My new 2013 Fit with about 700 miles was hit in the rear, I was involved in a 4 car accident.
On a quit Sunday morning 8:45 am I stopped at a red light behind one car, one other car stopped behind me and as we all waited for the light to change, it felt like my car exploded,rear window shattered glass every where,I sustained some injuries but am lucky to be alive, a BMW drove into the car behind super fast, he could have been doing 60 who knows, I feel like the car behind me saved my life. The rear of my Fit smashed and the car was no longer drivable, the rear tires could not turn properly because the rear of the Fit was smashed against it. The driver who caused the accident told police he fell asleep but I think he could have been texting who knows. He got a ticket for careless or reckless driving. I also went into the car in front of me but most of my car damage was to the rear, The adjuster did not yet say if the car could be fixed but he said maybe it could, Most others who looked at it thought it was totaled. My question is this should I push for the car to be totaled or have it fixed if I have any say in the matter. Could this car every be the same?

 

My daughter brought a 2013 Mazda3 earlier this year listed at $23k got it for $18k. A guy hit her head on a month ago total damage was $12,800 the insurance company was pushing to have it fixed. It is the person who caused the accident insurance company. I am pushing to have the car as totaled the value of the car will drop considerable with someone checks the car fax plus that much front end damage you will never know what problems you will come into as a result of the accident in the future.

I would base your decision on their estimate of the damage to determine if it should be total. The accident will follow the car if someone checks the carfax which has to be taken into consideration no matter how good of a fix the Carfax ads puts a real decrease in value on a vehicle that was in a accident fair or not . You also have to consider what possible problems you may end up with as a result of the damage.

Good luck.

 

Pictures would help an assessment, sounds pretty gnarly. Glad you're relatively ok though!

 

Hi theKro.I'm really sorry about your 3 week old new Honda Fit.... Is sad to hear that a brand new car was in a accident BUT thanks God your are OK and that is very important my friend.Cars can be replace people don't.For sure you had don't had made your first payment i think.If you have a chance post some pictures here my friend.By this way ALL your new friends here in FF can help you in the best way possible.Paying for a fix car that was in a car accident is not nice.Try if you can see what rights you have like a customer.Talk to the bank who give the cash to take out the car from the dealer.Also talk to your car insurance.Just tell them how you feel about this.They must be a happy ending for you my friend.Just surge around and look for information.You will find what is the best for you.Someone will help.In my opinion...If the car is not totaled and is fix....I will sell the car.I think you will understand.I wish you the best my friend and hope to hear GOOD news.I will be watching your thread.And remember...Your are OK and fine.Take care....

 

Thank you everyone! I did not take any pictures but believe me the hatchback, and rear is mangled badly, There was a rubber cargo liner that could not even be taken out, a body shop person even tried with a crow bar and said it is not going to come out. My insurance is Geico and the at fault party is USAA. Geico told me they would handle everything if I pay my deductible and then recover it sometime in the future from other company.
I sent this message to adjuster "I am requesting the detailed repair estimate along with a complete tear down estimate in the event that you find the car fixable. I do not believe the car can ever be fixed to the brand new condition it was in as was indicated to me by more then one auto body repair person who saw the car. Please include details for the shipping or freight cost of parts and a realistic labor cost etc.,so I can do a comparative analysis" I hope that this helps my case

 

The adjuster usually comes up with an estimate but until the body shop tears a part the vehicle you may not know the full extent of the damage. My daughter car was originally estimated at $9k but upon removal of parts and actually getting into what needed to be repair the estimate increase to $12,800.

Good luck.

 

wow, sorry to hear. hope you get that car totalled and get yourself a brand new fresh one again. GL!

 

btw, you CAN argue their assessment and reject their initial repair value/offer. do your homework so they don't screw you.

 

Go for total if the rear wheels were damaged by the body wrinkling enough to put pressure on them.

 

Glad to hear you are ok too.

A few more things to consider.

I have dealt with USAA for repairs we did on vehicles at the shop. In my experience, they have always tried to write low estimates.

Insurance companies try to save money and may try to ask for any used parts available to be put on your car. Example, if the rear suspension from an 2009 is found that had 60k on it, they will gladly buy it and have the body shop install it if you dont ask for new oem.

You have alot of room to argue that the car is brand new and should have brand new parts on it. if your car was a 2009 with 70k on it they would argue with you about using the 2009 parts they found with 60k because they were comparable to what you had. That is the key word you must use when you discuss this with them. You want comparable parts to the mileage. Of course the only thing comparable to a vehicle with 700 miles is brand new oem!

They also may ask for aftermarket parts to keep the cost lower. The body parts they usually ask for have a CAPA seal on them. That stands for Certified Automotive Parts Association. They will say that CAPA is good. I can tell you from first hand experience that I have bought many body parts from a place called Parts Channel and we only bought the CAPA certified parts they sold. They sold non-CAPA certified too which were total junk. The CAPA bumpers would come with a rough finish on them sometimes and needed to be reworked before being sprayed or the mounting holes wouldnt line up because the molds they were made with weren't the same as the factory molds. So CAPA doesnt always mean its good. Depends on who made it at the factory.

Dont forget to claim the new rubber cargo mat since its an extra part that was damaged by the accident. They may not do anything for that but at least ask.

Lastly, depending on where you are you may have the right to choose a body shop of your liking to do the repairs. Some states have laws which say the insurance company cannot suggest a repair shop and you must be able to choose a shop of your liking. if laws like that apply they will not inform you of them but they wont break those laws if either if you mention them. In that case demand the dealer or a high end luxury vehicle shop if you still have a choice. The price is usally much higher and may push it to a total loss.

I would also be glad to look at an estimate you get and let you know if it seems complete or reasonable. Of course that would mean I would need to see a bunch of pics to have an idea of what they wrote versus what the pics show.

Good luck and let me know.

 

First comment. You are not dealing with USAA, you are dealing with Geico. Geico will determine if the car is a total or not. After the vehicle is fixed or replaced, Geico will subrogate against USAA to get their loss money and your deductible back.

Second comment. Totaled Fits bring a high price at auction. That means a Fit can be totaled out at a lower damage level. From your description it sounds like you will be getting a new car.

Last comment I have USAA on some of my vehicles and State Farm on others. From an insured standpoint I have been extremely happy with both company's claim service.

 

I so sorry to hear this! MY Fit is the same age and I would be horrified. I'm glad you are ok. Did you get GAP insurance on your loan? I would check into that, too, because cars depreciate as soon as they leave the dealer's lot.

 

I did not get gap insurance, because when I considered the amount I put down I did not think that there would be any gap, Everyone says cars depreciate as soon as they leave the dealers lot, Dealers sell cars at a premium and buy at a discount, that is how they make money. If I buy a car and drive off the lot and decide I want to sell, It is understandable that I bought at premium and have to sell at discount and loose money. In a situation where a car is totaled and the other driver is at fault why should you be forced to sell you car at a discount when you did not want to sell it at all. This seems very unfair. Fair would be the sticker price plus dealer installed accessories.

 

True. I got gap, though the Fit is affordable the bigger % downs are doable. Someone ran a red light and T-boned my 2 year old Camry. They fixed it but almost totaled it. I didn't have gap, had not put a big down on it and my credit rating was down a bit right then. I've gotten gap since, but I'm sure it's overkill this time. Good luck. Your situation is bad now. I hope you get a fair and speedy resolution.