Hi every one, I've been a member for 2 months now, this is my 1st thread. Bought 03 TL-S, Nav, Anthracite/Ebony, spoiler, mud guards, trunk tray, wheel locks, demo car with 5738 miles, $29,350 (include destination, before tax & fees). Bought 9/20, totalled 11/19, see pics.

Insurance Co said will cost about $13,000 to fix, need to section car; or consider total loss, but figure depreciation, $1K deductable, accessories added etc, estimate to loose >$4k.

Would love to hear from anyone knowledgeable about collision work whether my car should be repaired or not?

Also interested to hear from any one with any recent purchase price for those last 03 TL-S. Was the price I paid reasonable?

Since I need a car for work, just picked up 04 TL on 11/29, same color but about $5K more. See separate thread in 3rd gen forum if any one is interested.

I still like the more conservative styling of 2nd gen TL w/ Full chrome front grill & chrome detail around windows, the rear appearance, especially the emblems, looks higher class. The 04 looks more agressive, & all the younger drivers think it's better looking. It grows on you each time you look at it, especially w/ all the new features (too bad no more on-Star though, which helped greatly during the accident). Also not happy about the location of 04 fog lights, no stop light in spoiler, the integration of functions make future mods more difficult.
Also have 97'CL, sheet metal are thicker, especially noticeable on trunk lid, makes the older cars appear better made. Just MHO. Love to hear any comments.

 

hey what happen to ur car? where is it at now? can i buy some parts form u?

 

Damn, the vultures come out all of a sudden....wtf!

Sorry to hear about your car man, but looking at the damage, I wouldnt get it fixed. Was there any damage to the axle, etc.?? That's kind of damage you need to worry about. Best thing to do is just take the loss (if you can) and get a new vehicle.

 

is that a blazer next to your wrecked car? that's the car that hit you right?

 

OUCH that hurts!!!!
I would agree with bloo_tls02. The damage seems far to extensive to try to repair. In the long run, it is better to cut your losses and take the hit now. A car that has to go through that much surgery will never be the same as new. Remember, you cant count this as >4k loss. If you to repair the car, you are still out a grand for the deductible. You are double counting that liability in your math. Therefore the loss actually equates to a little more then 3 grand.

Congrats on getting the 04. Hopefully your luck will be better and longer lasting with that car!

Axe

 

holy sh!t!!! what happened?

 

Looks like you should take the loss

 

Sorry to see that...you're better off taking the loss. That car will never be right again.

 

Damage to the rear is the worst.

 

Sorry to hear what happened. Hopefully no one was seriously hurt. Your better off taking the loss.

 

Take the loss, and try to pull some parts and sell 'em to make the loss not too bad. There's probably some hidden damage that the body shop doesn't know about and wont know about til they start working on it. My buddy had an accident (not as bad mind you) but when they originally quoted him it was like 8 G's (IS300 BTW) and when they got started they had to tack on another 4G's for hidden damage. Just my 2 cents.

-hope there were no injuries.

 

I think you should let it go. A lot of places will deduct approx 20-25% of the value of your car solely for the fact that you don't have all the original body panels (they have the VIN stamped in them).

State Farm insurance is in a class action suit in certain states for not repaying the 'diminished value' of the car after body panels were replaced on the car. It would also turn up on a VIN search and may discredit future buyers looking at your car.

Hope that helps, sorry so long.

 

I was wondering if you would like to sell me the stock HID kit fomr your car?

 

Hey i ask him if hes gonna sell parts first. I was gonna ask him if he was gonna sell his HID

 

First off how did this happen?? Is there a story behing this accident??
2) that looks like an Isuzu Rodeo next to him, not a Blazer.
3) if you are selling parts, I need a new right fog light. I'm 15 mins from Mahwah!!

 

$29,350 sounds reasonable, I bought mine 09/29 for $26,500 with 18 miles on OD(TL-P Non-Navi) BTW sorry to hear about the accident

 

sounds like a good deal-$29350...i bought mine a 03 TL-S w/o nav on 9/03/03 for $27,000.00 out the door.

