Last week, sadly, my white 01 RL was involved in an accident. A lot of front end damage but I didn't think this would be $8300!!! The airbags did not deploy and everyone was ok. The minivan that was hit sustained what I though was minor damage (tailgate dented, bumper scratched).

I thought the damage to the RL would be repairable but the insurance company said they would total it. I was bummed. This was a great car we had for about 6 months. As it turned out, I was able to find another one this week!! A 99 gold RL with fewer miles than the 01 (99K). The 99 seems to be a tighter ride than the 01 and is in better shape. I feel very fortunate to find another as these do not come on the market that often(at least around here). These RLs are just great cars!!

Some pics of what $8300 in damage looks like:

 

Hope everyone came out ok.

It certainly doesnt look like 8 grand worth of damage.

Glad you found another one though.

These are great cars and run very smooth. I plan to keep mine forever.

 

8300 is insane, looks like a new hood, bumper, headlights and you're all set.
Was there engine damage? The fenders look fine too...

 

If anything happened to the frame, I can see why the estimate is so much. It's insane how quickly the $$ add up.

I'm going to assume you need a new radiator, radiator support, and a number of other things.

Good luck with the new "older" RL!

 

Crazy, but believable.
The law of diminishing returns...I think we have to come to a point where we question how much good all the electronic and safety equipment is doing versus how much it is costing everybody in insurance premiums. I heard recently the headlights on the Benz S-class are $2000 alone!! We are all paying for that!

 

Yep. It would have needed a new radiator, support, etc. The engine was still good, I believe. The body shop stated there are not a lot of salvage parts and the new parts must be pretty pricey. I almost took the car and the insurance money and had it repaired. I'm glad I didn't. I bought the 99 and still have almost $5 grand in my pocket!

 

Yeah body parts are pricey on these cars. The insurance company will make some $$$ from parting it out. The '99 should be quite familiar to you. The lack of VSA is the only big changed I can think of.