# 2008 Toyota Prius - Repair or Total? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [April 25, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-prius-repair-or-total/29643 "2009-04-25T20:23:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![catlade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@catlade](https://community.cartalk.com/u/catlade)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-prius-repair-or-total/29643/1 "2009-04-25T20:23:39Z")
I’m a little old lady who doesn’t know what to do. My little baby girl with only 11,000 miles was almost totaled on Easter Sunday. A big old Chevy truck towing a big old boat slammed into the back of me, pushing me into a car that pushed into another car. Two different body shops confirm damage in front and back, and a bent frame. But both shops also say this can be fixed because this car is a “uni-body” and they can weld it together as good as new. The car would retail at $22,500 and the repairs are $13,900. Do you believe them? Signed: Bruised by the Belt. ---
**Author:** ![lrakus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@lrakus](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lrakus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-prius-repair-or-total/29643/2 "2009-04-25T20:29:18Z")
If the two body shops offer the repair solution in the form of a written quote then there may not be the need to question the integrity of the idea of repair. What other choices do you have on the table? ---
**Author:** ![catlade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@catlade](https://community.cartalk.com/u/catlade)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-prius-repair-or-total/29643/3 "2009-04-25T20:46:04Z")
total it? ---
**Author:** ![Xebadaih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d07c76/32.png) [@Xebadaih](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Xebadaih)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-prius-repair-or-total/29643/4 "2009-04-25T22:12:10Z")
Take the insurance money…total it. If it were “fixed” it may never be the same, or as safe. By “the same” I mean it may have weird alignment issues, noises, leaks, electrical issues etc etc. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2009, 11:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-prius-repair-or-total/29643/5 "2009-04-25T23:55:52Z")
You don’t get to make the choice, your insurance company will decide. For sure, the car will never be the same. It’s like trying to fix a crushed beer can. If they repair the car, I would trade it off the next day… ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-prius-repair-or-total/29643/6 "2009-04-26T00:00:20Z")
Here in Oklahoma if the repair costs meet or exceed 60% of the vehicle value they total the car out. There is no way on Earth I would want to own and drive a vehicle that required 13 grand plus of repairs unless it was a 100 grand worth of Mercedes. “Weld it together as good as new”. They say. I’ve worked for a car dealer who took several cars in trade and discovered after the fact they were “welded together good as new”. Neither one of these cars were ever really right again.