my old 94 van is considered totalled over a fender bender to my tialgate. the tailagte is still usable (opens & closes) after a nice gentlemen at the reapir shop made some adjustments for free. the insurance company totalled it because the full repair cost was beyond the value of my van. they offered me a nice settlement (after some negotiating) & said it is possible for me to keep the van if i pay the salvage amount. they would take the settlement amount & minus the salvage cost. still i woudl walk away from this a happy camper. so the van is really still drivable. so i wonder what all that means. would i actually be able to insure & drive the old van? the title has never left my hands if that makes any difference. the ins co said they woudl just send the check if i wanted to keep it.
-
Welcome! CLICK HERE to ask a question about the best carseat or safest choice for your family. Visitor posts subject to approval.
anyone exp with totalled but drivable car?
- Thread starter ginny4
- Start date
ADS | |
LuvMyGirls
New member
You absolutely can! My only concern would be that if you intend to insure it with the same insurance company you need to verify that they will cover it with this history. My husband works for an auto salvage yard and we have bought and rebuilt many "builders" that were totalled by insurance companies. The difference with us is that the titles were actually salvaged by the insurance companies and then sold at salvage auctions. If the other driver is at fault and his insurance company is paying you, you may even look into finding another lift gate at a salvage yard and replacing yours.
LuvMyGirls
New member
Your insurance company should have no objections to just covering liability on it.
skaterbabs
Well-known member
We've had several cars over the years that were "totalled" by an insurance company but were fine once they were repaired. Typically, totalled just means the cost for the repairs exceeds a certain percentage of the vehicle's value. So some cars can be totalled because of cosmetic damage, because the parts are expensive and the car's value may not be high enough to compensate.
rodentranger
New member
Do you know if there was any damage to your van's frame?
DH bought his sister's totaled Prelude and I was fine with *us* riding in it with the small amount of frame damage it had, but once we had a baby, it had to go (even if a car seat did fit in the back). I personally am not comfortable with my kid(s) in a car with frame damage.
:twocents:
DH bought his sister's totaled Prelude and I was fine with *us* riding in it with the small amount of frame damage it had, but once we had a baby, it had to go (even if a car seat did fit in the back). I personally am not comfortable with my kid(s) in a car with frame damage.
:twocents:
it does have airbags & they never deployed.
i don't think there was any frame damage. the tailgate is bent & so for full repairs for a used liftgate would be too much money. the frame of the trunk was bent in a bit too but all the repair shops i went to said that they can bend it back without a problem. here i'll show a picture. it still amazes me that they would total it for this. the estimates to fix were between 1350-1650 & that's for a used tailgate. it takes alot of labor i guess to fix it right. since we just bought a new to us used 2001 gr caravan this one would be used as a 2nd car.
rodentranger
New member
Car repairs are so expensive! I had a minor fender bender with another vehicle that Blue Books for about the same as my car. My car's only damage was my license plate got bent. My ins. co. paid $850 for her new bumper because the plastic had a small crack in it. Ridiculous!
OT: I love your bumper sticker! My DH quit riding because he was too afraid of leaving his family behind because so many people don't look for bikes.
OT: I love your bumper sticker! My DH quit riding because he was too afraid of leaving his family behind because so many people don't look for bikes.
snowbird25ca
Moderator - CPST Instructor
We had a car written off over a minor fender bender a number of years ago as well. The only catch here is that it's reported to registries when the vehicle is written off, so you have to have a mechanical inspection done in order to register the vehicle again. Ours was written off with under $1K damage due to a front quarter panel that had been dented when a driver switched lanes in to me.
We drove it around for a little while after that, but sold it when we got our first new vehicle. That old car of ours was truly a beater though...
With minor damage like that, it sounds like it's worth just repairing the lift gate and bumper yourself and then keeping on driving the vehicle. Car repairs never get cheaper, but vehicle value sure decreases fast.
We drove it around for a little while after that, but sold it when we got our first new vehicle. That old car of ours was truly a beater though...
With minor damage like that, it sounds like it's worth just repairing the lift gate and bumper yourself and then keeping on driving the vehicle. Car repairs never get cheaper, but vehicle value sure decreases fast.
beeman
Active member
It seems that once a vehicle is over 10 years old, a vehicle will most likely be written off no matter how much damage. You can buy them back and fix the damage, however your vehicle may most likely be subject to a mechanical and structural integrity inspection. How is the rust situation? If there are any perforations into the cab it won't pass. Be prepared to spend some money on surprises during the inspection :twocents: . If you'd like to keep it, it would be worth the effort.
