Cost of repairs on a Corolla after a front end accident?

Question

I have 1999 Toyota Corolla. My wife rear-ended a pickup truck with it's gate down and crumpled the hood and front end of the car. At the very least, It will need a new hood, right fender, right headlight kit, bumper, front grill, and radiator. I don't believe there is any major engine damage except for the radiator. (Though, the mountings for the radiator are severely displaced.)

What is a guess-timate on what that will cost to have it fixed?

A replacement (used) car will cost as much as $6000. Should I go ahead and get a quote to fix the Corolla? (i.e. is there any chance the repairs will be less than the cost getting a replacement car?)

Also, what can I expect if I sell the Corolla for parts. It has brand new brakes (ironically... I had spent $500 on new brakes the same day she had the accident).

What would you do?

Answer 1

Go and get the quote. Body shops do them for free. Then, compare the costs of repair vs. replacement with another car. If you get another car, remember, you can always sell parts for the Toyota to off set the cost of the other car too.

Answer 2

Fix the poor Corolla. That's not that much damage.

Hood: 100
Fender: 60
Headlight: 25 (ebay, I've bought headlights for that exact car with good luck)
Bumper Cover: 60
Front grill: 15
Radiator 100

So under $600 if you do it yourself, probably around $1000 if you have someone do it, but that doesn't include paint. If you try hard enough you can probably find a fender and hood that match the color of your car though in a junkyard.