Another wreck… now car shopping

[471_Magnum]

First time it was me getting rear ended in the Road Runner. This time it involved my wife, son, and her 2007 Pacifica. Driver and passenger walked away with bumps and bruises. The car on the other hand, was not so fortunate.

Wednesday afternoon a "distracted driver" blew through a red light in a 2000-ish Honda Accord, clipping the front of my wife's car. The impact spun the Pacifica 90 degrees. Driver airbags were deployed.

I haven't inspected the car too closely myself, but the pictures tell the story. Body shop estimate has come in at $11500.

Knowing the driver at fault has crappy minimum coverage insurance I went ahead and filed a claim through my insurance company. I'll probably have to eat my $500 deductable, but it's ultimately a small price to pay for not having to wrangle with the other insurance company. If I'm lucky, I'll get the deductible back sometime down the road.

With the trade in value on the Pacifica being around $13000, there is a strong possibility the insurance company will total it. As much as we like the car, I'm not sure I want it back after the extensive repairs it will require.

Knowing that we lose our rental car coverage five days later if they do total it, we've already poked around a little bit trying to decide how to replace it. I have found a couple of other near identical Pacificas on the market, but now that we've got the opportunity, we may as well look at other options.

Our current lifestyle screams for a minivan, but the wife is resistant to the concept. She struggles with the minivan stigma. To me, the leap from Pacifica to minivan is a very short one on the "dork scale".

Regardless, what she really wants is something with all the luxury of the Pacifica, more cargo capacity, and better gas mileage... but not a minivan. We'll see where that takes us, but I'll probably get her to at least test drive a Town & Country.

[472 R/T SE]

Glad your family's OK.

I got a call about a month ago from my frantic wife saying she just totaled the truck & asked if I would come to the scene.  Where there was no traffic I had the Maggie up to 120mph to get there.  I know she said they were OK but until I physically seen them I was scared to death.  We tried for 8 years to have our daughter.  If something had happened to her I honestly don't think I could have pulled through.
Our estimate was $18k but then again both frame rails were bent @ 90 degree angles in front of the suspension.

One thing about air bags I've learned.  When they go off insurance cos. don't like to replace them.  It's their ass if you have another accident & the new bags don't go off & someone gets hurt.  That's what the insurance inspector who came to look at our truck said.

Dump that rig, you don't want your loved ones back in it.      

[472 R/T SE]

Oh yeah, might I suggest an SRT8 Jeep Gran Cherokee for her next rig?

It took my wife about 2 days to realize how cool having an SRT 10 was so any idea of me getting it were tossed out the window real quick.

[471_Magnum]

Actually, I'm pretty pleased with the way the Pacifica performed. It kept my family safe.

The airbag deployment definitely is the big hitter.

An SRT 8 would be fun, but really doesn't match our needs. They're expensive to boot. Our budget is pretty modest.

[Ghoste]

How is your bride emotionally?  She still shook up or all good now?

[471_Magnum]

How is your bride emotionally?  She still shook up or all good now?

Still a little shook up. Not real comfortable being in a car. Pretty sore the previous few days, but generally okay now.

[tan top]

oh crikey !!  glad every one ok 

[bobs66440]

Glad everyone is ok.

I agree. I don't think I would want that car back. I would dump it also.

[471_Magnum]

Don't get me wrong. I'll definitely be lobbying hard to have it totaled. No doubt about it. Let's show a little respect for the old girl though.

[BrianShaughnessy]

Glad your family is OK.

They'll total is easy.  But sorry to say  I don't see anybody paying 13 retail for a Pacifica,,  let alone trade in value.   

Go for a Grand Cherokee,  no mini van stigma.

[471_Magnum]

I checked several sources as well as retail ads. 13 on the trade-in is a pretty good number. It's a fully loaded 07 with AWD.

Used car values are nuts right now.

[Charger-Bodie]

What they can get for a salvage bid is going to become a key part of whether this one goes total or not. If they can get a hefty salvage bid, it wont take as much to total the car. Usually on average 75 % or Retail will total the vehicle.

[skip68]

Glad they're OK.   Hopefully you will do well with the insurance company.    Good luck.   

