Need help understanding damages

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fishin fool

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I recently purchased a 2006 4wd sr5 4runner. Such a beautiful car and so comfortable and fun to drive. For the little time I owned it I really enjoyed it, there wasnt a fishin spot in the mountains that I couldnt get to.
Unfortunately it was stolen from my driveway and driven around til it ran out of gas and was abandoned. During the thieves' joyride they wrecked and abused it in every way possible, hitting everything they could,
my drivers side door is hanging on by a thread, about every corner of the car was damaged, hood wont shut, broke my new yakima canoe rack off of the factory rack, rubbed the sides of the tires almost raw on curbs.
Basically the only reason they didnt beat it up more was because they ran out of gas.

So now I am in the process of getting a damages estimate from the insurance adjuster. They have already given me one estimate in which I was not present and I believe to be a low figure as they didnt even have the keys
to check for engine damage or potential electronic problems. The door has been hanging open in the rain and the sun for a week now and Im concerned about the interior as well.

As I am not the most automotive mechanically inclined, basically what I am asking is, when I meet with the adjuster and the body shop guy in a few days what are potential damages that I should point out to be checked?
Im already gonna lose a lot of money if I was to sell it, and if I keep it, Im afraid of problems arising down the road that will be my responsibility to fix when and if they occur. So, Can you guys give me some pointers as to what needs to be checked in order to get a thorough inspection and a fair estimate?

Thank you so much for any information you can give me. I truly appreciate it.
Matt
 
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if you're worried about not getting enough $ to fix all the problems, go to the dealer and ask for an independent estimate to fix it all 100% back to factory specs.

if there is a $ difference, show the insurance company and they should reimburse you. - or tell the dealer to work with the insurance company to get it properly taken care of. Also, the dealer should provide a warranty on what they fixed ...

if youre still worried, after its fixed, sell the car and get another one ! lol

things to look out for besides the body work and door are new tires, alignment, possibly new rims ( if they're bent) get the transmission and 4wd systems checked out, and if u have xreas - possible leaks, and all the electronics since its been in the rain ...

BTW, how did they steal ur 4runner with no key ? theres an engine immobilizer/transponder key system in the truck ......
 
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ASk for the adjusters to send the vehicle to a repair shop or a toyota dealer to have the electrics checked out. Ive had my fair share of stolen vehicles that are repaired body wise but electrical stuff is jacked up. It doesnt hurt to ask. you are paying for the insurance for a reason, to make sure you can keep and drive that vehicle as long as possible in a safe and secure manner
 
Correct. BY law, you can take it to be repaired anywhere.

All that is going on here is the base estimate to determine whether to total it or not.

Have it taken to the local toyota, and do like the others stated: Have them do an estimate to get it back to spec. A body shop can't tell you engine damage.

I am sorry to hear that. *******s!
 
That sucks man, I'm sorry to hear it. Did they hotwire it? I don't think I've ever heard of a 4th gen being stolen without the key. I don't know if it's a state law or what but in Texas you have the right to take it where ever you want to be repaired and the insurance company must pay the repair bill, even if it's more than their estimate. Find a good local place with good reviews and hopefully get some first hand reviews from friends that have used the place and take it there. In my experience the dealerships around here just contract out much of the work anyways. All I did is pay my deductible to the repair place and they billed the insurance company directly for the rest.

And then if you're really worried about long term value of the car I believe they have to reimburse you for that too. But I'd sell it ASAP if you're not comfortable keeping it.
 
Bass turds...I'm also curious as to how they stole it? I live in a small rural community so i'm use to leaving my keys in my runner but this is making me rethink that!
 
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There are a couple ways I can see that happening...

A.) The OP left their keys in the vehicle.

B.) The OP or previous owner had disected an old key for the transponder and glued it to the reciever. (rather common, makes for cheap replacement keys since they don't need to be chipped.)

C.) They bypassed the system electrically... which would be pretty tough...
 
There was an extra key in it, Ive only had it for a couple months and had it parked outside the garage because I was doin some boat maintenance inside the garage. I did underestimated the security of my neighborhood.

The car is sitting at a toyota body shop. When I asked the body shop guy what they do to check engine damage he said they change the oil, flush transmission and drive it and if it doesnt make any weird noises then they call it good. Is that a very thorough check? Also, if all the electric controls work right now will that prove that there is no damage to them or could they short out later?

The car has 104,000 miles on it. I looked for a long time and passed on quite a few 4runners which carfax didnt seem clean, so I think most folks in that market will feel the same way. Do you think that there is a chance I could be reimbursed for the reduction in value of the car since it has been wrecked and will always have a questionable history?