 

out the door???:begun2: OMG thats a smokin deal where did you buy yours?

 

comon guys...its obviously a tahoe/suberban...

anyway....sorry to hear aobut the accident...i would just take the 4k lose now....fixing that, it still ownt be the same..and when it comes time to sell....you'll be taking almost hte same loss

 

outch, you should take the loss, even with it fixed, it will never run the same plus u'll be scared for life each time u look at it.

Second, look at all these people that wants your parts, you can sell it to cover some of the lost

Third, i think many of us wants to hear the story if it's not too hard for you to recall this horrible accident.

Last, if you're stripping your parts, can i get dips on the spoiler? hehe

Well i hope nobody was hurt from this.

 

First, I like to thank everyone for replying. I guess the jury is out, & it's unanimous, I believe it's the right decision too.

Many of you wanted to know what happened, here's how:
I was driving on I77N in NC (back from business trip), I was in the left lane of the 2-lane hi way when this guy in a cheap Chevy tried to cut in front of me from the right lane but the cars in front of him all jammed on the breaks, & the road was wet, so he lost control & spun right in front of me, causing a collision with the right front of my car. He continued to spin & ended up in the ditch. I pulled over to the left shoulder & got out of the car (lucky for me) to check the damage on both cars, when a MonteCarlo driven by an old guy slammed into the right rear of my car. His car was also totalled & ended up in the ditch. No one was hurt except the old guy who was totally dazed & had some cuts & bruises on his arms. An interesting side note: A witness who was 2 cars behind the Chevy came forward & left a statement to the Police. He said the guy in the Chevy was 1st struck in the rear by a Civic (the car in front of him), before losing control. According to him, he pulled over to the right shoulder behind the Civic (but I didn't really pay attention), after the 2nd big crash, which several vehicles were damaged by the flying debris, & every body ran toward the MonteCarlo, the Civic took off. My car was transported by a flatbed to a nearby shop recommended by Acura Roadside Assistance. They were helpful & paid for the towing.

Right now, no one seems to know for sure how to handle this, so it will be a while before everything is settled. As for the parts, sure I'm willing to sell, but if it's a total loss, insurance co gets to keep the car. As of now, my car is still in NC, my insurance co wants to transport it to NJ, which I don't understand why, since the Insurance Co for the Guy who hit me in the rear will be paying for the loss (less front-end damage), shouldn't they keep it? My insurance co told me not to worry, they'll take care of every thing & look out for my interest. Meanwhile, the shop is charging $15/day storage & still counting; while I was told insurance will only pay for 5 days. There's also a drop-off charge for the rental car, @$1/mile = $1400 (round trip NC-NJ-NC), in addition to rental fee. Again, my insurance co only pays $900 max/accident while the other guy's co said they SHOULD pay for all fees. Looks like I'm getting screwed here.

I know this guy who was in a similar situation, but with an older car. He was offered $8K for a total loss, or $6k to fix his car. He took the $6k & negotiated with the bodyshop, who fixed his car & sold it, paid him $5K from the sale, & he end up with $11k for downpayment toward a new car. Not bad huh? Don't know if it's going to work here.

For those who want the head lights or foglights, the right front headlight assembly is broken, but I think the HID bulbs/ballast, PIAA Ultrawhite 9005's for Hi beam & the fog lights, with PIAA Plasma Ion Yellow 9006 bulbs are ok though. See addition pic attached. Will let you guys know if I can deal with insurance co, as I want to take back some parts I installed, which they won't pay for. Right now, I only have the genuine Acura trunk tray if anyone is interested.

 

That is horrible. I'm sorry to hear that.

First things first -- What do you mean "take the loss"? Do you mean the difference between the remainder of your financing and the current value of the car? If that's what you meant, then you shouldn't worry. Acura comes with gap insurance at no charge. Gap insurance covers that difference.

