And so it ends

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2021 CX-9 Sig
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2021 CX-5 GT
And so it ends. Wife hit someone - she was not paying attention. Terrible way to start the new year. The tow guy thinks the car is totaled. I owe 10K and fear I will only get 20K from the insurance. Leaving me with not enough money to replace. Back to driving the CX-5.

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Sorry @dougal , that’s terrible.

Did the car give her any warning, or attempt to brake itself? Not sure what the safety system is in the ‘18s.
 
And so it ends. Wife hit someone - she was not paying attention. Terrible way to start the new year. The tow guy thinks the car is totaled. I owe 10K and fear I will only get 20K from the insurance. Leaving me with not enough money to replace. Back to driving the CX-5.

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Wow! Bummer! Hope no one was injured.
 
Wow! Bummer! Hope no one was injured.

Yeah, the CX-9 took it like a champ and crumbled the way it should. The F150 has some issues but was 100% drivable.

I think she was going too fast for the system to brake.

Airbags did deploy. Hoping it is repairable.
 
And so it ends. Wife hit someone - she was not paying attention. Terrible way to start the new year. The tow guy thinks the car is totaled. I owe 10K and fear I will only get 20K from the insurance. Leaving me with not enough money to replace. Back to driving the CX-5.

KBB market value is about $30K still although I don't know if yours is a GT or Sig or how much mileage. I put in Signature and a typical 30,000 miles for this '18. Can't see why insurance would only give you $20K. I wouldn't rule this totalled just yet being that it was worth close to $30K but it's a close call.

Would you not finance another? Why would the payout not be enough for a big down payment?


 
KBB market value is about $30K still although I don't know if yours is a GT or Sig or how much mileage. I put in Signature and a typical 30,000 miles for this '18. Can't see why insurance would only give you $20K. I wouldn't rule this totalled just yet being that it was worth close to $30K but it's a close call.

Would you not finance another? Why would the payout not be enough for a big down payment?

It is a Signature but I have lots of miles - 57K. The tow guy said the insurance will give you the KBB "good" value for the car- no matter the condition. That value looked to be about 23K. But I hope he is wrong. I still owe about 10K, so if I could get 30K, that would give me some room to buy another CX-9. Loved that car.
 
It is a Signature but I have lots of miles - 57K. The tow guy said the insurance will give you the KBB "good" value for the car- no matter the condition. That value looked to be about 23K. But I hope he is wrong. I still owe about 10K, so if I could get 30K, that would give me some room to buy another CX-9. Loved that car.
I'm coming up with over $25K market value based on that info. Insurance should go by actual value, not trade in. Trade in is around $22K.

Considering you loved the car and that the 2021 has many updates/upgrades over the 2018, I wouldn't think twice of getting another. IMO there's still nothing better in the segment.
 
Every insurance company is different. The tow guy can only guess, but he is no expert, I assure you. His word/assessment means nothing.
You can also negotiate with the insurance company, escalate, and get legal advice...IF you feel like they are not being fair to you. Best of luck and glad that everyone is OK. Cars can be fixed or replaced. People can't.
 
When my car was totaled some years ago the amount I received was the market value and it was determined by listings at retail of similar models. Look around in that market and come up with representative examples and that should be your starting point with the insurance company.

In addition, my state only charges tax on the difference between new price and trade-in so I argued for the tax on my settlement price to be included. I ended up with 50% of that value and it was worth an extra $450 in my case.
 
Not sure if it’s available in the US but here in Cda I always get a 2-yr new vehicle protection (assuming that vehicle totalled is still within 2yrs) as it covers for the total cost and not fair market value of the vehicle in case it’s totalled regardless of mileage. Of course, it only applies up to a max of 2 yrs...the extra on monthly premiums are less than $10 which is definitely worth it
 
To add one thing to rowlands57 excellent advice...dig out your insurance policy and read the fine print. It will say what the insurance company will pay, whether it is current retail market value or something else. Start with that. Using that, do your own research to find what that value will be in your region and the current used car market.

Don't be in a rush to sign anything. Is your wife or anyone else banged up? Don't sign off on their medical settlement, if any, until they're 100% recovered and some time has passed in case anything else comes up. Go ahead and sign for the car settlement when you feel the offer is fair. You can always buy a half-hour of an attorney's time to give you advice if you feel you need it. Be wary of getting the lawyer too deeply involved until you get a full idea of what they will cost you. The cost of the lawyer might be more than the value you receive.

If the insurance company doesn't total the car.......pick a great repair shop. Be very alert for hidden damage that isn't apparent at first to the shop guys. Again, don't be in a hurry to sign off on the job. Put some miles on the repaired car first. I know a fellow who was driving down a mountain road when a tree fell directly in front of his Subaru. Slam! He wanted Allstate to total that car. They insisted on repairs. After about the 3rd trip back to the shop to fix hidden items it was finally totalled, and at higher cost to the insurer than if they'd totaled it in the first place. He said that the airbag tasted horrible.

Each state law gives insurance companies the duty to determine when to total a vehicle. A percentage or range of percentages of the car's value is listed. For example state law might say that if the damage is estimated to be, say, 85% or more of the value, it must be totaled. This also relates to the car's title--the title will be listed as totaled after the insurance company's determination.
 
I would be hoping they declare the vehicle a total loss at this point. Firstly, I'd be wary of driving it if the front subframe is bent and requires repair. The car may not behave in the way it is intended in a subsequent accident should that ever occur. Secondly, I've had the unfortunate experience of driving a car after it underwent significant collision repairs, and it was never right. The alignment was a mess, and the various electrical systems (locks, alarm, etc.) never worked right.

If they do attempt a repair, I definitely second the advice in the post above. Find the best shop you can and don't be pressured into accepting the car until it's done right to your satisfaction.

I'm glad everyone is ok. Sometimes it's best to just move on.
 
My wife too totaled our 2012 CX9. I negotiated with our State Farm Claims Rep and he ended up giving me $4,000 more than his original offer. Can't hurt to try and negotiate.
 
Tow guys have no idea about insurance. That's why they're tow guys and not adjusters. I've had two different tow guys tell me it's a write off on two different occasions and they were wrong both times. I think some people just like spreading bad news.

Anyway, even if they do write it off, you can fight with them. Don't just accept what they say. I know each insurance company is different, but it's typically the replacement value that they go by. So look around for vehicles that are very similar to yours and with higher re-sale value than what the insurance company claims. Make your case that your car is exceptional. I've had to do that a couple of times, it's not fun, and you might have to wait it out, but you do have some leverage.
 
Sorry to hear this. Hope the wife and anyone else in the car is doing ok.

If the wheel/suspension wasn’t damaged and there aren’t any fluids leaking, this damage might be repairable. The front ends of cars are designed to protect pedestrians so they will totally buckle and give to cushion the impact. Hitting another vehicle could make it look worse than it really is.

My biggest concern would be the painting. I wonder how difficult it is to paint the Machine Gray (and Crystal Red Soul for that matter).

Hopefully it’ll all get sorted out quickly and works in your favor for a new CX-9.
 
Ouch! Sorry to see this dougal, but I'm glad to hear that the car did it's job and that your wife was able to walk away from the collision. If they do happen to total the vehicle, hopefully you're able to get a fair value and you can get behind the wheel of another CX-9 soon. If they're able to repair it, I'd follow everyone else's excellent advice regarding repairs. Good luck!
 
If anyone is worried about how the insurance company will value your car, consider a more expensive 'agreed value' insurance policy.

With Agreed Value coverage, you agree to what your car is worth when your policy is written. This value does not depreciate over time.
 
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