# Car fixable after accident? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 13, 2017, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-fixable-after-accident/793533 "2017-08-13T12:58:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-fixable-after-accident/793533/41 "2017-08-16T14:48:31Z")
> [@Sumatra5](#): > > Interesting! What company are you with? I just lowered my insurance to the bare requirements now. I thought they were but I guess not. Now I’ll pay under $45 instead of $50 a month! I think I was with Progressive at the time. Looks like it’s called ‘non-owner’ car insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Sumatra5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Sumatra5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sumatra5)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-fixable-after-accident/793533/42 "2017-08-16T14:51:19Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > I think I was with Progressive at the time. Looks like it’s called ‘non-owner’ car insurance. Interesting! Well I was with progressive when I first had bought the Alero in 2010. I had to switch to Geico in 2013 because they kept jacking my rates sky high for no reason. I always have a perfect driving record! How much did you have to pay for the non owners insurance? ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-fixable-after-accident/793533/43 "2017-08-16T15:26:55Z")
> [@Sumatra5](#): > > Interesting! Well I was with progressive when I first had bought the Alero in 2010. I had to switch to Geico in 2013 because they kept jacking my rates sky high for no reason. I always have a perfect driving record! How much did you have to pay for the non owners insurance? Sorry, this was like 15 years ago. Some fraction of what I had been paying though. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-fixable-after-accident/793533/44 "2017-08-16T15:39:08Z")
In the UK you can often get a better deal on insurance as a new customer than by rolling over from last year. When you quit you get a “proof of history” which is generally good for a year at least. That said, fairly new drivers need to build up a history, so it can pay them to insure a cheap car for a year without using it and running the risk of having a claim. Bear in mind that a new driver will probably have to pay £1,500 plus for the first year, although it drops fairly fast after. ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-fixable-after-accident/793533/45 "2017-08-16T16:58:08Z")
You say the car had new tires. If they were really that new I’d have at least wanted them off the car before I signed it over to the tow company. Depends on exactly what you mean by new though. ---
**Author:** ![Sumatra5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Sumatra5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sumatra5)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-fixable-after-accident/793533/46 "2017-08-17T02:23:19Z")
> [@Pixel\_Dent](#): > > You say the car had new tires. If they were really that new I’d have at least wanted them off the car before I signed it over to the tow company. Depends on exactly what you mean by new though. I don’t think that would have happened. I asked them if they would give me something for the car and they said no because of scrap costs. I should have taken the cd player faceplate tho I only took the remote. But the stereo got an error once in awhile related to failure of the bluetooth module. You have to turn the car off and back on for the loud sound to stop. I had the same issue with the previous pioneer radio I had in the car. By new I mean January 2016 I spent $450 on a new set + install costs. I’m sure I could have gotten another 4 years out of them. My first set lasted over 5 years! ---
**Author:** ![Sumatra5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Sumatra5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sumatra5)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-fixable-after-accident/793533/47 "2017-08-17T02:36:20Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > In the UK you can often get a better deal on insurance as a new customer than by rolling over from last year. When you quit you get a “proof of history” which is generally good for a year at least. > > That said, fairly new drivers need to build up a history, so it can pay them to insure a cheap car for a year without using it and running the risk of having a claim. Bear in mind that a new driver will probably have to pay £1,500 plus for the first year, although it drops fairly fast after. All the insurance companies here in the US raise rates based on various things. I was told by my last company before I left them its because of economy how other drivers are etc…the company i’m with now have not raised my rates too high so far. I have a good driving record and history! I’m not someone that gets tickets and accidents all the time so my rate at which I may file a claim is very low. When your a teenager in the US and first driving rates go up but go down when your in your 20’s. I’m paying very little money for my insurance so it’s not as big of a deal as it would be if I were paying insurance on a newer or brand new car! ---
**Author:** ![Sumatra5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Sumatra5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sumatra5)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-fixable-after-accident/793533/48 "2017-08-18T02:04:18Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > 1. Do you not have uninsured motorist insurance? Check your policy. It’s usually part of a standard policy, and is very cheap. You can have it without collision insurance. > > 2. You should not admit fault, let insurance figure that out. And if both were ticketed, that suggests that the police thought the share of responsibility was not 100% your fault, as many states allow proportioning of liability (some do not). > > “Totalled” in insurance terms means that the value of the car is less than the repair cost. It generally means