Questionhi i have a few ??s i cant seem to get an answer from i recently dameag my
car valued at 21k for a lil over 15k the first estimate was 10k which wasnt
70% i cant blame them for not totaling it but after 2 months i finally get it
back and there is some unsatisfactory work done for starters my headlights
were expensive xenon hid and they replaced it with a standard headlight the
driver side needed no repairs my car vibrates at 40mph they tell me to get an
allignment i did. and balancedem my personal mechanic found some really
looose bolts on the upper control arm bracket tightened them in front of me
it help a lot but still shakes at 40 mph i have condonsation on the headlight
they replaced that wont permanently dry.my mechanic said i was lucky my
wheel didnt fly right off while driving at 15k my car shoulda been totaled in
my eyes there is a few more little details i wont ramble on about but can i get
issues like these fixed or total it out with my insurance they took the car in
after i complaind about the vibration but cant find the problem my mechanic
found plenty of loose bolts that held wires and cables in place they didnt
tighten and they broke a few of my trim items inside the car while repairing
it. its not the same car anymore what options do i have thanks for your help
if you can help me get a peice of mind. ps i dropped them as my insurance
company and will not recommend that shop to anybody i wanna trade my car
but i am upside down cause of the paint work and the value of the car from a
claim on carfax. i hit a deer and a tree at the same time is how i wrecked my
vehicle. after hitting the deer i ran off the road down a ditch to a tree. they
did a good job on the body work though.
AnswerHi Brandon,
Most insurance companies will declare a car, light truck, or SUV to be a total loss when the preliminary cost of repairs reaches some pre-determined percentage of the vehicle's value. Generally, the percentage used is anywhere from 70% to 80%. A total loss is declared when it is determined that it is in the insurance company's best financial interest to declare the vehicle a total loss. This percentage is an insurance industry practice and in most cases is not related to a state law. There are only a few states that require a vehicle be declared a total loss when a certain threshold is met. Most states allow an insurer to repair a vehicle all the way up to 100% of the vehicles value. However, since at this point your vehicle has been repaired, there is no chance of getting it totaled.
If your insurance company told you to take your vehicle to a specific shop then they are responsible for the quality of the repairs. If you selected the shop on your own then you just have to deal with the body shop.
You should make a written list of the items you are not pleased with. Then call the shop manager and make an appointment to go in. If your insurance company referred you to the shop you should also call the claims adjuster and have them send someone to this meeting as well. You will go over your list of concerns having each person put their initials next to each item that they are agreeing is bad and can be corrected. Then make an appointment for the to make the corrections. Either the insurance comapny or the body shop should provide you with a rental car during the re-repairs. Then when you go to pick up the vehicle bring your list and go over each item. With the shop manager in the car with you, go for a test drive to see if the vibration has been corrected. You should also demand that they replace your headlamps with the xenon lamps that were on the car before.
I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbauh
