Some idiot hit my 06. Probably totalled, huh?

Remeciis

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2017
Location
NA
TDI
2006 Jetta
Leaving work Thursday. ONE turn from my house. I slow down and signal to take a left and some idiot hick hits me in the right rear in his old Dodge RAM. He tried to dodge me(ha) but still obliterated the right corner of the car including the bumper, trunk, panel up to the gas door, and maybe some of the B pillar as well.


I meet with an adjuster Friday. I'd prefer to keep the car even if they total it but being that these cars top out around 4-5 k in value, anyone have a guess what kind of settlement I'm looking at?







 

03TDICommuter

Veteran Member
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Dec 8, 2016
Location
So. Cal
TDI
01' NB, 5spd
Insurance will definitely total it out. We had a much lesser amount of damage in the same area and the bill would have been $4K
 

bizzle

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2013
Location
Southern California
TDI
2015 GSW SEL (totaled), 2013 Touareg Executive
They need to make you whole, not cash you out based on your car's current value.

Start searching for similar condition and mileage from recently sold vehicles to build your case to respond to their settlement offer.
 

mikeb95

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Joined
Jul 9, 2006
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
2006.5 TDI pkg. 2, DSG white/beige
My 06 got hit worse than that about 3 years ago by a Ford F250 4x4....same corner. They fixed it. But I did research similar cars just in case...anyone should as insurance will try to low ball you. You can try to fight them....tell them that you can't buy a similar vehicle (TDI case) and that it wasn't your fault....period. They should and need to make you whole.

Oddly....I've been re-ended in my Jetta 7 times.....yes....7 times!!!! 2 were minor scratches and we went our way.
 

banshee365

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2012
Location
FL
TDI
06 Jetta
To be brutally honest, only a moron would pay 4-5k for a BRM. They just aren't worth that much anymore. That car will never be worth more than 2k with that damage history, and that's being very optimistic.

Insurance co will total it for sure. I love BRM's but they're disposable anymore.
 

Remeciis

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2017
Location
NA
TDI
2006 Jetta
Welp got my offer today. 4487 if they keep it 3871 if I keep it. With only a 615$ value as salvage I'd be crazy not to keep the car right? The car is perfectly drivable but the trunk doesn't want to close.
 

D-Cup

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2017
Location
San Antonio TX
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI Cup Edition, 2003 Jetta GLS, 2000 Jetta GLS, 2012 JSW
If it were me, I would keep it, spend less than $3k to get the trunk to close & replace that tail light, and motor on.
Aside from the hassle and down time, you come out ok, and still have a car that you can let go for another $2k-$3k down the road when the time comes.
 

bizzle

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2013
Location
Southern California
TDI
2015 GSW SEL (totaled), 2013 Touareg Executive
That hit looks structural. I wouldn't drive that car anymore. It's worth scrap, which sounds about what they are selling it to you for at $615.


If you have the space and tools you could pick this one clean and sell/use those parts but drive one that hasn't been hit. This one already did its job. Now it's compromised for the next time this happens. Why take that chance?
 

Metal Man

Vendor
Joined
Sep 29, 2001
Location
Sunbury,PA 17801
TDI
1998 NB TDI, 2006 Jetta TDI, 2014 Tiguan gas, , 2019 E Golf X2
That hit looks structural. I wouldn't drive that car anymore. It's worth scrap, which sounds about what they are selling it to you for at $615.


If you have the space and tools you could pick this one clean and sell/use those parts but drive one that hasn't been hit. This one already did its job. Now it's compromised for the next time this happens. Why take that chance?
What part of the structure do you think is damaged? There is nothing in these pictures to indicate that there would be any structural problem driving this car.

I think the owners main concern should be if they decide to keep it to fix will they have to deal with a salvage certificate to put it back on the road.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
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Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
I'd find a shop that's willing to take that on, have them repair the b-pillar and rear quarter. Find a bumper assembly, trunk, and light at a wrecking yard. Same color if possible to save on paint. You'll probably be out of it for less than the insurance value. You still have a car with a salvage title, but if you plan to keep it until it has no resale value to speak of that doesn't matter.
 

bizzle

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2013
Location
Southern California
TDI
2015 GSW SEL (totaled), 2013 Touareg Executive
Are we looking at the same pictures? The entire rear end of the vehicle is compromised in the pictures I'm looking at.

The issue is not whether something can be driven. A car can be cut in half and welded back together and track straight down the street. That doesn't mean it's a vehicle I'd put my family in. This car can't sustain another hit like it just took. Everything that is crumpled in the picture was a one-time use of the car to absorb an incredible amount of energy during the accident. The next accident will transfer as much, or more, energy back into the vehicle and all of those areas will never be as strong as they were the first time around. That means the next hit will transfer more of that energy deeper into the vehicle. It makes it worse that it's the rear quarter, which is more structural than the front panels. Everyone here is driving a unibody so we can all go look at the vehicles in our driveways to compare the front clip vs. the rear to get a sense of how much either can sustain and still maintain structural integrity.

That's only my opinion, of course, but I just don't see any reason to save this particular vehicle. It's not rare and it's not worth anything special. I wouldn't save a thousand or two dollars and still feel comfortable with my kids in the back. Not when the drivetrain and cosmetics can be sold off for much more than the car is "worth" at this poin and he's already getting a generous offer from the insurance adjuster (who was able to evaluate the damage a lot better than our "analysis" based on a couple pictures). I haven't checked the raw scrap prices lately, but about ten years ago I got ~$300 for a wrecked car that I had stripped to the bone so it wouldn't surprise me if $600 was just raw scrap value for that car, which was one of the flags that the adjuster was seeing structural damage.
 

atikovi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2002
Location
Suburban Washington DC
I haven't checked the raw scrap prices lately, but about ten years ago I got ~$300 for a wrecked car that I had stripped to the bone so it wouldn't surprise me if $600 was just raw scrap value for that car, which was one of the flags that the adjuster was seeing structural damage.
About 5 cents a pound these days. Lucky if he gets $150 less any towing fee.
 

atikovi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2002
Location
Suburban Washington DC
What part of the structure do you think is damaged? There is nothing in these pictures to indicate that there would be any structural problem driving this car.
I think the owners main concern should be if they decide to keep it to fix will they have to deal with a salvage certificate to put it back on the road.
Having a salvage certificate is not a problem, it just has to be inspected by the state and you get a rebuilt salvage title. It's just not worth spending $2K on body repairs and paint work.
 
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D-Cup

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2017
Location
San Antonio TX
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI Cup Edition, 2003 Jetta GLS, 2000 Jetta GLS, 2012 JSW
OP:
If you choose to keep the car, I have a bumper from a mk5 Sedan that you are welcome to have for free (assuming the logistics/economics makes sense, I have no idea what a bumper would be at a scrap yard.)
 
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