that it will cost you to get it back, yes. And you probably have a deductible? I recommend shopping for a “new” (as in used) car. I had liability on the car. The vehicle was worth under $1,000! The officers said I was at fault and didn’t yield (even though I did) and the guy that hit me didnt have insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Sumatra5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Sumatra5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sumatra5)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-fixable-after-accident/793533/49 "2017-08-18T02:17:58Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > They probably just bent it back enough to make it easier to move it around the lot, it’s probably still not road-worthy. > > At some point, as with most things, you just have to admit defeat and quit pouring money into something. With your car, I would think that would have been about $10,000 ago. > > I don’t have a new car, my newest vehicle is a 2004. I guess, in some sense, that would be considered modern. I’ve had new cars before, my last one being a 2012, and they are nice but you have to do what is best for you and your financial situation. I still question weather the car was drive able! At the accident scene when I was asked if I could move it I had tried and it moved like an inches then a loud crunch was heard. I didn’t see any damage on the bottom of car as far as I could tell but I didnt have a flashlight or anything. I did get hit hard enough to where I ended up with whiplash i’d say 30-35mph. I hope I didn’t make the mistake of signing the title over. I’m just kind of torn on the whole issue to be honest. I’m not sure if i’d ever feel safe driving that car even if I would have gotten it back! ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-fixable-after-accident/793533/50 "2017-08-18T13:46:14Z")
> [@Sumatra5](#): > > I hope I didn’t make the mistake of signing the title over. I’m just kind of torn on the whole issue to be honest. I’m not sure if i’d ever feel safe driving that car even if I would have gotten it back! For some amount of money, the car could be fixed but that amount of money is likely way more than the car is worth. The car had essentially no value and you would never feel safe driving it. It sounds like getting rid of it was the best thing. Maybe you can start a new thread in IMHO, tell us where you live, and we can all join you looking at some cars on Craigslist. I do wish you the best of luck finding a new car. ---
**Author:** ![Sumatra5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Sumatra5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sumatra5)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-fixable-after-accident/793533/51 "2017-08-18T19:05:38Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > For some amount of money, the car could be fixed but that amount of money is likely way more than the car is worth. The car had essentially no value and you would never feel safe driving it. It sounds like getting rid of it was the best thing. > > Maybe you can start a new thread in IMHO, tell us where you live, and we can all join you looking at some cars on Craigslist. I do wish you the best of luck finding a new car. Guess my reply didn’t post. I know that the amount of repairs I had done to the car were more than what it was worth. My dad said if the frame was bent it will never drive the same and it probably is not be safe to drive. I was hit i’d say about 30-35mph on the rear driver side. My chiropractor says I got whiplash as I told him my glasses ended up on the seat next to me and my next hurts and my back and sciatica nerve pain flared up. Well its done anyways I signed the car title over to the impound tow place. I live in Arizona so having a car out here especially during mid summer is going to be difficult! Thankfully my health insurance provides transportation to my doctor appointments all I have to figure out is how i’m going to get groceries now. I live 3 miles from the nearest grocery store and I cant carry very much or walk far. Looking at craigslist was a great idea thanks I didnt think of that. I actually found a 2000 Honda Accord 4dr EX perfect condition for $1,000 with less than 100k based on the ad. KBB says excellent condition is over $2,500 so it seems like a deal too good to be true. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-fixable-after-accident/793533/52 "2017-08-18T20:23:39Z")
> [@Sumatra5](#): > > I actually found a 2000 Honda Accord 4dr EX perfect condition for $1,000 with less than 100k based on the ad. KBB says excellent condition is over $2,500 so it seems like a deal too good to be true. It may be too good to be true but it could be a few other things such as the person is desperate for money, has too many cars and just wants to get rid of it, person is moving. Also, the seller’s version of ‘excellent’ may be quite different from others. Also, KBB and such are just ballpark guesses as to the value. ---
**Author:** ![Sumatra5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Sumatra5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sumatra5)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-fixable-after-accident/793533/53 "2017-08-18T20:28:33Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > It may be too good to be true but it could be a few other things such as the person is desperate for money, has too many cars and just wants to get rid of it, person is moving. > > Also, the seller’s version of ‘excellent’ may be quite different from others. > > Also, KBB and such are just ballpark guesses as to the value. True but the person posted the ad several times over the past couple weeks. I messaged them and havent heard anything just yet. I’ll give it over the weekend. The other thing is I have to find rides to go look at cars. Having no friends and family where I live makes it difficult. Would taking Lyft make sense? Any suggestions? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-fixable-after-accident/793533.md?page=2)