Should I repair my "totaled" car?

drummerdimitri · Jul 8, 2020

I was involved in a serious car accident when driving on the motorway and a car crashed into me while changing lanes from left to middle without noticing my presence.

Long story short, I'm fine but the car is dead.

My insurance company is saying that the car is a total loss from experience but they've yet to receive a quotation for repair from my local Audi service center.

The reason I am considering repairing the car instead of purchasing a new car is due to the current economic crisis we are facing in Lebanon.

The prices of new cars have skyrocketed and most dealerships only accept full cash upfront payments or half bankers cheque and half cash payments but the issue is banks have restricted the cash withdrawals so much that it would be impossible to purchase a new car that way.

Given the severity of the accident, should I go ahead and repair it given the circumstances or just buy a used car of equal value?

Evil Derboy · Jul 8, 2020

I cant see how you could repair that for a cost less than buying a replacement. Every single panel is damaged including the roof. Even if you did fix it, it would never be as strong or safe as a car that hasnt been rolled.

PeteRS3lee · Jul 8, 2020

As Above Seriously dont waste your time on a repair , looking at the pics ,its goosed at every angle

Sparks43 · Jul 8, 2020

Do not even attempt to repair that car - Besides the fact it wouldn't be cost effective if it's even possible as the others have said it will never be as safe

jrumball · Jul 8, 2020

Glad you survived looks like a bad one, i have had a serious accident too, I don’t fully understand the situation in Lebanon, but that car should never be put back on the road ! It will never be as safe, metal fatigue etc unseen damage .Best to wait until this is all over get a run around for a bit .

drummerdimitri · Jul 8, 2020

Thanks for the suggestions.

I agree with the above but sometimes emotions sway one to make the wrong decision.

Will try to get my hands on a second hand CL550 4matic Blueefficiency as that has been my dream car for a while now but couldn't afford one new and now that 5 years have past since the purchase of my S3, these have dropped in price significantly so I think it's the right time to get one.

Will probably get back onto the Audi wagon another 5 years down the line. Would of saved up enough to be whatever S3 equivalent would be by then.

NHN · Jul 8, 2020

God no, it would have to be stripped & jigged, due to possible & likely chassis damage, it could be repaired but tbh with every single panel gone, let alone hidden damage, I'd just be thankful you walked away from that wreckage, that's not pleasant.

JohnM100 · Jul 8, 2020

Firstly, glad you are ok.

Agree with other comments - I am no expert but feel that is not repairable and I wouldn’t want to get in it even if it was repaired. Given it’s age, the repair is unlikely to be financially viable - the boot lid is the only panel that appears undamaged and who knows if the engine and gearbox are ok.

Looking at the wheels I suspect the chassis is bent and so structurally compromised.

Use the money to get another car. I know you loved your S3 but it did it’s job and kept you safe.

zac7654321 · Jul 8, 2020

All pillars are f'd, salvage what you can, recycle the rest

CanadaA3wales · Jul 8, 2020

I work for a claims company - Insurance company
That is a CAT B, you will never be allowed to keep it, and if you do it will only to take parts from it and will need a salvage receipt to show you have disposed of the vehicle, its not worth it.

S32B · Jul 8, 2020

Glad that you are OK, but I have to ask, did you have any injuries at all?

My nephew had an accident last year (well I say accident! his then girlfriend tried to kill them both) anyway, the car left the road doing 70, hit a tree and then rolled 2-3 times! when he sent me the pictures I couldn't believe that he walked away without a single scratch:

davethaboss · Jul 8, 2020

drummerdimitri said:
I was involved in a serious car accident when driving on the motorway and a car crashed into me while changing lanes from left to middle without noticing my presence.

Long story short, I'm fine but the car is dead.

My insurance company is saying that the car is a total loss from experience but they've yet to receive a quotation for repair from my local Audi service center.

The reason I am considering repairing the car instead of purchasing a new car is due to the current economic crisis we are facing in Lebanon.

