[Hollister2ny]

So I hit a deer with my 2019 Sport - or should I say the deer hit me lol...Pretty sad obviously

I plan on having my vehicle until it's dead - hopefully another 10-15 years with it - i don't plan on getting rid of it...
I doubt it will be considered totaled since it's just the front?? I'm not sure as I've never been in an accident before and this is the first time ever going through insurance claims etc...

But I do have a question... I'm just going to round up everything in my pricing estimates as I'm not sure what they will do...

Lets just say that they do consider it "totaled" -- lets say I bought my car total for $30,000 -- I put money down $13,000 - so lets say I financed $17,000 - and I only owe $12,000 left on the actual loan

Lets say car is valued at $20,000 but I only own $12,000 on my loan -- the insurance company would pay off my 12k loan and would they then cut me a check for the additional 8k?? or how does that work?

Sorry, I'm probably getting ahead of myself, but I like to be a planner

• Also -- if they do just go the route of fixing it up -- Am I able to request ONLY Subaru parts be used since it's new-ish?? (our Subaru dealership doesn't do collision repair, so it must go somewhere else)
• Will the car still be structurally sound?? I'm nervous about the car not being as "strong" as it was new??

Any other tips/advice would be great!
Thanks all

 

[subatron]

Ouch! Sorry to see this!

I think most of your questions depend on your insurance company and policy. Different companies have different policies. Like you, I've never been in an accident (at least, that was my fault), so I'm just speculating.

Mike

 

[Subaru_Parking]

Very glad everyone is okay. Sorry this happened to you. This is why I added updating lighting to my vehicle, because the more time I have to respond, the better chance I have to avoid an accident. That said, it is not always possible, but I have already braked twice to miss big bucks in my new Sport.

If you have gap insurance and it is totaled, that wouldfill in the middle. Since you made a down payment, I have no idea. Comes down to your insurer.

 

[vtdog]

I would guess that your damage exceeds 12k. Based on recent experience with a Toyota in an accident I suspect the bill will mount up fast and approach 18-20 k, especially if there is any "frame" damage. If the airbags fired, the car is probably totaled from an insurance stand point anyway. Your payback from the ins. co does not depend on what you owe. As there is a lien on the car from the loan, they will payout the loan balance to the lender and you will get the remainder. That is the only way they can get clear title to sell the car themselves either for parts, or rebuild with salvage title. Exact procedures and reimbursement will depend on your state's laws and what your ins company regs are.

 

[toysbyus]

I doubt that the insurance company will want to fix this.....looks like the sub frame that supports the engine and front suspension was affected, the air bags fired? I sure wouldn't want the car after repairs EVEN with OEM parts.........

Thank God that you're okay. My wife hit 2 deer over the years when we lived in NJ and the car was a 1998 CRV BUT all that was crumpled was the front bumper/hood and valance panel..........

Walk away and enjoy the 20-21 Sport when you replace this one.

Steve

 

[Kean]

I agree with @vtdog .

That damage is extensive. Did any of the airbags deploy?

Whether the car is totaled will depend on any number of factors and can vary. ....typically it's when the cost for repairs exceeds the value or percentage of the value.

As for requesting genuine Subaru parts, again, it depends on your insurance company. Some will allow or perhaps even require replacement with aftermarket parts vs. more expensive OEM. I had a situation once years ago where the body shop repaired a truck of mine and used a 3rd party tail lamp (it was a new truck hit by a trailer while parked). The lens didn't match in color and I complained to my agent who had them replace it with OEM (maybe since the other guy was responsible). .....doesn't hurt to ask.

In regard to being structurally sound, any reputable body shop would not perform the repairs if they couldn't make the car safe. ......but we are jumping ahead as we don't even know how extensive the damage is beyond what we can see from that one picture.

Call me OCD but I would worry just as much about fitment issues with the trim, bumper, hood, headlamp, finish quality of paint / prep, etc. ....and then there are the potential mechanical issues under the hood (if affected) and whether those might be problems down the road if not repaired correctly. .....or components deemed "fine" now but cause issues later in the vehicles life or fail prematurely as a result. ....and so on.

Either way, you'll need to wait for the estimate and / or your insurance company's assessment before you can get definitive answers to some of your biggest questions. I don;t know if I would be happy keeping a car lik that even after the repairs but that's not to say that they can't get it repaired to your satisfaction to the point where you'll be happy with it for many years to come. I just tend to be really picky and detail oriented having been exposed to the body repair and detailing business, etc.

