If you are in search of a question that ‘is my car totaled’ then you must have been through an accident and damaged your car very badly. To determine precisely that whether your car is totaled or not you have to know what exactly a totaled car means.
Totaled Car
‘Totaled car’ which is also known as ‘total loss’ means that you have damaged your car to the point that knows it’s impossible to repair it or its repair cost is higher than the actual value of a car. To be honest every car has different criteria to be declared as totaled.
It’s more likely to be dependent on the condition of a car and its model year. If you have the latest model then there are very less chances that your car will be totaled because most of its parts will be available in the local market and repair costs will be affordable. On the other hand, if your car is old and in a bad condition then its chances of being declared totaled are high. It’s because of the unavailability of spare parts and higher repair costs.
Signs That Show That Your Car Is Totaled
1. The Cost Of Repair Is More Than The Cost Of Replacement
Your car will be considered totaled when it costs more to repair it than to buy a new car. It’s usually happened in case of severe accidents. The insurance company will refuse to pay for the vehicle and declared it as a total loss, which means that they will know, pay you the amount of your car’s worth, so you can buy a similar new car. They will do this by determining the prices of similar cars in your area.
2. Unable To Drive And Leaking Fluids
There is a high chance that your car will be declared totaled if you can’t drive it to the repair shop due to the following reasons:
- The view of the driver has been blocked due to the parts of a car
- The car is not starting
- The majority of the car parts are bent
- There is leaking of fluids
Leaking of fluids usually means that a lot of damage has happened to the engine which means that there will be higher repair costs. Most probably company doesn’t want to pay for it and will declare your car as a total loss.
3. A Car Is 5 Years Old And There Is Spacious Damage To The Frame
If after an accident you see that the frame of your car is highly damaged consider your car to be totaled. It’s because the most expensive thing to do with a car is to build its frame. The insurance company will prefer totaling a car instead of wasting time and money on its frame.
Another factor that contributes a lot to the totaling of a car is its age. The older the car is chances of its total loss will increase. It’s because of the unavailability of spare parts and higher repair costs. On the other hand, new cars have fewer chances of being totaled depending on the damage.
4. Higher Amount Of Miles
As we all know, the number of miles determines the condition of a car. So, just like age is a huge factor mile also plays an important role in totaling of car.
Things Your Insurance Company Will Do
- The damage of your will be calculated in terms of a dollar value. A representative from an insurance company will inspect your car and give you an estimated repair budget.
- Year, make, model, trim, location, and recent prices of similar cars will play a great role in declaring a car totaled. If a car is not totaled then the damage repair cost will be provided to you.
What Happens When You And Your Insurer Disagree On The Value Of A Car
- If there is a disagreement between you and your insurer the only option you have is to hire an appraiser. But for that, there must be an appraisal provision in your auto policy. Both you and your insurance company are allowed to hire appraisers in that provision.
- If it’s the fault of another person and you have collision coverage then you can use it to claim the loss and your insurer have to pay the totaled loss.
FAQs (Will My Car Be Totaled Calculator)
Is it possible to keep a totaled car?
Every state has different rules and regulations on keeping a totaled car. You can find out the rules for your state through research. Salvage value will be deducted from your payoff if you decide to keep the car. After that, you can get your car repaired.
What happens after the car is considered totaled?
You will have to transfer the title of the car to the company before receiving a payout from the company. Your insurance agent will guide you through this process. After that company often sell the totaled car to the salvage vehicle dealer. You don’t have to worry about the car after that.
How to leave a totaled car?
After confirming that your car is totaled, clear out all your belongings from the vehicle and remove the license plates. Don’t forget to locate your title and keys. After that surrender the car to the insurance company. In case of any confusion contact your agent. the insurance agent will tell you the exact steps of the whole process.
We hope that this article will help you to determine whether your car is totaled or not. You can also take our Is My Car Totaled Quiz below to understand your car worth now. Best of luck!