The prices of new cars have skyrocketed and most dealerships only accept full cash upfront payments or half bankers cheque and half cash payments but the issue is banks have restricted the cash withdrawals so much that it would be impossible to purchase a new car that way.

Given the severity of the accident, should I go ahead and repair it given the circumstances or just buy a used car of equal value?View attachment 206019 View attachment 206020 View attachment 206021 View attachment 206022 View attachment 206023 View attachment 206025 View attachment 206024 View attachment 206026 View attachment 206027 View attachment 206019 View attachment 206020 View attachment 206021 View attachment 206022 View attachment 206019 View attachment 206020 View attachment 206021 View attachment 206022 View attachment 206023 View attachment 206025 View attachment 206024 View attachment 206026 View attachment 206027

So I have rebuilt salvage cars before and I still do it.

If I saw this on copart I still would not buy it. There are too many panels to replace, a lot of painting, potential interior electronics and harnesses damaged, etc...

This would be a nightmare in order to finish and I highly doubt you could save money repairing this. Repair costs on this are going to be insane.

I have to say that some of the commenters here wouldn't even touch a car that had a damaged front bumper or was involved in a side accident. Just because, insurance declares it a total loss does not mean it is irrepairable. I bid and buy side hit cars all the time and was involved in a brutal accident with one of them and I was fine. Structural integrity is not compromised unless the job is done right.

But again. This is not worth it. I am surprised that the regulating authority that you guys have has not declared this vehicle to be a " parts only " vehicle...

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drummerdimitri · Jul 8, 2020

S32B said:
Glad that you are OK, but I have to ask, did you have any injuries at all?

My nephew had an accident last year (well I say accident! his then girlfriend tried to kill them both) anyway, the car left the road doing 70, hit a tree and then rolled 2-3 times! when he sent me the pictures I couldn't believe that he walked away without a single scratch:

Thankfully just an airbag burn on my right wrist that is almost fully healed now.

I got away with it this time...

Evil Derboy · Jul 8, 2020

CanadaA3wales said:
I work for a claims company - Insurance company
That is a CAT B, you will never be allowed to keep it, and if you do it will only to take parts from it and will need a salvage receipt to show you have disposed of the vehicle, its not worth it.

Never realised that Lebanese Insurers used the exact same category system as the UK....

CanadaA3wales · Jul 8, 2020

Evil Derboy said:
Never realised that Lebanese Insurers used the exact same category system as the UK....

I dont, I didnt know he was from Lebanon, just saying its straight to salvage, no point even doing an estimate.
Thats a borderline CAT A as cannot see any panels that can be used again, maybe a few engine bits and the rear.

JohnM100 · Jul 8, 2020

CanadaA3wales said:
I dont, I didnt know he was from Lebanon, just saying its straight to salvage, no point even doing an estimate.
Thats a borderline CAT A as cannot see any panels that can be used again, maybe a few engine bits and the rear.

Good advice but see post #1

Evil Derboy · Jul 9, 2020

CanadaA3wales said:
I dont, I didnt know he was from Lebanon, just saying its straight to salvage, no point even doing an estimate.
Thats a borderline CAT A as cannot see any panels that can be used again, maybe a few engine bits and the rear.

As per post1, he’s in Lebanon where they may have completely different rules about what can be repaired, what goes straight to salvage and what can be driven on the road.

All irrelevant of course. The car’s f**ked.

Damo S · Jul 9, 2020

Glad you are OK. Even just the superficial parts of the front passenger quarter alone (bumper, bonnet, wing, headlight, various plastic bits around that area) will be the best part of 5 grand to repair. And that's without the rest of the car which looks smashed up and completely wonky. It's toast I'm afraid

drummerdimitri · Jul 9, 2020

I went to my Insurance company's claim department today to see what what happens next.

They told me the car will be salvaged (sold as spare parts) and they will compensate me with a cheque of 50 k $ which is a far cry from the original 85 k $ I paid for the car 5 years ago but seems fair enough as the car has depreciated over time.

