How close was the repair estimate to the valuation that they found in the local used car market survey of comparables?
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As I recall it was around $15k to repair. That came from the authorized dealer’s repair shop.
The car was 7 years old but pretty low mileage for its age.
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I could get the newer model with 30K miles on it for another 15K. Mine had 110K. I could swing that. I checked how much I could get if sell mine as is $2,400. I come out ahead taking 11K rather than the repair money.
@tsbna44 I don’t see any car for sale with 110K miles 
The bodyshop I went to was on the dealership rec.
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If you are happy spending more, it’s ok.
Can I ask what brand and where you live (general area)?
Not knowing what kind of car, etc. here’s a few:
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I think I’ll get a new car if I am replacing the current. But the color I like will not be available until August. How long do they wait before picking up the damaged car?
That’s a question for them.
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There may be more damage that will be revealed when the quarter panel is removed.
Many become emotionally attached to their vehicle.
Often, after 100,000 miles, major repairs come into play. Also, after 100,000 miles certain warranties (such as coverage for the transmission) expire.
Would be interesting to know the specific make, model, and year of your current car in order to offer a suggestion regarding repair or replacement.
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That happened to me years back. I got rear-ended. The damage was minor, but the car was so old that it cost more to fix than to total it out. Don’t we just love insurance companies? Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about it, except to demand they give you the full blue book value.
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New cars cost a ton to repair partially because of all the new sensors that were required starting around 2018. My wife’s car had a small fender bump that was going to cost either $800 or $2600 depending on if they needed to mess with the sensors in the bumper. If they did there was a $1000 trip to a dealer to recalibrate them after their work was done.
Atop that some of the newer car companies are bad about repairs and repairability. Unibody construction with non-metal parts combined with poor after-market support (looking at you, Tesla) make it hard to repair some brands.
So part of your calculus in determining if driving a salvage title is for you is how much of that stuff is in your car. My son’s 2017 f150 is a salvage after an accident because he can still do a lot of the work on it, whereas my wife’s 2020 Forester requires magic computer beans to function, and that’s not something you want to pay for out of pocket if you can avoid it.
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And I’d get an estimate from a certified body shop of the OEM, not the one the insurer wants. That’s always step one - but they have you tow it to theirs.
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Buyer psychology. That’s why sellers tend to sell their cars before they reach 100,000 miles. The search bar from AutoTrader:
Not knowing what’s in the cost estimate, it’s not just replacing the quarter panel, which they may have to torch out, but they have to blend the base coat (color) and the clear coat into other panels on the car to achieve to a paint “match.”
Also, the actual paint is really expensive nowdays. Automotive metallics, pearls, reds, etc. are more expensive per gallon and can be difficult to spray. A gallon of automotive paint (base coat and clear coat) can cost $500-$1,000/gallon.
Also, salvage cars are considered “branded.” Difficult to insure and future buyers always think the worst happened. IMO, move on.
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My coworker did this recently. She took the payout then basically bought the car back at a reduced price from the insurance company and is driving it while saving up a larger downpayment for the next vehicle. There’s nothing mechanically wrong with the car, so it is sound to drive.
We would have done the same but our insurance company set an obnoxiously high buy-back price for our cars so we were stuck car shopping. Ugh.
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Typically you can’t insure a salvaged car. The title you get won’t really allow you to sell it. Get another car.
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Get an older Lexus ES 330/350 and don’t look back. Have a mechanic check it out. They drive very smooth and the engine will last like. Well… forever! 
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I.e. the Lexus Camry?
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Not long. Once they cut you a check…the car needs to be returned.
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Toyota Avalon is basically a Lexus in different clothing. Lol.
Since no one asked me I would get a Polestar ev used 2024. It would be cost effective with low miles. It’s built on a Volvo frame. Great distance with long range. Extremely efficient and comfortable and tons coming off leases.
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@jym626 what did you guys do again with your car. You’re the master negotiator!!! 
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We researched what comparable cars were selling for on car trader type sites in our area with similar mileage and similar features. Also had a print out of all of the features on our car and had also put on new tires recently. We also were able to get more value because the interior of the car was undamaged and they were able to reuse those parts. It took some work, but we got almost double what the original offer was when that previous vehicle was totaled. Currently, I’m hearing that Teslas are often totaled because it takes so long to get parts that insurance companies don’t want to pay the storage fee for the cars. Add to that that the value of Teslas has declined. Have no idea whether the recent poster has a Tesla, but to compensate for that potential issue, I bought a very inexpensive rider on my insurance when I bought my Tesla, which gives us 20% above the value of the car to help with a new purchase. It was incredibly inexpensive, but it kicked in on the previous totaled car and was extremely beneficial as we had also added it to that other car..
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Do this ^^
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