Replacing the Frame After Accident - Good or Bad???

This may sound like a dumb question but...

After an accident, the shop and insurance company plan on replacing all of the front suspension components (on one side) along with the frame due to the numbers game and the fact that a $16,000 repair does not technically make a $35,000 truck a total loss.

Is it common to replace a frame? Should I be worried? Or should I be relieved that EVERYTHING should be straight again?

I just don't know how I feel about the whole thing... not that i have a choice.

Thanks!

 

I had the frame replaced on my 2000 Tundra with about 240000 miles on it. Due to rusting from the salt on the roads up in the northeast, it was on recall so Toyota did the whole thing. It still runs perfect and has over 285000 miles on it. So i don't know if that helps but I had a good experience with a frame replacement.

 

Was it your fault, or the other drivers fault? If you were not at fault, i would be demanding a new truck. To me, the truck would be compromised, not the same, and the thought would always be in my head.

 

It was not my fault, but the other party did not have an active insurance policy. My insurance will cover it and then go after her for the money. It's not like I can just demand that they pay an extra $20k because I want them to. Insurance doesn't really work that way. I just have mixed feelings about replacing so much. At least they are using 100% new OEM parts... Most of the time it is a fight just to get them to do that.

I should also add that they are still deciding on what to do as of now... total it or fix it... but I feel like they are leaning toward fixing it.

 

i'd at least ask a lawyer. I wouldn't be happy driving a 30k truck that had to be rebuilt because of some jackass. Now the truck has bad history against it.

 

I would think that you would be able to get compensation for diminished value, as the vehicle would be worth less than an unmolested vehicle, and I'm sure this will show up on a carfax down the road.

 

it will. And i would move on to another truck if i was a buyer and saw that history.

 

I was involved in the exact same situation. My insurance paid out 12500$ to replace my frame. It took just about 3 months for them to do it and this was mainly due to the fact that all the taco frames were being shipped by the truck load to dealers who were doing the frame replacement recalls. After they were done, my truck was better than it was before. I'm still driving it to this day and couldn't be happier. Now, I did run into a few issues and i would expect to run into some of I were you. The shop I used has a lifetime warranty on their repairs and worked with me on making sure my truck was back in a drive able condition. I had a hard time getting the truck back in correct alignment and had a few suspension parts crap out on me but the shop replaced everything whenever I ran into an issue..after everything was said and done I probly had about 6-8 months of time into getting the truck back to normal..that's 3 months in the shop 3-5 troubleshooting. I plan on keeping the truck so I didn't mind taking time and working all the bugs out. Good luck!