Condolences and suggestions?

That leak may only be the 12 volt.

Wait for what the ins. co. says.

In the mean time "Clueless" will be paying for your rental car for as long as it takes for either a repair or a new car.

I'd buy another Gen II unless the wait is the same as a Gen III.

 

I agree that the battery acid was most likely from the 12V battery. According to the Emergency Response Guide, the HV battery is unlikely to leak even when damaged in a collision because the electrolyte is in gel form absorbed into the battery cell plates.

 

Glad nobody was hurt. I would go for the current version myself as I prefer a mature model over the first model year. I prefer to let somebody else work the initial bugs out on their dime. (That's a rule I apply to just about everything, not just cars.)

 

First off, I'm glad that your daughter and her passengers are OK.

I can't say that this is the "right" answer, but I think it'd be "right" for me....

I'd ask myself (and look into) whether or not you could get a comparable Prius for $21K and change. The operative word there is "comparable" (same year, same mileage, same condition, etc.)

If the answer is "yes", then you don't have alot of things you can argue, if the answer is "no" (and this is where I think I'd be betting if I were that kind of person), then heck yeah, get a settlement that will let you get a comparable replacement! You're not entitled to a never used Prius, but you are entitled to be made whole. In this case that would mean comparable Prius; you shouldn't have to be out money because someone else was being clueless.

 

I never buy anything of value in the first year of production as I prefer to let the manufacturer work out the bugs, glitches and kinks.

 

I don't really know if that is an appropriate value or not, but I can give some ideas on how to evaluate it.

They should be paying full market value, plus any fees (title/registration). I've successfully won this argument twice on vehicles that I had owned much longer--once against my insurance, once against another persons. Be prepared to provide documentation of how well maintained the car was (fourteen page faxes of records can sure help your case by showing you are serious and prepared) as well as anything that was added to it to increase its value.

Don't be unreasonable, but don't trust them to set the value until you've shopped around to see what it will take to replace it. They are typically going to give you an average value for a vehicle in average used condition--if you keep your interior clean, don't smoke, and the vehicle is cherry on the outside with good tires then you need to make sure they account for it. Also, if there are several sources for the value they will tend to use the lesser one so be prepared to provide others. Don't forget various fees, including any taxes if there is not a credit for the lost vehicle when you replace it.

One more thing I remember from a several month dispute over value: In one of the two cases I did not settle for several months; they really low balled me at first. I would have accepted a reasonable value on day one without quibbling over a few hundred, but their low balling cost them well over a grand above what I would have initially settled for. The delay made my vehicle's value drop, I calculated the impact of that depreciation from dragging their feet and it was part of the negotiation. You are on the cusp of a new model year and might take a considerable market hit for it. Make sure they give you credit for the higher value it would have had if settled before the new model year.

You've got a totalled high residual value car that is not easy to replace in like condition. Be fair, but make sure that there are no surprises.

Best wishes!

 

It may be worth your while to go to a couple of dealers and document lot prices for a used 2005 Prius *delivered today* if your car is going to be totaled. That is the amount to demand from the insurance company.

With cash in pocket, then decide what to do for the next car. Although I in general wholeheartedly agree with earlier posts that suggest shying away from the first year of a new model run, I'd consider it here because I think the improvements in the 2009 Prius are components that come from the Camry Hybrid that have been vetted.

 

Word. It's like software. There'll probably be bug fixes ready when the first vehicles roll off the production line.

 

What if you wait 8 long months and it turns out you don't actually like or want the changes? What if oil hits $150/barrel and you just can't get the model you want?