Totaled?

[PrepVet]

I am hoping not but I am coming up a month since I hit the deer and USAA and the body shop have not come up with what’s happening yet. There are 107k miles on the clock.

06NOV I hit a deer about 300 miles from home. I had the car towed to a local body shop. Got a hotel and had a one way half day rental to get home the next day. No continued rental expense.

I used USAA’s app to complete the report. They said it has $7500 worth of damage and the money was in my account before I even woke up the next morning. The body shop is saying just a few bucks shy of $18,000. The body shop has a new intercooler, radiator, trans cooler, oil cooler, a/c stuff, head lights, rad support, skid plate. All stuff the USAA online quote did not. Neither quote has the seat belt tensioners on them. All of them went off. No airbags did however.

 

[PrepVet]

Both fenders and the hood are going to need work/replacement.

 

[Hamfisted]

That's probably the issue. USAA has a set book rate that's years old (pre-covid...) . The body shop has to bring in and retain shop workers at today's labor rates. Which is much more expensive. Your best bet is to negotiate a totaled value with USAA and have them cut you a check, and move on. Maybe install a metal bumper guard on your next truck if you do a lot of driving in deer country. Look through Auto Trader and get an idea of the value of '06 Navigators before you try to negotiate with USAA.




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[2020FordRaptor]

I'd call around asking for the cheapest authorized repair price.

 

[PrepVet]

That's probably the issue. USAA has a set book rate that's years old (pre-covid...) . The body shop has to bring in and retain shop workers at today's labor rates. Which is much more expensive. Your best bet is to negotiate a totaled value with USAA and have them cut you a check, and move on. Maybe install a metal bumper guard on your next truck if you do a lot of driving in deer country. Look through Auto Trader and get an idea of the value of '06 Navigators before you try to negotiate with USAA.

What does an 06 Navigator have to do with an 15 Expedition EL?

And that may be the case for costs but I doubt it. There was a lot of stuff not on the USAA quote that is on the body shop one.


I am hoping it is not totaled I like this Familytruckster. I live in deer country and this is the first time I hit one. I’m not putting on ugly bumpers for it.

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[Trainmaster]

I got $6,000 for a rear end hit on my 2008 Expedition six months ago plus $5,000 in rental reimbursement from GEICO, who insured the cretin who plowed into my parked truck. You have some value there.

Never even told my insurer about it.

 

[PrepVet]

I got $6,000 for a rear end hit on my 2008 Expedition six months ago plus $5,000 in rental reimbursement from GEICO, who insured the cretin who plowed into my parked truck. You have some value there.

Never even told my insurer about it.

What do you mean by “value?” Either it’s totaled which hope they don’t and won’t be able to replace at the price I would get. Or they fix it.

 

[Timo2824]

If they total it you can buy it back and put some salvage yard parts on it. I hit a deer with my 93 Pontiac GrandAm and after making sure it wasn't leaking coolant, I drove it 100 more miles to my parents house. After removing multiple rib bones that were stuck between the fender and hood, I went to a local salvage yard and found one the same color! A day later and I was driving home with a car that looked pretty good. A hammer, block of wood, and a solid tree may come in handy.

 

[PrepVet]

I have zero interest in doing that. If I did I would have been carrying liability on it only. It is a hellva nice car and I intended to drive it until the pets were unavailable. The warranty runs until 12/31/2199 and unlimited miles.

 

[Trainmaster]

What do you mean by “value?” Either it’s totaled which hope they don’t and won’t be able to replace at the price I would get. Or they fix it.

I mean the truck is worth some good money in this market. That value is what your Carrier will base its payout on. They will pay you up to that value (or 80% - 90%) for repair. If the damage exceeds their made-up "value" they will total it.

Insurers will always try to lowball the value. You have to fight them on that. They valued my '08 at $3500 initially and said it was totaled. Two days of fighting with them upped the value to $12,500 and I got my repair. You have to bargain hard with them over their BS "impugned" value.

Slow down. They always want to rush a settlement with you. Do NOTHING on-line. Don't cash any check. Meet with the adjuster at a shop and let the shop go over with them line-by-line.

I believe USAA is a good outfit. I hope you, them and a body shop can come to a reasonable settlement. That's no $7K hit. You'll get a lot more from them.