Total Loss - Insurance Tips?
 

So, this car that I've been asking so many questions about as of late, as of today, is a total loss.

My youngest daughter went camping in the mountains with a group of about 30 folks. They drove to the top of the mountain to watch the sunrise, and were coming back down, when the back fishtailed on a dirt/gravel road. As she tried to recover it, it hit a roadside drainage ditch, and the car rolled over. It landed wheels down.

There were 5 people on board. One passenger had stitches for a cut on her leg, but they were all otherwise unscathed. They thought it was glass, but I think it was the rear cupholder edge that cut her.

The car did what it was supposed to do, but will not live to tell the tale.

The engine looked fine everything underneath looked OK, and the occupant compartment looks brand new. The front bumper molding is gone, and the left and right front, as well as rear right quarter panels are all damaged. The roof rack collapsed a little on the driver side, popping the sunroof out. One rear wheel axle came out.

Does not look like there's structural damage, but I can not imagine that the insurance company wants to take on this rebuild. So, with all of the body work required, I am sure it's a total loss.

So - how to not get totally hosed by insurance? I expect a low ball offer that is half of replacement cost. I hope I'm wrong, but that's what I expect.

Anyone have any experience with this? Please feel free to PM if you don't want to post in public.

I'll post some pics at some point.

Honestly, this crash in many other cars would have been very, very bad.

The fact that they all walked away is truly remarkable.

She already says she'll never drive anything but an X5. She was saying that before, but she feels convinced this car saved 5 lives, and I think she's correct.

Anyways, tips or pointers would be appreciated. I have never dealt with a total loss scenario.

Glad to hear everyone is OK.

The vehicle can always be replaced.

Thanks, and naturally. It is amazing they were all ok.

Once the shock is over, now it's on to worry about the claims process.

Hopefully, you had collision insurance on the X. With the X being so old, a lot of owners don't bother with collision or comprehensive. The insurance company will look at the year and mileages on the X and see what a comparable X in your area is going for.

I had a total lost on my first Lotus due to a fire. I had collision and comprehensive insurance on the Lotus. Back in the 70's there weren't that many Lotus cars around and most insurance companies didn't even know what a Lotus was. There was a similar Lotus forsale and the insurance company called the seller and asked about the car. The seller told the insurance company that the car was sold. They asked how much did the Lotus sold for. He replied he got his full asking price. The insurance company settle with me for the full asking price that the seller sold his Lotus for less the $100.00 deductible on my policy. The buyer was me.

Yeah it really depends on how your insurance policy is set up. Do have Actual Cash Value or Replacement cost, do you have collision only vs comprehensive. I would suggest pulling out your insurance policy and begin reading the section on covered events and how it will pay out. Once you understand what you have then you can determine an approach of negotiation.

Thanks folks.

I have Collision, Comp, Bodily Injury, Uninsured Veh (won't apply), and Tow Coverage.

So, I'm sure the car is covered. I don't think it's replacement value, but I am looking for the policy to find that out for sure. I think it's ACV.

Of course, the rub is determining what ACV is. KBB and NADA aren't even close to what it would actually cost to replace the car. And, since these things are getting older (mine's an '05 3.0) values are all over the place.

There is a Suzuki dealer near me that offers what they call "cash deals". They pick up a car at auction, and sell it cheap. I went to look at an E46 they had as a $5k cash deal, and it was trashed - could not believe a real dealer would even offer that car. Drove a Volvo they had, and it stalled on the drive, and gushed oil everywhere. Had to be rescued.

So, if they use that as a comp, I'll have to discredit it, because their "cash deals" are garbage. Outside of that, they seem to range from around 6-9k.

Really, I just want most of enough to get a replacement. That way, I can have all the fun I've been having over the past few months, all over again.

up - that is a truly funny story on the Lotus.

Last year my beloved 1997 528 was totaled by the insurance company, reason being repair cost more than vehicle value per their estimation ($11k versus $4.5k). In the heat of the back and forth, they casually mentioned that I could buy it back for $200. I did and fixed her up myself for around $1.5k. She looks and drives better than she did before the accident.

Wow, incredible and funny.

