Lightning Strike

[Jimmie Del Bello]

My 2020 Expedition was struck by lightning. It has been in the Ford Dealership Shop for over 2 months. Several computer modules have been replaced. After each module replacement another error code comes up. $10,000.00 has been paid out by State Farm. Currently the shop has received the OK to replace 5 more modules. Am I going to have electronic problems as long as I own this SUV? It only has 700 miles on it.

 

[Trainmaster]

I think that once it's fixed you should be okay. Just make sure every final detail is well before you sign off on the repairs.

 

[Going_Going_Gone]

The older I get, the less confidence I have that insurance adjusters have enough time to calculate the actual cost to repair a brand new vehicle with potentially limitless repair costs. If it were me, I'd get the insurance company to sweeten the deal for a significant amount of "diminished value" (as the vehicle will undoubtedly be tagged on Carfax) and once the work is done, I'd see what the dealer who makes all the repairs will offer you in trade...you know, how much they'll stand behind their work. You wouldn't necessarily have to trade it off assuming the offer is right, but you'd know more about what that dealer thinks about the odds of your vehicle's repairs standing the test of time. Whether or not you are compensated for it, your vehicle will be diminished in value for the remainder of its useful life. Your choices are to either drive it until the wheels fall off, or take your licks when you eventually trade it in on something else.

My only experience with insurance coverage on a large claim was that we had a four-year-old vehicle that, had it been "totaled" by the insurance company, would have cost them $14k to settle and they would have had a well-maintained car to sell for salvage. They ended up spending over $6k in repairs leaving us with a Carfax branded vehicle worth $5K less than had it been totaled out in the first place. In that case, the insurance company and we both lost money.

 

[flying68]

My 2020 Expedition was struck by lightning. It has been in the Ford Dealership Shop for over 2 months. Several computer modules have been replaced. After each module replacement another error code comes up. $10,000.00 has been paid out by State Farm. Currently the shop has received the OK to replace 5 more modules. Am I going to have electronic problems as long as I own this SUV? It only has 700 miles on it.

I speak from personal experience. In 2015 my 2012 Explorer was struck by lightning, while driving with the family inside (blew the antenna off, like melted away). This was in September. I didn't get the Explorer back from the shop until November. They total bill (before insurance negotiates it down) was over $16,500 ($8300 labor, $7000 parts, $1200 tax/misc). It took that long because they had to do what they are doing with you. They replace the first bad module in line, then work down stream from there. Much of the time is waiting for parts and waiting for approvals, the diagnostics take very little. I had 77,000 miles on it. I watched pretty carefully over the next year, but never had any other electrical issues. Some of the interior panels had some rattles, but nothing severe. I traded it last September on my Expy with over 150,000 miles. If the shop is good, hopefully they checked all wires and connectors like they did with mine, you should be alright. Also State Farm should allow you to reopen the claim if you experience further electrical issues. I have American Family and that is what they told me.

I for sure thought they would total it out at that point, but they didn't because the repair cost was less than their %value limit (something close to 75%) for non-structural issues.

And to address the above comment, nothing appears on the title or carfax report. Because it wasn't flooded or in an accident. It is just a normal vehicle repair, kind of like if someone stole the radio. So it didn't materially change the value I received when I traded it.

 

[flying68]

The older I get, the less confidence I have that insurance adjusters have enough time to calculate the actual cost to repair a brand new vehicle with potentially limitless repair costs. If it were me, I'd get the insurance company to sweeten the deal for a significant amount of "diminished value" (as the vehicle will undoubtedly be tagged on Carfax) and once the work is done, I'd see what the dealer who makes all the repairs will offer you in trade...you know, how much they'll stand behind their work. You wouldn't necessarily have to trade it off assuming the offer is right, but you'd know more about what that dealer thinks about the odds of your vehicle's repairs standing the test of time. Whether or not you are compensated for it, your vehicle will be diminished in value for the remainder of its useful life. Your choices are to either drive it until the wheels fall off, or take your licks when you eventually trade it in on something else.

My only experience with insurance coverage on a large claim was that we had a four-year-old vehicle that, had it been "totaled" by the insurance company, would have cost them $14k to settle and they would have had a well-maintained car to sell for salvage. They ended up spending over $6k in repairs leaving us with a Carfax branded vehicle worth $5K less than had it been totaled out in the first place. In that case, the insurance company and we both lost money.

Lighting claims are not like other accidents. Also, electrical is not almost limitless, they have these happen all the time. Like the claims rep told me, the chances of it happening to you are 1 in 5,000,000 but they happen all the time. The actuaries know almost exactly how much these claims will cost.

Not sure how the insurance company lost money in your case, $6k is < $14k and once they total it, the title is branded and the vehicle goes to a Copart auction which probably wouldn't have made them $8k back. Your $5k loss is a perceived loss, as Carfax only shows an accident, but on a vehicle worth $14k your trade value was going to be somewhere between $8k-$11k anyway without an accident, so at most you probably lost a grand or two in trade value. Even with an accident on my Explorer, they gave me $7500, they tried to offer $5000 but I wouldn't accept it. They sold it for around $10,500 which was about the KBB private party value. Without the accident, I may have gotten $8000 from them, at the most. Carmax offered $7000 straight away.

 

[Going_Going_Gone]

You can do the math any number of ways...Actually, I was talking about the "Black Book" figure the sales manager showed me: no Carfax report, vehicle was worth $14K in trade with a KBB Private Party value of $17K but somehow the adjuster booked at $19k pre-accident value allowing for a higher percentage of value for repairs. Afterwards, the Carfax report stated that the car was involved in an accident and towed away. That kind of documentation doesn't give you much leverage as a seller.

 

[flying68]

You can do the math any number of ways...Actually, I was talking about the "Black Book" figure the sales manager showed me: no Carfax report, vehicle was worth $14K in trade with a KBB Private Party value of $17K but somehow the adjuster booked at $19k pre-accident value allowing for a higher percentage of value for repairs. Afterwards, the Carfax report stated that the car was involved in an accident and towed away. That kind of documentation doesn't give you much leverage as a seller.
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Dang that looks pretty bad. After seeing that, too bad they couldn't have found some frame "damage" that would have forced them to total it. The catch is that for some people it is much better financially to have the vehicle repaired rather than trying to find a replacement and same with insurers. I guess that is why they try to repair even if the cost is upwards of 60% to 75% of the vehicle value.

 

[lbv150]

With that kind of a hit the truck should haven been totaled. Yes they can be repaired but it can never be trusted. On a vehicle all sorts of things can happen with a strike beyond electrical issues. Wheel bearings, suspension, even internal engine parts could have been subject to arcing.

 

[Going_Going_Gone]

I am hoping that the OP will continue to post on the progress of the repairs, how long it takes, what all was involved, and how well everything functions.

 

[Going_Going_Gone]

Bump...what happened? This one-post OP stated his vehicle had been at a dealer being "repaired" for over two months and that post was made three weeks ago. I find it odd that nothing worth mentioning has transpired since then or that he's OK with that? We get more heated threads here on what type of oil a dealership may or may not have used.