a little
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    it depends on the cost of the repairs vs the current value after repair. cars are pricey these days, but so are parts and labor.
    you should have the option of buying it if they total it, then you can have it repaired to your satisfaction.
     
  7. ias61489

    ias61489 Junior Member

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    I'm gonna try something id rather not lose it I know it would cost alot to replace it. Im in NY

    I may do that anyway I have aggravated an 8 year old neck injury along with some mid back pain and my son has back pain also.

    Def need the trunk with 3 kids! lol Thats what id like to find is a clean one I can strip. My driver doors are banged up from someone swiping them besides that normal wear and tear for its age but low miles.

    I'm very curious what's gonna happen, The insurance companies bodyshop told me couldnt give me an estimate until June 30th! went and got 2 at local places with good reps the first said around 6k and thats with something there for fixing the frame a bit. Other said around 6 but needs to open it up so wouldn't wanna write a quote for it without seeing. I called USAA back and told them wanted a rental, so now they wanted the car at the bodyshop. Its there now and since its gonna be "repaired" there they will look at it fast. Just gonna let it play out for a bit see what numbers come up as and what insurance says. The front bumper and hood have a few paint issues from being pushed into the other car which she noted when I dropped it off. The other shops didn't quote for those.
     
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  8. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Lol, they're only saying $6K because that's what think the value of the car is, but that was normal times. Currently these cars are selling near $10k on west coast if mileage is low. Everyone you're dealing with wants to sees this as just enough damage to total a cheap car and not deal with hassles of repair. They're clueless to how valuable this car is... Argue all you can to keep the car and get max pay out...
     
  9. prius16

    prius16 Active Member

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    Imho, ~$6K is a good/correct ball-park starting price.
    The car does have frame/uni-body damage - no doubt about it.
    Until they put the car on a frame machine, and take off the rear bumper section, any body shop would be giving a rough estimate.
    The car requires a replacement hatch, frame work, replacement bumper, new tail lights, new door/work on the door, paint, alignment, and so on.
    Plus, the hourly rate of many body shops (in bigger areas) can be near $100/hr+.
    Why? Bwcause they can charge that amount, and still have a 2-4 month waiting list. That's why.

    Also, a hack/dyi'er could just throw an salvage yard hatch on the car.
    However, no one is going to accept a small dent/small rust/etc on their newly repaired car. Also, that does not meet the insurance repair quality requirements.

    Yes, many body shops are swamped. I couldn't find a single one to fix some minor rocker panel rust. Stuff that, before Covid, any shop would jumped on, especially since I was willing to pay top price. The car has rocker panel covers. So, I fixed the rust myself, did a repair that could last another 7+ years, didn't care at all about the looks, put the rocket panel cover back on, and the car looks fine. The non-professional attaching of the repair panels to the uni-body is obvious under the car.
    BFD. It's 100% functional, and better than the original. If people don't like seeing the welds, screws, rivets, then don't look! :)
    And, get out from underneath my car!! :)

    Fwiw, most body shops prefer to do "panel/component" replacement, and painting. That's where they make the most money.
    Many Body shops also make a good profit on frame work. That's assuming they have good/experienced frame repair people.
    Plus, for various vehicles, the vehicle will require sensor adjustment and alignment. That's another potentially very profitable area.


    Good Luck!
     
  10. ias61489

    ias61489 Junior Member

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    Thank you!! Just checked the link the bodyshop sent me the estimate is in. $9,893.78. Ouch! I have come up with the plan. I think it will most likely be totaled so gonna see what was found and go from there. If the frame can be repaired ill have it repaired and dot he rest myself.
     
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  11. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    I've done these before... It doesn't matter if the frame is bent as long as the wheels are still aligned it will be fine. The challenge is getting the rear hatch to reconnect with its latch. I did this by removing the latch and using a really big hammer to bend the sheet metal where the latch mounts back about a 1/2 inch and then put on the new bumper cover and everything has looked good for years.
     
  12. ias61489

    ias61489 Junior Member

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    Went today to see what they found.. They didn't even take thecae apart just looked from the inside. So I wasn't able to see the damage with the trunk lid open. As soon as I walked in the body shop the salvage people were calling to come take it! everything is held off for now gonna see what my offer is and bring it home. I have an aftermarket stereo put in with speakers, amp for them and a sub so I need time to take that stuff out anyway no matter what I do with it but I'm def just gonna try get the frame damage repaired by someone I trust and do the rest myself. This will take time as my entire back is in constant pain :/
     
  13. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    He is on vacation until July 11. Something about a potential hostage situation.
     
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  14. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    It should be the other guys insurance paying, not yours. If they total it, the payout should be for replacement cost, not repair cost. Check out the market to see what that means. Fixing a unibody with damage is problematic and will never be the same.
     
