Garage Gazette
VEHICLES => DAILY DRIVERS/GROCERY GETTERS => Topic started by: stokester on December 03, 2018, 03:46:06 PM
-
This morning my wife was stopped in the right-hand lane with her turn signal on to turn left to her work and was struck from behind by the driver of a pickup doing between 35 and 40 mph. The impact pushed her truck about 30' down the road and thankfully no-one was injured.
The young driver was on his way to school and was "not paying attention" and plowed into the rear of our 2008 4Runner. I cannot imagine if she had been driving an econobox or if it was me on my motorcycle.
A visit to the bodyshop and a brief discussion raised my hope that this would not be deemed a total loss and it could be repaired. Because he had a brush guard and the frame was not tweaked it appears that the hatch, bumper and bumper cover, rear floor and rear quarter panel will be the major components to be replaced. This is a great truck and chances of finding another one in such good shape and maintained properly is slim as these are coveted my many of the off-roaders. I was amazed at the asking prices.
-
That stinks! I'm glad your wife is OK, but a nice older 4-Runner in good shape and well maintained is a rarity (unless you're willing to part with a whole lot of cash). I wish you "Good Luck!!" in dealing with the insurance company. Being a 2008, I'm not sure they will opt to fix it, BUT given the sturdiness of that vehicle they may decide in your favor.
-
Glad your wife was not hurt. Was she shaken up much?
-
Glad she is ok! That 4-runner took the hit pretty nicely actually
Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk
-
Glad the Mrs. is ok.
What did the little punk have to say after this?
-
Glad the wife is OK after that hit. I hope all goes well with the insurance company.
-
The Mrs was a bit shaken and her boss drove the 4Runner into his parking lot. When I arrived the it was already towed away and we went to pick up the rental. As far as I know the kid fessed-up about texting and will be cited.
Fortunately we both have USAA insurance so I don't have to deal with that. The guy at the bodyshop did a preliminary NADA on it; I was very surprised it is valued at $14K but then USAA has to set the value and will total it if the repair is over 75% of the value.
I don't remember exactly when I bought this but it was to replace a '99 Volvo S70 that was totaled because she was slammed into at a stop light. That was a great car with something you don't find today in a family car - a manual transmission. I've instructed her to never drive my truck ;)
-
Glad the wife is ok. I will tell you that if I get hit by someone, I am going to the hospital. Not to fleece the insurance company but to make sure they give me a fair deal.
Hope they can repair it for you
-
Well... was just notified that the vehicle is totaled :'(
We were hoping for the best but knew even with the high resale value there was a good chance that this would happen.
Sooo it's off to shop for another vehicle, not something I'm looking forward to. We're not sure of what comes next, there aren't many that fit into the mid-size SUV category that don't look like mini-vans with the words sport or crossover. Possibly a new one, just not sure right now. The new 4Runners haven't changed much from my 2008, no longer are offered with a v8 and the only other of that size is the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Anyone have experience with the new Jeeps?
-
I'm sorry Nick -- I know that hurts. I've been through it as well. Another option would be to buy it back from the insurance company (offer a low-ball price) and try to fix it yourself. Taiwanese replacement panels and bumper pieces are cheap and plentiful -- when I rebuilt my Highlander, I was pretty surprised at the low prices on ebay. You can source another rear hatch from a good auto recycling yard, and if you do a bunch of the work yourself, it might just work out in your favor (money wise). A decent full-on paint job will cost about $1000 -- not show quality, but plenty good enough for a daily driver.
-
What a shame. Good luck on the hunt. I hate having to buy a vehicle "right now". I like having some time to wait for the perfect deal to come along.
-
I'm sorry Nick -- I know that hurts. I've been through it as well. Another option would be to buy it back from the insurance company (offer a low-ball price) and try to fix it yourself. Taiwanese replacement panels and bumper pieces are cheap and plentiful -- when I rebuilt my Highlander, I was pretty surprised at the low prices on ebay. You can source another rear hatch from a good auto recycling yard, and if you do a bunch of the work yourself, it might just work out in your favor (money wise). A decent full-on paint job will cost about $1000 -- not show quality, but plenty good enough for a daily driver.
That thought had crossed my mind but I have neither the time nor expertise and in the mean time my wife needs a reliable vehicle so the hunt is on.
USAA gave use a very fair value for it, much more than I expected for a 10 year-old vehicle with 133K although it was perfect mechanically and never saw off-road travel. In talking with the body shop I told him that if he knew anyone wanting to refresh their 4Runner with a good V8, transmission, transfer case and other goodies it would be a good buy.
We're going to test-drive a Grand Cherokee on Tuesday hoping they are willing to make good deals on 2018s at the end of the calendar year hoping to clear inventory.
-
I am glad everyone is ok and that the kid fessed up.
-
Hmmm, I see a resemblance here...
-
Well, it is a "RAM" !!! Too bad he made the point with your wife's SUV
-
Glad to hear your wife is okay.
-
Man, I hate buying a new car. Just have no use for dealers.
Good luck on the hunt and hopefully a deal will be had
-
Well we pulled the trigger on a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Trying to find a real medium sized SUV and not a crossover minivan these days is difficult. Honestly it is between a Toyota 4Runner and a Jeep Cherokee if you want any towing capability.
Not liking the looks of the new 4Runner we decided on the Jeep but finding one at the lower trim (no leather) level with a towing package is not easy. The US car makers tend to bundle the higher priced trim packages with various options to up-sell the electronic gizmos at added cost. The local dealer managed to find us one and most importantly the Mrs is happy. She had difficulty with the new toaster oven so this modest update from a 2008 model is a trial even without all the newest features. ;)
-
Nice SUV == glad you found something to keep the Mrs. happy. 8)
-
Nice looking vehicle. Noticed one last week that caught my attention.
-
Was buying the total back from the ins company and taking the payout to fix it not an option?
-
Was buying the total back from the ins company and taking the payout to fix it not an option?
Probably, but not for me for a few reasons.
-> The settlement money was much more than I thought it would be.
-> I had to have a vehicle for my wife.
-> I do not have the expertise nor the time to do it myself or wait for another shop to do the work.
And the main reason -> the wife really likes the new Jeep!
-
For all those reasons I would say good call!
-
For all those reasons I would say good call!
I agree, especially keeping wife happy!