Anyway to force ins comp to total car?

[svt03cobra10th]

I have posted the fact that my snake is wrecked in a couple of other threads, but here is a new question. Is there anyway to force the insurance company to total the car. The unibody is tweeked, not sure how bad. The body shop's inital estimate for repair was about $20,500. The insurance company's inital estimate for repair is about $15,500. Any info you guys/gals could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Don

 

[maddrabitt]

anyway to have the body shop "find" something else that needs to be fixed to put it over the top?

 

[03yllwguy]

That's pretty crazy, I thought that if the vehicle had over 50% damage that it was automatically totalled no ? asked... I agree with having the body shop find something "wrong" that would put it over the top.

 

[svt03cobra10th]

The percentage that is needed to financially total a vehicle varies by insurance company. Mine is 70%, although I have heard of some that are 50%. The body shop knows that I don't want the car back and most of the techs there agree that it is done. WE will see.

The insurance company wants to put it on a frame puller for 10 hours to see if it will straighten out. The body shop guys did tell me that mustang usually respond well to being straigtened. They don't have the car torn down yet so there very well may be more damage. Anyway, thanx for the responses.

 

[Tucker]

It sometimes takes up to 70% to total. Start asking your adjuster about deminished value. This is what your car is worth after the repairs are done. It is NOT, I repeat NOT the same as if it were never wrecked. I do collisoin repair for a living and can tell you first hand, it's not the same car.

Some body men will say it is, but the truth is no matter how good you are at body work, no one can duplicate the factory welds, primers, paint, anything.
Someone will allways beable to tell if work has been done. Just the small fact of the cracked paint on the fender/door/trunk bolts. The paint will crack as soon as a wrench is put on it.

Just remember "Deminished Value" Your car will not be worth the same as a un wrecked Cobra!!!

 

[03yllwguy]

I agree fully with you tucker, my 98 was wrecked and repaired at a total of $12K, I was told by the ins. company that the only reason it wasn't totalled was because the initial est. before further adue damage found was $8k. The car wasn't the same, after the airbags went off, the dash sounded like a box of legos and the door panels were mis aligned. She was a attention to detail nightmare. That's why I paid full price for this one. Atleast I know it wasn't wrecked. Good luck on it!

 

[AmazonTuning]

if you have not had this car very long unless you put a huge down payment on it your payoff figure will be higher than what they will give you for the car if they total it.we are going thro this right now on the loss of our truck and trailer...

 

[cito]

Your salesperson basically does nothing. So, put him/her to work and complain like crazy about the car not being totaled (if that turns out to be what you want). It is not an unreasonable request given the extent of the damage. I know that some cars get totaled because of people complaining instead of the actual cost and rules of the company. Tucker is right, that thing will never be the same.

 

[sam]

tell the ins co. to give you the 20, and then sell the car as is. then start all over again with a new one.

 

[ShelbyGuy]

are you sure you wont be taking a bath on it if its totalled? does your policy say replacement value or fair cash value?

 

[maoun]

yeah, hopefully you have GAP insurance to cover the difference...or one of those insurance companies (like 21st century) that gives you full purchase price if totaled within 1st yr of ownership.

have your body shop find something new and contact them

 

[SVT4ME]

I always wondered about this kind of stuff. Why would the insu company want to put the work into the car and it might not correct the problem?

 

[speedtigger]

Originally posted by Tucker
It sometimes takes up to 70% to total. Start asking your adjuster about deminished value. This is what your car is worth after the repairs are done.
Just remember "Deminished Value" Your car will not be worth the same as a un wrecked Cobra!!!

Hey Don,
Tucker has it right.
If the insurance adjuster knows that you will immediately be looking for another 4-5 thousand dollar check for dimished value after the repair, he is much more inclined to total your car.

I am a major collision center director and here is what i would do:

authorize the shop to tear the vehicle down and write the hidden damage supplement. instruct them not to repair the vehicle just tear it down and make a supplement.

have the sales manager at your local dealership give you a trade in value quote based on what your vehicle is worth after it is repaired.

go to nada.com and print out the current retail market value of your car and add tax to that.

the difference between what you can get for your car after it is repaired as opposed to never wrecked is what the insurance company owes you for diminished value.

call the insurance adjuster(not the appraiser) and tell him about the supplement, dimished value and the money he will spend giving you a rental car until the vehicle is repaired to your satisfaction.-make sure you go a rant about how you are a car nut and you will not accept anything less than perfection.

with all these things to consider you may sway him to total loss your car.

then i just hope you have gap insurance........
:beer:

 

[§ilver§nake]

Originally posted by speedtigger
...call the insurance adjuster(not the appraiser) and tell him about the supplement, dimished value and the money he will spend giving you a rental car until the vehicle is repaired to your satisfaction.-make sure you go a rant about how you are a car nut and you will not accept anything less than perfection..

This brings up my point...

The repairs MUST meet YOUR acceptance, not the insurance company's. Too many times, people will allow the opposite to occur. Stand your ground. Speedtigger has good advice.