From the description of the OP about the X5, it sounds like a total lost. The only thing he could do is buy it back and part it out to recover some of his money

I really can't tell what's damaged under the body work right now. If I could buy it that cheap ($200), I probably would, and have it really checked out.

We'll see how it goes.

I really can't tell what's damaged under the body work right now. If I could buy it that cheap ($200), I probably would, and have it really checked out.

We'll see how it goes.

OP, if the car rolled over it's possible that the overall structure of the car might be impacted. if you could buy it back for $200 then you can part it out for more $ if you have the time and energy for it.

I'll post up a few pics later today.

I'm probably gripping it too tightly because over the past few months I've put around 2k and 80 hours into it, getting it ready for its next 100k miles, and I know that's money I'll never see.

What are the miles on the X5. If the miles are higher than the average then of course they will want to discount/deduct for the miles. If yous is in good condition, looks like its cared for and the mileage is average then you should fair out fine. There are plenty of other X5s to purchase if yours is a total loss and shouldn't be difficult getting back into one.

it has 173k miles, which is probably a bit more than the norm for an '05. Not too worried about the mileage adjustment - that comes with it. The thing that bites is there's no way I can buy a comparable that has had as much work done as this one has had.

I uploaded a few pics to my gallery if anyone's interested.

Sorry to hear about the truck. But glad everyone is okay.

That X5, unfortunately, has driven her last mile. That thing is not fixable without dropping double or triple it's value. And then it would come out the other end devalued obviously. Parting it is an option to make some $$$ on it if you have the space/time/willingness though.

Thanks, and I figured. I don't have anywhere to store it to part it, so we'll likely try to get a fair settlement, then look for another X5.

If you have all your receipts from recent work you should be able to get that money back plus the value of the car.

Sorry to hear about your car, luckily your daughter and friends are ok!

Insurance company will not reimburse you for repairs to the car so that 2k that you sunk into the car is long gone. They will not reimburse you for any mods that one does to a car, so if you like to mod your X and installed a Dinan exhaust that money is also long gone when it comes time to settle. That's one reason why I don't sink a lot of money in mods for any of my cars anymore.

They certainly can, will, and have. This is provided you dont have one of those budget insurance companies.

I have State Farm. If they would recover even some of it, that would be great. In the past 4-6 weeks, we've done:
- new thrust arms
- new cv axles (front)
- complete cooling system replacement, including radiator, water pump, thermos, all hoses and sensors
- oil filter housing gasket
- valve cover gasket
- alternator
- battery

Was planning on the car running for awhile.

All normal wear and tear maintenance items. None of those add to the value of the vehicle from an insurance perspective.

Unfortunately, the only way to come out "right" on this one would be to part it out I think.

As others said, insurance will not reimburse for maintenance, though you could mention it to them to speak to condition of the vehicle when negotiating settlement. As for mods, there are many, many, companies that will reimburse you for those as Josh mentioned.

I am thinking they will mark down for mileage, but I can make the case that it was in better condition than comparable cars, probably even with less mileage, because it was ready to go another 100k miles with all of that done.

If I buy a used one with 130k miles, I will be expecting to do all of that work all over again.

I think that would add value if I were reselling it.

ylwjacket/M...
Wow. Glad your Daughter and her gang are all OK.

Those pics are ugly, but the structural strength of the waistline up, probably saved their fannies.

No clue or opin on your insurance situ, but I wish you well.
GL, mD

I have had very good luck with State Farm on two previous occasions with similar circumstances involving claims on the collision portion of my policy. The important considerations were; 1) I was a long time State Farm policy holder, 2) I always maintained collision on my vehicles no matter what the mileage, and 3) I maintain my vehicles well enough to qualify as a "certified pre-owned" vehicle that could be placed on an extended warranty. I also let State Farm periodically inspect my vehicles so they can make a note of their general appearance and condition. With mildly persistent persuasion, I've never had a problem with them assigning the highest possible value towards any repair or replacement situation.

2002 X5 3.0 310,360 miles
2014 428i 21,500 miles

2004 325i sold at 123,600 miles
2001 325i sold at 66,000 miles

1970 Firebird - under restoration

Thanks buddy. Hope you and the Mrs are loving living the carefree life.

