How little damage it takes to "total" a 1998 Camry

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As I stated earlier, and someone else just chimed in, you could probably find parts for the areas that definitely need repair for 200.00.

Bend some metal, then drive that car for another 75k. It just depends on how anal you are about looks vs functionality. If you realize that a 98 Camry is a tool to get you from Point A to Point B, then this scenario is a complete no-brainer.
 
I just bought a 1997 Lexus ES300 (same car basically). Someone backed into the car and damaged the hood, bumper, headlight and turn signal. This happened last week.

The car was parked and the person that hit it left, so i am covered under uninsured motorist.

I called the local aftermarket crash parts place and come up with $900 for hood, bumper, headlight and turnsignal accessory. I called local body shop and if I bring those items in, they will paint for $300. So $1200 and I am responsible for putting the parts on.

The claims adjuster called after a couple of days and told me to take it to get estimates. First place I took it to was a preferred repair facility of my insurance company so if they say X then its X.

$3178.26 was my estimate.

My car blue books for $3200 on a good day.

Car will take 2 weeks to fix and i get a free rental until the car is done..due to the uninsured motorist.

So how did your car get totaled and mine gets fixed?
 
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
uh, that would cost a total of $150-200 to repair at most at the local u-pull-it down here. color wont match but who cares at that point.
Seriously?!
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dont take my word for it. their inventory of cars are online, and their price list is too.

http://www.wrenchapart.com/
 
THIS was totaled...both fender quarter panels shot...as well as bumper and trunk lid...not to mention the damage to the trunk itself...
Damage $3400 on a 13-year old Altima with 195k miles...got $2650 less $250 deductible...you can tell by the shine that I liked that car...

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Originally Posted By: mjk
...It just depends on how anal you are about looks vs functionality...
I definitely value function over cosmetics, but I must admit that I have a breaking point when the cosmetics can get too rough that I can't bear the sight of it on one of my only two family vehicles. An example: earlier in the thread, I'd mentioned the driver side mirror having been knocked off the driver door a couple months before the wreck. While I'd duck taped the thing back on there, it was really nagging at me to do a proper fix that didn't involve any tape or epoxy (i.e. replace the entire assembly with the same paint color as car, even if from a salvage yard or aftermarket). Now this is saying a lot coming from a guy who used to wash his vehicles at least 4 times per month and wax his vehicles at least 6 times per year, not to mention interior cleaning with similar "obsessive" frequency.

Originally Posted By: krismoriah72
...I called the local aftermarket crash parts place and come up with $900 for hood, bumper, headlight and turnsignal accessory. I called local body shop and if I bring those items in, they will paint for $300. So $1200 and I am responsible for putting the parts on.
That sounds pretty attractive.

Originally Posted By: krismoriah72
...The claims adjuster called after a couple of days and told me to take it to get estimates. First place I took it to was a preferred repair facility of my insurance company so if they say X then its X.

$3178.26 was my estimate.
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BTW, who's the insurer?

Originally Posted By: krismoriah72
...So how did your car get totaled and mine gets fixed?
An excellent question indeed. I suspect the answer lies, at least partly, in us presumably having different insurers. The other difference, which may not be relevant, is that my damage occurred while both vehicles were in motion whereas yours was parked.
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Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
dont take my word for it. their inventory of cars are online, and their price list is too.

http://www.wrenchapart.com/
Thanks for mentioning this. Perhaps I'm dense, but I only found their vehicle inventory, but not their parts inventory and prices, at this site. No big deal though. I still believe you. Thanks again for mentioning it.

Originally Posted By: KitaCam
THIS was totaled...both fender quarter panels shot...as well as bumper and trunk lid...not to mention the damage to the trunk itself...
Damage $3400 on a 13-year old Altima with 195k miles...got $2650 less $250 deductible...you can tell by the shine that I liked that car...
Agreed. It sucks to lose something like that with so much sweat equity.
 
Originally Posted By: krismoriah72

I called the local aftermarket crash parts place and come up with $900 for hood, bumper, headlight and turnsignal accessory. I called local body shop and if I bring those items in, they will paint for $300. So $1200 and I am responsible for putting the parts on.


$300 to spray all of those parts??? I cannot even find someone to properly prep and spray a bumper for under $600.
 
