Total Loss

Are you kidding me?! I just got a call from my claims agent saying my car is a total loss. This is hard to believe -- it looks fine, but for the airbag damage and the displaced fender. I have never dealt with an insurance claim before. I can't really evaluate whether this is a good or a bad decision. I need to decide whether to take the check they want to cut (and whether I can arm wrestle them about the amount of that check -- seems worth a try, I guess) or whether to "buy back" the vehicle at salvage value and try to get it repaired myself. Don't yet know what the numbers involved are.

If I take the check then I need to think about replacing my car. Damn. That's a project. My personal life is getting very complicated, between dog surgeons and claims adjusters and plumbers/heating guys all calling me on my cell phone.

Comments

[Chris]

I hate to say it, but usually when the airbag is deployed, they declare a total loss. Take my old 1995 Honda for example... I slid on some ice into a tree deploying the airbag. Just a few minor dents to the front bumper, a broken headlight and a deployed airbag. Guess what, that darned airbag unit costs upwards of $3000 in a car that was barely worth $5000 at the time. Add in the new front bumper and the labor costs and the totaly damage exceeded the value of the car... Sad to say, but when the airbag goes off, unless its a VERY valuable car (think BMW, Mercedes) its gonna be a total loss. Not really worth buying back from the Insurance Co., but certainly worth fighting tooth and nail to get every last dollar of the cars value from them.

[Scipio]

Yeah, airbag deployed on used car= total loss.

[lee lee]

I would like to know about a lexus? what would make them write off a lexus sc400 1992? would the airbag have to go off in order for it to be a total loss also? Or do certain parts have to be taken out?

[Jason]

Hi,

I recently crashed my Ford Ka 1.3l car. The car was then collected by a company that the insurance company chose or deal with. The told me that the repairs were going to be around £2500 but they could find a few extra things whilst repairing that so it could possibly go up in price. So I asked for another company to come down and give me a price estimate. They were £200 cheaper. So it came to £2300.
So then I had £570 excess fee to pay on the insurance. So then I got about £1700 towards the repairs of my car. The rest is coming out of my pocket. But I believe that was the best option as I have only had the car 1 year and it wasnt that old. Very reliable nothing wrong with it at all.

So i suggest maybe getting another company looking at your car if you can!
And the airbag didnt deploy, could this have been a fault?! Im not sure when an airbag would normally deploy to be fair.

Well good luck on getting your car sorted dude.

[Jeric]

i crashed my 2007 toyota yaris. little front damage, air bag deployed, and it all added up to a total loss.
worked out better this way.
go get a new car, everything will be fine !!

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[Ken]

i crashed my 2007 toyota yaris. little front damage, air bag deployed, and it all added up to a total loss.
worked out better this way.
go get a new car, everything will be fine !!

[christian louboutin]

I have just finished the article.It is the first time for me to read the whole post carefully,I always just look through the article,and forget quickly.But I had save your articl,it is more than useful to me.

[Chanel J12]

Your words help a lot, thanks!

[cell phone buyback]

According to me you should be getting another company looking at your car if you can!