Someone Just rear-ended me-Ins Totaled-Bought back for $600

LMWatBullRun · **Posted:** Sun Dec 25, 2016 6:25 pm

taroo wrote:

LMWatBullRun wrote:

taroo wrote:

All,

Looking for advice.

I am a LONG time Lost member and love my CRD. I have taken great care with all the mods (see signature line) TB, ARB Studs, SEGR early on, Weeks 101, Man oil/separator, Oil bypass filter, change oil every 4K with Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel oil, Green Diesel tune, etc, etc. My CRD has 102k on it and it is running great.

I was rear-ended but it really does not look like much damage. However, the USAA insurance adjuster is saying the rear left frame member needs to be replaced, back door, etc. The door opens/closes, etc. I just don't see a totaling of the car.

USAA is saying $6600 to repair and they are saying they will give me $8600 to total. They cannot guarantee that $6600 will repair everything but I think it may.

Anyway, what do you all advise? If I take the funds for a totaling of the car, can any of you buy it for the engine or repair yourself?

I will try to upload a pic soon. But wanted to get this our for input and opportunity to the LOST CRD Community.

Thoughts?

Tim

Take the repair quote and have it fixed.

You cannot get anything equivalent for anywhere near the money.

BullRun,

You and I watched Jim do a TB and ARP in Vienna ,VA Since you are local, do you know of anyone who can reliably check and repair the frame?

Here are some pics. Hard to believe it is a total in the eyes of the Insurance.

The best body people I have dealt with in the DC area are Zamorra over in Rockville. They did an awesome job with my DW's Ford PU when it was hit a good while back, and that did have a bent frame. It had always tracked a tad sideways from the factory, and tracked better when they gave it back to her than before it was hit. Very impressed. That said, I agree with Geordi, that does not look like a total to me. I'd take the damage offer and run, but that's me. Boneyard body parts for this thing are easy to find. Crazy Rays in MD is a good place if you DIY.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 25, 2016 7:01 pm

If it bent the hitch you did some major damage to those "uni-rails" and by design there is no fixing them since there a tube inside of a tube design.

taroo · **Joined:** Sun Apr 27, 2008 2:14 pm **Posts:** 291

tjkj2002 wrote:

If it bent the hitch you did some major damage to those "uni-rails" and by design there is no fixing them since there a tube inside of a tube design.

So are you saying the frame cannot be straightened? If not straightened can they cut out and weld in a section? If yes to cut/weld of a section is that cost prohibitive?

Is a bent uniframe the reason USAA would have considered it a total?

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 25, 2016 9:37 pm

taroo wrote:

tjkj2002 wrote:

If it bent the hitch you did some major damage to those "uni-rails" and by design there is no fixing them since there a tube inside of a tube design.

So are you saying the frame cannot be straightened? If not straightened can they cut out and weld in a section? If yes to cut/weld of a section is that cost prohibitive?

Is a bent uniframe the reason USAA would have considered it a total?

You'd be replacing the whole body,it's just not feasible.

Any major unibody damage is a instant total for any insurance company.

Just be warned they will no longer insure it if you decide to buy it back and try and fix.

geordi · **Posted:** Sun Dec 25, 2016 10:41 pm

Not always, not always, and not always. Not always a "tube in a tube" that cannot be fixed, and not always that the insurance won't re-insure something that they "total" if you buy it back. IF they ask for the title, it is most likely to brand it. That would be annoying and hurt the potential for insuring it later. They would probably want to inspect it but I do not believe that includes pulling off any of the existing bodywork.

Finally - not always about bending the hitch causing "major" unibody issues. The hitches on these have really thin siderails that bolt to the unibody, and the direction of force could have just sheared that sheet metal and pulled it off of the bolts. We don't have enough information yet to make a call on that, it needs to be seen in daylight.

I just cut the quarter off of a junkyard vehicle as the donor for the white one, and the job wasn't anywhere near as hard as I thought it should be. The sawzall wasn't struggling at all. Looking at cutting off the existing quarter on the white one, was what the body shop was saying it would be $1800-$2000, and they were also thinking there was "frame rail damage" to pull out too - but that was a guess. In actuality, it is basically skin damage only. You have to pull the plastic off and have another look to know more.

I'll try to get a picture of the cuts tomorrow for this thread, but when your door was still working and fitting after the accident - I don't see unibody damage here. Yeah, you need a new hitch, but the attachment hardware isn't as strong as you think when the force is applied in directions they weren't planning and WAY more 'tongue weight' force direction at the same time.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 25, 2016 11:04 pm

geordi wrote:

Not always, not always, and not always. Not always a "tube in a tube" that cannot be fixed, and not always that the insurance won't re-insure something that they "total" if you buy it back. IF they ask for the title, it is most likely to brand it. That would be annoying and hurt the potential for insuring it later. They would probably want to inspect it but I do not believe that includes pulling off any of the existing bodywork.

