I just hit a concrete road divider and smashed up the left front side of the truck. 203k miles on it and was in great shape until the accident. The body shop included a charge to fix the bent frame. Question: how reliable and safe will my truck be after the repairs? Insurance company, as of yesterday, was OK to fix it for a total of 5k. Thanks!
I’m amazed they didn’t total it with 203k miles. What year is it?
But it certainly can be repaired reliably by a good shop.
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OMG, I thought i put year in, it is a 2002…I was hoping to keep it running until the new 19s come out!
I am getting alot of feedback from friends, coworkers, etc, who are suggesting that the frame will not be the same and that I should total it. And then others say, it iwil be as good as new with the proper work.There is no rust on the truck, the interior is in good shape too.
You can’t total it , only the insurance company can. You can talk to them and express your concerns.
Edit: In my area Kelly Blue Book puts trade in at $1200.00 and selling at $2400.00 . If your deductible is $1000.00 you really need to have a talk with your insurance.
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in my area, the kbb is less than yours. I dont understand what the insurance co is thinking, but I am in conversation with them. My ded is 200 at this time,…thank you for your response
I think it really depends on what is bent. If the shock towers were bent out of shape that might be more serious, but what frame are they talking about? At any rate I don’t think there is a safety problem after being repaired but there may be a problem with proper alignment and tire wear.
How bent is it? My '87 Toyota pickup bent its frame in an accident in '88. Things are a little bit out (I have to bend the gravel guard to screw in all 4 bolts) but otherwise it runs properly.
The cab is skewed to the right and it looks like one of the bolts to the frame is shifted about an inch. The passenger door doesnt open. It is driveable but it makes a noise when i turn hard to the right. My biggest concern is that the body shop says they will bend the frame back into shape, but will the truck be safe if it were to hit in the same place?
Body shops have frame machines just for that very reason.
even if it’s not showroom perfect, it will be serviceable with minor adjustments .
Then wait for the '19s
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[quote=“VOLVO_V70, post:5, topic:100647, full:true”]
You can’t total it , only the insurance company can. You can talk to them and express your concerns.
Edit: In my area Kelly Blue Book puts trade in at $1200.00 and selling at $2400.00. If your deductible is $1000.00 you really need to have a talk with your insurance.
[/quote]Something doesn’t compute. The insurance company is willing to pay $5,000 to fix a vehicle worth around half that??
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Thats what I said…even the first body shop thought that they would total it, but when he got done with the bill of 5k, he said, they will probably fix it as it iis worth 7k…I jiust want an answer from them!!! But I was asking everyone here about the structural integrity of the frame if they fix it. I have 2 guys I know saying, dont fix it and 2 saying fix it it will be ok
No way a 2002 Ranger is worth $7K.
Done properly, the truck will be as good as it was before the accident.
If that person at the body shop thinks it is worth 7000.00 then let him buy it from you for 2000.00 and he can try and fix it with the insurance 5000.00.
There’s really no way to tell, and as already mentioned this becomes a decision by the insurance company.
THanks everyone for your input. Juat waiting on insurance company’s response…If they say they willl repair it, I am going to do that as those who answered that if a reputable company does the work, the truck should be OK. If they total it, then I will cry and go buy me a used Ranger.
We had a van that needed work like that, then trans went out and trans shop repaired it 3 times due to a leak, they claimed things did not line up quite right, traded it in , so even if it might be ok, it might not.
I spent several frustrating months last year shopping for a small size used truck. The book values seem to be meaningless. Any truck priced under 3 or 4k was junk, either full of rust and/or needing extensive repairs. This was especially true with 4x4s. I ended up buying a 2005 Ranger with 100k miles for $6,000. I got that right after the ad appeared with a private party. This experience led me to sink some money into my old S10 to get that running again.
Insurance companies are extremely good at not wasting their money. There’s no way they’re going to give you $5k to fix a $2k vehicle.
I am sorry I mentioned what the insurance company said to me. My main question is, will the truck be as good as new with the frame fixed, whether or not the insurance company pays it or I do. Would you let your significant other drive a truck that has had the frame fixed?