Front end collision - advice/cost guess

Hi all,

First post - hoping for your wisdom and any advice/input on helping this process run smoothly.

I was entering an intersection as an Explorer ran a red light. ~25mph. No airbags.

Interested in thoughts on costs, damage and any tips for navigating the insurance process.

THANK YOU

 

We're not insurance adjusters, we're just random Tacoma enthusiasts. Take it to a shop and have a professional look at it.

 

You bet, I understand. It’s at a shop and a claim has been filed. Just interested in other enthusiasts’ experience with accidents and anything they learned that may help me. Thanks.

 

Wow… probably 15-20k… I’d prob push to get it totalled

 

I'd push to have it totalled. They probably will by the looks of it. Better to start fresh imo.

 

15-20k, they rarely write off tacomas, it would take major frame damage. This looks fairly routine.

 

First of all, be sure that you are not injured. Best to get yourself checked. Get a police report. As for damage, a rough guess is well north of $10K.

 

99% sure there is frame damage. I'd be pushing for this to be totaled. Market value is still good.

At the end of the day it's up to the insurance company. Some of them will be more willing to total it if they know you don't want it repaired and it's close to the TL threshold.

Not advice, just what I would be going for. Many years employed in ins/body shop.

 

First of all, be thankful you are ok.

1. I hope they have good insurance.
2. Make sure you call your insurance, they should be handling things from your side.
3. Take it to "Toyota Certified" body shop and make sure they use OEM parts.
4. If you know an attorney call them or have one ready in case things so south with insurance.

Bottom line, you are dealing with big business and all they care about is the bottom line. They will do whatever they can to cut costs.

 

I would insist on NEW OEM parts if they do not total the truck. This is very good advice about having an attorney ready to go if needed. It is your insurance company's job to take care of you. let them deal with the details.

 

Most insurance companies will tell you to pound sand regarding new oem parts. As the vehicle owner you have the right to have them. But you may have to come out of pocket to pay the difference between oem and A/M.

 

I am sorry that you are going through this. It isn't fun.

There are some things we can all do to protect ourselves BEFORE an accident. My wife was hit head on in July. I have learned a lot since then.

1. A dash cam is such a nice form of insurance. Wife's new car and my Tacoma now have them.
2. Your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage should be at least $250K/$500K.
3. You can add OEM parts to your policy. Yes it will cost a little more, but totally worth it if your vehicle isn't totaled.
4. Personally I wouldn't bother with a lawyer unless you have injuries. Do your research, most lawyers will take 35% of what you get from the insurance company.

Just my 2 cents.

 

You can't insist. Rules don't allow that.

 

I insisted on a Toyota certified body shop with OEM parts when I filed my claim against DHL. Since another party is at fault definitely don’t settle for capa parts

 

Thanks for the message - how does one go about pushing for total loss?

 

Thanks for the message - any advice on how to go about pushing for total loss?

 

First find out what the laws are in your state. Usually it’s around 55-75% of the vehicles “value” you can probably argue the “value” to some extent as they have dipped a bit as of late.

also oem components vs aftermarket may increase the cost… but depending on your insurance policy you may be SOL. They usually do oem parts for 3 years and then aftermarket.

lots of variables to consider … what’s your estimate so far ?

 

You can plead your case, ask nicely, beg, etc. In the end, it’s their decision and it would have to be damn close to sway them, they make their decision based on their best financial interests, not yours. And don’t think for second they’d hesitate to save a few dollars.

Also; almost always do they start with a low amount to get the job started and then the collision center has to go back and request more funds and show the adjuster where and why.

 

the problem is they will probably want to replace the frame but when it happened to me they wanted me to wait 8-9 months for the frame to be manufactured. after weeks of back and forth, I finally got them to total it. It was a very stressful experience as i need my truck for work.

 

Isn't it usually a combination of airbag deployment and high mileage that writes off Tacomas?