[Todd Wilson]

I'm glad everyone is ok.   I have been in the market for a family truckster myself and have the same feelings about a minivan. We need it but cant bring myself to drive. it.   I have looked around at all the various Mopar vehicles and if you are wanting more space  a used Durango may be an option. I finally test drove a 2006 a few weeks ago and was impressed with it. The MPG probably wont be as good as the P  but you still got plenty of room and safety built in.

I am seeing used Durangos 3-5 yrs old for 12k to 16k depending on mileage and options and so forth.


Todd

[471_Magnum]

We just got back from looking at a new T&C. I'll probably go with a used 2011 if we go the minivan route.

If we don't get a minivan, we'll probably just find another 07 or 08 Pacifica, effectively deferring the minivan argument for another few years.

[Ghoste]

Oh come on, join us in the minivan club.  It aint so bad.

[471_Magnum]

Like I stated previously, the move from a Pac' to a minivan is a very small step on the dork scale. For me, it's not a problem. It's the wife that's struggling with it. I already sacrificed my pride three years ago when I traded in my Lexus in on the Pac'.

[Ghoste]

Its not becoming a dork, its giving in to the undeniable domestic reality in which you live.

[471_Magnum]

Its not becoming a dork, its giving in to the undeniable domestic reality in which you live.

Sounds like a dork in denial to me.

[Ghoste]

Bully.

[rt green]

get a magnum

[4cruzin]

Auto accidents are never fun . . . . 

[471_Magnum]

get a magnum

We actually test drove Magnums before we bought the Pac'. Not enough cargo capacity and the high belt line made the wife claustrophobic. The Pac' was just more bang for the buck.

[rt green]

i always wanted a lacrosse or a lasabre. great cars

[68X426]

Good to hear that the family is ok. But ...

Oh come on, join us in the minivan club.  It aint so bad.

[bill440rt]

What they can get for a salvage bid is going to become a key part of whether this one goes total or not. If they can get a hefty salvage bid, it wont take as much to total the car. Usually on average 75 % or Retail will total the vehicle.

  x2

Glad to hear everyone is OK! That is most important. The Pac' can be easily replaced.
Usually the insurer (at least here in NJ) will total the vehicle at about 75% of clean retail. There could be some wiggle room depending on the make/model, mileage, and condition.

Years ago, right after my first son was born, my wife was driving a Mazda Tribute and we were looking for something bigger. "I'm NOT driving a minivan!" is all I ever heard. Then, a funny thing happened. She went out one night with her friends, one of which drove a minivan that night. She came home, "We GOTTA get one of those!!"
Errr.... OK, honey. 

We bought our first Grand Caravan shortly after, and she loved it so much we upgraded a few years ago to the current model T&C. She loves the convenience of it, and our kids love all the gadgets. Well, at least for now!    It's also great on long trips.

Best of luck with whatever you decide to purchase. Hope it all works out for you in the end.

[471_Magnum]

So the initial word back from the insurance company through the body shop is that the car is repairable.

I find it hard to believe a 2007 Pacifica with 75000 miles has enough value to justify $11500 in repairs. The rule of thumb is 70%, which would put it at about $16500. I paid $16900 for it 3 years and 50K miles ago! The salvage value must be complete crap on these.

It's not so much that I want a new car, but that I don't want to be saddled with a car that has a collision history when the time comes to trade, and the potential bugs associated with the extensive repairs.

My wife isn't really happy with the prospect of getting back in that car either.

Needless to say, I have not authorized the repairs and will be having a very pointed conversation with my insurance adjuster.

[moparstuart]

 the engine cradle , front crossmeber are weak on those and cost like 4k new

i sold a used cradle last week for 1500.00


so parts are freaking out of site expensive for those wagons

[69rtse4spd]

Oh come on, join us in the minivan club.  It aint so bad.

I agree, got a 98 with 295,000 on her, & use it more than my pick up. can get ten foot boards in with no problem. Glad everyone is OK, gas mileage may suck, but I still like a lot of steel around me & my family.

[Charger-Bodie]

So the initial word back from the insurance company through the body shop is that the car is repairable.

I find it hard to believe a 2007 Pacifica with 75000 miles has enough value to justify $11500 in repairs. The rule of thumb is 70%, which would put it at about $16500. I paid $16900 for it 3 years and 50K miles ago! The salvage value must be complete crap on these.

It's not so much that I want a new car, but that I don't want to be saddled with a car that has a collision history when the time comes to trade, and the potential bugs associated with the extensive repairs.

