Need Advice ASAP!!!! Wrecked Explorer and Insurance wants to TOTAL IT!

okay so the other day the roads were bad (snowing & Slick) and i slid off the road in my 92 lifted explorer.. The paintjob was perfect on it and when i slid off i slid off into a ditch that was full of branchs and treelimbs ect ect... Well from the front fender to the rear 1/4 pannel it scrached and dented up the truck and busted the drivers windsheild.. now the dents are not even that bad by any means. but the whole side of the truck needs paint and body work. i took it to get estaments and they range from 1700-3000 to fix depending of where i go.

Well here is the problem, the insurance company said if i turn it in they MAY total my vehicle because it isnt worth much, well i do not want to do that at all. i asked my insurance company how much my vehicle is worth and how much i would get back if they were to total it and she could not give me any information.

So my question is: Does anyone here know about how much a great condition explorer would book for, its a 1992. Pics of it are in the photobucket below. And about how much it would take to buy the truck back fromt he insurance.. i have a 500.00 deductable.

Either that or how much would it take to not total it, like if i were to turn in 1500 or somthing of that sort...

Please help, any advice is apprecated. Ive never been through this before

 

[Joe Dirt]

Sadly, what they're worth to us, and even to some extent what they're worth on the market- are not much, as it relates to insurance. They're looking at an 18 year old vehicle, and sadly just about anything will total that according to the insurance company. "Totalled" values are usually 51-80% of the value of the truck, and you're probably at the low end. They'll probably say it's worth $2,000 and anything above $1,000 to fix will be totaled and you give up your truck for the check.

You don't really "turn in" $1,500, you most likely will have estimates done from the approved shops, and the insurance company will make a decision.

Best bet if you want to keep it is to just fix the damage out of pocket.

HERE is an informative link

 

[mbelcher0014]

Sadly, what hthey're worth to us, and even to some extent what they're worth on the market are not much, as it relates to insurance. They're looking at an 18 year old vehicle, and sadly just about anything will total that according to the insurance company.

You don't really "turn in" $1,500, you most likely will have estimates done from the approved shops, and the insurance company will make a decision.

Best bet if you want to keep it is to just fix the damage out of pocket.

yeah i know.. well see i know 2 shops here and they said to let them to what it will take to not total it and they will write me the esimate and ill pay the rest of of pocket... im deffently not turning in a 3000 bill because i know right off hand it will total it...

I just wish there was a way to know if i turn in like a 1200-1500 estment then it wouldnt total it.. i cant afford to fix it all by my self or i would, thats why i was needing to turn it into insurance and everything.

 

[mbelcher0014]

if i turned in a quote from a body shop for 1400 do you think it will total it... thats as low as i can go with these guys around here i know.. and thats with me throwing a grand out of my pocket as well, just dont wanna go through the hassle of a salvage title

 

[explorerguy89]

just fix yourself outta pocket i say

 

[mbelcher0014]

just fix yourself outta pocket i say

i would but i dont have 3000 at the current time to just throw out to fix it you know..... i can get about 1500 spare cash, thats why i need to atlest turn in 1400.00 and i know some shops that will reduce it to that and ill pay the rest out of pocket.... if the woman hadnt lost her job it would be okay but right now is just a bad time and its killing me to see the truck like this, doesnt look good at all

 

[Joe Dirt]

Hey- it won't look like that forever.

It's kind of a crapshoot. If you know your agent, call them up and ask them, they might tell you what the total-out value would be.

 

[hazmat456]

hate to say it but you shouldn't have comprehensive on a vehicle that old unless you get a replacement value policy which would have required a appraisal, just about any claim over $500 will total your vehicle,call your agent,they MUST tell you what the threshold is, at least in wi.

 

[chezoom]

post pics of the damage. one way to get the cost down the doing some of the work yourself. sand is a big thing. if it has a messed up fender. replace it.

 

[syst3merror]

my brother was in a wreck about a week ago and they totaled his truck out too...but he bought it back for $200!

Basically they totaled it out, sent him a check for $1200 and he bought the truck back for $200 and made $1000 by wrecking. lol It has a salvaged title now, but it still runs...just beat up door!

 

[Mbrooks420]

If you turn it it will will almost certainly be totaled. The buyback probably wouldn't be all that much. Under 500 I would think.

 

[kert0307]

I'd just turn it in and let it get totaled. A salvage title on a vehicle that old isn't going to hurt the resale value much if any.

Isn't that why you have insurance? So they can pay for it when you wreck? The only thing I would be worried about is how much your premiums would raise if you turn in the damages.

 

[mbelcher0014]

I'd just turn it in and let it get totaled. A salvage title on a vehicle that old isn't going to hurt the resale value much if any.

Isn't that why you have insurance? So they can pay for it when you wreck? The only thing I would be worried about is how much your premiums would raise if you turn in the damages.

okay, so how does all that work.... how do i get a salavage title removed and obtain a rebuilt title... if i end up totaling it ill just fix it my self basically bc i wont get crap for it, so i wont have a body shop to mark they repaired it...

 

[mbelcher0014]

ive tried researching on this, but does any one have any info on if i do total it.. i know i have to get a rebuilt title but i wont have a body shop to mark they fixed it, so how would i go about that

 

[Maniak]

Around here, you don't have to ger a rebuilt title. You can have a vehicle with a salvage title. You then need to get it inspected to get it registered again though. Also, while it has a salvage title you can't get full coverage insurance on it anymore.

Its old enough etc that I would tell the ins. company you want them to total it, pay you the cash and you will then buy it back. Find out what it will cost first though.

Also, check with your local DMV and tell them you have a vehicle that the insurance company is going to total for cosmetic damange and you want to know what you will need to do to register a vehicle with a salvage title.

~Mark

 

[mbelcher0014]

Around here, you don't have to ger a rebuilt title. You can have a vehicle with a salvage title. You then need to get it inspected to get it registered again though. Also, while it has a salvage title you can't get full coverage insurance on it anymore.

Its old enough etc that I would tell the ins. company you want them to total it, pay you the cash and you will then buy it back. Find out what it will cost first though.

Also, check with your local DMV and tell them you have a vehicle that the insurance company is going to total for cosmetic damange and you want to know what you will need to do to register a vehicle with a salvage title.

~Mark

okay i spoke with the court house and they said all i have to do is get a written affidavit thats signed and notarized stating the vehicle was repaired the correct way, BUT they said i have to provide vin #s for ever part that i used from another truck to fix it, well i wont be useing any other parts , im going to do the body work my self and repair/sand everythign and just have a friend spray the truck for me... its a 4/5 week process now any way so ill have time to do it all

 

[grant00]

If i were an insurance agent i would not call yours totaled after looking at what it was before that thing is beautiful!!!!!