Does it really need a hood, or can it be tweaked to look presentable?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1998-1999-Toyota-Camry-Front-Bumper-Cover-Painted-/121136398110?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Year%3A1998|Model%3ACamry&hash=item1c344abf1e&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/97-99-Toyota-Camry-Headlamps-Headlights-Left-LH-Right-RH-Pair-Set-/131008723585?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Year%3A1998|Model%3ACamry&hash=item1e80ba7a81&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1997-1999-Toyota-Camry-Corner-Lamp-Turn-Signal-Side-Marker-New-Light-Socket-Pair-/351008481265?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Year%3A1998|Model%3ACamry&hash=item51b9bc5ff1&vxp=mtr

$240
$45 pair
$30 pair

About $300 and your back on the road.
 
Originally Posted By: diver1972
Originally Posted By: Cubey
Collect the insurance money, less the few hundred they keep for you keeping the car, do minor fixes yourself and keep driving it. You don't HAVE to get rid of it in a totalled case...
I assumed, perhaps incorrectly, a higher salvage value than a few hundred. Additionally, it'd be almost cost-prohibitive for me to insure it against future damage, which I'd prefer to do.


A 16 year old Camry in good condition on the private market goes for what? $2000-3000? Salvage value is probably about 1/8 of the value for a good, unwrecked one. Keep in mind that your valuation of the vehicle is not going to the same as a salvage yard who wants to sell some good parts from it, then send it to the crusher.

When insurance pays out for a totaled vehicle, they give you approximately what you could sell it for on the private market, just prior to the wreck. So if your car was worth $4000 to sell based on bluebook, that is roughly what they'll pay you for it.

then they try to get some of that money back by selling the car to a local salvage yard for salvage value, which is what a salvage yard is willing to pay them for the vehicle based on it's year, make and model. If a salvage yard is only paying $500 for 1998 Camrys, thats the "salvage value".

If you take $2500 instead of $3000 (assuming $500 salvage value) then that's the difference between you keeping the car or not. Keep in mind I am just simplifying this, your salvage value could be much higher... but that's roughly how it works.

That's how it worked both times and how it was printed on the insurance payout paperwork. Surrender the car for $X payout, or keep it for $X payout.

I had liability and uninsured/under-insured on both my vehicles when they were "totaled". Both times were accidents that were not my fault. Both times, the ladies' insurance companies paid out about $ Technically they didn't buy the car from me. The title never left my hands nor did it get a salvage title even. That's how Arkansas works it, anyway. Both cars still had clear titles in my name. I just signed a form saying I accepted $X for the damage and opted to let them withhold $X salvage value (which is about $300 for both vehicles, it could be more like $500 for yours?) and that was it.

My insurance rates stayed the same on both vehicles. Yes, I did report the accidents to my insurance agent and let him make copies of the documentation.

Your state may be different though.. so you may want to ask your insurance agent.
 
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Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: krismoriah72

I called the local aftermarket crash parts place and come up with $900 for hood, bumper, headlight and turnsignal accessory. I called local body shop and if I bring those items in, they will paint for $300. So $1200 and I am responsible for putting the parts on.


$300 to spray all of those parts??? I cannot even find someone to properly prep and spray a bumper for under $600.



On a 1998 Camry no one cares about "properly prep" . I bet he uses NUfinish on it as well, oh the horror.
 
This is very likely to be more hassle than its worth due to fairly rigid Georgia rules.

Originally Posted By: MarkM66
Does it really need a hood, or can it be tweaked to look presentable?
I deem it easily tweak-able, and I'm somewhat picky.

Originally Posted By: MarkM66
...About $300 and your back on the road.
Thanks for the sources.

Originally Posted By: Cubey
...A 16 year old Camry in good condition on the private market goes for what? $2000-3000?
Yeah.

Originally Posted By: Cubey
...Salvage value is probably about 1/8 of the value for a good, unwrecked one.
In my case, it's just shy of 20% (of the insurers $4000 valuation) by my maths: $750. I understand that's what the insurer is getting from their buyer, Copart.

Originally Posted By: Cubey
...Your state may be different though.. so you may want to ask your insurance agent.
Yeah, based on yours and the replies of several other folks in this thread in various other states, apparently many other states have more lax rules around this than Georgia.

Originally Posted By: R2d2
...On a 1998 Camry no one cares about "properly prep" . I bet he uses NUfinish on it as well, oh the horror.
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Wax? What's that?
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What's so surprising about that? Old cars that aren't worth a lot are easily totaled. A 1985 Civic would probably be totaled by insurance if it got hit by a baby stroller.
 
Originally Posted By: xfactor9
What's so surprising about that? Old cars that aren't worth a lot are easily totaled. A 1985 Civic would probably be totaled by insurance if it got hit by a baby stroller.


My 1995 Escort it totaled whenever the gas tank is empty.
 
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