My g/f's dad told me that if my truck is repaired and it costs more than half of the value of my truck that it will have a salvage notation on the title that will make it impossible to get anything for it when trying to sell it or trade it in.

You guys know anything about this?

If this is true how do you go about getting the insurance company to deem it totalled. Also AutoBodyAmerica wasn't aware of all of the damage with the initial estimate. Now that they found more damage than they intitially thought the cost of reparing my truck will probly be half the value of the truck. You guys know anything about this sort of stuff??

Thanks for your help!

2/27/2006 10:59:51 PM

insurance will make the decision. typically, if the cost of the repair is 75% (give or take some) of the value of the vehicle it'll be totalled. the only way it would get a salvage title is if you decided to buy the truck back from the insurance company and have it repaired. it would then be considered salvage rebuilt. actually, it technically gets a salavage title as soon as they total it, but that's of no concern to you if the insurance keeps it.

if the insurance doesn't total it and it's repaired, it will not recieve a salvage title. you can fight to have it totalled if the repair cost is close to their limit of totalling it. i would definitely do this, major wrecks still cause a vehicle's value to go down even though it's still got a clean title.

if it is repaired and is a newer vehicle, you can also request insurance to cut you a check to account for the depreciation the accident caused.

2/27/2006 11:20:45 PM

Here's my experience on this issue. About 13 months ago my car, a 1988 Rx-7, got into a fender-bender. It needed a new fender, bumper, and side mirror. My insurance is Progressive and the guy came over to look at the car. He told me the NADA value was I think $2500 or something. I really didn't want a salvage title because it would make selling the car much more difficult, plus I had access to parts cars and good deals on body work.

I just told the guy straight up that I really didn't want one and I was willing to get less money from the insurance company and everything. He told me he would play with the estimate a little bit to keep that from happening. When he brought the paperwork over two days later, it was within like $50 of the salvage title amount. I looked through it and he quoted all the prices for parts at some kind of aftermarket rate.

Oh and just so you know, an accident is not necessarily going to go on-record. I never had a police report for mine so if you check the carfax it's clean. If you pop the hood though you can tell the fender's been replaced. I'll just tell whoever I sell the car to eventually the truth of the matter, but that's way better than someone looking up the VIN and seeing a salvage title.

2/27/2006 11:29:04 PM