Insurance Lowballing Me - Won't Fix My Truck

I have a 2002 Tacoma Prerunner in fairly decent shape, or it was until someone stopped short in front of me. I have all kinds of suspicions about why the shop/insurance company wants to total my truck out, of a couple grand repair... but I can't prove it.

I need a real appraiser, at a fair price, who isn't going to help them burn me so I can either get my truck fixed (my preference) or so I can get enough to get something comparable.

I have a K&N filter, fab tech coil overs on the front, Monroe in the back, Pioneer sound system, beefed up leaf springs, towing package, matched spare wheel (they're all the same), nearly new tires, BRAND NEW rack and pinion and steering link coupling or something (that hurt), the metal hinge replacements for the rear pop out windows, and a few other miscellaneous things I can't remember at the moment. The whole thing makes me so mad.

Insurance is claiming these upgrades are all "maintenance," and I argue that they were setting me up for at least another 100k miles. They're saying I can contest the assessment but I have to hire an appraiser, and then that appraiser and their appraiser will get another appraiser to all agree on how best to shaft me. While charging me for the "service."

I've been walking for months and have concluded that I was paying insurance to ensure that my agent was guaranteed transportation no matter what happened to my vehicle, not that I was guaranteed transportation.

They are offering me 6k and it hasn't got rust on the frame but the paint is peeling (clear coat). The engine and everything else (the stuff that really matters) is/was rock solid. The shop wants to charge me almost 600 dollars to bring it back to my parking spot after doing nothing but making sure my insurance company wouldn't pay to fix it.

I'm asking y'all:

• keep it or walk away? they aren't offering enough to fix it and they aren't offering enough to get another and upgrade it (or even move the upgrades to the new truck)
• anyone know of an ethical and honest appraiser in South Bend Indiana?
• what should I expect to pay for an appraisal and umpire?
• if I keep it - should I fix it or sell it
• if I keep it and sell it - should I piece it out or sell it all at once?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

 

This is a 2002?..any damages over 75% of the value will total it.

 

Perhaps you can find a comparable replacement and say "fine, I want to be able to buy this one, so you need to pay out enough for me to afford this nearly identical truck"?

 

2002 Prerunner, wrecked, and they're offering you $6,000? Take the money and run. It's 21 years old.

 

Only upgrade I see are the "Fabtec' coilovers.

Aside from that, I'd say your truck doesn't really bring anything else to the table.

You don't even state the mileage of your truck - this can easily be a $5-10k swing one way or another depending on how low it is.

If it's a 250k mile truck, $6k is plenty fair.

And not having a rust-free frame doesn't add value, it just maintains it. Having a rusted frame would drop the value of said truck so...not sure how you're figuring where you're entitled to more money.

 

My upgrades in my case are covered, but that's because I was thorough in going over my coverages as I like to know what I'm paying for.

It'll fall under comprehensive as I have suspension upgrades myself (Icon and Dobinsons), custom interior pieces (Delta VS) and even a nice seat (Sparco) and custom bumper (Coastal Offroad).

 

Thank you.... for posting pictures to help get your questions answered.

 

pics would help. They totaled mine for minor damage to front frame horn. The gave me $8kish but it's an 04. I bought it back.

 

I am working on it. Thanks for understanding.

 

I THOUGHT the insurance company had confirmed and acknowledged the upgrades and added them to the policy. My first agent certain added them but I'm guessing the current really scummy one maybe took them off when I demanded an explanation of why my premium doubled while I'm still walking.

K&N cold air intake is absolutely a fucking upgrade. Though the tires may not be "upgrade," I didn't get the cheapest option on the damn market and they're nearly brand new. The Pioneer double DIN nav system is absolutely an upgrade. The maintenance though shitty it cost me nearly 2k was the rack and pinion and the steering coupler whatever it was.

I have no friends in Indiana as I'm a relocation from another state lured here from a job that stabbed me in the back. I'm disabled. I have no money which is why I made double and triple and quadruple checks that I was INSURED for my transportation (and recently even shelter).

Most of the people here, as I'm finding to be the case every time I try to get any help or support or advice or anything online have either defended the greed of the insurance company, policied me in favor of the insurance company on their behalf - for free, or insinuated or strongly suggested I'm an idiot. Others have restated the questions I asked already without their opinion on what I should do.

More information is helpful and I've been working on getting photos of the truck but since it's at the body shop (likely being picked clean) that has been a challenge. Hiring anyone for anything or buying another truck and participating in the culture of "throw it away and get a new one," isn't an option for me because I'm disabled and have a complicated time getting or keeping a job (though I keep trying - without transpiration it has been impossible).

