Insurance claiming total loss

Mark Patterson

New Member
1
I'm just trying to get some opinions on this claim. My wife rear-ended a Jeep Wrangler going probably less than 10 mph. The driver's airbag was deployed, and the seat belts locked up on both sides. Obvious damage is the hood, bumper, radiator, and of course, some other things that I couldn't see.

Insurance called me yesterday, and are claiming the vehicle is a total loss. They are claiming that the damage so far is over $15,000. I just can't imagine that this would be that much in damage.

Just trying to see if this seems right to anyone else. I don't know what else to do at this point.
 

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Any time a bag inflates you will be close to a total. Have worked in the automotive files for 20 years before insurance and there are so many sensors which need to be replace when a bag deploys. If both front airbags deploy most vehicles are automatically a total because the dash needs to be replaced
 
Any time a bag inflates you will be close to a total. Have worked in the automotive files for 20 years before insurance and there are so many sensors which need to be replace when a bag deploys. If both front airbags deploy most vehicles are automatically a total because the dash needs to be replaced

Is that dash replacement likely totalling a vehicle a rule of thumb even for a brand new vehicle, or is there some kind of age dividing line -- like if it is less than 2 years old, it might not be totalled but over that it is?

(That's totally new info for me and I just wanted to understand it a bit better. Thanks.)
 
Is that dash replacement likely totalling a vehicle a rule of thumb even for a brand new vehicle, or is there some kind of age dividing line -- like if it is less than 2 years old, it might not be totalled but over that it is?

(That's totally new info for me and I just wanted to understand it a bit better. Thanks.)
Depends on the age and new value of the vehicle. Replacing the dash if the airbag deploys is about a $5000 and up repair. Bags alone run over $1000. If the steering wheel and dash go off you can figure a write off in most cases because of the damage that is caused by the bag. There are at least 3 sensors under the hood which need to be replaced, the clock spring needs to be replaced, the bags need replacing, and the entire dash in a lot of vehicles. Just those pieces would be about $10K. Headlight buckets are now averaging $1K each. So in this case I'm guessing the radiator and oil cooler are shot, Hood, bumper, a/c condensor, sensors, and the fact that airbags do not deploy at 10MPH that he is looking at a 12-15K repair. Don';t know the make, model, or year
 
Depends on the age and new value of the vehicle. Replacing the dash if the airbag deploys is about a $5000 and up repair. Bags alone run over $1000. If the steering wheel and dash go off you can figure a write off in most cases because of the damage that is caused by the bag. There are at least 3 sensors under the hood which need to be replaced, the clock spring needs to be replaced, the bags need replacing, and the entire dash in a lot of vehicles. Just those pieces would be about $10K. Headlight buckets are now averaging $1K each. So in this case I'm guessing the radiator and oil cooler are shot, Hood, bumper, a/c condensor, sensors, and the fact that airbags do not deploy at 10MPH that he is looking at a 12-15K repair. Don';t know the make, model, or year

Are you serious on headlight buckets, 1K each? I had no idea!

edit--
And rereading, i see the note about damage caused by the bag. Something else that had not occurred to me. thanks.
end edit.
 
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