[Kompressor_82]

Hey everyone,

2018 Touring 2.0 3k miles

Was sitting at a light in Ft. Lauderdale this weekend and got hit from behind by a Toyota Corolla going about 35/40MPH. He attempted to avoid me by swerving into the right lane.

Notice the trailer hitch installed and the front bumper/area is damaged from my car hitting the one in front of me from the rear hit. I also noticed that the right rear wheel seems to be bent some but not due to the wheel itself..

From whatever you can decipher from the pics. do you guys think it should be totaled by the insurance company? It looks like either the trailer hitch bent or the lotion of the frame it was attached to. The guy who hit me has State Farm.

I really don’t want to drive in a car that’s been through this type of damage especially with how new it was. and will most likely need to be cut for repair. Airbags did not deploy.

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[VFR4Lee]

The first pic looks a lot worse than the second pic. Crumple zones. Yikes.
I will WAG not totalled, but expensive.

 

[Ronch]

Geez...hope you weren't hurt.

What the heck was that fool doing, going so fast approaching a light with stopped cars? Texting/talking on the phone and/or DUI is my guess...

The black car in the pic doesn't look like it has that much damage, compared to yours. Is that the one who hit you?

IMHO, yours will likely be totaled based on how pushed in your right rear corner is, without even seeing the front end damage...

 

[LXCLEXEXLGuy]

What's the law in Florida, is it up to his insurance or yours?

I'm thinking totaled, as I understand it modern unibody frames are generally considered unrepairable from even minor damage.

They are designed to crumple to protect the driver, not to be repaired.

Add any frontal damage, especially if it reached the radiator, and all the electronics front and rear, and wave it goodbye.

 

[LAhondaFan]

Geez...hope you weren't hurt.

What the heck was that fool doing, going so fast approaching a light with stopped cars? Texting/talking on the phone and/or DUI is my guess...

The black car in the pic doesn't look like it has that much damage, compared to yours. Is that the one who hit you?

IMHO, yours will likely be totaled based on how pushed in your right rear corner is, without even seeing the front end damage...

Hope OP’s okay.

I bet the left front of the corrolla looks much worse, since that’s where it hit OP’s rear right.

 

[rookie]

My guess is both cars are goners.

 

[zroger73]

That's a tough one and the results can be surprising. Sometimes, a vehicle appears demolished, yet it gets repaired. Sometimes, it's the other way around.

If I were to take a guess, I'd agree that it's going to be a relatively expensive repair, but I'd say there's a 51% chance of a repair and a 49% chance of a total loss. I don't see any broken glass, deployed airbags, or damage ahead of the C-pillars. I see some straightening and sectioning happening. It's what we can't see that will be the deciding factor.

Pursue diminution of value! Even if the vehicle is repaired to a like-new appearance, the vehicle history reports like CARFAX will forever be scarred. Even if the repaired damaged cannot be detected by the average person, the blemished CARFAX alone will drop the value of the car by hundreds to thousands of dollars. Think about it. Would you pay the same price for a used vehicle knowing it had been involved in a major collision and had a five-figure repair bill?

Sorry this happened - especially on such a new vehicle. Glad you're okay, though.

 

[nunyazz]

I would say totaled. Mine wasn't that bad and it was totaled. My 2 month old 2017...

 

[craig04c5]

I hope they do total it. Sorry this happened to such a new car.

 

[zroger73]

I hope they do total it. Sorry this happened to such a new car.

Be careful what you wish for. That can end up costing the owner thousands more than the diminished value of the vehicle after repairs.

The MSRP of a new Accord Touring 2.0T is $36,695. The wholesale value of a used Accord Touring 2.0T in excellent condition is around $30,750. The insurance company is going to pay a number much closer to the wholesale value.

 

[campverdefela]

What's the law in Florida, is it up to his insurance or yours?

I'm thinking totaled, as I understand it modern unibody frames are generally considered unrepairable from even minor damage.

They are designed to crumple to protect the driver, not to be repaired.

Add any frontal damage, especially if it reached the radiator, and all the electronics front and rear, and wave it goodbye.

I agree totaled, couple of years ago was hit from behind, crumpled bumper with just a little spread in the trunk area no where near as bad as this one and it was totaled.

 

[greg1c]

I'll give my opinion as well and say it is totaled. My reasoning is it will be cheaper for the insurance company as the salvage value of a nearly new car is still fairly high. They will sell your destroyed car to offset the total loss payment. As the insurance company that is taking the loss is the Corolla drivers company.

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[DadBod]

totaled man, sorry to hear/see. hope you or any passengers weren't injured.

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[chrishs2000]

WHAT A MORON! I never understand how people do these things, in all my life I've never even come close to hitting someone like this. I hope he learns his lesson and learns how to drive more carefully.

My guess is that it is totaled. I would guess the frame is bent and non-repairable.