I'll give you an example -- Let's say you have 28,000 dollars left in your financing. That would be the pay-off amount. And let's assume your insurance company is going to pay you 25,000 dollars, the current value of the car. That means you have to pay 3,000 dollars out of your pocket to pay off the financing. That's where the gap insurance steps in. It will pay for that 3,000 dollars so you don't lose a penny. Check with Acura to see if you have the gap coverage. Mine came with it at no charge, and I was told that every Acura receives it.

Now, it's not really up to you to decide whether it's totalled or not. That's up to the adjustor. Most insurance companies are anal about totalling the same current year model ('03 TL-S, it's 2003 right now). It typically takes about 60-70% of the car's value in damage repair costs to total a vehicle, but some insurance companies require as high as 90% if it's a current model year vehicle.

Your car is sitting at a lot with storage fees accumulating. The insurance company SHOULD pay for that. But double check. As for rental car, who the hell still charges by the mile? Every single rental car I've had charged by the day with no mileage limit. That's just gay. But if that is the case, then so be it. I assume you have $30/day for up to 30 days rental coverage? Sorry to say, but you will have to shell out the extra rental fees that is over the coverage limit.

As for selling parts of your car -- if it is indeed totalled, then you can buy it back from the insurance company. It depends on the company and the location, but you could buy it back for pennies on the dollar. My friend just totalled his modified Integra GS-R, and he was offered 800 dollars to buy it back, and its current resale value (without the damages, of course) is around 5,000. He can buy it at 16% of that. Of course, if you factor in the damages, the car is probably worth much less. Every case is different, so you need to sit down and think it through, and punch some numbers into your calculator.

Fact is, if you know the right people, you can easily part it out. My friend I mentioned above, is buying it back for 800 dollars and is selling it to another friend for 2 grand. They are taking out the engine, transmission, and other miscellaneous parts. It's modified and has a lot of parts in it. But your case is different, because it's stock (I'm assuming). I'm not sure if it's worth the headache for you to hold on to that car and part it out. I wouldn't recommend buying it back unless you have absolute certainty that someone will buy major parts off of it in order for you to recoup the costs of buying it back.

By the way, if it's totalled and you buy it back to fix it and keep it, then it'll have a salvage title. Don't even bother trying to sell it then, because salvage title means a plummet in resale value.

We're not talking about a few grand. We're talking nearly 30,000 dollars here. So if you have any say in it (some adjustors, if on the borderline of totalling or fixing, will ask you what you want to do), then just total it. But make sure you have that gap coverage before you total it. If not, time to crunch some numbers.


Good luck and sorry to hear about the misfortune. I had a similar situation like yours last week while on my way home for Thanksgiving. I was able to swerve away at the last moment, but I know what it feels like. I'm glad you didn't get hurt. Car can be replaced. Life can't.

 

I am sorry to hear that. I would total that thing out, if you don't you'll be dealing with noises and things down the road. It will always weigh onyour mind if they fixed everything right etc. etc. It's just not worth it. If you like that body style that much I'd find a used one with low miles, there are plenty. Alot of people are trying to get rid of the second generation and go for the 3rd. But there is no way I would fix that Acura.

 

Sorry to hear about your loss. You should not incur any loss from this accident. It wasn't your fault so the at fault company has to pay for all you expenses including full cost for rental. Also if they total your car you are entitled to the current repalcement value including taxes and fees. The money you get should be the amount if would cost you to buy the same exact used car again without adding anything. If that amount is still less then what you owe then gap insurance covers the difference.
I had a similar experience a few months ago where I got rear ended in my 03 type S. The damages came out to $14k and the car was not totaled b/c they said they won't total a car in the current model year. It took 3 months to fix and the at fault insurance co paid for my rental for all 3 months.

 

I'm guessing New Jersey doesn't have no-fault policy?

 

Actually we do have a no fault policy, but no fault insurance pertains to personal injury not property damage. No fault was intended to stop all the bogus claims for fake injuries. You can't sue the person that hit you for injuries anymore, all medical payment and coverage is with your own company. So you are still responsible for only the damages you cause, not the damages others cause on your vehicle.

