Tacoma has been totaled.

I stated earlier that the vehicle is totaled and that information came from the shop. The insurance company no longer visits the shop. Everything is done online so whatever the shop says to the insurance company, that's what normally happens. Crazy system they run but that's the information I received today.

They also picked top Trixie, Spritle and Chim-Chim.

 

Insurance companies don't repair totals. They sell the damaged vehicle at the salvage auction, damaged.

 

UPDATE, just spoke with the receptionist at the body shop and asked why is it being totaled. She said value came back at $3,900. I said it's a $12,000 vehicle and now the fight with the insurance company begins as I'm sure the insurance company will use the same database to determine value as the body shop does.

Keep you folks posted. Hopefully we will be able to keep this on the road.

 

Have them provide to you a copy of their vehicle valuation. They have to give that to you.

 

Why do I need that?

 

How are you going to dispute what they're offering if you don't know how they arrived at that figure?

 

I had a typo in my explanation. Meant to say the body shop stated vehicle value is $3,900 based on the database they use. The insurance company has to follow Autoscope or CCC and also obtain 2 comparables. It hopefully won't be a fight. I just got off the phone with an Auto appraiser/litigator.

 

Database the body shop uses is irrelevant. In fact, they're idiots for even telling you that in the first place. They're not involved in the total loss settlement and it's none of their business.

If you disagree with the insurance valuation, as the insurance company for a copy of it.

 

3900$ actual cash value

 

That was just something the dumbass body shop told him.

 

No need to start slinging insults at the body shop. This is a classic vehicle and doesn't play well with current databases. It's only the body shop that stated a total based on the info they receive from the database. The insurance company has yet to chime in on value. Now the insurance adjuster will have to make an in person visit and we will go from there.

 

I've done this for 30 years. The shop had zero reason to say anything about the value of your truck. It has nothing to do with them. The only thing it can do is serve to upset the customer. The shop deserves to have insults slung at them for not staying in their lane.

 

KBB has it at $4-6k Trade In and $6-8k Private Sale with 200k miles (just a guess) and very good condition. Only took 10 min going through this to find out $3900 is way off.



https://offerup.com/item/detail/49a46ec1-ed4c-33eb-b351-73322b3a32b0?q=2001+tacoma&cid=5.1



https://offerup.com/item/detail/af301514-f918-31fa-bb8c-ce149310dc71?q=2001+tacoma&cid=5.1



https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/d/los-angeles-2001-tacoma-crew-cab/7764282113.html

 

Are these 4wheel drive? Isn't the OPs a prerunner?

 

All prerunners

 

A couple of facts posted in here seem to stretch what is happening.

First, as many stated certain states can mandate salvage titles and certain states/insurance companies have total loss thresholds that vary by state.
Second, Insurance can legally total pretty much any vehicle if they want to (outside of crazy odd/rare circumstances). They can say for instance that damage is 75% of the ACV. They can also say damage + salvage value is over the value of the vehicle.
Third, without knowing the shop they may have said something like "we put the damage in our system and it is over the threshold CCC or Audatex or Mitchell uses" and have deferred/referred it to the insurance company to address it.
Fourth, craigslist/ebay/carmax/facebook marketplace are not suitable comparables that will be taken into account. Generally Autotrader, cars.com, etc are. Some states use kbb/nada as well and some don't.
Fifth, depending on what is damaged on a specific vehicle and the availability of parts (i.e. restraint items) if they can't be sourced from Insurance approved vendors they can't be repaired.
Sixth, Insurance as much as everyone hates is there for a reason and generally the valuations are solid.

Wait and let the process start and once they communicate with you and actually discuss a value... then at that point you can ask about owner retaining the salvage/buyback and see if it makes sense.

 

Thank You bone crusher. I'm now thinking that I can get the truck repaired as the adjuster will now have to make a trip to view the truck to get its true value. The shop knows the trucks value but their hands are tied, with this database they use, until the adjuster arrives or appraises the vehicle via pictures and an online evaluation. I think comps used have to be actual sales and not vehicles for sale as I could get all you folks to list your trucks for $100,000 and then say, look at what these are worth.

 

Perhaps the body shop doesn't want to do the repair? Not enough margin in the parts?

 

No mark-up on parts

 

Shops can get anywhere from 20-35% markup on oem, used, and aftermarket parts, depending upon the vendor.