Sorry to say we're going....

flman · **Posted:** Sat Jan 30, 2010 4:11 pm

geordi,

I don't know where you live, but around here they want to fix what they can, it is all based on economics, eat a vehicle and get only salvage cost, or make the repairs if they are less. At least that is what I have been told by people in the body shop business. And the insurance companies are really beating down these repair shops for the labor costs.

Here is a good scenario, my 8 year old truck got in a collision 2 years ago. It had damage of almost $15000 dollars, the insurance company paid for it. It was very tempting to take the money and just salvage it myself. The shop and I were very surprised they would pay that out? So go figure?

kcfoxie · **Joined:** Thu Mar 06, 2008 1:27 am **Posts:** 113

My Beef is that the thing was totaled out after a 10MPH collision. We know it was 10MPH based on the police forensics, report, and the data from the KIA's computer.

I feel it's pretty unacceptable for any car to be totaled out from a 10mph collision. I've ran many VWs into things frontways, sideways and backwards on ice at 10-15mph and never totaled a vehicle.

To say the least, we are turned off by the Liberty as a whole. We are still game to try a Grand Cherokee, perhaps they didn't skimp on it.

Sir Sam is going to get a PM when we sort this out (we're about $800 off from payoff on the loan and that's all we're shooting for). Once we have the buyback worked out I'm going to probably see if he's interested in it.

I admire the will to keep it on the road, I won't lie, I wanted to sawzaw the thing apart to get back the $800 in brakes and $200 battery and 4 months fighting over a satellite radio, the seized brake caliper, the popped off return fuel line, the stalling out in the cold....

I can't say this vehicle won anyone other than diehard jeepers over to the diesel platform. I couldn't recommend it to my mother, too high maintenance.

But as I said, I'm going to miss the vacations and the trips to IKEA, when we get the next bird I have no idea how I'll get the cage home yet. I may look to acquire a VW wagon this summer, after the Jetta is paid off, so that I have almost all the needs sorted out.

Really wish we had the Jeep for 4x4 this weekend in the snow.

Another car I won't own: KIA. This was a less than 10MPH slide into a telephone pole, I couldn't open the passenger door and the vehicle wasn't drivable at all. Again, I find this highly unacceptable to cars built not even 10-years ago.

geordi · **Posted:** Mon Feb 01, 2010 10:52 am

My personal opinion is that your car is ONLY being totaled b/c the insurance company has decided they want cars to be disposable. It makes them more money to lowball the sucke...Customer who doesn't know like you do that you can fight for a fair value. They actually could profit from situations like yours, if you had taken the lowball offer, b/c at auction, your car would be quickly snapped up with such minor damage.

I don't even think the B pillar got pushed, based on the depth of the dents on the doors. Yea, the doors are gone... But those are easily swapped. Bang out the edge of the rock slider (such as it is) and put the plastic back on it.. You'd never know it was dented.

Good example of why I think you are getting a bum rap - I spun out yesterday at about 30mph into a snow drift. I'm going along minding my own business with a truck next to me, when I see a grader stopped in my lane up ahead. No space to pass the truck, so I get on the brakes slowly... And promptly start to skid toward the truck. Correct the skid, and the Jeep grabs traction just at the wrong time and completely reverses itself. Now I'm sliding passenger-side first into the median's snowdrifts. I slid about 5-8 feet in the deep snow and had to be pulled out...

But there was no damage at all.

kcfoxie · **Joined:** Thu Mar 06, 2008 1:27 am **Posts:** 113

I agree w/ your point totally. If I wasn't intending to start a rental business and go back to school full time, I'd be interesting in trying to salvage it to stick my finger up at the system.

but that's not for me to do. that's sir sam's job.

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Tue Feb 02, 2010 1:08 pm

My opinion is that the OP would be better suited driving some sort of tracked military vehicle. Then nothing will stop you. Holy cow, what do you expect from sheet metal? I mean, seriously? :roll:

I don't care what you drive...you hit a telephone pole and it's game over. Do you want the doors on a Jeep made of titanium alloy so that they won't even bend when you get hit all the way down the side? Fine...then you'll have to lift weights so you can open the doors to get in and out. I mean, geez I think it's going a bit far when you call a vehicle junk because it sustained damage in a CRASH. It's not Jeep's fault it was totaled...that's all up to the insurance company. Jeep builds their stuff rugged and I'll put my KJ up against any SUV on the planet right now in crash safety.

BlackLibertyCRD · **Posted:** Tue Feb 02, 2010 1:26 pm

I had a 5 MPH crash in a 68 Nova into a traffic light pole back in the 70s (black ice). Hit right where at the headlight. Lots of damage with fender and bumper against the tire that I had to crowbar out to get home. Later I found the front wheel hub and other front end damage. The car at 7 years old was total but was saved because I fixed it myself. Nothing changed in the durability of vehicles except the 5 mph bumpers. Now you know why the ugly 5 MPH bumper that came out in 73 that will do lots of damage to the side of other cars.

danoid · **Posted:** Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:55 pm

LibertyCRD wrote:

Do you want the doors on a Jeep made of titanium alloy so that they won't even bend when you get hit all the way down the side?

Actually titanium alloys would bend / fracture more than steel under the same loading (impact). It's strength / weight ratio is better than steel, but only because it is much lighter.

Sorry to say we're going....

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