Frame Damage? 2018 Tacoma Off-Road Double Cab

There's been a few posted here. One I remember was the guy was hit by a heavy wrecker and walked away without injury just a few bumps and bruises.

After seeing the picture of the truck it was hard to believe someone even survived let alone walked away.

 

I remember that post. I was on the fence about a getting a 3rd Gen vs keeping my 2nd Gen. After I saw that I made up my mind to purchase the 3rd gen.

 

People can be such dbags

 

The frame was slightly modified to be more ridgid and have a more angular appearance. They also claim they used a higher strength steel. It’s still a C channel frame. These frames bend a lot easier than their competition because of that reason. Toyota and fan boys try to say the reason for that is better flexibility. In reality I’ll bet Toyota does it to save money. Does it make it safer in a accident? Doubtful. Not many vehicles are tested for rear collisions, and I don’t think there is any data on a Tacoma. Frontal collisions, the Tacoma is right around the competition (maybe excluding the frontier and its 13 year old design). I also called them junk because look at all the previous frame issues Toyota has had over the year. Not only on the Tacoma either. Sure you can argue the 3rd gen is different. But one could also say it’s still not proven, and only time will tell. What I can tell you is they seem to rust just as bad, Atleast on the surface as previous gens. I coated the shit out of mine and wash it like crazy and in a year and a half my frame looks worse than my untreated Ford and Nissan frames after 3 years. I’ve checked out a few used ones in my area that weren’t treated and they look rough for just couple of years and 20-30k miles. Hopefully it’s all just surface rust and they won’t be rotting out like the 1st and 2nd gens.

The frame is for strength not really for safety. Some frames are designed to crumple a little bit instead of twisting. Not sure if the Tacoma has those indentations to allow that, but a C channel frame isn’t very ridgid, and can twist and bend a lot easier than a solid frame. Obviously the rear bumper is designed to be replaced and take a rear impact. Beyond that frames are meant to be mostly ridgid. The body is designed more for safety. Toyota changed the body shell and structure on the 3 gen. To make it stronger and safer, while keeping the same dimensions as the previous gen.

Years ago vehicles didn’t have all the safety equipment they do now. Older Tacoma’s didn’t have curtain airbags, knee airbags, seat torso airbags, hot stamped steel structures, blind spot monitoring, lane departure, reverse sensors. All those components are added for safety purposes. Let alone the countless hours of design and testing that they put in. Not that 15-20 years ago they didn’t do any of that, but no where near the extent that they do today.

 

I just got word back from the collision center for the damage on the truck. I was told that it would need a completely new frame, but the car still wouldn't be totaled. $17k in repairs and still not totaled?

 

I think the damage has to exceed 70% of the value of the truck before they will total it. Glad they are replacing the frame instead of repairing it, my old truck never drove the same after frame repairs.

 

Dang, that sucks. Have you mentioned diminished value to them yet? I believe 50 percent is totaled where I live. I'd argue your truck isn't worth 34k. Look up some used ones and point it out. Once they see you looking for diminished value, that might help them to decide to total it.

 

$17k of damage and not totaled?? Boy, that’s gonna be one hell of a diminished value check

 

If your insurance company wont total it, I would try going through the other insurance company and getting it totaled. Only problem with that is that they probably don't have enough coverage.

 

I'm sure the collision center knows that at say, $17,500 it's considered totaled so they quote it for 17k of course. That's a decent amount of business for them.

I would get a second or third opinion for sure.

Everyone will try to get a slice of the pie. For you, your best bet is to get it totaled so you can get a new truck and/or keep this one, repair it and get a nice check in the mail.
No one is fighting for YOU, not even your own insurance company. They're just fighting for themselves! An attorney might be an option. But even they are looking for a big pay day lol so be mindful and be smart

EDIT: honestly the best case scenario for you would be a win-win for you and an attorney to get a new truck and press charges on someone, insurance company, or the ford.. I don't know just be a slime-ball like all those people jerkin' you around.

 

Screw it, get an attorney and go after both drivers and both insurance companies. Hell even go after the collision center. Learn some good lessons for sure lol #yolo #mercia

 

Was told Florida needs 80% for it to be totaled. Mine is only about 50% right now. "It is pretty hard to total out a Tacoma" is what kept being said to me. At this point, I'm stuck. Don't know exactly what to do.

 

If it were me, I'd weigh if it's a better option to get an attorney and try to get it totaled. Or get them to fix it with diminished value, then drive it from the repair shop to the dealership to trade it in. I wouldn't want that vehicle back, but that's just me. Either way, you're going to be out money I would expect.

 

$17,000 must be the magic number. My truck was parked, safe and sound in my garage, when a car drove through it causing $17,000 worth worth of damage! Mine was all sheet metal, no mechanical damage. It's in the paint shop as we speak.

 

Yeah seems like you got two options

1) settle for that crappy hack job of a repair done by Billy Bob and Felipe Sanchez end up with a worse truck worth half the value it was before the crash. Again should get a second or third opinion from a collision center, ask for a detailed BOM to price out each individual part and installation cost, and compare it with another collision center's BOM. Make sure to go to a completely different collision center far away as they could essentially communicate with one another to give you similar results.

2) get an attorney and start suing bitches.

Might as well get an attorney you’re gonna be out valued from that crappy hack job repair anyways.
At least talk to one they'll know right away if you have a decent shot or not.

 

Yeah prob cuz at 17,500 it’s considered totaled. And no business for collision center

 

Body shops actually get paid on totals. There is no incentive for them to repair something that shouldn't be repaired. Unfortunate for the OP is that his truck is so new and Toyotas hold their value.

The upside is because it is new that the OP can demand only OEM parts. I would take a look at the estimate and be sure that they quoted only OEM parts. If they quoted aftermarket then the difference between OEM and aftermarket might push it over the threshold.

 

Was told damages would have to be $30k in order for it to be totaled.

 

Yeah that sucks man. I dunno some collision centers are super shady. They'll inflate their estimates and/or charge the insurer for OEM, while actually install shitty aftermarket or used OEM components to save $.

 

Pretty sad you weren’t hit hard enough to deploy the airbags, but the frame is bent to shit and a total loss. Exactly why I say these frames are shit.

If the airbags would of deployed, you might of been getting a truck.