 

Thanks much for the info, very kind of you to share them, they're useful, not just for me, but for all those involved in accidents.
I still have some questions, appreciate any response:
Does gap insurance only apply to those who finance thru CAR LOAN? Also, only applies to the difference between current value & LOAN BALANCE, not FINANCED AMOUNT? I bought this car by paying $1K using credit card (deposit), $5K cash & remainder ($25K+) from my HOME EQUITY LINE OF CREDIT, which is a loan but I already possese the title. It'll be complicated to calculate the remainder of the financing balance on this car because the interest rate is variable (but stable at 3.5% since I purchased that car), & I also used that line of credit for other purposes, so the amount I owe is a lot more.

In this case, it's up to the adjuster from the ins co of the guy who hit me in the rear, not mine to decide whether it's a total loss or not. My ins co recommended that I let them handle the whole situation, which I agreed. I was hoping they'll look out for my best interests & have more clout in dealing with other ins co's than an individual. But as time passes by, I'm losing faith. The reason I decided to go thru my insurance is because the friend I visited in NC had a similar situation, he told me the other driver's ins co (same as this case) was quick to contact & settle, but very stingy. He had an older, collectable car but no collision coverage, so he got paid the blue book value only. Do you think I should've dealt with the other ins co direct, since they contacted me 1st?

As for the rental (from Enterprise), I didn't have a choice at the time/location. I only rented for 3 days, with unlimited mileage; but since I had to drive back from NC to NJ, I can only return the car in NJ. They have low rates, but unlike many major rental co's, do not have 1-way returns. If the car isn't returned to the original location, there'll be a pickup fee of $1/mile, since they have to send 2 guys to pick up the car.

As for the parts, it's a shame that all the major components, engine, tranny, navi etc are in excellent condition, since the car had < 8k miles. If I have the connections to sell most of the usable parts, I'll still come out ahead; as the sum of indiv parts from a car is 3 - 4 x it's value, especially for foreign cars.

 

The price you paid was a good deal for the car. I have the identical car, and paid $30k in sept 2002 for a fresh one. That included spoiler, mudguards, all season mats, lojack, and simonize ( a rip but it was my first new car so i said what the hell).

I would not fix it unless you have connections at a body shop wha can arrange a deal like the one you mentioned about a similar incident. Glad you are ok.

As far as parts, I sure could use a driver side fog lamp, a rock on the highway shattered mine. ( I would pick it up or pay for shipping abviously, lol).

 

Happy to hear from another member from NJ! It appears there're many. Sorry to hear about your accident too. Was the damage to your car as bad as mine? Does the car drive the same after it was fixed?

As you can see in the pic, my car was hit from the rear at an angle, so the axle was broken, the frame was bent, along with other smaller damages. The adjuster from the other driver's ins co told me he'll process as a total loss, due to extensive STRUCTURE DAMAGE, eventhough the repair cost for the rear is $12K, less than your cost to fix. I guess you weren't hit at an angle, right?

Did you deal with the other guy's ins direct, or thru your own?Since you had your car fixed, & ins paid everything, you did not suffer any loss financially except the car may not be the same anymore, & any emotional suffering.

As for a total loss, most people I talked to who had the experience, lost money. 1st, as you know, the minute you drive your new car out of the dealership, depending on the type of car, it depreciates, could be several $k. The insurance co's will usually offer to pay the blue book TRADE-IN value of your car, not the retail value, which is >$3k higher for 03 TL, depending on mileage & options. In case you didn't know, go to KBB.com or edmunds.com for these info.

You said I should also get reimbursed for taxes & fees ($135 documentation fee dealer charged & registration/titling fee)? Do you know anyone who actually got paid for these?

It's interesting that you also mentioned about the GAP ins. From what you said, sounds like GAP will also cover the difference between insurance payment & the COST of an IDENTICAL REPLACEMENT VEHICLE? From what Pure Adrenaline described in a previous reply, it appears GAP is only good if you financed the car & you OWE more than the ins payment.

