Bobo

Someone backed into me in a parking lot yesterday as I was driving by.

Damaged my right rear passenger door, quarter panel, rocker panel.

Estimate is $3,360. May be able to reduce that somewhat if they can get away with not having to blend paint
into the front door.

This is a 95SE that i have owned since day 1. It is in mint condition.

I will provide invoices for say the past 5 years.

In the past 3 years I have replaced a fuel injector and then a coil.

17,000 kms on new tires, $645

Front brakes done less than 19,000 kms ago.

The car is a 95SE, 5-speed. I had the dreaded differentiai carrier bearing leak and
had the transmission rebuilt, outer CV boots replaced and a LUK clutch kit installed given the tranny was out.
This was done less than 59,000 kms ago. With 4-wheel alignment cost about $1,800.

The rear seats look brand new.

It has every option available.

Bose
Sunroof
Leather
Heated front seats
Power driver's seat
Fog lamps
Sun roof deflector

Budget stainless steel y-pipe (I won't tell them that), fTSB, K&N panel filter..

Apparently you can no longer take their offer and put it towards repairs and pay out of pocket. the difference.
The car is perfectly driveable.
They insist on paying out and taking possession of the car which makes no sense given it is driveable.

I will tell them that the car has sentimental value, I intended to put collector plates on the vehicle and keep it for years etc.

They wouldn't be able to find the same year with the mileage this car has with the condition it is in, etc.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks

JvG

The insurance company won't care about sentimental value.

Seems your options are to have them take the car in trade for a check or to keep your car and reject their offer.

As I recall, your car has low miles or kilometers.

Cars like ours are still fairly common in the Pacific Northwest USA and in British Columbia.

I'm not sure about the logistics of importing a car from the USA to Canada. Seems like there will be more Maximas in Washington or Oregon than in BC.

I think the damage estimate is equal to or over the cars market value. I'd say that your car is totaled.

Bobo

115,000 miles on it. Absolutely no rust.

Probably totaled but I am going to present invoices to show how much I have spent on it in repairs in the past 5 years, just larger items and also the rebuilt tranny/new clutch which was more than 5 years.

I will also argue that they don't have a comparable for that car.

How many 1995 Maxima SEs are there that are rust free with 115,000 miles on them.

User1

You car is beyond totaled. The process will be to take the check and buy it back. Happens all the time. Problem now is, it's a totaled, salvage title car. It is no longer a virgin with any value.

JvG

Bobo lives in Canada.

the repair estimate is about 2,500 USA dollars.

User1

Correct. Which is about $2k more than the car books for.

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

Sorry to hear your Max got hit. Got any pics to share?

I have no idea how Canada insurance works and if it's the same or different than how things work here in the US. I don't even know what ICBC stands for...must be a Canada thing.

As others have stated, here in the US your car would considered totaled, and you would be given the option to buy it back. And depending on the state, some states would issue it a salvage title, while others would issue a rebuilt title assuming you fixed it and made it roadworthy again in that state's eyes.

Bobo

ICBC stands for the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, the provincial insurance company.

I have reported the accident to them but they haven't gotten back to me. HIstorically you take the car in to them, they estimate the damage and then you get it fixed. The repair shop has to deal with ICBC concerning the estimate.

During the pandemic, you don't take the car in to ICBC for the estimate, you go straight to a an approved repair shop and they deal with ICBC, send them pictures, their estimate etc.

As I explained initially, currently I don't have the option of keeping the car if I take their offer.

The car is roadworthy.

Bobo

I kept collision on the car. I will argue that I wouldn't have paid the premium for several years if all I thought I would get is $x in the event of a claim.

I will argue ad infinitum that they can't find a comparable car period.

fattmaxx02

Here is my two cents. I had a mint 91 240sx that got hit in the "death spot" right behind driver door. Car was completely drivable. Their ins co totalled my car and was going to take it and
only was willing to give me $800 for it stating "market value". I have a relative who is a lawyer and he said to get proof of what comparable 240s in my area are selling for and present the ins company with that. I fought for 2 months with the ins co.,. But I ended getting $1800 and was able to keep my car.

Bobo

I did that decades ago and got more money. I don't believe I used a lawyer. I believe it was a car appraiser or something like that.


I will check around and see if something like that exists locally.

User1

Well there ya go, state controlled insurance. Good luck.

Drive it through Trudeau's drag costume closet.

90sWheels

@Bobo any updates on the situation?

DizzyEdge

Interesting scenario but not surprising. Whether run by the government as car insurance is in BC, or private as it is here in Alberta, it's pretty standard that once the repair bill gets in and around half or more of the value of the car you're looking at a write-off if you want insurance to pay for it.

But normally you'd have the option to buy it back for the salvage value and go through the hoops to get it repaired and inspected to get it back on the road. Can make it difficult to sell but if it's your baby and you have no intention in selling then not necessarily a bad idea. That said read the fine print, I believe here in AB recently after lots of 'put some cash in the glovebox' write-off inspections the repair process is much stricter now including you must have a shop do all the work and document it all with photos, no backyard repairs.