As I currently need a car but don't have the funds to purchase a new car of similar price, I'm leaning towards a used Mercedes CL 550 4matic blueefficiency as that was my second option when I decided to go for an S3 instead because it was cheaper than a used one back then but now they've come down quite a bit in price that I could get my hands on a decent specimen for what the insurance company will be paying me.

Will definitely get back on the Audi bandwagon but for now, this is my best option.

CanadaA3wales · Jul 9, 2020

I dont know how it works there but here they have to give you MARKET price for the vehicle.
You must have book guides to show how much the vehicle is being sold on the open market, but you need to take into account reducing costs when negotiating.
If your car is being sold for $60k and they are only offering 50$ then you need to ask why you are paying for insurance if you cannot buy the same car after the accident, especially if its not your fault.
But again I dont know how it works there, but this process is standard in USA, Canada and the UK so I would have thought it would be the same in other countries depending on the level of cover you have bought.
Some companies offer back to purchase price, or agreed limit ect. I would not just accept their first offer.

JohnM100 · Jul 9, 2020

drummerdimitri said:
I went to my Insurance company's claim department today to see what what happens next.

They told me the car will be salvaged (sold as spare parts) and they will compensate me with a cheque of 50 k $ which is a far cry from the original 85 k $ I paid for the car 5 years ago but seems fair enough as the car has depreciated over time.

As I currently need a car but don't have the funds to purchase a new car of similar price, I'm leaning towards a used Mercedes CL 550 4matic blueefficiency as that was my second option when I decided to go for an S3 instead because it was cheaper than a used one back then but now they've come down quite a bit in price that I could get my hands on a decent specimen for what the insurance company will be paying me.

Will definitely get back on the Audi bandwagon but for now, this is my best option.

I understand the decision to change brand/model after such a major smash. That S3 did a a stellar job keeping you safe though.

Good luck.

CanadaA3wales · Jul 9, 2020

JohnM100 said:
I understand the decision to change brand/model after such a major smash. That S3 did a a stellar job keeping you safe though.

Good luck.

I would say it held up very well looking at the pillar damage
Makes you feel safe thats for sure

Reggieboy71 · Jul 9, 2020

That’s one mangled car! Surprised and glad you managed to walk away from this relatively unscathed considering the damage! I lived in Lebanon for 15 years and can vouch that some of the driving that goes on there is on a different level!!

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drummerdimitri · Sep 10, 2020

I wanted to get your opinion on something...

Since the car was tuned when I got into the accident, I gave the insurance company the stock parts and in exchange asked for the tuned parts since those were not covered under the motor vehicle insurance policy.

I am looking to sell these (turbo muffler delete, decat down-pipe, charge/discharge pipes etc...) in the local market, however I have no clue how to price them.

Would it be wise to just slash 50% off of the parts price new? If not, what pricing strategy would makes sense in this case?

FYI all the parts are still in perfect condition and were not in any way affected by the crash.

pburv · Sep 11, 2020

drummerdimitri said:
I wanted to get your opinion on something...

Since the car was tuned when I got into the accident, I gave the insurance company the stock parts and in exchange asked for the tuned parts since those were not covered under the motor vehicle insurance policy.

I am looking to sell these (turbo muffler delete, decat down-pipe, charge/discharge pipes etc...) in the local market, however I have no clue how to price them.

Would it be wise to just slash 50% off of the parts price new? If not, what pricing strategy would makes sense in this case?

FYI all the parts are still in perfect condition and were not in any way affected by the crash.

I suggest you look up used prices on sites such as Ebay. It will give you an idea at what price you could be getting.
50% on nearly new used would be a good deal for someone.
It's a shame such a nice car was totaled but the main thing is you are ok. Good luck with the sale of your parts :thumbs up:

pburv · Sep 11, 2020

If you can arrange a guaranteed and secure way of posting them. Why not sell them on this forum?

Should I repair my "totaled" car?

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