I was on to my daily commute going straight when a dodge journey inched up didn't see me and hit me on my passenger door and rear passenger door (she had a stop sign, i didnt), but anyways horror story can be seen bellow. I held up fine. maybe some minor bruises on my ribs from the seatbelt, but other than that, the fit really protected me. on a side note, damn we have pink airbags?

Would the insurance company total it?

 

Firstly, glad you are OK and sorry to hear about the accident.

Secondly, I wouldn't think they would total it for that, but stranger things have happened.

 

You may want to discuss your options with your insurance agent even if it was the other person's fault. Everything is negotiable. If they repair it know what materials are being used (new Honda, not salvage or aftermarket) and ask for loss-in-value compensation. Deployed airbags are a red flag on any carfax.

With the crease in the roof panel it's hard to say, but maybe the structure is compromised enough to warrant totaling. Let us know!

 

Wow, that is some pretty nasty damage. Glad you made it through OK though!

 

Good to hear your ok.

It looks like that was a pretty hard hit, especially to buckle the roof like that.

 

Also glad you're okay.

If it were my car, I wouldn't want it back - a car is never the same once its frame is tweaked.

 

Agreed. I hope it's totalled, that crease in the roof looks ominously bad.

Glad you're ok, good luck in the post accident process.

 

Surprisingly, it drives straight haha.

I just came back from the body shop and they'll let me know tomorrow if it's considered a total loss or not. Ameriprise is my insurance company and they'll put in all oem parts because the car is under 4 years old and has under 50k.

The other insurance company (American Family) is annoying as hell to deal with. My god, I'm so glad I put comprehensive on my car.

From what I can tell, damage is about 10k right there. If there's any suspension damage, it WILL be a total loss.

What's a fair price that I should expect if the car is deemed a total loss? 13-14k? It's a 09 sport with 49k on it.

Can you guys believe that American Family is still trying to "analyze the police report and determine who's at fault." The audacity of some insurance companies. the person who hit me clearly said she was at fault. although I feel pretty bad for her. Her dodge journey was a spanking new '12 model with dealer plates still intact.

 

Having the airbags go off I would think generally totals a car, but damn the great resale value of these fits! It might be close. X2 on the airbag red flag on the carfare. You'll never get a fair trade-in value after that. Heck, Carmax won't even look at a car after the airbags have gone off. Glad you're ok. These things are pretty good at keeping people safe!

 

I suppose here's my chance of getting a manual (what I originally wanted) haha

 

I was T-boned on the driver's side and had three airbags (2 side & 1 seat) to deploy, and yes they are PINK. State Farm totaled my '07 w/ 54k. The repair shop owner told me that structurally, there was nothing wrong w/ the car, but the cost of the air bags and controllers & trim pieces needed for replacement would be the determining factor. On the plus side, I sustained NO INJURIES WHATSOEVER....and now I have a 2012 Vortex Blue Pearl Sport 5/MT as a replacement!!

 

Just came back from the body shop, they're about 80% sure the insurance company will total loss it. I'll find out at the end of the day.

The body shop appraised the car at 14,300. So I hope to end up with about 15k or so.

I'll post some more pics later on since the body shop was able to open the door up.

 

Get comparables from web sites (auto trader) and negotiate. Currently there is a bubble in small car prices (not just Fits) that is not reflected in Edmunds and KBB.

If they start to say, "take it or leave it," mumble something like, "maybe I should talk to a lawyer," while rubbing your neck and going "ow." They will throw money at your feet.

Everything is negotiable...

 

I was under the impression that the insurance company has to pay for the dealer price, not a private party price, thereby increasing the total price of the car. Although KBB and NADA may have the car going for 13k, most dealers around here are selling if for about 14k.

I did everything from my side of the insurance, so there's less bullshit to put up with at the end of the day. I'm still amazed at the high resale value of our cars.

 

Your insurance is doing you a service, but they are not paying. They might even make a profit when they go after the other person's insurance.

Search auto trader for comparable Fits. The asking prices (high ones) will surprise you. The low ones might have damage or prior accidents. Print some and discuss them with your insurance company. Remember, everything is negotiable.

 

Glad you're ok. I got 16k for my 2010 base model with 24k miles about 3 months ago if that gives you a basic idea.. I think there is a strong possibility of it being totaled. The air bags deployed and the roof looks pretty badly damaged.

Good luck with the insurance company.

 

OP, a few words of advice on going through the total loss process. First, never, ever accept the insurance company's first offer, even if it is your own company. This is one way they keep a tight bottom line, low balling total losses. Keep in mind that the target value is for a comparable vehicle in your geographic area, and then they also add in sales tax, to cover your cost if you were to walk into a dealer and buy one.

I just went through this process on an 05 xterra. It took me a month of fighting, but I was able to get them to raise their offer from 12k (impossible to find a comparable vehicle) to 16k (I would have settled for a touch less, but was not going to argue). This was with my own insurance company.

Ask for their detailed valuation report. Question everything on it. Make sure they have all the options listed. If you have records for the engine and transmission maintenance, that counts towards the condition.

Ask for their list of comparable vehicles. If the values they present do not make sense, then find your own list and send it to them. Question everything! You want to be a huge pain in their a$$.

I do not know what a fair settlement value is for your vehicle, but if you think they are lowballing you, they probably are. Best of luck!

 

14,300 is the body shop's appraisal, I have yet to hear a word from my insurance company yet as far as total loss. From what my body shop has told me, the insurance company will want the body shop to "raise a flag" if the vehicle's damage is above 75% of the car's appraisal (again 14,300). The body shop was around 10k or so (at about 74%) so I'm really close to being declared a total loss. This value didn't even include the interior body trim panels, so it's going to spike up a bit when the body shop finishes the estimate today.

As far as being declared a total loss, I've been searching and it's been anywhere between 70-80% of the car's value. Is this a value determined by the state or each individual insurance company?

Also, what do you guys believe a fair value would be to take from the insurance company. If one of the posters got 16k, for a '10 base, I have a 09 sport with a hair under 49k. There's a local dealer selling a 09 sport MT that has 32k for 15k. All the other local dealers have either bases or 1st gen fits. Not a whole lot of sport ge9s at dealers...

I did all the oil changes myself ( I think 4 or 5 in total), and one ATF drain and refill, and filter changes besides that I didn't do anything else. That's about 300 dollars, so not a lot. I did not change the tires (3/32) or the brake pads yet.

 

If they are that close to totalling, it, I would expect they would, as they will likely find more damage once they tear it down.

The value by which they total, and the value you get paid is determined by the insurance company. These do not have to be the same value.

Go onto cars.com, autotrader, and your local craigslist and find values from your geographic area (state). If you have to fight the insurance company, information from this forum, while possibly a good ballpark, is useless.

 

Just got a copy of the estimate. The total damage is 11k. That is at 78% of the car's value.

Bye bye little fit