3) I maintain my vehicles well enough to qualify as a "certified pre-owned" vehicle that could be placed on an extended warranty. I also let State Farm periodically inspect my vehicles so they can make a note of their general appearance and condition. With mildly persistent persuasion, I've never had a problem with them assigning the highest possible value towards any repair or replacement situation.

[/QUOTE]

Just looking for clarity. You actually call SF and either you head down to their location or they come to you for a visual ~inspection~ of your car ?

That's a 1st I've ever heard of.

I can see if you want to add a rider *which does costs extra above the stated premium*, that covers add-ons, custom wheels, etc - in which they may want a inspection or just receipts. That I've done in the past.

Good to know, thanks. I have not done any inspections, but I hope to convince them that this car was better mechanically than most of similar vintage, because it was.

[/QUOTE]

Just looking for clarity. You actually call SF and either you head down to their location or they come to you for a visual ~inspection~ of your car ?

That's a 1st I've ever heard of.

I can see if you want to add a rider *which does costs extra above the stated premium*, that covers add-ons, custom wheels, etc - in which they may want a inspection or just receipts. That I've done in the past.[/QUOTE]

I take it to them every couple of years just to show them it's well maintained and in excellent condition. I've had the same agent now for 30 years, so the relationship is solid too.

I went through this hell last summer. What I can tell you is get every piece of supporting documentation available and have it ready they asked me for all receipts. They look at everything when adjuster inspects the vehicle. I also scrolled through all car sites looking for comparables my issue was it was a unique car and was difficult finding comps since mine was such low mileage and pristine. Gather all you can as well as KBB stuff and they should also provide you their report which you can also negotiate from, I'm not gonna lie this won't be fun but good things are your family is ok and you've done work before so now your a pro on the second one when you find it

Just be ready to support your argument and you will be fine. I held to my guns and got a very good price and do not keep the car I did and ended up with a bunch of parts I never sold and then couldn't find anyone to take the carcass as there wasn't much meat on bone left.

Thanks much. I am gathering all of the receipts and such now, and have started looking for comps.

I also found a company here locally that will review the appraisal from the insurance company, and will give you an estimate of value based on their research. For a small amount more, they'll give you a report to use to negotiate. That way, you have some idea of where you'd end up before you pay more.

I really don't have a place to store the car for parts, so I doubt I'd try to do that.

Thanks again.

Well, it's official declared a total loss today. Now starts the hard work.

Glad to hear everyone is OK. That's what is most important.

To address the insurance issues:

• The maintenance work you performed will be recovered indirectly because you could claim the vehicle was in "excellent" condition as opposed to "good" condition. This is similar to how a buyer would view it. They would not pay you the actual costs you put into it but they're much more likely to pay a higher amount for it because it's in "excellent" condition (just throwing out condition qualifiers).
• You may receive some compensation for performance / aftermarket items. The insurance company gave me extra for custom wheels I had on my car which was totaled. They also gave me extra for the performance exhaust on a sport bike which was totaled.
• I've really not had a problem with an insurance company low balling me on the value of my vehicles which have been totaled. The insurance company paid me fairly for both the aforementioned vehicles (in fact I received more for the motorcycle than I paid for it). Perhaps it was because these vehicles were not new and, for the most part, fully depreciated at the time of loss.
• Very, very, very pleased with State Farm. Always have had great experiences with them.

Let us know how it goes. I think you'll be treated fair without much effort.

Very encouraging - thanks. I know I would pay more for an X5 with all of the work that I just did on this one, knowing I wouldn't have to do it for 75-100k miles.

Will report back once I get more info - just taking baby steps.

Well, I added up all of the preventives I've done, and it is $3,300 over the past 4 months. I was really planning on this car being around for awhile.

I would seriously doubt that the insurance would pay the $3300 preventative above what the car is worth but some of it can be accounted for their evaluation. For instance if a new transmission had been installed then some value of the transmission would be factored in since most others would have 100K+ miles on them. Normal wear and tear items would not carry to much evaluation weight.

