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Please help my 2015 Prius 2 in accident = total loss | PDX

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by EllieOregon, Dec 2, 2020.

  1. EllieOregon

    EllieOregon New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 18, 2020
    1
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    Location:
    Portland
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    One
    Hello all
    (FYI: This is a cross post w/ main newbie forum)

    This was my 3rd Prius. I had back to back leases w Toyota =Prius and I decided to keep this last one a Black exterior 2015 Prius 2.

    I was just in what I considered a fender bender, 2 weeks ago on SE Stark St, in Portland OR - my Prius bumper went under the SUV. Their car was fine just a minor dent, mine was all smashed up and ALL the airbags went off, even the side ones.

    I was shocked since it was not a hard impact. My car is black their’s is white and there was no visible paint on either car. I was really shocked at how the car performed. I almost thought it might be due to a mechanical issue or a recall... but didn’t see anything listed.

    So depressed. If anyone can please respond/ DM me / call me on dealing with insurance on total loss I’d appreciate it. I know the process & Oregon’s rules but the insurance company Geico is being predatory. I’ve already started the dance. They just sent me today comps of 2 cars - both out of state one was in Burien WA 134 miles away & one was in Tumwater, WA 102 miles away. I live in SE Portland. The car has low miles 57k.

    Thank you in advance, Ellie :(
     
    ukulelegeek likes this.
  2. scona

    scona Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2013
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    Location:
    Courtenay, BC, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    N/A
    Sorry to hear about your accident, not what you need to have happened right about now the way things are going. It has been reported before here that it is common for an insurance company to write off a vehicle if all the airbags have deployed. The cost of replacing them
    is very high, in the thousands of dollars. I hope that you can come to terms with the company so that you can get back on the road soon.
     
  3. jadd806

    jadd806 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2015
    41
    34
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    Location:
    MA
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Persona
    GEICO is scum. I imagine they'll raise your rates after this too based on what I've heard. They certainly didn't become the second largest auto insurance company in the US by being generous with their payouts. I am fortunate to have USAA who have always been very fair and forgiving, but that's not an option for everyone.

    So the first thing is figuring out the market value of your car. On a quick look for a 2015 Two with similar mileage (both east and west coast), I'd say the value of your car was somewhere around $13-14k. How much did they offer you?

    The second thing is the fact that your car may be worth more to you specifically than the actual market value. This is just something that you'll have to get over as the insurance company does not care. As an example, I also have a 2015 Prius. Mine has 160,000 miles though, so the market value is very very low, around $7k. But the car is worth more to me for several reasons, mainly being that I was the only owner, I know for a fact all the maintenance was done correctly and on time, and I know that 90% of those miles are highway. I could not buy a used car for $7k and have the same peace of mind that I have with my Prius.

    Anyway, personally if I was in your situation here's what I'd do:

    1. Try to settle with GEICO on a $13k payout or as close as possible. If this is not what they've offered you already, contest their offer and send them some examples of similar cars in your area priced at $14k with the intention of settling at $13k.

    2. It doesn't look like you drive enough miles for a (brand new) Prius to be worth it. That is, the "hybrid premium" will not pay for itself with fuel savings over the life of the car. I don't anymore either, I'm down to 10k miles per year. At $2.50 per gallon, you'd have to drive close to 200k miles to make up for the hybrid premium which would take 20 years at your current rate. I'd be strongly looking at the 2021 Corolla Hatchback in your shoes. Looks like the top-tier trims sell for around $23-24k in my area. So you'd only be in the hole $10k for a brand new car. Sucks when you were planning on keeping your Prius for a few more years, but gotta play the hand you're dealt.
     
  4. ukulelegeek

    ukulelegeek Member

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2022
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    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Geez, that really sucks. I hope everything works out well for you.