It's sort of a running joke with some of my friends and family about asking my opinion when they buy a used car, etc. as I'm real quick to point out things I see. I've had to learn to just bite my tongue at times as they are obviously quite happy with what they can't see.

 

[DockingPilot]

And just as important did a radiator hose kink and overheat the engine?
It can cause engine damage if so.


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[FozzieBalou]

1 - glad all are OK (except, presumably, the deer)....

2 - sorry this had to happen to you... sucks for sure...

3 - totalling the car - as mentioned, it's all up to the insurance company and also whatever state mandates are in play. I had a Chrysler totalled when the repairs were more than 55% of the value of the vehicle. Value was about 8500 and damage was already over 4 grand for the "visual" (replacing the interior seats that the thief removed and discarded, repaint where he was primering some side trim) before getting to the physical/mechanical repairs (the ignition system, steering column covers, gouge from popping the door handle, etc.).

Based on that image, there is a lot of damage. It's probably going to be totalled.

Also, how much you owe vs value vs original cost has nothing to do with it; it's all about cost of repairs vs current value. In your hypothetical (owe 12k, value 20k), then yes, they would cut a check to the lienholder (bank) and the rest to you. When you look at your policy, you'll see that both you AND your lienholder are listed as covered insured. If/when the vehicle is paid off, then the lienholder is generally removed from the policy - but you may have to notify the insurer.

 

[Hollister2ny]

I doubt that the insurance company will want to fix this.....looks like the sub frame that supports the engine and front suspension was affected, the air bags fired? I sure wouldn't want the car after repairs EVEN with OEM parts.........

Thank God that you're okay. My wife hit 2 deer over the years when we lived in NJ and the car was a 1998 CRV BUT all that was crumpled was the front bumper/hood and valance panel..........

Walk away and enjoy the 20-21 Sport when you replace this one.

Steve

We are all okay -- honestly, it just felt like a tiny thump -- We never had any whiplash or any soreness at all.

Airbags never went off -- and my Automatic pre-collision braking never even went off -- I think it's because of how the deer hit me -- he like skimmed so close to my front and came out of nowhere - I saw him at the last possible second out of the corner of my eye.... I think thats why my automatic brakes didn't go off because he wasn't far enough to where the eyesight could see it

 

[Hollister2ny]

And just as important did a radiator hose kink and overheat the engine?
It can cause engine damage if so.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I believe the radiator was springing a leak -- there was liquid all over the ground -- Also the first 20-30 seconds I came to a stop after it happened, there was smoke coming from the engine -- not a TON, but enough to notice

 

[toysbyus]

Sorry. I must have missed the fact that the air bags did NOT detonate.........personally, then, I'd STILL not want to keep the car even after repairs by competent body tech work........vehicle structures are designed to deform in certain orders under certain circumstances.......for me, it's too much damage to hope that the Forrie will be "like new"....it may, with excellent work, LOOK like new but will it perform in collisions like new...?

Glad that you're all okay.........when my wife hit the deer, it felt like she hit a wall........I hit a fawn myself once BUT the poor thing darted out from a thicket and dove between the front and rear wheel and was mangled. Get this: we had to pick fawn up and run it to a vet (in NJ, the law said that only a trooper or a vet could legally put a deer to sleep after being hit!).....thrashing around in the CRV, gushing blood and screaming........still bothers me.

Take care and good luck with the insurance.

 

[Hollister2ny]

Sorry. I must have missed the fact that the air bags did NOT detonate.........personally, then, I'd STILL not want to keep the car even after repairs by competent body tech work........vehicle structures are designed to deform in certain orders under certain circumstances.......for me, it's too much damage to hope that the Forrie will be "like new"....it may, with excellent work, LOOK like new but will it perform in collisions like new...?

Glad that you're all okay.........when my wife hit the deer, it felt like she hit a wall........I hit a fawn myself once BUT the poor thing darted out from a thicket and dove between the front and rear wheel and was mangled. Get this: we had to pick fawn up and run it to a vet (in NJ, the law said that only a trooper or a vet could legally put a deer to sleep after being hit!).....thrashing around in the CRV, gushing blood and screaming........still bothers me.

Take care and good luck with the insurance.

Thank you very much!... The poor deer was flopping around and trying to escape -- The trooper did end up shooting it while we were there and a person down the load ended up dragging it to their house for the meat... I had to sign over a Deer Tag to the person who wanted the deer..... I can not believe you had to bring the deer to the vet!!! 😱

 

[FozzieBalou]

The airbags probably didn't deploy because the airbag sensors are in the bumper - which shows very little (if any) impact damage.

