My 2002 was recently smashed pretty hard in the rear. I am concerned that it won't get fixed properly, or if that is even possible. The smasher's (not sure where the guy had his head) insurance company is paying, but I don't know what all is involved in the repairs. The damage is currently up to $15K, with one of the frame rails damaged. The shop currently has it on the frame machine to "pull" the car back into alignment. Doesn't sound too good, does it? Any ideas or suggestions on how I can protect my interests? I think the car will be worth thousands after it is fixed. Thanks.

 

Definitely doesn't sound good. With that much damage, the car with undoubtedly have the repair listed in future CarFax. I would start thinking about a Diminished Value claim. Talk to your insurer and see if your state allows it. Insurance companies hate "Diminished Value", but there's no question you won't get as much on resale for a repaired wreck no matter how well the repair is done.

 

Your between a rock and a hard place! These questions all should have been answered BEFORE you let some shop work on your car. On what basis did you choose the repair shop? Does the shop have a warranty on their work? I would ask my insurance company about the repair. Remember ultimately it is their responsibility to make you whole. Then they go after the other guys insurance. Maybe your insurance can recommend someone to be sure the job is done right. You might want a certified appraisal done on the car for before and after values if it is greatly different I believe that you have legal remedies Do you belong to a local Corvette Club? If you do they might have someone in the club that is knowledgeable. Start checking around at work for someone who might have a brother or a friend in the body business. Where are you located? Maybe some reading your post in your home town will step in and help. You need to fill out your profile (location) for people to be able to offer you help. Good Luck!

 

As soon as you get it back, you might want to start looking for a new one. I don't think I would want that one anymore.

 

Yes, I hope the shop you chose is a reputable one. It is the insurance companies' job to pay to fix your car, but not to actually fix it. So if you chose a shop that does bad work, it's up to you to deal with them.

A frame pull on a car is not unusual whatsoever. If the shop has a good frame machine and the guy knows what he's doing, it can be repaired perfectly fine. I'm in the auto insurance business and was a field appraiser for several years (still have an appraisers' license). Several years ago I even bought my wife an Inifiniti G20 that had been tanked really hard in the back...both quarters, floor, rear body panel. It ran and looked perfect when the shop fixed it properly.

Steve

 

Exactly what he said. I'm an auto damage appraiser as well and as long as the shop has a good tech doing your repairs you should be fine. Good/accurate frame pulls are crucial so as long as that tech is good I doubt you'll notice. Just make sure you look real good at the body lines(bumper/quarter panel meeting areas) and see the body lines at the decklid.

 

INSIST on compensation for diminished value. It certainly sounds like you need another $5K or so for the damage to the car and the lost resale value. If they don't agree, insist on the money from YOUR insurance company and have them subrogate the claim.

Charlie

 

Most insurance companies will tell you to go pound sand on diminished value nowadays.

It's their job to return the vehicle to pre-loss condition. Unless the car is super rare or a classic vehicle they'll probably offer you a few hundred bucks.

Good luck on that issue!

 

My buddy has a super rare 2004 Toyota Camry 4 door. Dude ran a light and popped the driver's side front fender and drivetrain to the tune of 7 grand. He asked for and got another $1500 for diminished value. If you don't ask/insist, I guarantee you won't get anything.

Charlie

 

i bought a lexus gs 400 in 2000 from len stoler lexus in baltimore md and it car faxed clean, i found out soon after i bought it it was in a bad crash and was damaged in the front and rear.sooo when you get your car back that is the time to sell it or trade it in. it took me some time to find a dealer that didnt thoughtly inspect the car.i had it for 2 years and i traded it and got good book on it and i dropped it like a hot patato. i would bet that you damage will not show up on car fax... good luck....

 

He did it,,, and looks pretty good,, http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1515229

 

FrostyZ28---Just a question and maybe not all states have the same guidelines but I thought that if the cost to reapair the vehicle totalled more than 50% of the vaule of the car that the insurance company would total out the vehicle and I did not think that with frame damage they would fix it knowing that it could possilby weaken the frame to pull it back to place--now the frame part is what I was told when I had a firebird with a bent frame but that was a long time ago and maybe they have figured out how to do it differently since then. I was just curious---I know it's not a vette but our daughters ex-husband dumped a 5 gallon pail of laquer all over her Olds. The insurance company came and determined that the cost of stripping the car and repainting it was worth more than half the value of the car so they totalled it out---it had absolutely no other damage to it. Does any of this sound accurate? I can't see repairs on this vette already reaching 15K and the insurance still wanting to fix the car..

