by SparkySparks » Thu Apr 23, 2015 10:12 pm
So I was heading home Friday and we had a lot of rain. I tried to avoid the high water that the truck ahead of me was driving in so I turned into my neighbor hood a few streets sooner then normal. I started through what looked like only a couple of inches of water (just saw a car drive the opposite direction) when all of a sudden at a cross street the water started going over my hood and the car shut off.
The water was over a foot deep out side of my car but inside it only filled up to the bottom of the seats. My car has a Bose stereo and the amp for it is under the passenger seat and was completely submerged. The speakers were popping and cracking (even with the car off) so I'm sure the amp is done for. I managed to get the car back to my house until insurance could get it to a shop for them to look at it. I checked on my car the next day (Saturday) and it had a fired electrical smell inside and the speakers were still making all kinds of odd noises. I went out on Sunday to get some of my belongings out of it ad the battery was completely dead and it was starting to smell musky.
It got to the shop late Monday and I went by on Tuesday to tell them what happen and fill out paperwork. I heard back from the shop today and they said the first estimate was for about $8,000 and that covered just putting a new motor in. I asked about all of the electrical components that got wet and the damage to the bumper and the under tray and I was told that would all be part of supplemental estimates and they wouldn't do that till after they replaced the motor.
I called my insurance as soon as I got off the phone with the shop and they confirmed that was normal up until the point that I mentioned the car had gotten flooded, at which point I was told my claim wasn't done right and was asked to hold on. I was then told that they wanted to send someone else out as they didn't want to do work on it if it should be totaled.
Is there anything else I need to do to make sure they don't start repairs based off the making multiple small estimates as they go along versus looking at overall potential cost since it has flood damage?
I know based on KBB, NADA as well as actual listing of similar cars for sale that my car should be worth in the $17,000 to $20,000 so the initial estimate of $8,000 isn't enough to total it but what about all of the other items they are not even going to look at until the motor is replaced?
If they do decided at this point to proceed with repairing it, how likely would insurance be to total it out after spending $8,000 for a new motor and then they find out that it will be another $6,000 in all the other components and body work? I know Texas law states 100% ACV but most insurance companies use a percentage. If the water had been a few inches higher inside it would have been up to the dash wish I've been told by a few people would have been an instant total lost.
Any advice on what I should do to get my car either repaired correctly (which I've been told and have read can be a nightmare with flood damage) or to get them to declare it a total loss would be appreciated.
The water was over a foot deep out side of my car but inside it only filled up to the bottom of the seats. My car has a Bose stereo and the amp for it is under the passenger seat and was completely submerged. The speakers were popping and cracking (even with the car off) so I'm sure the amp is done for. I managed to get the car back to my house until insurance could get it to a shop for them to look at it. I checked on my car the next day (Saturday) and it had a fired electrical smell inside and the speakers were still making all kinds of odd noises. I went out on Sunday to get some of my belongings out of it ad the battery was completely dead and it was starting to smell musky.
It got to the shop late Monday and I went by on Tuesday to tell them what happen and fill out paperwork. I heard back from the shop today and they said the first estimate was for about $8,000 and that covered just putting a new motor in. I asked about all of the electrical components that got wet and the damage to the bumper and the under tray and I was told that would all be part of supplemental estimates and they wouldn't do that till after they replaced the motor.
I called my insurance as soon as I got off the phone with the shop and they confirmed that was normal up until the point that I mentioned the car had gotten flooded, at which point I was told my claim wasn't done right and was asked to hold on. I was then told that they wanted to send someone else out as they didn't want to do work on it if it should be totaled.
Is there anything else I need to do to make sure they don't start repairs based off the making multiple small estimates as they go along versus looking at overall potential cost since it has flood damage?
I know based on KBB, NADA as well as actual listing of similar cars for sale that my car should be worth in the $17,000 to $20,000 so the initial estimate of $8,000 isn't enough to total it but what about all of the other items they are not even going to look at until the motor is replaced?
If they do decided at this point to proceed with repairing it, how likely would insurance be to total it out after spending $8,000 for a new motor and then they find out that it will be another $6,000 in all the other components and body work? I know Texas law states 100% ACV but most insurance companies use a percentage. If the water had been a few inches higher inside it would have been up to the dash wish I've been told by a few people would have been an instant total lost.
Any advice on what I should do to get my car either repaired correctly (which I've been told and have read can be a nightmare with flood damage) or to get them to declare it a total loss would be appreciated.
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