tazTL

ok, so my sister wrecked the front end of my car. The estimate so far from the Acura dealership is $8,300 (which insurance will cover), and that is to replace the whole front end, the hood, the fog lights, the radiator, and the front portion of the frame. I owe a little less than $10k on my loan for the car. I'm thinking that I really dont want a car that has been damaged that bad and am wondering if I would be better off just taking the check for the repairs and trying to sell the car as a damaged vehicle for someone else to repair or use for parts etc etc. they said that the engine and everything else if fine...how much would I get for the car with a busted front end? this is the first car I've had in a wreck like this and am unsure what the best route would be.

any thoughts? suggestions?

thanks!

taz :-)

lostkhan

if you have 10,000 left on your car, you actually saying that its Financed!. Now that if you take that repair check, you will pay that to the bank. Now when you will sell the wrecked car, it will probably go for about 1000 to 1500 in a junkyard as totalled car. maybe less. That means u can be giving the back about 1000 more from your pocket, roughly. Now! because of the finance you have a LEAN title. which means you cant sell the car until you pay it off and make it all urs. So the best bet is, get the check, Pay the Bank and sell the car. In my opinion you should sell the car because once a car is that wrecked you dont wanna fix it because first it will give you some extra problems and ALSO you wont feel the way you used to feel in the car. just my opinion

Bob_F

I'd lay out all your options with your best estimates for the finances.

1) Have car repaired and keep it.

2) Have car repaired and sell it.

3) Take insurance check and sell damaged car.

Check with local salvage yards for the value of the car in its damaged state.

Check Kelly Blue Book for the value of the car if it was repaired.

Consider the cost of a replacement car if you sell the TL.

Consider the "hassle-factor" fo each option.

My inclination would be to have the car repaired and go from there.

Bob

tazTL

well, if I had the car repaired and then selled the car, the I would basically have to sell it as a damaged car, yes? meaning that I would get way less than the car is worth. Kelly blue book says the car's value is around $12k in good condition but after being damaged that heavily, the value would most likely drastically drop.

If I could take the check for $8300, and then get the other $1700 or so from selling the car for parts etc, then I would prefer to do that pay off the loan and just buy another 2nd gen TL-S. I'm just not sure how much I could get for the car selling as wrecked, or selling it after it has been repaired. I couldnt really sell it to someone in good concience without telling them it had been in a wreck...

thoughts?

thnx for the replies

taz

Bob_F

The Kelly Blue Book estimates do account for a previously damaged car via the "Condition" ratings.

The accident forever drops the car out of the KBB "Excellent" category since that requires that the "vehicle has never had any paint or body work."

But, after it was professionally repaired, it would qualify for a "Good" conditon rating. Of course, the KBB values can run high. It really depends on your local market and how well you advertise and present the car.

If you're going to turn around and buy another used 2nd gen TL you'll always run the risk that there will be something wrong with that car.

Bob

tazTL

hmm, well I checked ebay and found several similar cars that had flood damage or salvage title and went for 4k - 5k...if I could get a couple grand, I would def just take insurance check and sell the car.

by the way, what dictates whether a car's title gets called salvage or flood, etc? if a car gets wrecked bad enough, does its title somehow get flagged? how about carfax? will my car have a black mark on its carfax report?

thnx for all the info! :-)

taz

02TLSfan

Salvaged titles are usually for totalled or stolen/repo cars that are purchased and fixed. As soon as an insurance company totals a car out the title and VIN are immediately tagged as "salvaged" and cannot be changed or hidden no matter what you do to the car. As far as Carfax goes, it depends on your state, most require Carfax reporting, unless you're like me and live in Texas where it is not required so it is next to useless here, kinda funny because all dealerships here will give you a free Carfax report on any car on the lot even though it most likely doesn't matter, but most people don't have a clue.