Buy back your totaled rig - how?

[Markos]

Hey folks,

I got rear ended by a Porsche Cayman today. In typical fashion, he nailed the receiver which transferred all energy to the frame. It was a damn hard hit but no airbags went off. I think both cars concealed the extent of the damage well. My receiver punctured his bumper and hit the metal bumper underneath. I got whiplash from the accident.

Anyway, my frame rails are all bent up and I suspect that insurance will total it. I'm curious to know what the process is. Do I buy back from his insurance? Do I need to remove my mods before handing it over, or can I assume that I can hand it over and get everything back again.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

With this kind of damage, most likely going to total it out. They will most likely take it as is, unless you have the means to swap it all out asap! But they will give you buyback option for xxx$ amount.

 

[GSequoia]

It'll be totalled. Go through the process with insurance, get top dollar for the total then try to get bottom dollar when you buy it back. I know several people who have made out ahead from totalled rigs (usually rollovers).

 

[Markos]

It'll be totalled. Go through the process with insurance, get top dollar for the total then try to get bottom dollar when you buy it back. I know several people who have made out ahead from totalled rigs (usually rollovers).

How does that work? Multiple quotes? How does one obtain top dollar? Mention the upgrades? Doesn't that affect the buy back price?

I will definitely miss my XJ if I get rid of it. I've had it for 12 years.

It has:
OME Suspension
JKS Quicker Discos
30" KM2's
AJ's rails
IPF Headlights

I could sell these things if I don't fix the frame or buy another XJ. I'm not sure what to do. I haven't wheeled it in a while, but I use it regularly for hauling and yard work.

 

[iluv83vettes]

If you do get it back and part it out, I would like the wheels.

 

[xjrick94]

I totaled my 02 f250 diesel 4x4 this past november. I have state farm and they go off of what they are selling for locally in like conditions. Blue book was only 11k so i was a bit worried. Mine was lifted 6" fabtech, 37" tires, k&n intake, turbo back exhaust, aftermarket 18" wheels, adj track bar and a few other mods that i'm forgetting. Ins wouldn't allow me to negotiate but they gave me 18k for it. I bought it back for 2100 and sold it to a buddy who already fixed it.

 

[GSequoia]

If I were in your position and had been paid out and bought it back I would consider getting another XJ and swapping your mods over. You can use the second chance to do things a bit better, etc. Those damaged frame rails are only going to annoy you down the road when you put in a bumper, skid plate, etc.

 

[donthelegend]

Got reciepts for all your mods? Start putting them together. The first XJ I totalled (rollover) I had all junkyard/craigslist parts on so no receipts for anything. It was in really nice shape before though. Insurance immediately totalled it and then gave me a buy back price. Cut me a check for the NADA value of the vehicle minus deductible and buy back amount (buy back was 800 for that one). Bought another XJ, took the parts I wanted off the totalled one then parted out/scrapped the rest, and made money.

The second one I rebuilt (front end collision). It was a little more beat up from the get go, and wasn't worth as much. But they also only wanted 200 bucks to buy it back so I didn't complain too much. The only downside in any of this is that it takes time to move parts over to another vehicle and parting a vehicle out takes time and space that many people may or may not have. You should at least come out a little ahead if all you do is swap parts onto a straight XJ. Parting out what's left is just extra money in your pocket.

Edit to add:

In both of my cases, I got the jeep back home and the insurance sent someone out to inspect the damage. They were both spent as much time determining in the condition of the rest of the vehicle (to assess actual value before the accident) as documenting the damage that was done. Then they go report that and you'll get a call with a decision on what they're doing with the vehicle (totalling it or paying to have it fixed. Yours will most likely be totalled as several people have said). Assuming its totalled, they'll then say we're going to pay X to you for it. That may or may not be a fair number and you may or may not be able to get them to budge on it. But thats when I've asked them "Ok, how much for me to buy it back?" The first time, they weren't sure and it took them a bit to come up with a number. The second time they immediately responded with 200 bucks. YMMV, but hope that helps and I hope whatever the result, you come out of everything ok.

 

[Lowrange2]

I've bickered back and forth with the insurance companies in the past.

Let's say that they intended to total out the Jeep if the repair costs exceeded $3,000.

If they totaled it they would have given me $3,700. Then I would have had to give them $1,200 to buy it back.

I convinced them to give me the Jeep back, NOT total it and only give me $2,900.

I came out about the same, with a few more bucks in my pocket and my Jeep still had a clear title.



I'm not sure your insurance company would work that well with you though.

I had her drop repair costs like broken shocks, bent control arm, tire, etc... until we got the price down to where they wouldn't total it.

