Auto Insurance Claims: Repair vs Salvage, 2004 kia amanti, kia amanti

Question
I recently had a front end accident with my 2004 Kia Amanti.  The repair estimate totals $8370.  The book value on the car is $11,900.  I do not have a loan on the car and am wondering if it would be better for me to authorize the repairs or just take the money and sell the car as is and buy a new one.  The repair center claims there is no frame damage to the car, but I find it difficult to believe....  Another question is, does an accident with this type of damage void my manufacturers warranty?

Answer
As far as no frame damage is concerned, that is likely true given that you don't have a frame.  This vehicle is unibody construction.

Based on my KIA experience, one reason for the high $$ is that Kia makes more money on their parts than their cars.  I've seen some Kia parts cost more than the same part on a Mercedes.

I cannot address the best scenario for your situation without seeing the car.  You may come out ahead by selling the car as is though as it will likely be purchased by a body shop who will repair allot of the things that are currently being replaced.  Then that shop will sell the car to some poor soul who will have an improperly repaired car on their hands.

The accident itself does not affect the warranty as long as the vehicle is not a total loss.  Now a particular item may be denied under warranty but the burden of proof that the failure is accident related lies on the manufacturer.

Hope I've helped.  Good luck!