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  15. ias61489

    ias61489 Junior Member

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    Oh it is! I wasn't gonna go through mine forget that! Its totaled just waiting on the payout amount. I'm sure I will have to ague with them. There some slight damage to the drivers side doors from the previous owner but a friend has 2 doors in good shape waiting for me just been too busy to get installed. She said they are gonna use at least 3 examples from within 50 miles me but on autotrader there is only I think 7 I could find similar year and mileage in the whole country!

    I found out they use a company called CCC and from the feedback I've read they only market to insurance companies and the purpose is to get it as low as possible. Given the market though I expect a decent payout. From what I gather its market price plus taxes, registration costs ad anything else associated if I was to buy from dealer. The ones ive seen range from $12,500 to 15,500. The high one being on carvana and its not in perfect shape plus its pending sale!
     
  16. ias61489

    ias61489 Junior Member

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    The verdict is in! They are saying my car is worth durum roll please..... $8,449.00 plus $686.48 for taxes and $60 for the plate transfer fee. And i thought the people selling their cars right now were on drugs! What a ridiculous price. The comparable listed aren't even listed for sale anymore well most. Out of 12 comparable only 9 have actual details the first 3 don't. 2 are for sale but most all have over 100k miles on them. Mine has 66K! comp number 2 has 174k miles list price 5,999 then gets adjusted for mileage? adds another $3,191 Wth?! They adjusted all the prices of the list prices for the comparable and called it "adjusted comparable value" how can you adjust the price up from a list price at a dealership! I read stories that they adjusted them down but not up! I will be writing a response email tonight with lots of detail including the original sticker from the car which I have. They said it docent have certain options.. Time to prove them wrong.

    They hit my car for some scratches to the drivers doors and fender for $228 which isn't bad but then took off $354 for missing trim pieces inside the car. When I installed my stereo system I took some panels off it got cold so they made it to the garage. Guess ill let them know I have them.

    This should be an interesting fight.
     
  17. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Hire an attorney and have him send them a demand letter. The insurance company has plenty of lawyers and knows the game better than you. Probably should ask for advice from your insurance as well including their replacement cost.
     
  18. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    The way they low ball I'm actually thinking that price is higher than what I expected... And of course they're going to give a number lower than repair estimate no matter what, otherwise they'd just do the repair and not total it out.

    The other issue you're going to run into is that's the price for totaling it and them junking the car. If you want a price for keeping the car, they'll lower the price more. OR maybe they already did that?

    Anyways, if you can do some research on strategies to dispute a low balled auto insurance claim and start a threat about it, it'd be great info for all of us to learn from. I don't think we've had a thread like that on PriusChat and it would be a valuable contribution.
     
  19. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    Never mind the car's issues - if the car's two occupants are still in pain you need to seek compensation for that.

    I have been rear ended 3 times. One time my back hurt slightly, for a couple of days, but I did not seek compensation. However, if I had been injured enough that a couple of days of Tylenol wasn't enough to fix things, then I would have. It's one thing to break a car, quite another to break a person.
     
  20. ias61489

    ias61489 Junior Member

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    Unfortunately most lawyers arnt interested in a car claim for just the car values it would have to be mixed in with the claims for my personal injury claims. It costs me nothing to hit them back a bit, most insurance companies dont expect people to fight them. Dealing with the same for my home claim. In april had some damage to my home, sent a very small check. They said it was all they were willing to put out. I pushed back and bam! another check for 3 times the original amount... said ok no more. I pushed back again and they sent another small check. Still not done with them. I'll push back until I can't anymore.

    From what I see the prices range from $12,500 to about $16,000 in my second search. Im gonna build a list and send it to them with some other information. To keep the car it will be $1600 for me and I will most likely keep and fix it. Ive already found all the parts locally same color and gonna have the frame pulled out.

    I found this searching NYS Insurance codes and regulations regarding total loss settlements with auto accidents.

    (4) Substantially similar vehicle shall mean a vehicle of the same make, model, year and condition, including all major options of the insured vehicle. Mileage must not exceed that of the insured vehicle by more than 4,000 miles or 10 percent of the mileage on the vehicle at the date of loss, whichever is greater.

    So it seems to me this means they have to use cars same year make model and very similar mileage vs what they used! I will post a separate thread once I'm done and hopefully have some positive results with the steps I've taken and all that.

    My son thankfully is feeling better. Me on the other hand I feel like my spine is ready to fall out. Its been a week since the accident im hopeful it goes away soon but I also have a previous injury from 2013, 3 slightly herniated discs and they are def not happy. I was doing pretty well until now and the rest of my back has joined in. Also my collarbone seems to hurt but its not from the seat belt because its the other side. I see s spine dr on the 24th, and start PT monday. So far Ice, Heat, tylenol and ibuprofen haven't down much to help.
    1 week in and im having trouble just walking around without pain. Either just dull but always there or sharp in certain spots. Fun times.