And She's Totaled - RIP

It shouldn't matter that your aftermarket was not insured if the accident was the other drivers fault. Your fault would be different. Sounds like BS but I'm not in CA. and don't know the laws there but I'd check with a lawyer if I was you. And for everyone else, pay for the rider on insurance. Cost me $7. a month I believe to carry 10k above truck value.

 

I've asked my insurance rep multiple times about Aftermarket Part insurance. He said he's never heard of it. The only thing he could do is quote me through (Hagerty?) Which is a classic car insurance company and they take into account aftermarket parts and vehicles that actually appreciate in a value.

He said he's never run a practically new vehicle through their system but I would need a print out off all my receipts for parts in order to get that rolling.

 

I have Hagerty for my 65 Chevelle but Farmers for house, 2 trucks and a Harley. I didn't need to show receipts or even give pics for the truck. Just had to verbally give them a list of aftermarket. The Chevelle, I had to give pics and get a value sheet written up by a verifiable hot rod appraiser to insure for 38k replacement cost over just getting 10-15k value for a daily.

 

which insurance you have? They only run you $7.00 to cover an additional $10K

 

Farmers. But keep in mind, I'm a 45 yo home owner with multiple rigs in a small town OR. Takes an hour to get to a city.

 

ahhh ok i was like dang thats so cheep! lol

 

Its gonna go up for auction after the settlement so I will see if I can get it back if the price is right. $19.9 payout in total or $14.6 and I keep the salvage. I don't know if I have the time to part it out and sit on it for so long. I just want to take the parts I want off and drop it back off at the junk yard!

 

if it wasnt your fault you should be allowed to grab personal items from the truck and add that into the settlement agreement for the 19K

 

My insurance asks me specifically if I had anything aftermarket that I would like also insured every time I add a car to the coverage - I figured that was pretty standard.

 

If they weren't insured, then what is the insurance companies justification for keeping them? Why are they preventing you from retrieving them?

You should at least be able to retrieve the sound system. They could insist on having rims & tires but you should be given the opportunity to at least swap them out for stock parts. Same for those Fox shocks and any other aftermarket parts you want.

Maybe you don't have the time or want to hassle with it, it's your decision, but that $19.9k they are offering is what your premiums paid for.

 

Typically if more than one airbag was deployed then it will be totaled. If it isn't, you don't want it back - that thing will crab-walk from now on; nothing can fix that frame correctly. Very saddened for your loss, there. I hope that the insurance ponies up what it takes to actually replace it with what it was.

 

On June 23 my '07 PreRunner Sport Access Cab V6/auto with 142,639 miles was hit on a Houston freeway and shoved into the vehicle in front of me which shoved that vehicle into the one in front of it.

My Taco was (barely) drivable so I limped the roughly 7 miles or so home. In front of my house I took all personal items out the the truck, also LED headlights and driving lights. Probably a few other things too, but that was a bad day I'm trying to forget.

Once I got everything out of and off of the truck I drove it, again more like limped, to a Geico service center and put it in their hands. They call a couple of days later and offered me $13,500. I took it even though I knew I couldn't replace it for that.

Fast forward to Sept 11, I won an eBay auction for an '07 PreRunner SR5 Access Cab V6/auto with 28,012 miles. Long story short, it was owned by an older gentleman who only drove it to box stores and nurseries on weekends and otherwise kept it in his garage. Got it for less than $16K, then another $750 to retitle in Texas in my name.

If I were in your position, I would have already totaled how much the farkles I added to the truck are worth as take off's, if more than the value the insurance company placed on the wrecked truck I would take the truck and the lower $$$ amount. Otherwise, take the money and run. $19,900 for your truck has to have some of the aftermarket goodies factored in.

 

I would buy it back, just your parts alone makes it worth it plus more! I’m sure you can good money for the engine and etc.

 

Life experience tip: Don’t try to hang onto a vehicle that’s totaled thinking you can make her new again. It’ll just suck you wallet dry.

 

This. As much as we all love out tacomas, never marry a truck.

 

I agree with most of what has been said in this. I don't know what you have done to your truck, but if they are not paying you for the parts you have installed, you should be able to take them as personal property without effecting the payout amount. I'd fight for that much. They've giveN you a fair buyout price, but if the parts arent covered then it's not enough.

With that said, only buy the truck back if A) you have the time/resources to do a part out and B) if you think the parts are worth more than the buying value. $4500 in aftermarket stuff is a good amount of parts.

I'm in SD though if you need help ripping/replacing parts. I've got most tools you'll ever need for the job too.

 

Much appreciated man. I don't really have the time nor the tools to get everything out of there. But if I do end up getting access to take some stuff off I will definitely let you know!

 

19.9k is a great payout. I love how Tacoma's hold their value. Thought about what you will be getting next?

 

That sucks, is that due to your insurance or due to the junkyard? Local laws? Who makes that call?

It may be time to find a new insurance. Last year, some hail totaled my Miata, and my insurance paid me, then let me. buy it back for cheap. Since it was hail, it kept a 'clean' title, and I ended up selling it some time later to a guy who wanted it for a track car (I did disclose to him that the insurance had payed out the hail damage). I guess it all depends on the person, but if you're into modding your cars, not being able to either buy back a totalled car or keep aftermarket parts of it would be a deal-breaker for me. Good luck at the auction? =P

 

So, let me get this straight...

They're giving you 19.9 for the totaled vehicle. They appraised the salvage at 4500. You already have another vehicle to daily drive.

Buy it back! That's a no brainer. Then choose whether you want to part it out or turn it into the meanest trail/ desert buggy you can afford with the rest of the $19K