Potential Dangers Of A Totaled Car, And How To Keep One

Some people are so attached to their cars that they decide to keep them even after the cars have been declared totaled after accidents. For example, you might not want to sell the car your grandpa used the whole of his life before passing it on to you. If you decide to go down that route, you should first educate yourself about the associated dangers. Here are three examples of such dangers:

Insurers May Be Reluctant To Cover It

It's not impossible to find a totaled car that's still structurally and mechanically sound. However, in most cases, cars are declared totaled after incurring significant damages, which is why they are expensive to repair in the first place. Unfortunately, even the best repair may not bring your totaled car back to its pre-accident state. Some problems may linger underneath and raise the accident risk of such a car. Therefore, you may experience some difficulty in insuring such a car because some insurers will consider it high-risk.

Selling It Might Be Difficult

At some point, you may want to sell the car and buy another one. Unfortunately, the accident history is one of the first things people check when shopping for used cars. The kind of extensive damage that a totaled car is likely to have incurred will scare away potential buyers. Therefore, keep such a car if you plan on using it for a long time.

It Might Harbor Hidden Defects

If your car is damaged in a crash, the insurance will get a quote for its repair and declare it totaled if repairing it doesn't make economic sense. Unfortunately, such an evaluation may not reveal the full extent of the damage. Don't be surprised if the repair mechanic unearths more problems when working on the car. In fact, some problems may rear their ugly heads long after you have repaired the car and taken it back on the road.

If you still want to keep the totaled car, contact your insurer and let them know of your intentions. Before paying your settlement for the damaged car, the insurer will make different deductions such as:

• The insurance deductible
• Estimated value of the car if it's sold at a salvage yard
• Fees or costs associated with the processing

The next time you are processing a totaled car process, consider the above issues before deciding whether to keep it. Don't forget that you will also receive a salvage title for the car. To learn more, contact an insurance agency like Northeast Insurance Agency. 

Share