In my particular case, it's more complicated, because there were 2 separate accidents minutes apart. So the ins co's have to figure out who pays what. There's no question that the guy who hit me in the rear is at fault, but he's not liable for the damage to the front of my car, since that was from a separate collision. As for the damage to the front, I was told by the trooper that it was neither my fault nor the other driver's, because he was struck 1st by another car behind him, caused him to spun in front of me. The bad thing is, it was a hit & run, so it looks like my ins co will pay for damage to my front, less $1K deductable (ouch!); the other driver had an old car, probably no collision coverage, tough luck for him. Anyway, I was told that according to NC law, if 1 party is deemed partially responsible, which in this case I might be, since I struck him in the left rear, neither party can collect from the other. Sort of like no-fault for property.

BTW, speaking of no fault, I know some 1 from NJ who caused an accident in MA, a no-fault state. He cut in front of another car & caused it to loose control & hit a tree, resulting in extensive damage. He was responble (or stupid) enough to stop, which ever way you look at it. He wasn't liable for any property damage since he did not hit anything, but the other driver claimed injury (he was taken to the hospital, eventhough he did not appear hurt) & filed a civil suite. The ins. co is handling it & the case is still pending.

 

You're welcome.



If there is no financing on the vehicle, then there is no gap insurance. And it only applies to the remaining loan balance, NOT the financed amount. Insurance companies would lose billions of dollars that way.

Let me give a little more extreme example --
You bought yourself a new Ferrari 4 years ago for 130,000 dollars out the door. Since then, you have paid off 50,000 dollars, therefore 80,000 dollars remaining on the loan. Someone hits you, and your car is totalled. The current value of the car is 60,000 dollars. You get a check for that amount from your insurance company. However, the car no longer exists, so you must pay off the loan. But you have 60,000 bucks, and owe 80,000. Gap insurance only pays for the difference between the loan balance and the current value of the car. If gap insurance paid you for the FINANCED AMOUNT, then that means gap insurance will give you 130,000 dollars, on top of the 60,000 for the car. That just doesn't have any logic. No. You will get 60,000 for the car, and gap insurance will give you 20,000 to pay off the 80,000 loan balance. That's how it works. They don't replace your vehicle. They only give you what it's worth.



OK, so you're saying that your car is technically paid off and there is NO LIENHOLDER on the car. My parents' corporation also has a Line of Credit, and since we went through my friend at a bank, I am not totally unfamiliar with it. I'm assuming that you had a lower APR with the Line of Credit than a traditional financing/car loan.

I'm sorry, but this is going to cost you. The car is technically and legally paid off, since there is no lienholder on it. The fact that you got the money from Line of Credit (another loan) doesn't make any difference at all, because no matter how you look at it, there is no financing/car loan on the vehicle. And that means no gap insurance. I'm very sorry.



Don't ever trust insurance companies. They will screw you over. They don't make money by paying out. They stay in business and make a profit by ripping people off.

I am VERY confused by your statement -- "In this case, it's up to the adjuster from the ins co of the guy who hit me in the rear, not mine to decide whether it's a total loss or not."

Isn't New Jersey a no-fault policy state? If it is, read the following very carefully, because I think something is very wrong.

When your state has a no-fault policy, that means each party involved in the accident goes to their own respective insurance company. Let's say that I rear-ended your Civic with my Corolla. You're with insurance company A and I am with insurance company B. You call the cops, get a report, and call YOUR insurance company A. Inform them that you have been rear-ended by another vehicle, and that the police found the other driver at fault, not you. Now, this will start an official claim, in order to repair your car. YOUR insurance company, A, will fix your car. You pay A the deductible.

Meanwhile, I'm talking to MY insurance company, B. I tell 'em that my car is messed up, because I rear-ended someone and I was found at fault. Similar process -- start a claim to get my car fixed. I pay B my deductible.