Thanks
Lori

 

State Farm in Tennessee won't total a car until the damage equals 75% of the value. I think the 50% is fairer given that the value of the car is diminished. If your insurance company will total the car at 50%, it is probably to your advantage.

Charlie

 

All the insurance co is concerned about is the dollar figure. It is up to the repairing shop giving the estimate of repairs to make the car "safe" again.
When you say half the value of a car, you half to consider how much that is. if a car is worth say 25,000 and it cost 15,000 to fix, then it is in the best interest of the insurance co to fix it and save 10,000. Even if they pay 5,000 for diminished value, they still save 5,000.
On the other hand, if the car is worth 5,000 and it cost 2500 to fix, then it may be worth it to the insurance co to just pay off the claim so as not to have to deal with a less then happy customer.

 

actully your frame could be far better then stock. The stock specs for the frame are +/- 1/8" left to right AND up and down. So that the stock specs could off by as much as 1/4" side to side and up and down and still be concidered with in GM Specs. Vast majority are far closer then this.

when my right rear frame quarter was replaced the shop cut out the bent section, welded in the new piece and straighten the frame to +/- .5 mm side to side and was exact up and down.

This shop takess Viper comp coupes, strips the bodies off and straightens the frames right from the factory before rebuilding the vipers into race cars. They said corvettes are the same way.
Talked to a few othe race shops. First thing they do is strip the body off the corvettes and straighten the frames.

So you could be in better shape then prior.

 

Everyone already answered the questions. Some states have laws regarding panel total losses. Like for instance I believe GA has a law that if 3 major panels are being replaced it's a total loss no matter what the value/ACV of the vehicle is.

Most companies total out anywhere from 70-80%. However there are plenty of other factors that go into their repair decision. Rental, subrogation circumstances...hell even if the figures don't total the vehicle out the vehicle could still be a "constructive total loss" due to the severity of the damage. I don't think most states have law regarding a certain percentage though.

AU N EGL- Yup, you're right...it some cases a shop can get them close to the "right" specs than the factory does since they're mass produced cars It's funny...people hear "frame damage" and automatically think the car is screwed. Hell, in most decent sized accidents the cars have to go on the frame machine anyway to do minor pulls. It's just that people hear that phrase and talk to people that aren't in the business and they get themselves all worked up thinking their car will never be the same. The key is finding the right shop that has experience with the particular car you own. A good shop+good repairs=the average person not knowing the car ever had work done to it.

 

and when you find that good shop, they are busy so it could be sevral months before you get your car back. I think mine was 3 1/2 months.


and corvette body pannels are east to take off and put on. I have had my front facia and front fenders on and off so many times. I think I could take all four fenders, front and rear bumpers off in abot 90 min or less. So dont leave your vette parked at night where I can see it. spair parts you know.









J/K

 

There are lots of factors that go into totalling a car. There isn't a set rule as to 50% or 60% or even 75%. A general rule of thumb is around 75%, but that depends. A lot of it depends on the salvage value of the car and the time to repair. For instance, say a brand new Toyota Prius gets hit in the back. The estimate is $12,000. The car has a value of $25,000. That's less than 50% of the actual cash value (ACV). So you'd think they'd want to fix the car. However, if the insurance company paid to fix it, they'll pay $12,000 plus a possible supplement (which means additional damage found after the damaged parts are stripped off), so now the estimate may be $13,000. Then add in the rental, because it's a long repair and the back order of getting parts will make it even longer. Just for numbers, pretend the total rental cost is $1000 while the car is being fixed. So now you're at $14,000 total payout. If the insurance company totals the car, they'll pay $25,000. They will then take it to an auction and sell it. Well, all the parts in the front of the car are perfectly fine. Those parts have a very, very high value. Especially the hybrid stuff. So the car may fetch $13,000 at the auction. So their net loss is now $12,000. That's less than the $14,000 they would have paid to fix it.

There are a few other factors involved that I didn't mention, but you get the picture.

As for diminished value, for the most part you will NOT get it from your own insurance company, as it's often excluded in your policy. If the other car's insurance is paying for your repairs, you can ask for it, but it's generally not paid. If a car sustains heavy damage, like it sounds this one did, you might get it. The only state to have a court recognized formula for calculating it (at least to my current knowledge) is Georgia. The formula takes into consideration the mileage, the value of the car and severity of damage. So you could get a few bucks to a few thousand, depending on factors.

Steve

 

Thanks for the info guys...interesting

 

I got to choose my repair shop when my Vette got hit ($7k damage). I chose a Chevy dealer that was highly recommended and I'm happy. Do your research and choose well.