QuestionQUESTION: I was struck on the driver's side of my 1993 Mercedes-Benz 190e by a large SUV. Both driver's side doors (and center pillar) are severely damaged and will need to be replaced. The likelihood of insurance covering repair expenses does not look promising at this point, as both sides are blaming the other and there are no witnesses/police reports. I was quoted $275 (driver's side front door) and $250 (driver's side rear door) from a Mercedes-Benz junkyard and was told by a body shop that repair costs would be ~$2000 at minimum. Is it worth investing another penny in this vehicle or should I just cut my losses and sell it to the junkyard? It is a great, dependable car, but it doesn't seem like a wise investment to do any repair work. Thanks so much in advance for any advice!
ANSWER: Hi Blair,
Let's say you'll have $3000 in the repair after you're finished. Which sound very realistic. If it has say around 100,000 miles on it, which for a 93 model it would be fairly low miles, and it's still in good shape after the repair of course, according to http://www.kbb.com/ it's only worth around $3,500.00 to $4,000.00 maximum. I would say it's time to abandon it and look for a new ride. I hope this might help with your decision.
Gary
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Gary, thank you so much for your prompt reply. In letting go of the car, how much should I expect to be compensated? It has 143,000 miles, the interior is actually immaculate, and no other cosmetic and/or mechanical problems. Is a junkyard the best/only route to go, or are there any other options? Thanks again!
AnswerBlair,
Unless you can find someone who has the ability to rebuild the car for themselves and is looking for a car similar to yours a junkyard is probably your only route. If you don't mind holding on to the car for a period of time you might be able to advertise in your local newspaper or on a radio swap shop show and be able to sell it that way and get a little more out of it. You might even try this website: http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites.html
I hope this helps you.
Gary
