My 2020 Honda Accord was hit by another as it was parked in the street. The car that hit it was probably going 30 to 35 mph. There was damage to the drivers side rear quarter panel and the driver's side rear tire was definitely at a crazy angle. I don't think it was knocked from the axle though because the tow truck driver drove the car onto the flatbed of the truck. The insurance company evaluated the replacement value of my car at just over 20k (which is a comparable price to other 2020 Honda Accords with similar mileage for sale in my area), and said the salvage price is 9k. The insurance company declared the car totaled because the cost to repair the car exceeded the replacement cost minus the salvage price. That means the repairs would cost over 11k. How is that even possible? Even if the entire rear axle had to be replaced, how in the world could it cost 11k to repair this car?
Car declared totaled, but how could repairs cost this much?
byu/AnywhereSad2280 inInsurance
Posted by AnywhereSad2280
7 Comments
ask for a copy of the estimate?
lot of ways it could have happened and not really useful to guess
It adds up faster than most people expect. A rear quarter panel hit with a wheel pushed out of position is not just “replace an axle and repaint a panel.” It can mean suspension parts, wheel, tire, possible hub or knuckle damage, possible subframe issues, alignment, scan and calibration work, quarter panel labor, paint and blend work, and then hidden structural damage once the shop opens it up.
And now you know why insurance rates are high lol. The repair costs for vehicles has exploded over the last 5 years. a lot of it is labor basically doubled in last 5.
One thing that is almost universally true about most people is that they all VASTLY underestimate how much it costs to fix a car. I tell most people to give their most liberal guess and then multiply it by at least five and that’s probably closer to the actual number. Ask for a copy I’d the estimate and check for yourself. If it’s your car then they’re required to provide you a copy.
ahhh yes people that couldn’t change a tire if someone was holding a gun to their head don’t understand how much cars cost to fix.
You could’ve just admitted you don’t know anything about car repairs and accomplished the same thing, OP.
Repairs are more expensive now especially with newer vehicles and all the technology in them. Not to mention that tariffs have increased parts pricing and such. Based on where you reported the point of impact there will be supplements for your vehicle for the hidden damage such as suspension or damage behind the quarter panel. You can ask for a copy of the estimate they have to review.