My wife isn't really happy with the prospect of getting back in that car either.

Needless to say, I have not authorized the repairs and will be having a very pointed conversation with my insurance adjuster.

Do you have a body shop that you can trust? Any car can be fixed and fixed right if the shop takes pride in what they do.

[471_Magnum]

Got some more info from the insurance co. They say the car is (was) worth about $17000. I got a good chuckle out of that. There's not one single online reference that shows it that high. Kelly, Nada, and Edmonds all show it below $13000 on trade-in. Top retail figure was ~$15000.  If I'd have known it was worth $17K, I'd have traded it before this mess.

Anyway, I'll be having a conversation with the claims specialist tomorrow.

[472 R/T SE]

Has your insurance inspector looked at it yet?

Ask your insurance if they plan on standing behind the rig if she's in an accident again & the air bags don't deploy & God forbid a family member becomes hurt. 

May I ask who your insurance is?

We just switched to State Farm a couple years ago & I have nothing but praise for them.

[471_Magnum]

Inspector is going to look at it today. It's SF.

[bill440rt]

Got some more info from the insurance co. They say the car is (was) worth about $17000. I got a good chuckle out of that. There's not one single online reference that shows it that high. Kelly, Nada, and Edmonds all show it below $13000 on trade-in. Top retail figure was ~$15000.  If I'd have known it was worth $17K, I'd have traded it before this mess.

Anyway, I'll be having a conversation with the claims specialist tomorrow.

The insurance company will consider value on clean retail, not trade in value.


Let's say for discussion purposes they are deeming the car repairable right now. Once it gets to the body shop, the first thing a competent shop will do is perform a teardown & immediately assess additional hidden damages before performing any repairs. Then, they would contact your insurance company for a reinspection of the vehicle to assess those additional hidden damages. This is called a "supplement".

They're saying the car is worth $17000 now? And there are $11500 in damages? 70% of $17000 is $11900. What looks like $11500 now could go much higher really easily if hidden damages are found. It's only $400 bucks away.

[gtx6970]

A minvan is hands down the best overall vehicle for family life( mine anyway)  fuel mileage in ours is extremly high teens to as high as low 20's on trips if I keep my foot out of it, not to mention  interior room has no comparison

we have a 2006 grand caravan with the 3.8 and stow-n-go seats. best one we've had to date( this is our 4th mini-van in 13 years)

[471_Magnum]

I know it's right on the line at the current estimate. I suspect the body shop low balled it somewhat just to get the greenlight.

Regardless, the inspector will look at it at some point today to make his own assessment.

The Pac was generally good for 24 mpg on the highway. Sometimes a bit better. Pretty thirsty around town though and that's really been my wife's only complaint with it. She'd like more space too, but I know she'd just tote around more crap. Strong possibility that we will seek out another if it gets totaled.

[471_Magnum]

I've now heard it directly from the insurance company that they have deemed the car repairable. I've been told to call their total-loss department if I want to dispute it.

I've also spoken with the local claim specialist/auditor/inspector that has reviewed the estimate and concurred that it is repairable, but also stated that it may be close enough that the insurance company will work with me on it. He confirmed what was already mentioned; the value they use is based on NADA clean retail, and 60-70% is the limit for total loss. My calculation puts it at 67%. He also re-assured me that if it ultimately does get repaired, I've got it at one of the best shops in town for the job.

So tomorrow I will be making more phone calls.

[472 R/T SE]

That's too bad. 

It took our daughter a couple weeks to warm up to the fact of riding in another pick up.  She wanted nothing to do with the wrecked truck & even cried when we told her the ins. "might" fix it.

We took the new truck to Seattle & my reasoning was to sooth her fears'.  Of course, my driving is not like her Mom's.

[471_Magnum]

Made a phone call to the total-loss claims department to get a better understanding of the numbers they used to decide to repair the car. After being on hold for over 20 minutes, I finally got to talk to one of their claim specialists. He asked me a couple of questions, included what I thought the car might be worth (about 16K retail). Then asked if I wanted the car repaired (no, not really). Then told me he would review the numbers and call me back in 10 minutes.

20 minutes later, he calls back with a settlement figure. They're giving me retail plus tax for the car, which according to their numbers is almost exactly what I paid for it 3 years ago. I'll pick up the check tomorrow (minus what I still owe the bank). Gotta be satisfied with that.