I agree with this. Insurance companies don't consider maintenance / repair items to directly add to the value of the car. He'll get some of it back indirectly because the maintenance / repairs are what separates a "good" condition vehicle from an "excellent" condition vehicle. Therefore the insurance company is likely to give him more for his vehicle but it won't be "here's an additional $3,300" for what you just put into it. It's also unlikely the difference between what they would have given him and what they will give him will be dollar for dollar so he'll take some loss on this maintenance work.

I obviously don't expect to get it all back, but I would think it would add something. Maybe the condition difference.

We'll see.

I'd be surprised if you didn't recover a portion of the money through a condition difference. Unfortunately it's unlikely you'll know what it will be (as I doubt the insurance adjuster would know). One thing I would recommend is mentioning it to the adjuster. You never know...he may be willing to bump it up a little as a result. Never hurts to ask.

They made an initial offer - man, that was fast. Crash was Sunday, car towed Monday, determined to be a total loss on Tuesday, and offer on Weds.

They called me, though, and said they weren't sure of the mileage, and asked if I had any documentation of it. I did, in the form of receipts for repair work.

At that time, I mentioned all of the work that I had done, and asked them to consider it. They asked that I assemble and submit whatever documentation I had, which I did.

I asked them to consider a condition upgrade based upon all of the work that has been completed. They advised that they'd look at it, and get back to me early next week.

I have receipts for every repair I've had done, plus all of the parts that I've bought, so I sent them a pretty big package of documentation.

So, I should if providing all of that documentation warrants an upgrade.

Just wanted to add that, so far at least, State Farm has been great to work with on this issue. We'll see how it resolves, but it's been a positive start to a really bad situation.

I believe your documentation will be very helpful in supporting your ask of a higher value for the vehicle. I'm very interested in hearing how this turns out for you.

Will let you know. Hope to have a revised offer this week.

Look for someone local to help you assess the value. There should be some "diminished value" estimators who can help establish how much to request. I found mine by calling around to body shops. Expect to pay $400ish for a good one.


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IMO this vehicle is too old for a diminished value claim.

There's no diminished value, because the car is now sitting in a salvage yard.

My only hope was to move the needle a bit on the condition assessment. We'll see how it plays out.

That's true however my comment was intended to convey a vehicle of this age would likely not qualify for a diminished value claim.

OP...any update on this?

Well, they said their first offer was based upon "mileage unknown", and an assumed mileage of 150k. With miles being 170k, they deducted $1k from the value. They added back in around $500 for new battery and tires.

So, current offer is $500 less than initial offer.

I am going to pull some comps and submit. They gave me exactly $0 for everything else I did.

Ahhhh the insurance industry. Gotta love it (read sarcastically). :rolleyes:

I have SF as well, and my agent has always been great, but haven't had to file a claim with her yet. Only company I've dealt with and had to file with was USAA... and they were great, but they are expensive.

On the subject of insurance, has anyone here have an insurance policy that you pay base on the mileage you drive per month? I'm thinking of switch to one because of the fleet of cars that I own and the policy is base on the fact that you do not drive all the cars at one time. You paid a monthly fee per car plus anywhere between 1-10 cents per mile. The rate per miles is base on the type of car that is being driven. So for any of my Lotus the rate per mile will be 6 cents whereas the rate for the X5 will be 2.9 cents per miles. According to the quote that I received my annual fee will be $350.00 which is $700 less than what I am paying now for the entire fleet for the year.

Sounds reasonable to me.

Sounds like the insurance company is being reasonable to me. Not sure why you feel they're being unreasonable.

True, I did jump the gun a bit (as did you)... ylwjacket did not say what the actual offer was. Will withhold actual judgement until we know (if jlwjacket posts it) the actual offer.

But, you and I both know, that on the private market a vehicle with maintenance documentation (especially recent) is worth more.

No, I did not jump the gun. My comments were not about the offer itself but rather your comment the insurance company was being less than reasonable by dropping their second offer by $1,000.

From a financial point of view they have absolutely zero value to me. Maintenance records show someone has been maintaining their vehicle but they do not add cash value to the price. I will consider them in my decision as to if I want to buy a vehicle or not.

