Repair or Total Loss?

[knightjp]

I had an accident with my vehicle. The incident was completely my fault. I was trying to navigate somewhere and took my eyes off the road and onto Google maps for a second or two and I "rammed" into a car that was stationary in traffic. Fortunately no one was hurt and I don't have to contend with that on my conscience. However, seeing the truck in its current state has put such a feeling of guilt on me that I'm reliving the incident every time I close my eyes.

Everything that I have done so far in attempts to keep this thing as pristine as possible is now all for naught.

Of course I have full insurance cover and so they will cover the cost of the repairs, however I have been told by the workshop assigned, that the chassis is completely damaged and the truck is total write-off.
I then visited the workshop with my own usual mechanic and he had a look and he said this is easily repairable. However he too says even after the repair, might not be worth it in terms of monetary value; come time I decide to sell the vehicle down the road, etc. The reason being that the chassis will still have that damage and can't really be repaired well.
The windscreen is cracked which should indicate that the body is not completely straight, so that is also there to contend with. However I'm not too experienced with these things..

The general advice is to replace. So I'm turning to any experts out there who can tell me.. Do I repair or replace?

 

[chri5k]

The decision to repair or total it out is really up to the insurance company. They will decide if totaling it or fixing it is the least costly option to fulfill the terms of the policy.

 

[knightjp]

The decision to repair or total it out is really up to the insurance company. They will decide if totaling it or fixing it is the least costly option to fulfill the terms of the policy.

Generally, over here in Dubai, if there is any damage on the chassis of the vehicle, most of the time, they would deem it a total loss unless I (the insured) insist on the repair and will be prepared the take on the repaired vehicle with the understanding that there may be issues in terms of the renewing the vehicle's registration later on, etc.
Over here in Dubai, we have to send our vehicles for testing every year and renew the registration and insurance cover at the same time as well.

 

[jejb]

The decision to repair or total it out is really up to the insurance company. They will decide if totaling it or fixing it is the least costly option to fulfill the terms of the policy.

Yep. Going through this right now on one of our vehicles that was in an accident Saturday. Still waiting on the insurance company and body shop to come up with numbers and decisions.

 

[retired]

No way that would be totaled in the US especially with the price of used vehicles sky high. If they total it buy it out.

 

[Sandevino]

The insurance company will likely total it if the frame crumple zone is affected. Even if you buy it back and repair it, the insurance company may tag the title as salvage which will make insuring it extremely expensive or impossible.

You need to separate yourself emotionally from the truck and look at it from a business mindset. Even if you repaired it, could / should you trust your life to it?

 

[Treburkulosis]

In Texas once its its been totaled all you can get is liability. Its hard to sell them once they are totaled. Apparently all cop cars are deemed salvageable here. I made the mistake of buying a real clean fox coupe ssp car and it came with a salvaged title. Never wrecked or anything. It was really hard to convince the person I sold it too that it really wasn't wrecked or damaged. It was just what the state did after service.

 

[Princeton_Man]

It sounds like they do things differently in Dubai, here in the US if the shop says it's a total loss, the insurance company may offer to sell it back to the owner for salvage, but it's seldom a choice left to the owner. No I do know shops that have left it up to the owner, saying they could write it up either way. Again, things may be different there, but here, truck values are higher than ever. Not the best time to buy a truck, but I imagine the insurance payout would also be higher.

Myself, if the chassis can't be made perfectly straight and as strong as it was, I wouldn't want it for anything more than an off-road farm vehicle.

 

[BluDodge]

Ouch. Had a similar issue with my 2001. Kid ran a stop sign and nailed me square on the passenger side tire. Tore the tie rod off and bent the frame. Insurance company totaled it. Sad, because you couldn't really see any damage if you just walked up to it.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Anything can be rebuilt. Just depends how much work ($$) a guy wants to put into something. I used to work at a bodyshop years ago. A good frame guy can pull out lots of wrinkled damage that others wouldn't believe. I've seen it many times. Or worst case section in a whole new front frame ...or buy a replacement or 'used' frame. Question is, how bad do you want it?

If it was me, given your emotional attahment to the accident, I'd take the $$ and move on (emotionally and vehicle-wise). It's by no means a new vehicle and it's getting to the age where larger items are going to start to fail or need expensive maintenance (if you keep it). The resale of a 'near-totaled' vehicle is not great. Plus it's gray ...and gray as a color is rapidly going out of style (they say). Plus, the parts will live on and help others keep their Ram's going on for many years (you'd be helping others!! ha ha). Take it as a blessing nobody got hurt and get a newer truck or a nice Garnet-Red Jeep Grand Cherokee (totally different type of vehicle that won't remind you of the accident). Um, don't forget to negotiate 'up' with the insurance company if you think they're low-balling you.

Glad you didn't get injured, and BTW, major Kudos to you for admitting you screwed up ...most people these days want to blame others for their mistakes. That says a lot about your integrity and might be the greatest lesson you and others learned during this whole experience!

