Insurance wants to total car

[Captain_Hook]

Hey all. I could use a little help. We had a minor accident where someone hit my wife in a round about. The damage seemed fairly minor but insurance is saying they will total the car.

The body shop quoted $24,600 to fix everything. The main item that is causing it to be so expensive is one of the connectors that goes behind the headlight apparently can only be purchased along with the entire wiring harness.

So what would normally cost maybe $200 now cost 8,000 plus labor to remove the entire engine harness and reinstall the new one. I was wondering if anyone could share the part ID on the little box behind the headlight or if anyone has run into a similar issue. I planned to keep this car forever but now it seems I stand to lose 25k.

Also, if anyone has some advice on how to deal with insurance it would be appreciated. I’ve never totaled a car before so I’m trying to learn as I go.

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[Wavedave]

Quite alot , sorry about your loss.

 

[BonRunner]

What do u mean cost $800? From the images of the damage, that assessment seems correct.

Total loss means insurance will give u a check for the value of the car. They have their methods to get the number. It will be close to higher than KBB's estimate. I totaled by car 3 months ago before I got the 6th gen 4Runner.

Do u still finance the car? If yes, dod u purchase GAP insurance on your loan? How much is the balance on the loan? Insurance will buy back the car from your bank then resell it in auction. You can also buy it back too but wouldn't recommend.

 

[Steveg203]

Why would you lose 25k, did you roll negative equity from another vehicle?

 

[horbit]

That is not a minor accident. You can get a second opinion on the damages, or take the check and get a new vehicle, hopefully you have equity in the vehicle and are not upside down. If your wife is not at fault you should be filing this under the other persons insurance.

Something else to keep in mind this will probably show up on this vehicle history as a major repair and hurt resale value if you fix and keep it.

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