I was driving at 40 mph when someone slid through a stop sign and hit me at about 20 mph. It’s going to take a while for insurance to check the damage, so I’d love to hear some opinions and maybe learn a thing or two.
I don’t know much about cars, so please keep it simple and easy to understand.
(Tow company thinks it’s probably totaled because the A-frame has some damage, and they can’t get a good look at the B-frame yet but suspect it’s messed up too. They also said they would have expected the airbags to deploy.)
Airbags are designed to reduce serious injuries in a crash. The way they decide whether to deploy depends on factors that car companies don’t really share. So the real question is… are you still here? If so, they worked as intended.
@Jade
Really? ‘Closely guarded’ like it’s some top-secret recipe? I also have a ‘closely guarded’ method for making a ham sandwich. It’s locked away on the blockchain, with the key hidden across five continents. The last word is buried in a Florida swamp full of gators… and for extra security, we added pythons and some really aggressive geese.
But yeah, airbags usually deploy if the impact angle is right.
Airbags aren’t a guarantee, but if the tow company thinks it’s totaled, they might be right. I had a Kia Forte GT with similar damage, and it was written off after someone ran a red light.
Most cars now have crumple zones, and your damage seems to be in one of those areas. Just looking at it, I’d guess repairs could be anywhere from $13k to $28k once everything is taken apart.
Parts that might be damaged:
Tire
Rim
Tie rod
Ball joint
Lower control arm
Steering knuckle
Wheel hub
ABS sensor
Wheel well
Side panel
Door
Brake line
Caliper and bracket
TPMS sensor
Wheel speed sensor
Auto hold brake system (common in Kias)
Shops and insurance companies don’t like to spend on disassembling and reassembling stuff, so they usually just replace everything around the damaged area. If you owned the car, you’ll probably get a payout. If you leased it… well, that’s a different story.
If insurance declares it totaled, just make sure they’re giving you a fair value for it. Sometimes they lowball you, so be ready to push back if needed.