# will my car be totaled? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 3, 2015, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125 "2015-07-03T07:51:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jasonl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47c2d/32.png) [@jasonl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonl)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/1 "2015-07-03T07:51:29Z")
I have a 2004 Honda Civic Hybrid w/160,000 + miles. It’s my workhorse. The front of the vehicle was not damaged. The right front fender, front and rear right door and right rear view mirror. The other person has admitted fault and they have allstate ins. what I’m afraid of is allstate saying its a total loss because of the age and milage I have on the car. I CAN NOT afford to get a new as I am now going back to school and work only part time as a process server. SO I use the crap out of my car. Any thoughts as to what may happen? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/2 "2015-07-03T10:37:02Z")
Generally, the insurance company considers the car totaled if the cost to fix the car is 75% of the book value of the car. ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/3 "2015-07-03T12:14:24Z")
Kelly Blue Book private party value of a 2004 Honda Civic Hybrid with standard options in my area values for approximately $2825.00. That does make the possibility of totalling the car more real. ---
**Author:** ![Qwakkeddup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Qwakkeddup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwakkeddup)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/4 "2015-07-03T12:53:05Z")
If the damage is mostly cosmetic, and you are sure it can be made safe to drive. They will offer a price, minus what your car should bring at auction in current condition, and you can keep your car. You can use the $$ as you wish, fix it up or not. Some states may require you send in the title of a totaled car and much hoop jumping to make it street legal again so YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/5 "2015-07-03T12:59:52Z")
With a car that old, it’s a possibility. I’m assuming that none of the airbags deployed. That would add a lot to the repair cost. ---
**Author:** ![ASGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@ASGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/6 "2015-07-03T14:51:48Z")
IANAL nor with the insurance industry. Just Joe Citizen type who has gone through this sort of thing. You should feel no obligation to accept the loss of your car. You said the crash was not your fault. Then you should not have to suffer any inconvenience or the loss of the vehicle. You may have to go with what Qwakkeddup said, but you do NOT need to lose a usable vehicle. Fuck the insurance companies. They don’t own your car, YOU do. If you want to keep your car, make it clear that some payment will be adequate but you intend to keep it. ---
**Author:** ![boozilu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@boozilu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boozilu)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/7 "2015-07-03T15:02:29Z")
Once I was in this situation, and the insurance company gave me a check and I just kept driving my car until .it died. But I was told that if I got into another accident I would get next to nothing for my car ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/8 "2015-07-03T15:14:15Z")
Hit in front fender a huge concern is did the suspension get damaged? It does not take much of an impact on the wheel to bend things in the front suspension and then the car doesn’t track straight, steering pulls one way or the other, or it wears tires out in a couple of weeks. Putting the car on an alignment rack will tell the story. ---
**Author:** ![jasonl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47c2d/32.png) [@jasonl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonl)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/9 "2015-07-03T18:01:37Z")
Thanks for all the replys. The airbags did not deploy, car still drives straight as an arrow. The engine is in near perfect condition the car is how I make my money so I make sure the engine is perfect. I’m in CA if that makes any difference to any one who knows about if it does get totaled. Once again thanks. ---
**Author:** ![jasonl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47c2d/32.png) [@jasonl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonl)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/10 "2015-07-03T18:02:38Z")
Thanks for all the replys. The airbags did not deploy, car still drives straight as an arrow. The engine is in near perfect condition the car is how I make my money so I make sure the engine is perfect. I’m in CA if that makes any difference to any one who knows about if it does get totaled. Once again thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/11 "2015-07-03T18:06:53Z")
If you car is old and low book value, they’ll declare it totaled if you get a squashed bug on your windshield. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/12 "2015-07-03T18:26:12Z")
Since the OP is looking for opinions, let’s move this to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/13 "2015-07-04T01:12:27Z")
My last two vehicles were totalled, the first by my son rolling it (no injuries) and the second one hit in the blind side while turning into my driveway. Both times I received much more than expected. IIRC they were in the “retail good condition” price range (they weren’t). Both were 4X4 trucks with the drivetrains undamaged. The “auction price” quoted by the insurance of the second was more than I’d have gotten on Craigs list. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/14 "2015-07-04T14:28:30Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > If you car is old and low book value, they’ll declare it totaled if you get a squashed bug on your windshield. Not necessarily. I had a Nissan Sentra a bit older than that but with lower mileage. I was hit head-on by an unlicensed driver - at very low speed, because she was turning out of the alley, and I saw her first and slammed on the brakes. The front bumper was cracked and the hood dented, but no airbags deployed. The car needed $2400 in work, but the insurance company paid it and didn’t total my car. I drove it for another couple of years after that until it needed a repair that was almost the book value of the car. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/15 "2015-07-04T23:37:32Z")
My mom’s car is a 2003 Hyundai with 37,000 miles, and a totaled title. Even though it was declared totaled a few years ago, someone hit her car last year, and again she got a check from the other insurance company. At this point that car has made her more money than she paid for it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-my-car-be-totaled/724125/16 "2015-07-05T15:01:11Z")
> [@2gigch1](#): > > Kelly Blue Book private party value of a 2004 Honda Civic Hybrid with standard options in my area values for approximately $2825.00. > > That does make the possibility of totalling the car more real. [Nadaguides.com](http://Nadaguides.com) clean retail shows about $4,475 without putting in the zip code (which will have some effect). Really it all depends on what’s cheaper for the insurance, fixing it or totaling it. There is also in some states the option of keeping a totaled vehicle with a salvage title if that does happen.