My friend was driving my car and took a corner too fast and hit the concrete wall on the front driver side. It looks pretty bad, but I am wondering if I am in a totaled car situation or a couple thousand in repair. It’s a 2006 Volvo S80. I didn’t have any collision coverage on it.
Based on the age of the car, I would say it will likely be declared a write-off by the insurance company. You should go through the proper channels, i.e. your insurance, to process this. I’m assuming at this point your friend has a valid driver’s license and was sober when he hit the wall.
If the labor to fix it properly exceeds the market value of the car it’s a write-off.
Good luck.
Thanks. Unfortunately, I do not have collision coverage and yes he was sober and has a valid driver license. The police showed up, but did not take a report and AAA dropped it off at a local mechanic.
For me a couple thousand repair would be better than buying another car at like $8k. I was just trying to get a feel if it looks a lot worse than it really is. Like it seems like the overall structure may be alright. I was still able to pop the hood and everything relatively looks like it is still straight and in place.
to say, but the damage is SEVERE, to say the least
here’s what I see, so far
Damaged fender
damaged bumper
damaged lighting
damaged strut assembly
broken left front control arm
probably damaged cradle
broken inner fender liner
damaged tire
destroyed rim
probably damaged tie rod end, if not the entire rack and pinion assembly
probably damaged knuckle and hub
broken cv axleshaft
I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s well over $5000 in damage, including parts and labor
Even if those parts are replaced, it might have to be put on a right to measure the frame, and straighten, as necessary
And it will need a proper steering alignment
Please note when I say damaged, I mean it’s damaged and will have to be replaced
Your friend is paying for the repair, because you don’t have collision, correct?
Since you don’t have collision, I am assuming you won’t be dealing with your insurance.
If your friend is not paying for the repair, may I suggest you immediately drop that person as a friend . . . !
There is absolutely no one that can make a reasonable collision repair estimate from pictures. Even the repair estimate from a body shop is just that-an estimate.
Good list, db. I’d add that the strut tower has clearly been pushed all the way into the side of the engine. And I have no doubt that the half-shaft has pushed into and damaged the transaxle… as well as being itself destroyed.
Repair estimate? Many, many, many thousands. This car’s history.
Thanks everyone. It sounds like you guys are pretty confident it’s not going to be like 2-3k, but over $5k. So I should just start looking at new cars. Darn, anyone have any other ideas of ways to salvage something. I just bought this car.
Take away? Don’t let your friends drive your new car. Get insurance.
Sell the car to a junk yard, you may get a few hundred dollars.
Yes, I realize how stupid I was to trust them to drive. I also realize I should’ve just spent the extra money on collision coverage. I also just had a shop replace like and oil pump or something and that was $300 for the part alone.
Years ago a regular customer kept her old LTD well maintained and running great for many years while saving for a new car. When her savings account finally hit the magic number the lady wrote a check for a new Lincoln Continental which she wrecked and totalled on her way home with no collision/comprehensive coverage. She had to borrow money to buy back her old LTD. It was the first accident she had ever been involved.
This car is a total and I generally look at things in a glass half full manner.
There’s damage there you haven’t even dreamed of yet including the very real possibility of a buckled floor pan and a damaged transmission.
Busting a halfshaft out of transmission like that can often cause internal damage to the trans.
Tough break. Should I ask if this car has a lien on it? If so, the lien holder is not going to be happy and you’re still on the hook for the sum total owed.
I’ll go off-topic now, and think out loud, so to speak . . .
Since OP’s insurance most likely won’t have anything to do with this, because the car doesn’t have collision coverage . . . Carfax will probably not find out about anything. Hypothetically, this would be exactly the kind of thing that falls through the cracks. If somebody fixes this, anybody running a carfax will probably just see a “clean history” . . . false sense of security in that case.
Consider who is given permission to drive your vehicles. Over the years, there have been many people who I would not give permission to drive my vehicles. Because I know their personalities and their driving skills . . . or lack thereof 
I myself have had some very stupid and costly accidents, but I was very young at the time. My reckless driving days are long in the past
I wouldn’t beat yourself up over lack of collision coverage. Not sure how much help it would have been on a 10 year old car.
Your friend better be bending over backwards to get your car replaced.
You might try to sell it as a parts car, someone may want it for the engine and trans.
Yeah the guys here are basically correct. However that being said…if it were my vehicle…I would commence repairing it ONLY after a long study of what is truly bent or broken and what is repairable to see if it is even logical to proceed in repairs.
The axle will do that on a Volvo is memory serves me correctly the axle isnt as bad as one might think. The new axle’s end fits into that outline that is remaining…and the boot goes over it. I think its thata way on Volvo’s… That axle really isnt that important when you have so much more going on here anyway…lol.
Personally…I would attempt to repair the car myself, now keep in mind I have a vast amount of experience doing all of this work MYSELF…while utilizing my local U-Pull-It Salvage Yard heavily.
If you must rely on a shop for these repairs, without comprehensive collision insurance, I believe this car would be considered a total loss. But you never know. If you aren’t able to do this work yourself…the repairs will more than likely break the Bank. I hope when you threw the keys at your friend you said… “You break it…you bought it”… I hope.
Blackbird
Um, time for new friends. Obviously driving in the left lane, not paying attention, and driving too fast with someone else’s new car? The height of irresponsibility. Let’s see if he owns up to it and pays the damage which will well exceed the $5000 mark. I suppose he does not have homeowners or renters insurance either that might cover it from a liability issue on his part? But of course not having collision coverage means paying for the car out of your own pocket is no problem anyway, right? I don’t think I’ve ever had a car without collision coverage except maybe my $125 Morris Minor.
Not to be too hard on you or your “friend” but maybe someone else will benefit from this.
Maybe, Just Maybe…
Sometimes A Body Shop Will “Contract” A Repair With You And Then They Are At Liberty To Use Used, Reconditioned, Whatever Parts, Techniques, Etcetera (Cheaper Than Following A Detailed Repair Estimate For Insurance Or Paying Customer). Of Course The Shop Would Have To See The Vehicle And Do An In Depth Evaluation.
Some Salvage Yards (Usually The Ones The Sell Used Cars) Would Do This. Since They Have Easier Access To Used Parts At A Better Price And Usually Lower Labor Rates (And Tow Trucks/Flatbeds) They Would Possibly Be More Likely To Do The Work At A Price That Makes It Feasible.
Once contracted there should be no surprise extra expenses as there would be with a conventional repair.
CSA
I don’t have collision on any of my vehicles… Granted I never owned a new vehicle either LOL… Every single vehicle I have ever had…I owned outright, paid cash…drove them for normal use and or enjoyment and then sold each vehicle for more than what I paid originally. Made money on every car I’ve owned and driven… I think its maybe about 18-20 cars so far?
Fringe benefits of being Mechanically Inclined I guess. I will bet many guys here have similar stories. Not everyone fits the bill on this magic trick, but I’m sure there are a few.
Blackbird
Yeah I would think the parts have to be worth something as a single new part that I just had put on was $300. If you guys could recommend ways or people to talk to that would be great. I’ve only had the car for a month and spent $8600. I really can’t afford just to throw away 8k like that. If I am on the hook for a couple thousand that’s an expensive punishment but at least workable. I would think there’s got to be a couple thousand worth of parts. I live in the Boston area.
Selling off parts of a damaged vehicle is more trouble for the average person than it is worth. The 300.00 part might bring 50.00 but how long will it take. Depending where you live if you can’t keep the vehicle out of sight you could receive a expensive code violation . It is also a Volvo so that limits the buyer pool.