Finally - not always about bending the hitch causing "major" unibody issues. The hitches on these have really thin siderails that bolt to the unibody, and the direction of force could have just sheared that sheet metal and pulled it off of the bolts. We don't have enough information yet to make a call on that, it needs to be seen in daylight.

I just cut the quarter off of a junkyard vehicle as the donor for the white one, and the job wasn't anywhere near as hard as I thought it should be. The sawzall wasn't struggling at all. Looking at cutting off the existing quarter on the white one, was what the body shop was saying it would be $1800-$2000, and they were also thinking there was "frame rail damage" to pull out too - but that was a guess. In actuality, it is basically skin damage only. You have to pull the plastic off and have another look to know more.

I'll try to get a picture of the cuts tomorrow for this thread, but when your door was still working and fitting after the accident - I don't see unibody damage here. Yeah, you need a new hitch, but the attachment hardware isn't as strong as you think when the force is applied in directions they weren't planning and WAY more 'tongue weight' force direction at the same time.

You have no idea how the KJ is built and those hitches are a fair bit stronger then you think and the bolts can take more stress then you think.

But what do I know I'm just certified adjuster and certified for repair.Oh and I can pay to have my junk fixed and pay my bills at the same time.

geordi · **Posted:** Sun Dec 25, 2016 11:43 pm

You are also a troll and know nothing of anyone's situation other than your own.

Nothing accurate can be decided or discovered until the plastic is removed and actual metal is inspected. Since the back end of these things is all plastic we cannot see anything.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Mon Dec 26, 2016 6:15 pm

Lets consider the worst case to be that the vehicle still aligns and drives straight.

Now either you keep a clean title or get a branded title out of the deal.

I have comprehensive insurance on my branded title vehicles, not sure how it would come up in a total loss situation for the value. However you can still keep liability and all those other things on the Jeep.

So lets say you do a buy back, get a branded title, and just drive as is. If I would not consider it to be unsafe(which I couldn't say without seeing more of the vehicle). Then you are just driving around a vehicle that is worth less than it was before, and you got a big chunk of cash out of it. Take the cash, drive it. So what if something else happens to it?

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Mon Dec 26, 2016 6:20 pm

taroo wrote:

tjkj2002 wrote:

If it bent the hitch you did some major damage to those "uni-rails" and by design there is no fixing them since there a tube inside of a tube design.

So are you saying the frame cannot be straightened? If not straightened can they cut out and weld in a section? If yes to cut/weld of a section is that cost prohibitive?

Is a bent uniframe the reason USAA would have considered it a total?

If it bent the hitch down it bent the rear "frame rails" down, they are tough SOBs and I bet the rear floor is bent down too. It needs a good visual inspection in the light to see whats going on.

taroo · **Joined:** Sun Apr 27, 2008 2:14 pm **Posts:** 291

Sir Sam wrote:

taroo wrote:

tjkj2002 wrote:

If it bent the hitch you did some major damage to those "uni-rails" and by design there is no fixing them since there a tube inside of a tube design.

So are you saying the frame cannot be straightened? If not straightened can they cut out and weld in a section? If yes to cut/weld of a section is that cost prohibitive?

Is a bent uniframe the reason USAA would have considered it a total?

If it bent the hitch down it bent the rear "frame rails" down, they are tough SOBs and I bet the rear floor is bent down too. It needs a good visual inspection in the light to see whats going on.

First - a HUGE thanks to you all on this board....my Libby lives!!!!!

So...I went to the salvage/auction yard where USAA had the car. They brought it to me on a forklift. I inspected the damage and Jim was right in that the hitch and its mounts absorbed all the damage. It is beyond me why USAA totaled it.

I bought it back as junk with a clean title for $600. I retained the title and only the insurance will note it has been totaled.

I replaced the blown right tire, see pic, after inspecting the double tube frame. THE FRAME IS STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW!! I then jacked up the rear at the differential so I could turn the wheels and see how they turned. Again, straight as an arrow. From there I let it down and drove it around the lot and it was perfect and no issues whatsoever.

I contacted the Insurance and they will issue a check for $7270 which was the 'Total" price minus the salvage price. I then drove it home 60 miles with no issues. It is back to being my daily driver!!!

I need to rehang the exhaust which I will do tomorrow and buy a new tire/rim. I do not think I will worry about the back gate but will price it out before I make a final decision.

My bottom line is

1) thanks to you all on this board on both sides of the debate. Debate is good!
2) It amazes me that USAA would consider it a total but I suppose they have their reasons
3) I would not have had the confidence to do this without you all and the frame is straight as an arrow
4) The hitch absorbed all the damage and I am hoping I can even have Jeep replace that on the Recall Noticethat I have sitting on my desk

Here are some pics

Oh...and this is the car that hit me...

geordi · **Posted:** Tue Dec 27, 2016 6:26 pm

Excellent news! I'm glad that I was able to be of assistance, and you absolutely stole that jeep back from the insurance. Great work!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

mass-hole · **Posted:** Tue Dec 27, 2016 6:26 pm

Honda's are like that. I saw one that hit a telephone pole dead center at like 20mph and literally the pole made it all the way to the bottom of the windshield before the car stopped.