Guess I'm car shopping this weekend.

Actually, I'm not looking forward to car shopping, but this is a better outcome than the repair scenario.

[bill440rt]

Good for you, dude!! I somehow knew they would come thru for you. 

Best of luck car, errr.... minivan shopping! 

[471_Magnum]

Picked up the check this morning.

I'm not convinced we need a van yet.

Thinking Jetta TDI Sportwagen....

[XS29LA47V21]

get a magnum

indeed, I enjoy my RTmagwag, hammer away.

[GPULLER]

If the shop didn't tear the vehicle down to write the estimate there could easily be a couple hundred dollars of supplements that could push the estimate over 70%.  I know when I'm writing an estimate and they get to 65% or so of the cash value I would rather vehicle totaled than take on the repairs and then find the extra costs.   Some shops will repair a vehicle that should be totaled and if they find supplements they will eat the extra costs.
Used vehicles have increased in value in the last couple years, my opinion is because of cash for clunkers.  The insurance companies generally pay pretty well for a totaled car.  They do seem to be worth more dead than alive.
Glad you got something settled and that everyone was OK.

[471_Magnum]

Checked out some cars today with the wife. Looked at the Sportwagen (too small), Mazda CX-9 (too expensive), Mazda CX-7 (too cheap) and a Subaru Outback (hmmm...).

Also inquired on a pre-owned Cadillac CTS Wagon 3.6 (too impractical). She'd be the coolest Mom in the pick-up line.

So we really liked the Subaru. Won't win any drag races with the 2.5, but it rides as nice as the Pacifica, with good handling too. Plenty of space. The Limited has just about all the features we could want. Great gas mileage. Proven reliability. Could be on to something here.

[64dartgt]

I liked the Subaru Outback wagon.  The 2.5L is peppy and heated seats with a cloth interior is standard.  Blew my mind.  Cost was about $21K in 2003 dollars.  Wife refused.  Told me that only Lesbians drove them LOL.   

[471_Magnum]

Wife refused.  Told me that only Lesbians drove them LOL.   

I'm not a lesbian, but I'm willing to learn. 

[69bronzeT5]

If your going to veer off into the wagon group.....what about a Dodge Magnum? You can get a really nice one for $17,000 that's for sure. I LOVE my '05 R/T.....been averaging about 20mpg or so. That's with the 5.7 Hemi too.

[471_Magnum]

No Magnums. Covered that about a week ago.

[bull]

Your man card will be immediately revoked if you buy a Subaru. A minivan isn't much better in my book but I can't deny the practicality of them. Still, we ditched our T&C for an '03 Durango in '07 and we all love it. The gas mileage sux but it doesn't go very far around town so it evens out. But it's basically a truck so you get the ride, mpg, handling, etc. of a truck, but the room is great, it kicks butt in the snow and does well in the safety dept. Ours has the third row seating and the fold-down buddy seat in front so we can haul 8 people. If I had it to do over though I might have bought a Ram quad cab with a Hemi MDS that gets up to 20 mpg. I test drove a couple of Cherokees before buying the Durango but they're too small inside IMO.

[471_Magnum]

I lost my man card a long time ago.

We might look at a Durango.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Honda CRV too small for you?  My wife is on her second one ('09 and now an '11) She loves them.

[ChgrSteve67]

Three words

Jeep Grand Cherokee

[471_Magnum]

Practicality aside, this would have been my first choice:

RWD and a dinky cargo area are major drawbacks. Plus, I don't think I could get our toddler in the back seat without cracking his head every time. The one pictured was the only one I could find that might squeak into the budget, but at 35K miles, it exceeds our mileage target by a bunch. Sweet car though.

We'll probably cruise through the lots today to look at some Durangos and Grand Cherokees, but neither will realistically fit the budget with the miles we'd accept. Finding one with leather and low miles for [well] under $30K is pretty much impossible.

[471_Magnum]

And the winner is... Outback.

Should take delivery today.

[Vainglory, Esq.]

My sister in law has an Outback (my brother used to do their national advertising).  They're actually very nice cars.  Yes, there's the whole lesbian thing, but if you can get over what some people might think, I think you'll like it.

[Charger-Bodie]

The only negative Ive heard about the Outbacks is that they are known to eat rear wheel bearings.