Tacoma got hit hard on the interstate. Concerned the body shop won’t fix it correctly. Help!

Good advice so far.
One thing to keep in mind, you’re still the owner. You have final approval rights. If the insurance company dictates a particular repair, say aftermarket parts, the body shop still needs your approval. I’d nicely let them know to contact you after the adjuster leaves and go over what transpired.

 

Your principle point of contact looks to be the tailgate, pretty highly unlikely that there's much IF any frame damage, if anything request from insurance and the body shop(s) to quote some frame-time to measure and/or pull the frame to reassure that there isn't any frame damage.
I went through the same thing this spring. Driver "fell asleep" at the wheel, my truck was parked in front of my house, parking brake on, at 10pm, woke me up in the basement. Pushed my truck 8-10 feet.
Little Ford Escort, doing roughly 50-60km/h (20-30mph) hit my truck square center on the frame horn, as in: bumper met bumper, framer horn then blew through a/c condensor, radiator and had enough ford to break an engine mount or two and push it into the firewall of her car.
Same idea, front of box, hammered rear of cab. Now with mine it did break the driver, rear leaf spring mount free from the cab (and I stood pretty firmly about the rear diff getting inspected too, no damage but checked for lash and play)

All the repair work was about $15k Canadian, so $7k U.S doesn't sound far off. BUT from my time on forums with largely U.S. members I've also found that U.S insurance companies tend to write off a vehicle as soon as it has a scratch, so what do I know?

 

It doesn’t help that as soon as this lot hears about some battle damage, the buzzards start circling.

 

Update: New quote is for $10k. They say there is frame damage but they think they can repair it. This makes me nervous so I’ve asked them to hold off until Monday so I can take a look and talk to them in person. They say they won’t know the extent of the frame damage until they start fixing it?

Obviously as of now it’s not totaled but I’m not loving that they want to fix the frame. Anyone with good advice? The truck is in pieces so not sure how I go about getting a second opinion.

Anyone have suggestions for the diminished value claim?

 

Following....

 

Why do you want the truck to be totaled so bad?

 

I know frame pullers are quite good, but experience with them has been on 30+ year-old cars.

As for diminished value, I believe it starts with a call to your insurance company to start the process.

 

On a previously owned SUV, someone hit a front quarter panel. I was recommend to several State Farm “certified" repair shops, but took it to a friend that owns a smaller shop that does a lot of restoration work. Interesting enough, State Farm would only pay to replace and repaint the quarter panel, but would not pay them to blend the paint with the front door. My friend was irritated at that, as he told me he was still going to blend the paint, as that’s the right thing to do, and noted that the certified shops would not do so.

Anyway, with frame damage, I’d seek to get it totaled, for the reason being that they “think” that they can fix it.

 

I’m just super concerned they won’t fix it properly. We got this truck hoping it would last for 300,000 miles. I want to drive it forever. So having the “fix” a part when they can’t even communicate to me what is wrong with it makes me very nervous. I’ve had lots of issues with shoddy work done at top rated mechanics so it just sucks to not know if they’re going to fix it correctly. Meh.

 

Another one bites the dust
Dude let the repair shop handle it
Once in a wreck never the same

 

If it can be fixed for $10K they won't total it. On any other vehicle maybe, but Tacoma's hold their value so well they don't total them often. A 2016 made by anyone else would be worth less than 1/2 it's original cost. But I'd bet your truck would sell for closer to 80% of its original price.

If the shop is a good one it can be fixed and you'll still get 300K out of it. I have a BIL who owns a body shop and every vehicle he has ever owned were wrecks that he bought cheap and fixed. He bought a 2006 F150 with 600 miles on it that had been totaled for next to nothing. Repaired it, got a salvage title for it and drove it for 12 years with no issues. But he is good.

Visible damage can be deceptive. While that looks bad, and the Jeep may not have; if his air bags deployed the Jeep is more likely to be totaled than your truck. If you're not ever going to be satisfied, and I can understand that, sell it after it is repaired. I don't know what to expect as to diminished value, but if you get anything you could use that money along with the trucks value and just start over.

 

https://collisionadvice.com/wp-cont...tiation-Best-Practices/Structural-repairs.pdf

I found this document from DuPont about collision repairs involving Toyota frames. From Page 39:

I would confirm with the body shop that if there is frame work to be done, this is the methodology that they use. Assuming you live in a state where you can get depreciated value (not all states have this, or have an easy path to this), I might consider trading in the vehicle for another one after the repairs are back, but that's just my own personal feelings on the matter. It's fiscally foolish, but there's a piece of mind component about it.

 

Thank you! This is really helpful!

 

It dosen't matter what you, or we, think; it's up to the adjuster. It's common to start low with the obvious, and when your body shop needs more funds, they'll have to call the adjuster, and let him/her approve/deny more funds.
Use the flip test- if you're getting your furnace fixed, you don't want to pay for what could be wrong? Most likely, you want to know what's in immediate need, and start there.

 

Post a copy of your estimate so those of us that aren’t armchair quarterbacks can give you some legitimate advice

 

I would be flat out surprised if that was totaled.

 

I had my frame pulled back into spec. I can't remember exactly, but it was in the same ballpark (I had a tech package with the BSM sensors that got destroyed, so I think was around $12k or so). But I can tell you that my truck has been climbing hills and rolling in the dirt many times since then and it didn't crack in the middle and leave me stranded 40 miles into the desert.

I just try not to think about it. My truck looks nice; she runs nice; I press the 4WD button and she climbs over things.

 

LOL. There are two different kinds of folk here. Those who see it as a place to BS and shitpost, and those who see it as a database of knowledge that needs to be careful maintained and curated. The latter group sees every post as an opportunity to link people back to and older discussion. I'm solidly in the former group. This is just throw-away chit-chat.

 

The frame straightening thing is over blown. Toyota's own tech document says cold straightening is allowed with in reason i.e don't try a pull out kinks etc