Regarding your trepidation on 'cutting', my 2011 TL was sideswiped in the rear fender a couple years ago, and the rear quarter panel had to be replaced. It was cut from above the rear door. The end result was completely imperceptible. But I credit the shop that I went to, it is a very difficult job to get everything lined up perfectly. That accident was around $6000 insurance cost and was much less severe than this - you're looking at BOTH rear quarter panels. So using my cost, that's $12k right there, plus the entire rear half of the car. I bet the frame damage will do it in as "non-repairable". Make sure you have at least 2-3 body shops look at it if the first one says it can be fixed, and make sure you trust them.

Be careful what you wish for. That can end up costing the owner thousands more than the diminished value of the vehicle after repairs.

The MSRP of a new Accord Touring 2.0T is $36,695. The wholesale value of a used Accord Touring 2.0T in excellent condition is around $30,750. The insurance company is going to pay a number much closer to the wholesale value.

Correct. Plus you will never get reimbursed from insurance for the state sales tax, destination fee, doc fees, etc unless you have some special policy. That's why you NEVER take the first offer from an insurance company! Get as much as you can to make up for all of that. I had a homeowner's claim last year, first offer was $12k and we eventually settled at $56k. It took 6 months of negotiating and soooo many quotes.

 

[321825]

Negotiate

Sorry this happened to you. I'd be crestfallen if my new Accord was hit and wrecked like this.

Be careful what you wish for. That can end up costing the owner thousands more than the diminished value of the vehicle after repairs.

The MSRP of a new Accord Touring 2.0T is $36,695. The wholesale value of a used Accord Touring 2.0T in excellent condition is around $30,750. The insurance company is going to pay a number much closer to the wholesale value.

@zroger73's advice here is always sound. But I need to add something important here: NEGOTIATE.

I had a 1984 CRX that was crunched from behind in 2000 by a Volvo driver on her cell phone. With the car long paid off, lots of extras and TLC over many years, but a mere KBB value of $600, I knew I was in a bad spot.

The insurance company initially offered $1200. I politely declined then sent paperwork showing all the extras and pristine service records (not much help in your case) which bumped it up. When they couldn't negotiate upward and further, I politely asked to speak to their manager who could likely negotiate more. I bumped up two further levels of management - with each tier able to add more than the previous one. Finally, I asked how long I could get a rental car. When they said the max is 30 days, I multiplied out the daily rate times 30 - and had them add that to the offer.

When all was said and done, I got a $6000 check for my totaled $1200 CRX - which ended up being my down payment on the 2001 Accord.

Negotiate. Bump up a level (or two or three if needed). Always stay polite. Don't whinge on things they've heard before ("but I really LOVED that car"). Focus on things they can relate to ("Both adults work, so each day without a car is a real burden", I'll need a car to visit dealerships to get my replacement", etc.).

In the end, if you negotiate, you may not only cover the gap in diminished value, but walk away with enough extra to get a few accessories or take your lady out to a nice dinner. Good luck.

 

[Ronch]

Maybe prices on the '18's will come down as release of the '19's gets closer, assuming you'd take an '18 rather than wait for a '19...

Check with your state insurance agency to see if your state requires insurance companies to pay the "sales tax" when a car is totaled and how that works there. AFAIK, more than 30 states require car insurance companies to pay you the sales tax calculated on the value of a totaled car, not on the value of the new car. Depending on the state, this may only apply if you file the claim against your own insurance, rather than against the other person's company.

Companies typically don't offer to pay the sales tax to you up front, so you're going to have to demand it even if it's required in your state, but do it after you negotiate the value for the totaled car so they don't try to short you on value to cover the tax reimbursement. And even if your state doesn't require this, you should ask for it anyway. Worst they can say is "no".

Some states also require insurance to pay other costs associated with the new purchase after a total loss, possibly including DMV registration fees, plate transfer fees, or new plate fees if your state doesn't let you move old plates to a new car. This may also only apply if you file against your own company, not the other company, so be sure to find out. And you may only have 30 days to file for reimbursement of these costs after you purchase the new car, so find out in advance what your state says about this too, and stay on top of timelines so you don't lose any reimbursements you're entitled too.

Hang in there!

 

[amcdonal86]

To me that seems like it's a total loss. If it were my car, I'd rather it be totaled than to have to deal with a car with an accident history.

 

[Rattmann]

TOTALLED
If you get another car in 30days your Insurance will also pay for Tax and title
It they cannot give you a value that you are looking for , then start looking for sale car of similar options and miles that your TOTALED car had on it.

Insurance should pay so you can are able to replace in to very similar car

 

[LDB415]

Based on how it looks: totaled.
Based on $14-15K to repair a $30K car: repaired.
Flip a coin.

 

[meowcat]

That's a tough call. Totaled? not totaled? Leave it up to the insurance company. If they don't total it and you don't have a cut-rate insurance company, there may be a chance you could coax them into pushing it over the edge. Good luck and I sincerely hope you're okay.