Auto braking didn't react because - as you said - the deer "came out of nowhere" and didn't register on by the eyesight in time to react and try to stop. While there is the rear cross traffic alerts on many of the newer Foresters, there's not the same for the front view ...

 

[Hollister2ny]

The airbags probably didn't deploy because the airbag sensors are in the bumper - which shows very little (if any) impact damage.

Auto braking didn't react because - as you said - the deer "came out of nowhere" and didn't register on by the eyesight in time to react and try to stop. While there is the rear cross traffic alerts on many of the newer Foresters, there's not the same for the front view ...

That would make sense about the airbags! I was wondering why they didn't go off.... no real damage to the bumper at all!

and yes, I thought thats why the Auto braking didn't go off -- I'm honestly surprised the deer didn't hit the drivers side door instead of the front...

I'm still waiting on the insurance to give me a call - the inspector should be going to the tow yard either today or tomorrow

 

[aeoporta]

hello fellow upstater,
sorry to hear bambi took out your baby. As everyone says numbers will depend on policy, normally the insurance company pays out the estimated value of your car based on
mileage and etc. generally based on how you had paid for your car, the balance of the loan would be paid and you would receive whats left over after that.

As others have stated having more lighting is always a plus, I have a lightbar behind the grill on the crosstrek and then have off road lights on the forester as I live in a very bambi occupied area.

 

[FozzieBalou]

One thing to remember when talking about extra lighting (or brighter lighting) is that you need to be legal for your jurisdiction and area as well.

For example, a lot of off-road lights that are sold in California will be listed as only legal for off-road use and (conceivably) a copy could / would give you a ticket if you had those lights on...

 

[Subaru_Parking]

One thing to remember when talking about extra lighting (or brighter lighting) is that you need to be legal for your jurisdiction and area as well.

For example, a lot of off-road lights that are sold in California will be listed as only legal for off-road use and (conceivably) a copy could / would give you a ticket if you had those lights on...

Good point and the reason why the ones I have/suggest are SAE legal. I drive around a lot and didn't want a ticket. I also have covers for my additional lights, as some states require them be disconnected, capped or both. I can pull a fuse on a distro block and disconnect all of them. They also have QDs on the back, as well.

The side lighting provided by the Diode Dynamics SS3 Sports are the reason my Sport doesn't look like yours. The DD SS3 Pros are, in my opinion, too darn bright for the road, but they state that they are SAE legal for the use per federal guidelines. I wouldn't run them, but the Pros are good for a high beam. Though, I hear the Baja Design is better on light spread for off-road/high beam use...

If you get a new one and want to hook up some good lighting, I will be happy to help you.

 

[MarkL]

If they do total it, see if you can get them to let you keep the car. It's a perfect candidate to sell the engine, transmission, rear differential, tires, etc. You could easy get many thousands if you have the patience and space to deal with it. My first accident I hit a deer and they totaled it. I sold the tires to a mechanic at the shop within 10 minutes of the insurance adjuster walking out the door.

 

[boureesub]

I think an insurer leaving you the car after declaring it totaled is very much a rarity. Good for you. Never hurts to ask.

The totaled car still has a cash value, sometimes significant, and they are unwilling to just give that away. I salvaged a trailer hitch from my totaled Highlander, but that was the good will of the wrecker yard at work, not the insurer. I was there to recover personal belongings, and when I pulled the hitch off, he said, “Ya know, technically that’s not yours, but I don't really care”

 

[FozzieBalou]

I think a lot depends on "how" totalled the car really is. If there is an issue with safety - such as the frame being beyond repair or others - then they may offer you the chance to buy the vehicle back. It's what we did with the Chrysler Town & Country; it had a new engine and transmission installed at 70-something thousand miles and was just in the low-mid 80K range when stolen. There was minimal damage as most of the repair cost was in the missing seats (each middle leather bucket was 800 bucks, the leather rear bench was about 1500 bucks) so there was no problem buying it back from them for 2500 (I think?) and then finding some nearly new seats at a local wrecking yard for under 500 bucks total (including the 2 non-removable fronts) and redoing the interior to like new condition....

Selling the parts CAN be beneficial and can be a way to bolster the bank account - but only if you can buy it back (for a nominal price) and have a place to store the vehicle while it's then sold off piece by piece... If you have no space (nor the mechanical know-how to part out the vehicle) - just take the cash and walk down to the local Subaru place and get your 2021 model...