Insurance advice, total loss?

I've got a 2009 Access Cab 4x4 with 250,000 miles. Had a slight incident with a tree.
Needless to say insurance towed it a body shop last week and I finally got the estimate.
They came back with a little over $10,000 worth of damage.
Honestly I'd like it to be totaled, but apparently I haven't hit 75% of the actual cash value. I'm not sure what this number is, insurance wouldn't tell me.

The body shop called me this morning telling me its being towed to a mechanic to pull the engine out so they can do the repairs to the cab. Which blows my mind...

Cons...
-Frame is quite rusty, I'm not sure how it passed Toyotas frame inspection but sadly thats expired now
-Needs a steering rack
-Needs a one piece drive shaft, has vibes
-probably needs lower control arms

I'd like to just cut my losses and move on, go find a different Tacoma.
Trying to push to get it totaled but having no luck...

Thanks, advice is appreciated

 

You could always try another body shop. My adjuster and their body shop estimated $3k in damage to one of my cars, other body shop started taking it apart and totaled it once they got a better look

 

If you want another one that bad. Just sell it once it’s fixed and go buy one.

 

I like this truck, I just fear that it will never be 100% right after its fixed. But maybe I don't have enough faith in body shops in general....

 

Really depends on what the damage looks like, how much of a hit the frame and subframes took, etc.

You could try and make lemonade out of it. While the engine and the cab is out maybe talk to the body shop about paying to apply por15 or other rust proofer to the front frame. You could probably source a Tom woods one pc drive shaft that is much better than OEM for the money budgeted. Maybe even go with a month travel control arm setup, but you will likely need to kick in some cash to make that work.

 

I had a drunk driver hit me once in my Audi S4... damage wasn't like terrrrrible but I was in the same boat as you, i wanted the car totaled. I didn't want a 'luxury' vehicle with an accident on its record. Anyways, first body shop came back with like $9k to fix with aftermarket parts, blah blah blah. Anyways, i literally Googled "most expensive body shop in San Diego" and had it taken there and asked for quotes with OEM parts... they came back with like $21k in repairs which did push it over the total loss threshold. Could try doing something similar.

 

Many years ago I fell asleep while driving and went over a highway divider in my '86 4WD Toyota pickup.
When I came to a stop, I tried to move it a few more feet to clear the oncoming lane, but I couldn't start it because the floor was pushed up against the clutch pedal.
The front driver side wheel was stuffed back in the wheel well at a 90 degree angle.
The driver door would shut and latch, but you could put your fist between the top of the door and the jamb.
Needless to say, she was a little "twisted" and I figured it was a definite total.
Long story short, when I picked it up and went for a test drive, I took my hands off the wheel and that sucker tracked like it was on rails. Probably better than new.
The body shop owner said he never saw anything like it, one pull on the machine and it popped right back.
My point is, you never know.

Side story- 6 months later the truck was stolen and stripped. That was El Cajon, GKOMO. Recovered weeks later in Ramona when Ramona was the wilderness. I assumed it went straight to Mexico.

*shrug* You never know.

 

Ya my first guess would be Mexico as well. Supposedly Jeeps are being targeted for theft and being brought down to Mexico, currently.

 

Ok, I have few quetions:

Where exactly is the damage to the cab ?
Do you have rental coverage on your policy ?
Any pictures of the truck damage after the loss ? (I specifically want to see the damage to the cab)

If you ask your insurance adjuster,
they should be able to tell you what the value of your truck is

The salvage value of your truck is VERY good,
that helps when a "customer" wants to have the veh push to being a total loss.

I asked if you have rental in your policy, because that adds more expense towards the claim and it's easier to total a vehicle, when an insurance company has to pay for rental.

PS.
I worked w/ a lot of total vehicles

 

09 should still be covered? its 12 years from first use. its just hitting the 12 year mark now

 

Seems like the question is, "Should I take 75% and walk away, or have the insurance company pay to fix it and sell for 100%?"

If it comes to the payout on a total, remember EVERYTHING is negotiable.
When my '86 was recovered, they offered $6700. After fighting them for a month, they paid out $11K.

 

Hell, you should be able to have it all fixed including the vibes and suspension components under insurance and just keep it. Having that wreck on the truck history along with 250k miles will scare most buyers from paying market value if you wanted to sell.

 

I wouldnt want the truck back either,I think once the body shop starts tearing the truck apart,they will revise the $$ figure and total it.

 

Your best bet if you want it “totaled” would be to take it to a Toyota dealership. It will be the highest estimate out of any body or repair shop. OEM parts and labor are always more expensive than aftermarket parts other shops will use. Good luck

 

The dmgs do not have to reach 75% of veh value to be deemed a total loss.
Its is all about is the total cost of the claim. (including rental, that is why I asked you if you have rntl coverage on your policy)
Also adjusters have to factor in a potential supplement,
which could affect the total cost of the claim significantly.

Another thing that helps total a veh is that your veh would have a good salvage value, which is the amount of money the ins. co. would get for your truck after selling it at the auction

I hope it works out for you