That Looks Like It Hurt

[Kev250R]

So my lady friend (we'll call her crash) got backed in to by a rogue garbage truck (happened the first day at her new place too, nice 'welcome to the neighborhood' LOL). The airbags didn't deploy and the car still ran and drove fine (a little too fine, she drove it like that for two days before taking it to a body shop) and it *looks* like the only damage is to the hood, core support, grill and maybe bumper (since it was a large vehicle with a high bumper, the grill and the hood took the brunt of the impact).

So the insurance company wants to total it. I'm not seeing more than $1000 worth of damage. I know the pic isn't that great but what says the collective?

'03 Corolla with 70K

Kevin

 

[IFMJohn]

I've seen this a lot with unibody cars. Any chance that a supporting structure got damaged and the insurance company will total it. It's not worth the liability on their side.

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[fishycomics]

that is the way it is done.

Are you going to take the $$ and fix her on your own? Or just get rid of it, so another person can insure a totaled car. Not good the way things work in the car business

 

[Kev250R]

John, I hadn't thought about the liability-side of things but it sounds like something an insurance company would think about

Fishy, originally I was thinking about fixing it and keeping it, as I really don't think there is that much damage however the insurance company called her after I started this thread and told her they'd give her $8,500 + what she spent on the car three weeks ago (new tires, repairs to pass smog, new wheel bearing and tags) which will be another grand.

Personally I'm floored they'd give her that much. The car was in fair shape at best, plus she only paid 4K for it two years ago and she never really dug it anyway. Her Corolla was the first non-sports car she'd ever owned and she was never really a fan, plus her car has always had it's share of issues. I'm sure someone will fix it and re-sell it though, it just won't be me.

Kevin

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

$9,500 make a nice down payment for another car.

 

[Kev250R]

For sure! That's the route she's going to go. The old car (in addition to the crash damage) had faded and thinning paint, four leaky struts, a CEL related to the charcoal canister and I suspect the odometer had been messed with (supposedly the first owner drove the car 65 miles...in three years!) She'd been thinking about getting another car next spring, although her daughter had her eye on this one for her first car.

Kevin