Now this is not to say that performing proper maintenance doesn't have value to me. However, as stated in an earlier post, it comes in the form of a higher asking price. I'm sure we're all aware that resources such as KBB have different condition ratings for vehicles. In the case of KBB there are four: Fair, Good, Very Good, and Excellent. Maintenance records or, more appropriately, maintenance itself might qualify the vehicle for excellent condition instead of merely very good condition. Therefore the value of the vehicle would be higher.

In fact I just performed a comparison of a 150K mile 2003 X5 3.0 with standard equipment (not sure what the OPs vehicle is so I just picked one at random). The very good private party value is $3,699 and the excellent private party value is $3,992 for a difference of $293. If I had just sunk $800 into the vehicle to keep it in the excellent condition category then I've just lost money.

This is exactly what is happening to the OP. He put money into the vehicle because he expected to use the vehicle for many years to come. Thus he was taking proper care of it. Unfortunately that's where the value of spending the money would have come from...using the vehicle for many years. To immediately turn around and sell it (a forced sale due to the accident but that's essentially what he's doing) a few months later will not recover what he put into it.

There seems to be a common misconception that he should receive the excellent value price for the vehicle plus additional money that was spent to bring it up to that condition. One cannot have it both ways. I'm surprised they insurance company is giving him $500 for a new battery. If I were considering the purchase of a vehicle which required a new battery then I would be deducting the cost to replace it from the price of the vehicle (assuming it had not already been done so in the asking price).

It sucks...I've been there but such is life. The good thing, as has been said by most everyone who has commented in this thread, is everyone is OK. That's something money cannot buy.

The first step in establishing value would be an honest assessment of overall vehicle condition pre-accident.

These category definitions:

• Excellent condition means that the vehicle looks new, is in excellent mechanical condition and needs no reconditioning. This vehicle has never had any paint or body work and is free of rust. The vehicle has a clean Title History and will pass a smog and safety inspection. The engine compartment is clean, with no fluid leaks and is free of any wear or visible defects. The vehicle also has complete and verifiable service records. Less than 5 percent of all used vehicles fall into this category.
• Good condition means that the vehicle is free of any major defects. This vehicle has a clean Title History, the paint, body and interior have only minor (if any) blemishes, and there are no major mechanical problems. There should be little or no rust on this vehicle. The tires match and have substantial tread wear left. A "good" vehicle will need some reconditioning to be sold at retail. Most consumer owned vehicles fall into this category.
• Fair condition means that the vehicle has some mechanical or cosmetic defects and needs servicing but is still in reasonable running condition. This vehicle has a clean Title History, the paint, body and/or interior need work performed by a professional. The tires may need to be replaced. There may be some repairable rust damage.
• Poor condition means that the vehicle has severe mechanical and/or cosmetic defects and is in poor running condition. The vehicle may have problems that cannot be readily fixed such as a damaged frame or a rusted-through body. A vehicle with a branded title (salvage, flood, etc.) or unsubstantiated mileage is considered "poor." A vehicle in poor condition may require an independent appraisal to determine its value.

A bunch of current repair bills does not qualify a vehicle for an "excellent" condition rating.

We disagree fundamentally. Which is fine. You would not buy a vehicle from me. As a seller, and a buyer, I will ask more, and I have paid more, for a vehicle which has had maintenance and repairs done to it.

Until I know the offer, I was jumping the gun on SF's reason-ability. I'm betting though, that like you, they are offering based on NADA and KBB type value systems. Those are wholly inaccurate as to the market value of enthusiast type vehicles.

Insurance companies' entire business model is to pay out as little as possible to as few people as possible. That's just how it works. If you let them, they will give you as little as possible. I hope jlwjacket is able to negotiate for a higher price as he will have to replace the vehicle, which is what insurance is supposed to be for. He won't find that same condition vehicle for $3900 (the excellent value you quoted) so insurance is falling short of it's purpose IMO if the offer is less than $5000ish.

Agreed on the value of everyone being okay after the accident. Obviously the vehicle did its job and that is the most important thing.

Are your Lotus vehicles 20 years or older? I was looking at your signature of vehicles and those 1970 Lotus should be under a classic car policy o better capture their worth vs a traditional insurance policy.