Now, the difference is that YOUR premium will NOT go up, because you were not at fault. Your car is being repaired at the cost of A, minus your deductible. On the other hand, MY premium is going to skyrocket, because B, my insurance company, has to pay to repair my car, less my deductible, AND YOUR car. (explained in the following paragraph)

Now YOUR insurance company, A, will call up my company, B, to request a reimbursement for the costs of repairing your vehicle. Remember, I was at fault, and you did not do anything wrong. So the beauty of the no-fault policy is that you deal with your own insurance company. It's much easier and friendlier, because your company will get every penny back from my company, and they will raise my premium to compensate for it.

Now here's the good part. The deductible YOU paid to company A to get your car fixed is reimbursable, up to $500 (in most states, some are higher) under the Mini-Tort Law. No-fault policy states that you CAN NOT sue or request damage reimbursement the other driver, but this is the only exception. (If you've ever heard someone say it's stupid to have a deductible higher than 500, then this is the reason why.)

So in the end, you don't pay a penny out of your pocket (assuming your deductible is equal or less than the maximum amount reimbursable by law), your car is fixed. Me, I'm screwed for the following 2 years, due to points on my license, and the pay-out for the damages on both vehicles. Company B has suffered severe losses due to my negligence, and they will raise my premium to make it back.

So you see, this is how it works in no-fault policy states. Now re-read what you said above and figure out what's wrong. I can point out one thing, for starters. Why is the OTHER insurance company's adjustor deciding the fate of your car? It should be YOUR insurance company's adjustor making that decision.



Once again, if NC were a no-fault policy state, then that story wouldn't make sense, because your friend has to deal with his insurance company, with which he did NOT have collision coverage. If the car is damaged or totalled, he wouldn't get a penny for the car. I'm no expert in state legislatures, so I'm guessing, under the assumption that the above story is 100% accurate, that NC is NOT a no-fault policy state. In which case, your friend got the money from the other driver's insurance company.

And to answer the question, I would've dealt with my insurance company. They won't lose money on it, because they bill it to the other guy's insurance company. They won't be stingy with the pay-out as much.



Ah, that makes sense. I thought you meant you rented it for $1/mile. That's why I was going ape-shyt over it. Not only is it very uncommon for rental companies to charge by the mile, $1/mile is a ridiculously expensive price. If it's going to cost a lot to have it picked up, then I would much rather make a road trip out of it, if I were you.

Personally, I've never parted out a car. But from second-hand experience, I can tell you that it is not worth the headache. You're going to have a car on your property that is torn apart. Not to mention, every time someone wants to buy a part from you, you have to go out there and take it off the car yourself.

If you really are interested in parting it out, then I would recommend posting For Sale threads on all the forums you go to, and have buyers lined up and verified BEFORE you buy it back.


Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I hope everything works out for you. :o

 

Actually, I think your deal was much better, since you got it a year earlier & included Lo-jack. I had to pay $795 extra for it, which I think it's a rip, since our cars have on-star, which can also track your car. I know it's not the same, but not for the extra money which insurance wouldn't pay, & is totally wasted in an accident. Also, your car was brand new when you got it, mine was a demo with 5738 mi (had to get inspection for collision coverage!). The rest of the options in our deals are comparable, I also got spoilers & mud guards, got trunk tray & wheel locks instead of all season mats & simonize. What's simonize?

I'll let you know if I can get the fog light, but frankly, chances are slim.

 

I sort of have to disagree with people saying you got a good deal. Working in the dealership business, I'd say that deal was just a tad below par. Demos are usually never a good idea since they are usually run hard and often by dealership employees and potential clients. That combined with the fact that it was the last year that model was produced (I assume you bought the car somewhat close to the 2004 model launch) also brings the value down a bit. Navi helps a little but not much. I would say you probably could have paid $27K, maybe lower if you're a real bastard negotiator.

 

I know this post wasn't directed toward me, but I just wanted to make a few comments.


I forgot to mention that. Even if the damage cost doesn't come to the usual cut for totalling, the car could still get totalled if it has extensive frame damage.

Quote:

As for a total loss, most people I talked to who had the experience, lost money. 1st, as you know, the minute you drive your new car out of the dealership, depending on the type of car, it depreciates, could be several $k. The insurance co's will usually offer to pay the blue book TRADE-IN value of your car, not the retail value, which is >$3k higher for 03 TL, depending on mileage & options. In case you didn't know, go to KBB.com or edmunds.com for these info.

