Cargun

I was driving down a tollway in Houston towing an empty car trailer when a drunk in front of me threw his Mustang into reverse. He started fishtailing and then the car hooked and shot straight across the the road. The right front of my 05 Cummins 4x4 drove right through the front of his car at about 60 mph and then my truck bounced off the concrete barrier on the right side at about 45mph. The dealer says the right side frame rail was pushed rearward.... and they want to fix it... on a 5 month old truck! I think this is a bunch of BS and think the truck should be totalled. The service department is taking a look at the engine tomorrow (oil pan is crushed, I'm worried the front axle bounced off the crankshaft) and if the engine is screwed I'm hoping they'll call the truck dead.

But if the engine is ok... how do I get out of having them repair that frame? Obvious the other guy is at fault, but his company (Progressive) won't accept liability until the police report is finished, so my company (State Farm) is going to start the claim and then get their money back from Progressive.

I'm really ****** right now at the thought that I may end up with a 5 month old basket case that has bad resale because no one is going to pay full price for a truck that's been in a major wreck. All because of a drunk moron that thought it would be fun to see what happens when he put his car in reverse at 70mph.

Planetcat

If progressive is driving the repairs, they'll most likely take the cheapest way out. I would try not to get all worked up over speculation on what's going to happen. If it's just the frame, they should be able to straighten it and you'll never notice. Maybe you can talk to the dealer to get them to "exagerate" the damage, so it turns into a total and you get a new truck. I think it's something like 80% or more of vehicle value in repairs = total. If I were the dealer, I'd want to sell you a new truck.

95ram

80% sounds kind of high. I hit a wall with a car a while back. I told the insurance company I didn't want it back and to total it and the did. The damage was about 50% of the value.

TonyB

Conventional frames can be straightened with convetional frame pulling tools....no big trick, been done for over 50 years.

However, these trucks use a hydroformed frame...I'm not sure it will have the same integrity when pulled straight as it had when formed. You may be able to demand a new frame....cheap part...lots of labor.

HTH

Tony

mcampise

My in-laws own a body shop outside of Houston. He has fixed some new trucks like yours. He tells me it is hard to get them totalled because they do have so much value in them. I seen him fix a Chevy HD and he had to put the truck on a whole new frame. I know the guy who has it and he hasen't had a lick of trouble...It was a lot of work but turned out good....

billyrae

There is no law against leaving your truck in a bad part of town with the windows down and the keys in.

Sorry for your trouble...hope it works out.

4x4not

Sure there is, it's called insurance fraud!

I would demand it be totalled if it were me. I would not trust a straightened hydroformed frame.

underwoodtransp

actually there is a law in mn if you are caught with your keys in the ignition it is considered aiding in the theft. You could be held liable for part of the damages when you get your straightened out stripped truck back from the cops. Then you will have crooked, stripped, worn out abused truck!!! I would tell your ins. company you want it totaled. I also rolled my truck about 5 years ago in a snow storm and I told the ins. adjuster that "I did not want it back" And he said he would see what he could do. About 2 days later I recieved a letter telling me they were totaling it and wanted the title. I traded title for check. better than a half a$$ed repaired truck!!!

tfarmer96

I would tell the dealer if he gets it totaled you will purchase the new one from him. Let greed do your work for you.

Cargun

Thanks for the recommendations... I'm currently trying to get my hands on Chryslers guidelines for what type of frame repair are acceptable. There seems to be a lot of info out there on when and how to section a frame, but nothing on straightening. And all the straightening info I find has to do with straightening bent rails, not trying to shift the whole rail forward.

I'm doing everything I can to try and get this thing totaled. I have had previous experience with repaired vehicles (deer with my 95 Impala, and mom's 92 STS got t-boned by a motorcycle) and both vehicles took several trips to the dealer (at least 6 each). The Impala didn't have any structural damage, it was all cosmetic. The STS had structural damage and we finally sold the car as opposed to trying the get it fixed properly (6 trips over more than a year).

They can repair them good enough to be acceptable to 99% of the customers, but I'm the 1%. I've tried to explain this to my insurance company but I have a feeling I may need a lawyer to explain it better.

Trucks down in Houston and I'm 500 miles away... and they're telling me I'm the one responsible for going to get it after the repairs are completed. Fortunately the other guys insurance will reimburse me for all that, but I'm ****** I have to front the money and take my free time in the first place. It's so much easier to mail a check... I'd even pay them for the stamp.

gerry

Front the money???

It should only be Fronting the Deductable.. and if it is as you say they will find the other guy at fault before the truck is repaired so no out of pocket.

Dieseljunkie

Dealers sell gap insurance for a reason.
Scott

fredbert

The quicker they total it, the less rental expense they will incur. You are renting a brand new CTD, right? That is what you are entitled to since you were not at fault. Or maybe your neck will start to hurt. Nothing like a little financial motivation!

Rod meyer

same thing happen too me two years ago on my 02. My frame was bent like a banana. I have state farm also. they wanted to fix the frame. They could of but you'd have to weld cross bars and thats a no no here so they couldn't do that. If they replaced the frame it was concidered a total. I called several frame shops. They all said if it was straightend out with out welds it would evenually go bad. Here in oregon we can go to any body shop we like. My prefered body shop said they wouldn't fix it. Not with a gaurantee.

It may take a while, be patient. Don't accept it. Its suposed to be fixed to original condition. If they put a new frame in it. It will have a deminished value on the title. But not a total. keep up the fight. You should have your truck back the same way it was. And for you the only way possible is a new truck.

Cargun

The estimated time to repair the truck is 2 weeks, and the estimated time for Progressive to accept liability is 2 weeks. And I doubt they'll reimburse me immediately upon accepting liability. My insurance is covering the damage to the truck, but I'm still out my deductable, travel expenses down to Houston to pick the truck up, and any rental expenses I incurr in the meantime. So I'm going to have to spend over $2000 out of my own pocket in the next 2 weeks. I know I'll get the money back... but it still doesn't feel good. I'm still trying to find someone that will rent me a fullsize truck capable of towing a trailer... a lot of rental places don't let you tow with their vehicles.

I don't see how Gap insurance would help me??? If the truck is totaled I'll get all my money back. I don't owe more than the truck is worth, in fact I'll probably get more than I paid for the truck new (supplier pricing and some hard core haggling). Gap insurance doesn't cover me when I go to trade in my "repaired" truck and the dealer will only give me $26k for it in trade.

There is a good chance that the settlement with Progressive may include enough pain/suffering, waste of time, etc. to make up the difference for the trucks value, but I won't count on that right now.