My Prius is probably totalled :(

Man, that sucks. Having had a almost new nB sandwiched, and not totaled, even after $12,000 in damages, I can say your car does not look even close to that...so good luck with getting the car totaled. And I wish my nB had been totaled.

My 2007 Hybrid Camry was read ended, and was fixed. However, one of the many factors for me getting rid of it, and trading it in, was the feeling that that there may be hidden damage found out down the road, and also, the resale value would plummet.

Frankly, car insurance companies want to dick you around, and not total your car. It sucks. I think when the accident is not your fault, you should get to decide what to do; it's your life/car that was damaged by some other nit wit.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(YodaddyAlex @ Dec 27 2006, 08:29 PM) [snapback]367515[/snapback]</div>

If they do not total your car, do not accept any offer until after you have consulted with either an attorney or an independent insurance claims adjuster.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(YodaddyAlex @ Dec 28 2006, 04:20 PM) [snapback]367794[/snapback]</div>

Is that $5600 with genuine Toyota parts or aftermarket parts? If it's aftermarket parts then the true cost will be even higher, since your car was 100% genuine Toyota parts pre-crash.

What is the total value of your car (pre-crash)? Here in NC when selling a vehicle we are required to disclose if it has ever had major repairs totalling 25% of its value. This obviously greatly decreases its worth. Even so, when I recently took a vehicle to CarMax, they mentioned marks on the frame left by the frame-straightening machine as evidence of major repairs which they took into account for their offer (to my detriment, of course).

Remember: you had a brand new car, you need a brand new car back. Not a repaired one, and certainly not with aftermarket parts. If you'd had the car for a year, then yes repairing it would be the logical choice. But you only had it a week. You need a new car. Don't let them talk you into accepting anything less!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(YodaddyAlex @ Dec 28 2006, 01:20 PM) [snapback]367794[/snapback]</div>

Is the car in a "Prius Certified" body shop?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(YodaddyAlex @ Dec 28 2006, 06:20 PM) [snapback]367794[/snapback]</div>

Ah, that's bad news. My nB took over 6 weeks to get fixed. And I had to fight for genuine VW parts. They will try to put in aftermarket parts. Frankly, your Prius will never fell the same. Fight for the total. Do what you can to get rid of the car. You won't be happy with a repaired new car. Trust me. I never was.

 

A suggestion?

Desist from referring to the other driver as "SUVBitch" (other posters, not you, YodaddyAlex). When I got my Prius, I had a TOTALLY snotty, superior, self-righteous attitude about it, and have recently realized it's unhealthy for myself.

Reading Wayne Dyer will do that to a person.

YodaddyAlex, I definitely feel for you! That's even my color! I love the thing so much (as appropriately limited by the fact that it's a car, not one of my children), that I know I would be totally bummed out.

 

Welcome, yeswab. It's good to hear that smug can be an owner-uninstalled option. Not everyone spells pious with an 'r'.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(yeswab @ Dec 29 2006, 11:26 AM) [snapback]368241[/snapback]</div>

Last I've checked, Toyota does not have an option for an extra-wide door to accomodate Prius drivers with swollen heads inside...nor have I met any Prius drivers needing the option.

I'll admit to some fun with my Insight (and when I test drove a Prius) - but no brushes with meglomainia...

 

WOW! looks like mine after my accident in April last year. The lady who was driving the saturn was at fault (stopped in oncoming traffic) and my car was in the shop for 6 weeks, repairs were *close* to $9k after it was all said and done, genuine toyota parts. Oh and I snapped tie rods on the front wheel up there- actually the tow truck driver did it when he went to move it on the truck.





They took the whole front off to repair it properly and repaint it.

 

I carry a replacement cost rider on every new car I've ever bought. My cost for the rider on the prius was 41 dollars for 6 months.

I hope I never have to use it but if I do it is there.

 

Insurance companies MUST pay replacement value less the deductible but here they will be paying from HER company so no deductible. However, the car is FAR from being totaled by the looks of it. The front end in terms of wheels look fine. I doubt there is more than $10,000 damage. Unfortunately I think they will be wanting to repair the car.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(YodaddyAlex @ Jan 3 2007, 01:22 PM) [snapback]370323[/snapback]</div>

You are entitled to be compensated for the diminution of the value of your car - the difference between its worth as an undamaged brand new car and as one that was repaired after sustaining major collision damage. Both http://www.kbb.com and http://www.edmonds.com can help you in calculating it.

 

I still bet when they get it up on the frame machine the cost of the repair is going to increase exponentially due to the fact that the passenger doors cannot be opened after a driver side hit...

Stay on them.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TJandGENESIS @ Dec 28 2006, 10:44 PM) [snapback]367980[/snapback]</div>

Perhaps you had a crappy body shop.

Our Prius was repaired (at a cost of - get this - $17,000) after a side collision which caused the passenger curtain (but not impact, because the passenger seat was unoccupied) airbag to deploy.

There was a long scuffle with the insurance company (State Farm), we got multiple estimates from different body shops, and had the vehicle independently evaluated. Unfortunately, you will learn some things:

1. The insurance company settles claims every day. You do it only once (hopefully). They know what the heck they are doing and they have dealt with people like you in situations like yours. That means that they have the advantage.
2. Threatening to retain counsel is pretty much useless. If you are serious, you need to file a suit. Unfortunately, unless personal injury was involved, it's hard to find an attorney and it's easy to run up legal fees.
3. The policy isn't on your side. Your vehicle, if repaired, will never have the same value. Unfortunately, your policy probably doesn't cover this - it only covers the condition of the vehicle, not its value.

That's not to say that you shouldn't fight for a total. But don't expect the insurance company to give you want you want just because you have a new car. If it's $6000 to repair your car, the resale value is $22000 (high), and the salvage value is $10000 (very high), it would cost the insurance company approximately $6000 more to total the vehicle than it would to pay for the repairs. They aren't going to spend $6000 more just because they like you. They are going to fight to keep every penny they can.

As for the repairs, we looked around and found a body shop we trusted (and we talked with the mechanics who would be doing the repairs). We insisted on using new Toyota OEM parts (State Farm did not object). There were some small details that were wrong on the car after it was returned to us. We made a list and the body shop fixed the issues at no charge.

The car looks and drives like it was new. I crashed it at ~2200 miles, now it has more than 8000 miles.

Assuming that there has not been extensive body or system damage, the vehicle can be repaired. Parts can be replaced. Tolerances can be adjusted to within factory specifications. It's all about who does the work and how they do it.

Remember, someone could have been hurt. If either myself or the other driver had been unbelted during my collision, it would have been a very different story. My Prius moved nearly 30 feet during the collision and spun around 180 degrees, all in a blink. The VW commercials have the experience about right (though it's downright sleazy to market a car with a 4-star NHTSA rating as "safe). You never think that it will happen until it does. And then you're damn glad that you purchased a safe vehicle.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bsoft @ Jan 5 2007, 08:23 AM) [snapback]371191[/snapback]</div>

The question is, would you trust the vehicle to be as safe for you in another accident involving the same area of the car?

I wouldn't.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SW03ES @ Jan 6 2007, 04:06 AM) [snapback]371679[/snapback]</div>

That is very correct.