Farmers want to total my truck

The hitch thing is a liability. Since you could come back later if the hitch fails while towing something and sue their asses off for not catching that. Now they need to replace your trailer and whatever your trailer destroyed when the hitch failed on the freeway.

Insurance companies are there to make a profit, they don't exist to protect you, necessarily, but to protect their investors. That doesn't mean there aren't laws that specifically protect you *from* them.

Look up the KBB value of your truck and bring that to them. As others have said, just because someone is asking $10k for a similar truck 1) that's not necessarily what they are selling it for, and 2) look closely at your coverage plan, it may not even include the cost of *replacement cost* but of the *value* of the truck - 2 totally different things.

You just need to be the squeaky wheel. Negotiate with them. The tire thing is BS, call them on it, but you won't win everything.

Several years ago my house was broken into while the family was out camping. They took just about everything, electronics, dvd/cd's, musical instruments, etc... Their first "inventory" for replacement had like $35 (total) for the 100 or so cd/dvd's we had, and $80 for the concert violin my wife had. I Called BS on both, and we went back and forth several times. They ended up giving us something like $10 or $15 per disc, but didn't budge on the violin. Even though we had evidence and experts saying if anything it would have appreciated in value since the '80's when she paid ~$400. We ended up taking the deal, since she hadn't played the thing in over a decade and the $800 or so we got for the dvd's more than made up for it.

 

KBB is around $9000. They chose very low mileage examples then charged exorbantly for my extra miles and made up other condition issues. I should have detailed it before taking it to their shop, but I have to work and also fix the darn thing too. They only approved me for a car rental. I do not trust them to pay back the difference and Enterprise said they would need "a few days" to get me a truck any way. I had to fix it myself to get to work with all my tools I need. It seems Farmer's would like me to not go to work.

 

maybe its different for you, here in Louisiana everyone is required to carry liability coverage that pays for anything or anyone that you hit, so the only time our own insurance comes into play is, if we are the person in the wrong who caused the accident, or the damage is above the set limits for minimum coverage for the other driver who was in the wrong, or if the other driver did not have coverage.

 

Yeah you'd be lucky to find a 2000 under $10K here...$5K would be a steal...

 

$9000??????

I just kbb valued it for shits and giggles. Private party $6262 in excellent condition. Good condition $4970. Dealer trade in $2410-$4669.

Like I said, you may want 10k for your truck but now that it's wrecked you will never see $5000 so I don't see what the deal is with their offer. Take off all of your accessories and go buy another 02 tacoma with over 200k miles and call it a day.

 

Get an independent pre-accident appraisal done. And find other trucks currently for sale.

 

Conroe,

You are getting some good advice here from these members. Don't make a rash decision. The one thing that will make your truck worth buying back is if the frame is rust free, which will make it truly a good candidate for repair. If it does suffer from frame rust, then take the $5,000.00 and do not purchase it back from the wrecking yard or the insurance company.

Good Luck,
Paul

 

question, is Farmer's your insurance, or the person's insurance who hit you?

big difference. the person who hit you will need to cover the "good condition" value of your vehicle not the "wrecked" value.

itemized detail of things on the truck help. (ex. get the new tire depth and current, then take value of remaining tread. you won't get new value)


also I noticed the trailer ball hitch mount still on the truck. Here in PA that is illegal to keep on the truck and insurance/police will ding you for it.

 

FWIW, I'm keeping my truck. I can fix it out of pocket. Eff the insurance. I'm half way there. There will be no signature out of me without four grand and a clean title.

This truck was from a man more important to me then my own father and he is no longer with us.

 

I have United on three vehicles and a house.

The ball is there because my trailer is under 3000 pounds and often I tow it with my wife's Tahoe. Once I left the receiver in her Tahoe and had to pull that ball off my other truck when she is at work. Nothing illegal about it here. I wont tow it on my replacement bumper though. It's not a real Toyota bumper. I had to replace it quick because I need a bumper (and tail lights) to be road worthy here.

I had to pull my trailer so I could use my wrecked truck (because Farmer's could not afford me an acceptable replacement for my truck) so I had tail lights.

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

Could have just gone to harbor freight and bought a plug in trailer harness that's magnetic for lights

 

Might be a zip code, I don't know. I can't buy another for 5K. No matter, I WILL FIX IT!

 

They should be goin off dealer prices plus you'll get sales tax..

 

Pretty much.....they are more than happy to collect your premiums for years and years but when the rubber meets the road, none of them actually want to pay out..

 

Damn Farmers!! Cant trust em.

 

I sent him back the dealer blue book of $6700-9100 and the receipt for my tires that have 7000 miles on them. Their warranty is for 60000.

He just got back to me,

So basically I can sell it to him and I'll get a good down payment for a truck just as good as mine (that I own outright.)

 

KBB and NADA don't mean squat when it comes to Toyota truck pricing. I'd be asking Farmers for a CCC valuation report for area comps. Anyone who takes NADA or KBB as a fair offer from an insurance company is a sucker, esp if that vehicle is a popular vehicle with high demand.

 

Well my reply to the dealership statement would be that I'm looking where I can find one for sale..plus the bullshit about the tires already would leave a bad taste to me even if it is being addressed.

 

That looks a little worse than my same scenario accident with my 99 taco 2wd and I thought Farmers was going to salvage it. Nope they cut me a check for almost 4grand and I kept truck with title clean!! I could not believe it. I fixed truck and gave it to my father in law since i found my current 04.

 

forgot to say local market comps help. Tacomas are like gold in socal.