They paid less money and the parts I had on the Jeep FAR exceeded the value they were putting on it.

I got the Jeep back, replaced the stuff to make it drive and have been beating the hell out of it for the past 6 years.

Win - Win.

 

[DrMoab]

When my dad totaled his the insurance agent came and looked at the jeep at the house, told him what they would give him $2800 for a 90 with 290,000 mi...not bad. Then they offered him the opportunity to buy it back on the spot for $150. They cut him a check...again on the spot for $2650 and walked away.

 

[donthelegend]

Something else to consider, different states have different rules for salvage titles, repairing a totalled vehicle, etc.

Since the jeep is more that 10 years old (I don't remember the exact age cutoff), I didn't have to do anything with it with respect to the title. I'm sure it will show as being in a totalled accident on something like carfax but I still have a clear, non-salvage title. No inspection, no salvage title, just fix it and life goes on.

 

[Lowrange2]

Something else to consider, different states have different rules for salvage titles, repairing a totalled vehicle, etc.

Since the jeep is more that 10 years old (I don't remember the exact age cutoff), I didn't have to do anything with it with respect to the title. I'm sure it will show as being in a totalled accident on something like carfax but I still have a clear, non-salvage title. No inspection, no salvage title, just fix it and life goes on.

Here you get a Salvaged title. You can no longer get full coverage on the vehicle and it kills resale value. Other than that, nothing is different.

 

[Markos]

Good info folks - thanks for the responses.

I'll see where I land and update the thread. I hadn't originally considered purchasing another XJ, but now I'm giving it some thought. I may try to find one with a bad head or something and swap the engine. I'm at 196K, but it would be the same level of effort to do this versus messing with the frame, followed by better results. I don't have extensive mods so I can swap over the non-essentials in a weekend.

My ideal situation would be to have a check cut for 5K, but it back for $800 or so. Buy another XJ for around $1K, and part out the original to recover the $800. That would get me my XJ back for $1K and have another $4K to invest elsewhere. I was already on the path to purchasing a new family car, and this helps. It still sucks that it happened. I love my XJ but I'm not so emotionally attached to it, or modification-heavy that I couldn't just get another.

 

[WB9YZU]

Being as this is not a comp claim, but a liability Claim (His Liability), seems to me that you are in the drivers seat on this one.

The other person's insurance company owes you the cost of making your vehicle whole. You do not have to sell it to them.

 

[Markos]

Update:

Total Settlement: $5,853

Buyback: $1,767 :shocked: :shocked:

So the total settlement doesn't take into account my KM2's or my OME suspension. AJ's rails added $75. I didn't mention the H4's, which wouldn't add any value anyway. My speakers didn't add value.

Basically, nothing that I want to keep added value. I think my best bet is to buy my replacement, swap parts, and hand it over. According to the estimator, this is totally fine.

Thoughts?

 

[MT Mike]

Tell the agent you are dealing with that you want the $5853 settlement and a buyback of $400. I seriously doubt that the insurance company will let you hold on to your wrecked vehicle long enough to pull the parts you want from it. Proceed with caution if you go that route.

 

[DrMoab]

$700-900 is the going buy back price. You need to dicker with them.

 

[Markos]

Update:

Total Settlement: $5,853

Buyback: $1,767 :shocked: :shocked:

So the total settlement doesn't take into account my KM2's or my OME suspension. AJ's rails added $75. I didn't mention the H4's, which wouldn't add any value anyway. My speakers didn't add value.

Basically, nothing that I want to keep added value. I think my best bet is to buy my replacement, swap parts, and hand it over. According to the estimator, this is totally fine.

Thoughts?

Thanks for the feedback. Quoting my response for page 2.

I'll give them a ring and haggle on the buyback price. Here is how progressive works incidentally

1. They have estimators that do not know shit about cars
2. The value is 3rd party, the salvage buy back value is 3rd party
3. The want you to fix it at their shop (hell no).
4. You are first contacted by a central claims adjuster
5. Central claims adjuster dispatches to a local claims adjuster

I'll call the local claims adjuster to negotiate. She hasn't been returning my calls.

 

[MT Mike]

Never, ever take the first offer an adjuster gives you. Their only job is to lessen the sting to their company. Their driver was the one at fault, so you have the advantage. Use it to your benefit.

 

[Markos]

They say that number is coming from an auto auction, and it can't be adjusted. One point of note is that this is market driven. Cars are expensive in Seattle. Would someone really pay $1700 for a vehicle with this much frame damage?

Thoughts?


This isn't my insurance company. I can't threaten to leave.

Mark