Yeah unfortunately insurance company's do not take maintenance into the account of value on a vehicle. Now aesthetic condition and mileage of the vehicle weighs in. For example an 2006 X5 with 60k miles with some dings on it, with no maintenance will still pull in more money than a 2006 X5 with 110K miles with pristine body/interior and preventive and regular maintenance records.

Why do you think I would not purchase a vehicle from you? I think it is completely reasonable to ask more for a vehicle which is in above average condition. But it's unreasonable to ask more for a vehicle in above average condition and also expect me to pay extra for the work that was performed to bring it up to the above average condition.

The OP is claiming that his vehicle was in excellent condition and therefore is setting his expectation of the insurance payout according to said condition. Then he's expecting, at least partially, them to pay for the work he did to bring it up to that condition. He can't have it both ways. The compensation he'll receive for the work he put into it will be in a higher payout price for the vehicle. Unfortunately it will not be dollar for dollar.

That may be one way of valuing the vehicle. However, in my two instances, they used comparable vehicles for sale on the used market. Which resulted in a more than acceptable payment for my losses. I wouldn't be surprised if the insurance company is doing the same in this instance.

Of course they'll pay as little as possible. Don't you? having said that insurance isn't supposed to pay you for a replacement vehicle (unless you specifically buy coverage to that effect or they happen to offer it as part of your policy...either of which come with restrictions) but rather pay you fair market value for your vehicle.

I had a prime example of this. I purchased a 1999 328i brand new in December of 1998. I sold that car in August 2010 with slightly less than 35K miles on the clock. That car was in, literally, brand new condition. It was highly unlikely anyone would find that age of a car with such low miles and in the brand new condition it was in. However if it were totaled I would have received around $10K for it. Despite the fact the vehicle was in brand new condition the fact was it wasn't worth more than $10K (the price I sold it for). There was no way the insurance company would have given me 75% of the original purchase price for that car.

You are completely correct on this line of insurance thought. Fair market value is all that drives this result. Care, maintenance, updates, super clean may mean 5-10% uptick, Rarity of models owned by enthusiasts...hardly. The bulk on the market drives value. Everything else are outliers, something that interest to us but not to the insurance industry, outside of collector market insurers.

Being the owner of an "excellent condition" 200k E53 (never driven off-road, in snow, slush, wet salted roads), I doubt we are talking a pristine vehicle in this thread.

I would never allow......"My youngest daughter went camping in the mountains with a group of about 30 folks. They drove to the top of the mountain to watch the sunrise, and were coming back down, when the back fishtailed on a dirt/gravel road. As she tried to recover it, it hit a roadside drainage ditch, and the car rolled over. It landed wheels down.....There were 5 people on board" with my BMW.

This is what the underside/body (no bodywork/respray) of a 200k mile, excellent condition E53 looks like....

I had a feeling this would come back up.......:yikes:

The Conclusion:

So, I agreed to a settlement yesterday, and the check is in the mail. I am not sure if I want to post actual dollars - maybe I'll wait until after I have the actual check to do that.

In the end, the settlement is fair, and I can replace the vehicle with it.

Here are a couple of details:
- 2005, 170k miles, loaded (panorama, cold weather, luxury etc)
- condition was pretty good before the wreck, with the aforementioned $3k+ in repairs/maint. This was to fix oil leaks, replace entire cooling system, power steering pump, front cv's, bushing, ball joints, new tires, new battery, new alternator, and a few other things.

Process:
- first offer was OK, but I wanted to account for all of the work I'd done. So, I submitted receipts. I was hoping for a condition upgrade to recognize it (everything was based on Good in the 1st estimate).

- after submitting receipts, offer dropped by $400. they deducted $1k for mileage (original was based on assumed of 150k), and added back $600 for battery and tires

- I started to look for comps, and came across some of the same ones used in their evaluation report. However, the listing prices I found, on the exact vehicles, was in 2 cases about $2000-2500 higher than what they had used. Their value was based on 4 comps, averaged.

- they revised their estimate based on the current listing prices, which increase the offer by $1k, or about $600 more than 1st estimate.