 

[Rlaf75]

Just because the frame is bent doesn't mean the truck is totaled. They make frame straightening machines for a reason. It's a matter of how badly the frame is damaged plus the additional amount of other damage included that will dictate whether its fixable or not. I know you're sentimental about the truck but let the body shop work with the insurance company because there is always unseen damage the pops up along the way. My personal preference would be letting them total it and move on to something new. Good luck

 

[TBONE 2018]

If you're Vehicle is worth more than the repair the insurance company should Repair it.

 

[Scottly]

My dad is a TV repair man and has a totally awesome set of tools...I can fix it. Seriously, it can be repaired, but this is a financial decision not a technical one. An insurance company can pay off a total and recoup 30% with salvage value, so if they spend 70% of the value to repair it, it's a break-even for them at best. Less risk and easier to stroke a check and be done with it.

 

[knightjp]

Thanks all for the replies.. It seems that the general consensus is to replace the truck, which is a good idea. However I'm not in the financial position where it would be possible for me to finance another vehicle. So here are my options on that..
1. Get the insurance to replace the vehicle; which is in the law that they should; unless I specify that I want the cash instead.
2. Get the cash and put it towards another vehicle. However based on my financial situation, the vehicle will need to be something within budget based on what I get from the insurance.
I would prefer another 2014 Ram 1500 or newer.
3. Get the cash, then buy back the vehicle at scrap value, repair it, keep it or sell it off again.
According to the mechanic, the damage on the chassis is really, really minor and can easily be repaired and the vehicle will be perfectly legal, etc. We've even verified with someone who works for the Road and Transport Authority.

Should I choose option 2, I have begun looking for a replacement. There are a couple of options. The market has plenty of GM and Ford trucks that are easily in the price range. However I'm not too keen on them. It seems that those who have the Rams are quite happy to hold on to them.. LOL.
There is one 2013 that is interesting.. I'm not sure how I feel about getting an older truck over my 2014. However the bigger thing is whether it has the MDS and the 8 speed ZF transmission that mine did. I want a truck with those.

 

[chopperman1]

According to the mechanic, the damage on the chassis is really, really minor and can easily be repaired and the vehicle will be perfectly legal, etc.

If this is indeed true then why would the insurance company total it?

 

[Burla]

When some dude slammed into me head on, the rule was if the repair is 80% of the value of the truck, the ins will fix it, and repair shops know that number, and magically fix vehicles right to that number. Mind you they fixed the truck below after being in a 90mph impact, lol. My speed versus drivers speed was 90mph. That bumper was like 1/2 past the tires position, and they "fixed" that, lol. It was rickety after that, I traded it on a Bronco like a week after getting it back. From what I see, your truck is nowhere near this, but since you have hemi tick as well, maybe look at taking the money and run.

 

[Jeepwalker]

They're probably totaling it bc 1) It's a 2014, 2) There's risk the cost to repair could be higher if there are unexpected discoveries during the repair process, 3) Maybe they think they're doing the customer a favor by giving him the option to total out or repair, 4) Could be some local laws that formulate what a 'total' is, or liability laws different from our own.

Regardless, Yeah, you need to take a look at your finances and figure out the best way to go. It certainly looks fixable. If you can get beyond the accident, then, sure, it's an option. Did they give you a 'buy-back' amount? Having worked at a body shop for a while, such people are right in the position with customers/insurance companies/ and adjusters ....to buy-back and rebuild vehicles. And I've done several salvage rebuilders myself over the years. Kept some, gave some to my inlaws and sold some. Probably several forum members have done the same.

On the spectrum of 'rebuilders' I've seen and done, that crash looks really minor and an easy fix. Those are the kind of 're-builders' that a guy like me used to love stumbling across (fairly easy fix on a desirable vehicle). So, I guess you now have to look at all the factors in your life and decide what makes the most sense for you. Once repaired by a competent shop, it should function as good as before. Maybe even better since it'll have some new paint, and the shop will change out some damaged (worn) suspension and steering pieces with new (tie rods, ball joints on that side, shocks, etc). Sometimes you can swing a deal with the shop to replace other items too (like other side tie rods, steering rack or whatever might be 'on the edge'). It depends how much other items are worn if they need replacing at all.

 

[Burla]

If not for that hemi tick, Id agree 100% with the above post. But since your truck has the bug, I'd be more inclined to move away from it.

 

[knightjp]

If this is indeed true then why would the insurance company total it?

It was the recommendation by the garage tasked by the insurance company to assess the damage and give them a report.
I recently found out through my mechanic that this is not the first time. There is also some kind of side hustle that happens in cases like this.
Some garages will declare the vehicle a total loss, then buy the vehicle from the insurance for a measly sum in terms of scrap and then fix it up and sell it off for a profit. Especially if the vehicle is desirable.

A few months ago, my brother was driving my truck and someone approached him in a mall parking lot begging him to sell it to him.
Then two months ago, it happened again where someone asked me to sell my truck to him as well. I suppose my truck was desirable in some way. It was desirable to me.. LOL

 

[knightjp]

If not for that hemi tick, Id agree 100% with the above post. But since your truck has the bug, I'd be more inclined to move away from it.

Yes, I did have the tick, but I did a complete rebuild of the engine; replaced all the lifters and stuff. I don't think the tick is an issue for me anymore. I'm was more concerned about preventing it from happening again.