Glad you got the Jeep back!

TURBO-DIESEL-FREAK · **Joined:** Sat Apr 17, 2010 3:29 pm **Posts:** 1167

Now with all of the money you received from the insurance company, you can not only get your bodywork done but will likely have lots left over for upgrades.

geordi · **Posted:** Tue Dec 27, 2016 6:39 pm

That was a Honda? I thought it was (definitely WAS) a Prius. Either way, they aren't buffing that one out.

Speaking of upgrades, if you take a look on car – part.com and look for your local LK Q or you – pull – it type of yard, you will probably find a back door in matching light khaki color for less than $100.

I managed to score the same back door in the same color, unfortunately I needed white, for $65 at a U pull it. Mint condition though. Insurance price was humorously $1500 at a body shop.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

LMWatBullRun · **Posted:** Tue Dec 27, 2016 7:25 pm

Sir Sam wrote:

Lets consider the worst case to be that the vehicle still aligns and drives straight.

Now either you keep a clean title or get a branded title out of the deal.

I have comprehensive insurance on my branded title vehicles, not sure how it would come up in a total loss situation for the value. However you can still keep liability and all those other things on the Jeep.

So lets say you do a buy back, get a branded title, and just drive as is. If I would not consider it to be unsafe(which I couldn't say without seeing more of the vehicle). Then you are just driving around a vehicle that is worth less than it was before, and you got a big chunk of cash out of it. Take the cash, drive it. So what if something else happens to it?

GMTA.

LMWatBullRun · **Posted:** Tue Dec 27, 2016 7:30 pm

taroo wrote:

First - a HUGE thanks to you all on this board....my Libby lives!!!!!

So...I went to the salvage/auction yard where USAA had the car. They brought it to me on a forklift. I inspected the damage and Jim was right in that the hitch and its mounts absorbed all the damage. It is beyond me why USAA totaled it.

I bought it back as junk with a clean title for $600. I retained the title and only the insurance will note it has been totaled.

I replaced the blown right tire, see pic, after inspecting the double tube frame. THE FRAME IS STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW!! I then jacked up the rear at the differential so I could turn the wheels and see how they turned. Again, straight as an arrow. From there I let it down and drove it around the lot and it was perfect and no issues whatsoever.

I contacted the Insurance and they will issue a check for $7270 which was the 'Total" price minus the salvage price. I then drove it home 60 miles with no issues. It is back to being my daily driver!!!

I need to rehang the exhaust which I will do tomorrow and buy a new tire/rim. I do not think I will worry about the back gate but will price it out before I make a final decision.

My bottom line is

1) thanks to you all on this board on both sides of the debate. Debate is good!
2) It amazes me that USAA would consider it a total but I suppose they have their reasons
3) I would not have had the confidence to do this without you all and the frame is straight as an arrow
4) The hitch absorbed all the damage and I am hoping I can even have Jeep replace that on the Recall Notice that I have sitting on my desk

<snip>

Me, I'd take a chunk of the settlement, buy some plastic and a rear door from a local Upick yard and maybe put an aftermarket OR bumper front and rear and drive it! But that's me. In any case, glad to hear that this all worked out.

snakeyez · **Joined:** Fri Dec 23, 2016 7:45 am **Posts:** 15

Hi taroo,
Are you injured? The impact seems to have been pretty big based on the damage to the car that rear ended you. They should be giving more if you are in pain. Usually lawyers go for policy limits on cases like these.

JBDeVega · **Posted:** Tue Dec 27, 2016 11:22 pm

If the unibody is bent then it will never be the same. At the price they are going to pay you i would cash in and buy it back. Reason being that with 8600 you can buy another CRD and move all your mods over and still have plenty of parts left over for a project vehicle or part out to make some more money back. If you try to repair it your self, even with a salvage title, your car will be totally worthless if you try to sell it or even if it gets into another wreck.

95Z28A4 · **Joined:** Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:53 am **Posts:** 297

taroo wrote:

4) The hitch absorbed all the damage and I am hoping I can even have Jeep replace that on the Recall Noticethat I have sitting on my desk

Here are some pics

It looks like the hitch protected the fuel tank. Maybe Chrysler's recall really does work!

TURBO-DIESEL-FREAK · **Joined:** Sat Apr 17, 2010 3:29 pm **Posts:** 1167

95Z28A4 wrote:

taroo wrote:

4) The hitch absorbed all the damage and I am hoping I can even have Jeep replace that on the Recall Noticethat I have sitting on my desk

Here are some pics

It looks like the hitch protected the fuel tank. Maybe Chrysler's recall really does work!

Amazingly, yes it does. Maybe taroo can get a free install of a new hitch from Chrysler!

Someone Just rear-ended me-Ins Totaled-Bought back for $600

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