I'm really sorry I bothered everyone and honestly I'm at the point (once again) that I'm ready (and have declared as much) to surrender both cash and truck to the insurance company find a short path to take a long walk on.

For those of you who weren't snarky or cruel or rude or insulting or mind numbingly off topic, thank you for the ideas and suggestions and I apologize for not including more information to help with the assessment of the situation. Honestly at this point I figure it's all a done deal and my life, and everything I hoped for, and anything I wanted is over. It isn't like I can go out and make another 10k when my whole annual income is about that (but too much for food stamps or other assistance because I was one of the morons who actually tried to work while disabled and that won me the disadvantages of more income to take from). Besides, with the threats to Social Security (that I paid into like most of you have) I don't figure I have much longer relative to survival anyway.

If this is sufficient to disable my account and join the others in abandoning me... so be it. I'm tired as fuck. I'm tired of not being heard, of not being understood if I am heard, of not being more valued/valuable, of being in need, of being disadvantaged... I'm so tired I'm weary and I don't see or expect ANYTHING to improve. People like to remind me, after all, that neither the world nor any person owes me anything, and I've concluded that includes anything I paid for or thought I was paying for. [shrug]

Thank god it all ends, it's the only thing I'm looking forward to at this point.

Ciao.

And despite how it may seem, I wish none of you any ugliness or ill will. The world is how "we," as a species want it. If we wanted it any other way it would be another way. It's just not my world and whatever I've tried to contribute hasn't been wanted, valued, or needed so why continue afflicting y'all? It's more polite and decent of me to simply fade away and I'll do my best to achieve that.

Best of luck and best wishes to you all. I'm sorry I bothered anyone.

 

So…..how much are you wanting for a 21 year old vehicle?

 

K, when you're comparing a $200 overpriced air intake or aftermarket stereo to other upgrades people try to get back from insurance like long travel kits, SAS, turbo kits, etc, ya it doesn't really bode arguing about because they are trivial upgrades.

We don't need the sob story, but you also don't need to listen to these 2nd-3rd gen posters that snuck in here who think anything under a $400/mo car payment means your vehicle is worthless.

There is a big difference value-wise between a standard cab RWD and a double cab 4x4, and mileage was unstated (another large factor).

 

You’re not bothering anyone, people on here come off abrasive over text very easily though. Keep firing away and let people whine all they want.


The disconnect as I see it is you and the insurance co have differing values. You see the intake as an upgrade, they see it as another part that does the same thing as the thing it replaced, so why would they pay extra unless you’re giving them more money to insure it. That’s just how insurance works.


The best thing you can do to fight back is to reject their offer and then provide evidence of sales of other trucks similar to yours, with similar miles and similar condition at higher prices than they’re offering. They can recalculate that by hand and you may get some more money out of them.

 

Sentimental value means nothing. Add ons mean nothing. If you can’t face the facts you probably shouldn’t be posting on the internet for anyone to respond to. If you want an echo chamber, join Reddit or Facebook.

 

Ok I'll take it you're just illiterate then..

because that's not what I said AT ALL

 

As others have suggested, the best you can do is find like trucks sold in your area for comparison. If you find they're going for more than the $6,000 offered, collect the ads and links to supply to the insurance company.

Also going to agree with the above comments on Stereo and mods and their need for separate riders. My personal insurance covers my truck, none of my mods. I know I'm getting nothing for them as I don't have a rider spelling it out on paper what each thing is worth.

I'm very glad you at least had insurance. So many people don't. You may be upset with your insurance provider, but it would be far worse if you didn't have them. You say "someone stopped short in front of me", that sounds like you rear-ended someone. In my neck of the woods, you are 100% at fault, no questions or excuses, if you rear-end someone. How are all the occupants in that vehicle? Did your insurance pay out for their vehicle and all of their medical expenses? I'd be overjoyed I was insured and not paying for all that.

 

As others have mentioned, the add-ons, unless specifically insured, can't really be valued by the insurance company and they aren't going to pay for them. Your best bet is to focus on getting a fair payout that allows you to get into a comparable truck. Do a couple of things:

Go to www.kbb.com and get the Private Party Value for the same configuration of truck (in original stock form). A DCSB PreRunner with 180K miles looks to be around $7,200 in "Good" condition, $6,300 in "Fair" condition. Yours seems to be in "Fair" condition if the paint is peeling. More mileage than what I put in will bring value down.

Search for similar trucks for sale in your area and see what they are selling for.

Provide this information to your insurance company and ask them to pay you what it would take for you to replace the truck. $6K sounds a little low, but not by a lot -- depends on the condition, and be realistic.

 

How much are you expecting to get? How much is your deductible?