Insurance companies don't use KBB or Edmunds. Those are public prices. The official industry figures they use are from NADA. (www.nada.com)

Quote:

You said I should also get reimbursed for taxes & fees ($135 documentation fee dealer charged & registration/titling fee)? Do you know anyone who actually got paid for these?

Taxes and fees for documents are usually not considered as reimbursable items, because it is taxes, and documentation is considered a service. You're not returning the car for a refund. Therefore, you don't get the taxes back.

Quote:

It's interesting that you also mentioned about the GAP ins. From what you said, sounds like GAP will also cover the difference between insurance payment & the COST of an IDENTICAL REPLACEMENT VEHICLE? From what Pure Adrenaline described in a previous reply, it appears GAP is only good if you financed the car & you OWE more than the ins payment.

I'm quite certain that that is what gap insurance does. I've talked to my AAA agent, other insurance agents, Acura, and my best friend's mom, who is a certified agent for AllState, Michigan.

Quote:

In my particular case, it's more complicated, because there were 2 separate accidents minutes apart. So the ins co's have to figure out who pays what. There's no question that the guy who hit me in the rear is at fault, but he's not liable for the damage to the front of my car, since that was from a separate collision. As for the damage to the front, I was told by the trooper that it was neither my fault nor the other driver's, because he was struck 1st by another car behind him, caused him to spun in front of me. The bad thing is, it was a hit & run, so it looks like my ins co will pay for damage to my front, less $1K deductable (ouch!); the other driver had an old car, probably no collision coverage, tough luck for him. Anyway, I was told that according to NC law, if 1 party is deemed partially responsible, which in this case I might be, since I struck him in the left rear, neither party can collect from the other. Sort of like no-fault for property.

Yes, it is slightly complicated. But the issue on hand is whether the car is going to be totalled or not. It is very obvious that the damage to the front is almost negligible compared to the damage in the rear. In this case, the rear damage is getting your car totalled. That means whoever hit you in the back (I think you said an old guy in a Monte Carlo??), is responsible, and your insurance company will give you money for your car, and go after the other driver's company for that money.

Quote:

BTW, speaking of no fault, I know some 1 from NJ who caused an accident in MA, a no-fault state. He cut in front of another car & caused it to loose control & hit a tree, resulting in extensive damage. He was responble (or stupid) enough to stop, which ever way you look at it. He wasn't liable for any property damage since he did not hit anything, but the other driver claimed injury (he was taken to the hospital, eventhough he did not appear hurt) & filed a civil suite. The ins. co is handling it & the case is still pending.

Sounds about right. He probably also got ticketed for Wreckless Driving or Careless Driving, resulting in an accident.

Injury cases are the worst. I hope I never have to go through one, whichever side I may be on.

 

You also have to consider regional differences.

There's only one Acura dealership in my hometown, and they know they have a monopoly. Add to that the fact my town is pretty wealthy.

The dealership knows they can charge more and get away with it.

I negotiated for days, and I completely wore out my salesperson, who was a 23-year-old girl who had only been working there for a few months. Her exact words after the transaction were, "You rode my ass pretty hard." :wow:

Even the Sales Manager was sick of me, because she was going back to him for a new price every so often.

And I only got 30,200 for an '03 TL-S without Navigation. That's only $1,630 off the sticker price. I was disappointed, but we were all exhausted, and they said as much as they didn't want to see me walk out, it was the best they could do.

I called the other Acura dealership in the region, which was about half an hour away from my house, and about 40-45 minutes from Acura of Troy (where I got my car from). I talked to a salesperson on the phone for a while, showed him genuine interest, and he told me to come on down for a talk. The usual "Get them to come in the showroom." tactic. I said I most definitley will come in if he could beat the price of 30,200. He immediately said, "Oh, no way. I would lose my job if I sold this car for that price."

