Someone hits my Tacoma from behind today

yeah, I am not sure if it was ripped down from the collision or messed with. I do see a trailer hitch, so maybe someone messed with the rear harness for that. I'd be curious to see an overall pic of the truck, but we can all see how bent that frame is, and how hard the bed was pushed in to the cab.

 

Honestly it’s a 50 50 chance of total. I’m a tech in a body shop in Cali and just last week I finished a taco with a similar hit just like this one. Insurance paid out for a used frame so it’s possible it might get saved depending on mileage and options and maybe even airbag deployment as that’s another expensive item too.

 

Ah, that sucks! Looks like a total or I'd want to total it if it were me.

I lucked out and got rear ended 2x... minor fender damage + rear bumper on the first one... upgraded to a steel rear bumper with hidden hitch. Second accident scratched said bumper a little and put a dent in the tailgate. Pulled it out with a suction cup and spent the settlement on other mods. Since I'm planning to keep this rig until it dies, anything I put on it... I'll just transfer to a used replacement 3rd Gen.

 

You have full coverage insurance on your truck. Does the other driver?

 

I’d want that totaled.

 

"I don't feel safe anymore" is not part of the decision. If it costs more to repair than the value less the likely salvage value, it's a total. If not, it's repairable. Especially in this case, putting a new frame in a truck is easy and is a great repair. Cab damage is no big deal here.

In this case, the truck will likely have a high salvage value, which increases the chances it will be totaled.

 

saying i dont safe anymore can help because if something happens the insurance can be held liable or sued . But your right its not part of the decision.Like i said before its up to the insurance and body shop ultimately.

 

For starters - Glad you are safe an relatively well all things considered. Seeing that you are online is a great sign.
Next, your ride. I hate to say it but I'm leaning towards totaled. You'd be surprised what they can fix these days but I'm seeing frame and some complicated sheet metal and probably a new bed. A fly by night shop can fix'er up and have you back on the road without a new loan. But you may have issues that follow you.

Beyond that - your truck will now show an accident on a carfax report. Make sure they pay you for that loss in value. If you don't ask, you don't get. You could take a $5k to $10k loss on the eventual resale of your truck because of this. If you are in a financial pickle now, that's just going to put you in another one later. They owe you for pain and suffering and the inconvenience of having to deal with this too. Get all of the money you can - fairly.

 

question for you , so if presented with used part , the insurance makes the decision on that or does the body shop?
I ask because when my tailgate got robbed the body shop put a used one and just repainted it . The body shop was transparent, for some reason i thought they were going to put a new one, im not sure why when i know you guys(body shops) slap bondo on everything lol

 

I’ve always heard “similar to OEM.”

 

pffft

 

Insurance has the last say on everything sadly, when the estimate was written we initially put in a new frame but the insurance has access to salvage yard records and if they find that a used frame is a cheaper option they change the original estimate and put in the used frame on the estimate with the source of where they found the used one and for how much they are selling it. and its our job to get it ordered from thier source and inspect it if its useable or not.

As for tailgates, we get alot of tailgate theft jobs here so for the insurance its cheaper to get a fully loaded used gate in good condition than have to buy a used tailgate and buy all the hinges, camera, handle and harnesses seperatly. Thats the main reason insurance goes and sources a used gate instead of buyig a new one and buying everything else associated to the tailgate piece by piece.

 

Your tail gate was used when it got stolen. Had a used paint job on it too.
Used tailgate replacement is just as good an has a new paint job.

 

holy heck! dont write after you finished drinking , lol what did this guy say?

 

are those 2 miles per gallon or 2 gallons per mile?

 

2 mpg LOL. Mic thinks hes doing something nice, but hes actually setting op up for failure! Mic dont take the little money the man has left

 

That one is toast…….

 

Saying I don't feel safe anymore doesn't do anything at all.

As far as diminished value goes, you can only collect it from your own insurance company in Georgia. You can collect from the other person's insurance company in all 50 states, but it is much harder to do in some states than others. Hiring an expert can be helpful there.

As far as used parts go, some are great, some are junk. Used frames are out there, but they're typically not easy to find in good/straight shape a lot of the time. The other poster's comments about a used tail gate are spot-on. If it's an undamaged gate from another truck, why not? Just disassemble it, paint it to match, put it back on. Aftermarket body parts intended to be direct replacements for OEM parts are largely junk. This includes lamps.

 

There aren't enough carbon credits out there to cover OP if he daily drives this thing I would love to see the 74 Ford LTD go to California and pull into an emissions station.

 

Yes, look at the rear window rubber seal, door gap that dent is not a simple bondo fix.