Thanks for your advise on this.
 
No. Insurance companies do not reimburse devaluation. If you have ANY concerns, I would fight for them to total it out. You can negotiate.
You left a key in it. Oh man. Did you tell the insurance company? Please do not!

That is a huge NO NO.
 
fishin, you can also take the position that they just fix it, you dont care teh cost and that if it doesnt meet your expectaiton when its fixed you will keep returning it until its fixed properly. it puts the shop in a bad position but unfortunately they will ahve to deal with it, let THEM get money out of the insurance company as needed to do it right. its not your responsibility to fight for a proper repair.
 
Jerrydog said:
fishin, you can also take the position that they just fix it, you dont care teh cost and that if it doesnt meet your expectaiton when its fixed you will keep returning it until its fixed properly. it puts the shop in a bad position but unfortunately they will ahve to deal with it, let THEM get money out of the insurance company as needed to do it right. its not your responsibility to fight for a proper repair.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately that's NOT the way it works. If the cost exceeds a certain amount then the insurance company will total it....A repair shop could easily tell you to just pound sand...and then you or the insurance company will have to bring legal action...which is NOT the easiest way to handle this.

OP - You do NOT have to take the insurance companies estimate. You can easily get your own estimate from the bodyshop of your choosing. I'd get more then one. Present them to the insurance company.

From what was described it sounds like it's not too bad....so I believe everything can be repaired/replaced and brought to up new-like condition. But a vehicle this old they're NOT going to be using NEW parts. Probably used parts (if they can find them) or aftermarket parts.

And hopefully you don't have one of the "Discount" insurance companies....They are notorious for going cheap on everything. I know of a couple of body-shops near where I live..and if you walk in one of these insurance companies..they'll REFUSE the work. It's too much of a hassle for them.
 
DC runner said:
.... I would fight for them to total it out. You can negotiate.
...
Click to expand...

100% agree.
No way I would trust this truck after you described what happened to it.
It needs to be totaled so if anyone ever decide and be able to buy it they will know it has a salvage title…. sorry..
 
MikeInNH said:
Unfortunately that's NOT the way it works. If the cost exceeds a certain amount then the insurance company will total it....A repair shop could easily tell you to just pound sand...and then you or the insurance company will have to bring legal action...which is NOT the easiest way to handle this.

OP - You do NOT have to take the insurance companies estimate. You can easily get your own estimate from the bodyshop of your choosing. I'd get more then one. Present them to the insurance company.

From what was described it sounds like it's not too bad....so I believe everything can be repaired/replaced and brought to up new-like condition. But a vehicle this old they're NOT going to be using NEW parts. Probably used parts (if they can find them) or aftermarket parts.

And hopefully you don't have one of the "Discount" insurance companies....They are notorious for going cheap on everything. I know of a couple of body-shops near where I live..and if you walk in one of these insurance companies..they'll REFUSE the work. It's too much of a hassle for them.
Click to expand...

Mike I was assuming they had already agreed to fix it, they wont get half way thru a repair and say ah heck just total it....so once they ( insuarance)agree to fix it its up to the repair shop to work it out with the insurance company for the extra cash if they find more cost in fixing it... been here, done it.
 
Thanks for all your advise. Car is worth about $19000-20000, insurance told me damage has to be 70% of value to total it. The first estimate was at $8900 and that estimate did not take into consideration many of the small things inside that the thieves broke. So, Im hoping that when I show up to meet the adjuster for another estimate, with me pointing out different things that need replaced or at least examined I can bump it up another 15-20% to where its at least close to the total mark.

I was also wondering, if I can get a better estimate this next time and say the difference between my new estimate and the 70% mark is maybe a $1000, have you ever heard of someone just paying the $1000 to insurance to buy the car and pay off my lien? Cause Im thinking if I sell it Id be out more than that anyway??

How can I ensure that only genuine toyota parts are used. Also can I demand only new parts? The tires were rubbed pretty badly on the sides, can I demand a brand new set of the exact same tires?

thanks all
 
yes if u go to the dealer, they'll most likely use toyota parts, unless they outsource the work ......

if the tires are unsafe, they should replace with new tires. not used....

also i would demand for a full interior and exterior detailing to be included in the estimate since it was in the rain with no door ....
 
You do NOT have to take the insurance companies estimate. Get it estimated from a dealer or a reputable body shop. Many small dealers farm out their body work.
 
If any additional damage is found, shops can write a supplement estimate to the insurance companies. They do this on your behalf cause shops want to make it right you and their pockets. Thief recoveries are horrible to fix due lots of unforeseen damage. I know this is old thread but if keys were left inside vehicle insurance probably won't cover it.
 
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