What factors are looked at when considering a truck totaled?

Question

My husband had a single auto accident last weekend. He hit a patch of ice on the highway and it caused the truck to "fishtail". He was told by the state highway patrollman that he overcompensated for the fishtail,causing him to loose control. It ended up going into the ditch and rolling 1 3/4 times! We went to look at the Sport Trac a few days ago and there are "gaps" all over the structure of the truck, nothing is alligned. We have to moreso pry the front doors open and then give them a hard slam to be sure they're shut completely. When we opened the door to the gas tank, that was even off center by about a half inch! There is major damage mostly to the front fenders, the hood, headlights are busted, windshield is cracked all throughout, the roof of the cab is bent down about 2-3 inches, mostly above the drivers side area. Body damage alone is est @ $9,400. How do we know if the frame is twisted? What is taken into consideration when calling a vehicle totaled? Any recommendations?

Answer 1

All the damage is taken into consideration, and then the value of the vehicle. Once they put the vehicle up on a frame rack, they can laser measure it and see how badly misaligned it is. If the body damage alone is 10K, then probably add another 5K for hidden damages. if it needs a new frame, then thats $2500 for the part and probably another $1500 for the labor, depending on the vehicle.

Answer 2

In addition to the other answers you've received, generally when there is a rollover, the vehicle will be totaled. There could possibly be cases where that doesn't happen but when a vehicle is rolled, there is so much damage that it's just not worth it to fix. In a typical crash the damage is focused in one or two areas. In a rollover, damage is on virtually every panel on the vehicle. I would start looking at a new vehicle.

Answer 3

Here is how it works:

First, you need to know the blue book value of the vehicle.
To ascertain this value, do so via http://www.kbb.com/
When doing so, use the status of the vehicle before the wreck.

Once you have the value, get some estimates on repairing it.
IF the estimates exceed the value then it is considered totaled.
If the vehicle is still worth more than it costs to fix, then it's ok.

Good luck.

Answer 4

in most cases if the cost of repairs is more than the value of the vehicle and by the way you describe your truck has all the "signs" of frame damage.look for some kind wrincles or cracks in the frame

Answer 5

It's calculated by the estimated cost of repairs vs. value of the truck. If it costs more to repair the truck than the current value of the truck according to bluebook, then it's totalled ans a check is issued for the value of the truck.

Answer 6

i'm getting tremendously good milage now, 26-30 interior the city, and could in no way flow down from that. a prius is lots too lots ideal now. i think of if gas gets to 4 dollars i could evaluate a small moped or a 150cc cycle. yet there's no clarification for a truck.

Answer 7

A vehicle is totalled when the repairs exceed 80% of the actual cash value. At this point, the insurance won't fix it because it costs more to fix than what the car is worth.

check out the pricing for your vehicle at http://www.nada.com and/or http://www.kbb.com

If your vehicle comes out to be 80% of $9400 then you won't see it again.

.

Answer 8

Also figured into the cost is any towing and medical that is why some vehicles with relatively minor damage are totaled.

Answer 9

The ins. co. takes the total cost to repair it and the book value if the book value ie smaller they consider the vehicle totaled