I said thanks and hung up.

I've seen posts where members have said they've gotten an identical car as mine, for as low as 27,xxx dollars. That means I overpaid by at least a couple of thousand dollars.

But you know what? I got the best deal in Southeastern Michigan. You've gotta do what you gotta do.

 

Really thats what is important. No matter how much profit the dealership makes, if the customer thinks he got a good deal, then the customer got a good deal.

 

I definately would not part out the car yourself. Its the worst idea anyone could come up with. All the trouble it takes, dont make that much because everyone that wants to buy something thinks they can get it for nearly nothing and lowball you on the part and worst of all your garage ends up looking like a junk yard, or in my opinion any yard in Wyandotte County Kansas.

 

 

I heard NJ is very strict and sometimes a pain in the ass when it comes to car stuff.



Like I said, I'm no expert in state legislatures, and I'm sure it varies from state to state.

Michigan has no-fault for collisions. What I described above, is exatly how it works over here.

What you just told me is pretty scary. I'm glad Michigan isn't like that. I think my family has claimed 4 not-at-fault accidents in the past 3-4 years, and our premium hasn't gone up, except for after 9/11/01, along with some minor inflation corrections, I think.

My family is paying about 6 grand a year for 4 cars and I thought we were paying too much. My brother's 19, so he's high risk. I have 3 points on my record, so I have a 200% surcharge, I think.


Nonetheless, good luck with the car. I hope you come out OK.

 

I agree. The deal I got was not that good anymore compared to some others I've seen in the forum. However, I did do research & compare prices before I bought it. KBB.com lists the avg price & the price range people are actually paying for this car, after you enter the options; as well as blue book & retail prices for used cars after you enter the mileage/options. The price I got from dealer was below the lower limit of the new car price range & lower than the retail value of the used car with same mileage; similar results from Edmunds.com; so I thought it was a great deal at the time. Also, you assumed right, I bought it on 9/20, just before the all new 04 model launch, but this car was exactly what I wanted, & no other dealers have it or can get any more, so I took it, despite it was a demo.
Again, I agree (& know) that demo's are usually driven hard, where as a new car should be "broken in" slowly. So are pre-owned cars that are returns from leased contracts, which are more likely to be abused more & not maintained according to schedule as compared to cars owned by individuals.

Well, I guess I'm a sucker twice, since this 03 TL was totalled, & I need a car for work, so I bought a 04 TL w/nav, anthracite/quartz, wing spoiler, ground effect kit, trunk tray & wheel locks, but also a demo with 3034 mi already. Picked up on 11/19. Price was $35,400 (include destination but before tax & fees). Again, this was exactly what I wanted, but no dealer in N. NJ has any new ones in stock, & no other dealer is offering any discounts. Since I was a repeat customer, the dealer where I bought the 03 TL offered me $34,000 for a new car but have to wait till January to get it. Since I need it ASAP, I settled on the demo for same price, + $1400 for the options mentioned. I guess I'm not a bastard negotiator. Appreciate your professional opinion on this deal. BTW, do you work for Acura dealership? If not, what brand?

 

[B]

Yes, he got 2 citations, "failure to yield" (actually, it was a police car, he did not pull over soon enough, never heard siren), & "impede oper" (had radio loud so he didn't hear siren, but heard tire screech). Anyway, he knew a lawer who knows the cop who wrote the tickets, so the cop made a good recommendation to the judge in court, so the more serious charge which carries points was dropped, also reduced the fine on the lesser charge to $20, so it was a slap on the wrist. But I guess being a relatively new driver, he learned a lesson.

Yes, injury cases are devastating. A friend was broadside by a woman who ran thru the red light. My friend was seriously hurt but the woman sued anyway! But I guess it's harder these days to collect any judgements even if you win. My brother in-law was hit in rear about 5 years ago. He sued & got judgements several times, but the lawer for the other ins co (All State) kept on appealing, so the case has dragged till now & he hasn't collected a penny. I think in a situation when you get sued, it's better to have a larger (& more expensive) ins co protecting you.