OK My truck is still at the ford dealer getting the frame replaced. My insurance rep called me today and told me $930 for the diminished value. I told him that seemed kinda low. Without me doing any kind of negotiating he was up to $1200 before we hung up the phone. He told me to think about it and call him in the morning. What is fair? the damage was right over $9000 and w/ it involving the frame i was told it will throw up a red flag when if I was to trade it in.

 

You are correct in the throwing up the red flag. A carfax will pick it up. Usually when the fram is damaged it gets totalled. But i guess not in your case. Talk to some dealers in your area (not just the ford dealers) ask them how much you would loose on a trade with a replaced frame.

 

I believe that it will throw up a red flag, but the fact that your getting it replaced or realigned at a Factory Ford Dealer will definitely help you out

 

Help you out as long as it takes a buyer to read "MAJOR FRAME DAMAGE" on the car fax and then think HELL NO...next!

 

Well think about it, if it was wrecked and not totaled, AT LEAST it was fixed right by Ford, that's what I'm trying to get at. Not necessarily that since ford fixed it, that it'll show up on car fax with a clear title.......

 

Except that if it is replaced, there is no "MAJOR FRAME DAMAGE". As far as diminished value, as long as the report shows that the frame was replaced, there isn't any.

 

carfax is funny....people take this as the true life of a vehicle....far from it. it is only a guide....living here in houston i have seen alot of vehicles come about a year and a half ago, no so much here of late, that came from new orleans that were totaled due to flooding in the hurricane. insurance companys would sell a lets say a 2005 745li with 8k on the odo. the car kbb would be worth (in 2005) about $70k. this car would sell for between 20-45k depending on the amount of work to be done. this car would of course be flooded. insurance companies were bringing these cars to auctions with clean titles knowing if they salvaged the titles it would sell for less.

the ones that did have a salvage title would be bought, then registered with a state like idaho or montana, (i will ask what state for sure)..some states will not salvage title a car for water damage. then reregistered in texas....with a clear title. not sure about the reregistered vehicles but the auction clean title totals will be clean at carfax.

also usually only dealerships report to carfax, not small independent repair shops. my last f150 was hit by semi while parked in parking lot....clipped it taking a corner...just about took the bed off. $4800 in damage for a car that was parked. took it to a paint and body shop i like....when i sold it,,,,carfax was run at dealer at time of sale to carmax...told the vehicle is good. i figured they are the experts and they have a huge team to do a 200 vehicle check point for problems before they sell the car...i did not offer up the incident to them, but had they asked if the vehicle had been hit i would have told them it had been.

 

I worked in insurance claims for over 30 years and diminished value is very difficult to accurately determine. The diminished value cannot really be determined until the repairs are complete. The mere fact that it was in a major accident will diminish the value some but the quality of repair is more important. If it shows being repaired because of mismatched paint, waves, misaligned panels, inner panels being repaired and showing, etc., the diminished value will be greater. If the vehicle shows being repaired, then the argument is whether it is the fault of the insurance company or the body shop. Did the insurance company insist that something be repaired that should have been replaced or did the body shop not do a proper repair? If the insurance company chose the body shop or suggested it, then your argument is easier.

You could have the truck apppraised by a professional appraiser after it is repaired and get a before and after value and an explanation as to why. Then you would have firm documentation if you needed to go further. The adjuster needs something to justify why he pays what he pays.

 

Sorry...your so wrong...if you don't think a truck that has been in a major accident and had to have the frame replaced is worth less than one that has never been in an accident than your crazy. If the buyer doesnt know about the damamge than no..it wont hurt it but if it shows up on an CarFax or if the buyer askes (and yes you are required to disclose) then there is no way they would be willing to pay the same for it as they would a vehicle that has never experienced any damage. I am not saying its worthless...just worth less, and thats what he is asking about. A general rule of thumb I would say is 10% of the retail value for major damage.

As far as a Ford dealership or Jo's Bodyshop or Maco...I dont care how good they are a wrecked car is never as good as new...NEVER. I for one have never seen a repaired or repainted car that I couldnt tell had been repaired...of course I do know what to look for more than most but still its usually very obviouse. A bodyshop does not take the time needed to make one perfect when they are doing insurance work...the sooner they get it out the more money they make.

 

If mine came back like that there would be two options...repair it again and get it right or total it. The truck has to be in the same condition as it was before the accident to be acceptable. If any of the above conditions were present I would flat out refuse to accept it.

 

Ive spoke with a couple independent appraisers. They told me $4-5000 easy! One lad told me if the job voids the manufactures warranty bring this up and ask for truck to be totaled. She said yes the repair will be warrantied by the shop however once you sell the car the shop does not have to honor the warranty to anyone else. NOW WHAT??? I wanted this thing totaled since I heard about the frame damage but was told it has to be %75 of the value. well If you figure the diminished value another $1000 for the rental almost $10,000 in repairs, Say the value of the truck is $25000 your looking at over %60 not to mention my truck will never be the same again!!

Is there a fighting chance to have them total the truck???

 

Not true. Carfax gets information from police depts, insurance companies, fire depts, towing companies, DMV, and others. The reason yours showed up with a clean title is because you didn't report it to your insurance (I would bet) and the other party involved just paid for the repairs. Correct?

 

///

 

...no..it was a semi that hit my parked truck...his insurance was from some company in kentucky...he tried to give me $100 bucks and call it a day...i then asked him if he was smoking crack. i used his insurance to pay for it.

 

We had another member here with a situation similar to your a couple of years ago (he was from Kentucky). Since he was relatively close to me, I suggested a couple of rebuilders that bid against each other and bought the truck off of him. He took the insurance money and the money he got for his truck and bought him a new one. I used to do that as an adjuster and it made both the owner and the shops happy. If you are anywhere close to VA, drop me a note.