TXAggieTech
Active member
My BFF's mom had a car that was totaled out while we were in college. Hers was from all the minor bumps that had be repaired over the years and then the final problem was from hail damage. It was never undriveable and laster for years longer until she traded it in.
Based on what happens here in canada anyway, unless you officially "scrap" your car, ie take the registration off and put it on record that it is "scrapped" then yes, you can still insure, register, drive away.
ETA in Quebec there is no yearly inspection, and no automatic reporting that i know of. It differes by province, though, so it could be that the rules differ by State in the US. You could call the motor vehicle registry to ask, or see if they have any information on their website. Good luck!
ETA in Quebec there is no yearly inspection, and no automatic reporting that i know of. It differes by province, though, so it could be that the rules differ by State in the US. You could call the motor vehicle registry to ask, or see if they have any information on their website. Good luck!
I agree with everyone else that it should be fine to insure and register. It's likely that the insurance company will have you get a salvaged title. The salvaged title is to let other prospective owners know that the vehicle was totaled at some point. I'd keep all the paperwork from the accident so that when you sell this vehicle you can show them why it was totaled so they don't think it will be unsafe. The salvaged title will also decrease the vehicle's value some. Your own company shouldn't have an issue insuring you unless you wanted collision coverage. I'd call them just to double check.
I saw many clients that kept their cars in your situation when I was an insurance agent. As you are seeing, it doesn't take much damage to total an older vehicle.
I saw many clients that kept their cars in your situation when I was an insurance agent. As you are seeing, it doesn't take much damage to total an older vehicle.
i did call MY ins & they said they would insure me (without collision tho i don't carry it anyway). they are sending a form that i need filled out by a license mechanic that shows th evan is "road worthy" - i don't think that's gonna be a problem at all.
so i called up the other ins co & said i decided to keep the van & they are sending a check for the settlement minus the salvage amount. YAY! well see what else i may have to do.....if i have to get a new title i will. i don't forsee a big problem.
thank you all for your help. i appreciate it. it helped to make our decision.
now the next thing is to fidn a way to get rid of our GMC jimmy. old as well but sinc eit doens't hold our entire family it is pretty usless. 3 vehicles for 2 drivers is a lil overkill. & actually if you count my DH work truck. we have 4 vehicles in front of our house. it looks like a used car lot. LOL
so i called up the other ins co & said i decided to keep the van & they are sending a check for the settlement minus the salvage amount. YAY! well see what else i may have to do.....if i have to get a new title i will. i don't forsee a big problem.
thank you all for your help. i appreciate it. it helped to make our decision.
now the next thing is to fidn a way to get rid of our GMC jimmy. old as well but sinc eit doens't hold our entire family it is pretty usless. 3 vehicles for 2 drivers is a lil overkill. & actually if you count my DH work truck. we have 4 vehicles in front of our house. it looks like a used car lot. LOL
I loved how my 1988 Plymouth Colt Vista was totaled 6 days after I bought it used for $200 in 2001. I'm minding my own business 10 under the limit in heavy traffic, guy in a Volvo 850 comes flying off an entrance ramp over the limit and scraped my right front fender trying to merge on. His insurance company totaled it, saying it wasn't worth fixing, but offered $1100 to replace it. I kept the car and they cut me a check for only $900. I banged out the fender myself, adjusted it so it wouldn't catch the door, replaced the turn signal light, and cut the corner off the jagged bumper. Filled in the space with duct tape. Total repair cost $23. ($15 for the light, $5 for the slide hammer, $3 for a roll of tape). Drove it for 18,000 more miles and sold it to a guy to use as a farm wagon for $400. He stuck a tiny welder in the back and used it to mend fences until 2005 when he rolled it. Now it is a go-kart for his kids, he ripped all the body off and welded on some rollbars.
I love stories like that!
My much-loved '90 Honda Civic Wagon is being turned into an electric car by some hippie guy! :thumbsup:You must read your carseat and vehicle owner’s manual and understand any relevant state laws. These are the rules you must follow to restrain your children safely. All opinions at Car-Seat.Org are those of the individual author for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect any policy or position of Carseat Media LLC. Car-Seat.Org makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. If you are unsure about information provided to you, please visit a local certified technician. Before posting or using our website you must read and agree to our TERMS.
 |  |  |
Please Support Car-Seat.Org with your purchases of infant, convertible, combination and boosters seats from our premier sponsors above.
Shop travel systems, strollers and baby gear from Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Evenflo, First Years, Graco, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Safety 1st, Diono & more! ©2001-2022 Carseat Media LLC