2013 Toyota Tacoma, Loaned to my brother and he wrecked it..

Sorry to hear this but am happy your brother is still with us. I had basically the same thing happen circa 2001 with my 1998 Tacoma except it was my wife and black ice.

The truck was substantially damaged and the frame was bent in 2 places. The insurance company would not total it and insisted on fixing it. It was basically a total repaint along with the entire front end needing replaced.

I picked the truck up at 8pm on a Friday and by 10am Saturday it was traded for a Tundra. I want nothing to do with repaired frames. Once it is bent it is compromised IMO.

Good Luck

 

I agree, metal fatigue is a real thing. as an aircraft mechanic I know full well of the effects of bending an item and bending it back. Will a repaired frame cause a failure that could be catastrophic? probably not...but it certainly is more prone for it to occur now, and the original ratings in which the truck received for towing/weight/etc are now in question..

I'm thinking that the impact caused the cross members to bend at an approximate 10-20 degree angle. Due to where the damage is, and the difference in gap between left and right of the bed this would make sense. Like the left main frame member shifted 1.5-2 inches aft past the right side main frame member.


Also found leaking A/T fluid from near the top of radiator, found out left fender also has minor bending and the wheel well is bowed out, and that the right light and left light mounting points have cracks.

Dropping it off tomorrow via tow to an approved insurance shop who has a very good reputation around here. My Production date is april 2013, so I am within the 24 months that mandates OEM toyota parts be counted in the repair estimate-NOT aftermarket.


Il jump in here with the estimate results so i can get some input on how to tackle this further.

Keep the good info coming if you have anything, I am like a sponge right now for information.

 

I had trouble after my accident a couple months ago. Insurance company tried to give me SRI value for my TRD Sport. I had done my research and managed to get another $2700. Do your homework and stand behind it.

 

they will most likely try to push you to fix it. If the airbags didnt deploy...you will definitely have a hard"er" time trying to convince them to total.

 

Sounds good, I think what I will do is get the estimate from the approved shop, take out the invoice and head over to the local luxury auto collision for their estimate based on the assessment .

I would prefer a total, but if I cannot get it I will use the expensive shops estimate for payment, then take it to the approved shop to ensure the lifetime warranty.


I have priced out the parts and labor myself as an estimate and have reached around 16-17k...This is just large components, frame, set paint etc...also worse case scenario based on a bent frame.

KBB is 28k for private party at the moment, so we will see what happens tomorrow.

 

Can you post pics of the wheels? Are they 16" or 17"? Where are you located maybe i could come see them

 

Not sure if you meant me, but mine are 17" .. I think i have posted pictures before.


Im feeling unlucky and imagining the car won't be totaled.

 

Oh I see..

Well I may choose cooks anyways, but bring the written estimate to another shop for a second opinion (or hire a third party appraiser).

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the information.

 

I find it weird that with a frontal impact the airbag did not deploy. Does that seem odd to anyone else?

 

Well it was a lower front impact, and from what happened it seems he was braking when it hit, so the actual impact may not have been substantial enough. He has literally no injuries, so whatever happened the Airbags made a good decision in not deploying.. lol

 

Admittedly I do not really know much about what causes an airbag to deploy. I thought any frontal type impact would activate them. Shows what I know. LOL

 

Fond out the front end is leaking red fluid heavily and it is foamy/milky. Not sure if at oil or coolant.. Also steering column doesn't lock up/down ..

 

It's an automatic, so it could be transmission fluid.

 

I'm interested in how he managed to wreck it "in the rain" with the VSC, ABS and traction control all operating.

 

You could total his girlfriend!

 

No. It depends on a lot of variables, angles G forces etc...

 

Trust me...I am just as interested as to how he managed to do it as well...all I can do is swallow the loss and hope for the best. Only way I'll make out even close to even more is if they total it.

Should heard back from shop today or tomorrow .

 

20+ years as an insurance agent. get that thing on a rack. airbags good. move on. i highly doubt from description that frame is tweaked. go to preferred insurance shop, always since they have a rep with ins co to protect. a shop with a good rack can get everything to spec.

 

Got ya, now the USAA preferred shop guarantees the the work for lifetime, however the non USAA shop also holds the same guarantee.

what could cause the bed of the truck to be .5-1 inches pushed in on the right side from the cab, and it to stick out the same amount on the left side?

Also there is a 1.5-2 inch gap difference between the mating point of the bed and the cab on each side of the bed.

Bending something once weakens it, bending it back weakens it further. Besides physically being straight, how do they determine that the bends have not weakened the structure to the point where the rated load numbers are no longer accurate?

the bottom from of the frame forward of the engine is also sitting at a 15-20 degree angle..this would support the claim that the whole frame shifted .5-1 inch aft on the left rail, causing the frame to be more of a parallelogram (exaggerated).

at the end of the day i suppose i have to wait for the estimate to get back, but im already looking at the worst case scenario and if I

1. Want a new truck with major damage repairs, or want to trade it in immediately

2. Receive notice that it is totaled and want to get another tacoma or possibly an FJ