- I had one more conversation relative to a few more options that they had not recognized. They said they could not do anything with those, but in recognition of the repairs/receipts, would upgrade the condition to "very well maintained" from "good", which added $400.

So, the crash was about 3 weeks ago now. I will have a check next week for an amount that I think is very fair, and with which I can replace the car. The final settlement is about $1k more than the initial.

I received, in all, a $1k deduction for mileage, a $1k increase for comp listing price errors, $600 for tires/battery being new, and $400 for a condition upgrade due to receipts. So, a total of about $1k in recognition of the parts I had done, though tires and battery were really the only ones that had value in their view.

So, I feel good about where we ended up.

One thing I will say - any proposed increases in value had to be documented on my end. They were not going to give anything for free.

Also, everyone that I spoke with during the entire process at State Farm was courteous and professional.

So, my plan now is to reimburse myself for part (about half) of the repair costs, and give my daughter a max contribution that I will make to the replacement vehicle. If that is not enough, she will have to contribute. She has $2k saved that she is willing to spend for another car, so her contribution added to mine should be enough.

BTW - not sure where you guys are from, but there are no X5's available around here for $3900.

Average mileage for a car is about 15,000 miles. So the initial offer was for a car with 150,000 miles. The OP had over 170,000 miles so that is more than the average miles, that is why the insurance deducted $1000 for the mileage. So that 20,000 extra miles is basically another year plus of use on the car. Even though the OP may have replaced a lot of parts on the X, there are a lot of parts that didn't get replace and with that kind of mileage they will need replacing soon.

This vehicle was mine to start with, then went to my oldest her last year of HS, and in college. It then went to the middle for 2 yrs of college. I just bought her a Jeep Liberty, and gave this car to the youngest for college.

It's not, nor was it, a show vehicle. But, it was a solid, safe car that got 3 kids through college.

I think it did the job admirably, and to be honest, I'm a bit sad that it's gone.

Congrats!

The replacement costs will be higher as more and more of the good ones fall victim to "events". High mileage ones are already at fully depreciated value and are posted all over AutoTrader in the $5-12K range. Buyer beware of course.

Thanks. My daughter and I have discussed the fact that the search for a replacement may take some time, as we are going to evaluate them carefully.

Understand it was a good vehicle and will be missed.

Just posting condition pics that those with pristine Xs need to present to insurance co (of their vehicle) at time of total loss.

It sounds as if they handled it as I had expected them to. Glad to hear the offer was acceptable to you.

As for the price that was the KBB private party value for a base (no options) 2003 X5 3.0i with 150K miles on it in excellent condition. I think the general consensus is these places under value vehicles. But then checking my local CL listings I can find a few around that price, some under, but many over that price.

Edit: Adding the Cold Weather and Premium packages along with dual power seats increases the private party price to $4,595...about $700 more. Also keep in mind the $3,900 represented the average price. They did provide a range but I decided to use the average.

YJ/M,
Glad you came to a good resolve...
GL, mD

Thanks buddy. Now to go find X5 #3.

:thumbup: Good for you. Glad you were able to get another $1000 towards the replacement of your X. Insurance companies get paid to provide a service for fair value and should be obligated to fulfill their end of the bargain in the unfortunate event a vehicle will need to be replaced.

They always come out ahead so it's frustrating when you have to make a case to get what you're due. I've had one total loss claim in 20 years of driving so they've collected 20 years of premiums and had to pay out maybe 5% of that out.

Hope you and your daughter will be able to find something else that keeps her safe and will be reliable, even if not an e53. Good luck.

thanks much, the hunt will start next week.

Sorry for the delay in reply. I don't visit much now that I sold my X. But, this is where I was going with my comment about finding a diminished value expert. Someone in the know could have helped get the best/most fair reimbursement value since the insurance company is always going to lowball.

It sounds like you did a good job documenting and negotiating. Glad you have resolution and I hope that you find a great replacement vehicle.


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Thanks. I actually did hire one of those people to review the 2nd offer, and they said, with the miles, they couldn't do any better if they did a full on appraisal. It was after that when I caught the errors in the appraisal, and was able to go up another $1k.