Is My Audi A4 B7 Totaled? (with crash video)

[TheA4Guy USA]

2006 A4 B7, 97K miles and kept in immaculate condition. Car was always serviced at Audi dealership in the SF Bay area as per Audi maintenance schedule.

I was stopped behind a minivan in my lane which had stopped for a red light traffic stop. I got rear ended by a dude in a Lexus going at 40-45mph. He did not even break before impact, it was full speed contact between the cars. My car got pushed into the back of the minivan, thus having both front and back end damage. See pics in video and below for reference. From the initial visual inspection, looks like the side quarter panels are bent / crumpled, inside the trunk the wheel well has been crumpled / raised upwards completely. Front side damage to fender, grille and parts behind the grille. Inside the car, back seat is broken, driver seat is broken (lumbar support / hard back plastic separated completely from the seat), aftermarket dvd navigation head unit completely shot out of the dashboard onto the driver seat.

I was hoping to keep the car for another 20-25K miles (2 years) but it looks like this is beyond repair due to the cost. Do you think the insurance company will write off the car as totaled? I am thinking, even if it is repaired, the structural integrity of the vehicle has been compromised so I'll have to sell it anyway. Let me know your thoughts. Cheers!

Link to car crash video on youtube with pics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCFRFSHTZfU


The A4Guy USA

[kingDL]

That bend on the right rear fender doesnt look too good, for sure the car has serious structure damage. And the interior fell apart?!?!

Now I'm not from the USA, but to me it seems like insurance companies over there are much more likely to write off cars than they are here. It's a common thing in Sweden to import salvage title cars from the USA that are fully repairable. A friend of mine currently owns two cars like that, both had almost no damage and after fix they are like brand new cars.

But in this case I doubt any insurance company would repair that car. Just count on the broken parts and the cost of the work to fix it vs selling the car as it is to a scrap yard for parts and giving you cash for the car. Im pretty sure the second option would be cheaper.

Btw you did check your neck for injuries...?

[TheA4Guy USA]

The car did a great job of protecting me, nothing broken but I did get myself to Urgent care where they gave me some pain killers.

Yes, the back seat and driver seat back portion broke off.

[Zoml]

Whiplash injuries tend to come some time afterwards so take it easy for a few days and feel yourself.

[zeitmorder]

Honestly, a car approaching 10 years with front and rear damage that severe will likely be totaled. If you're attached to the car, the insurance company will likely offer you an opportunity to buy it back if you ask at a steep discount. You can choose to fix it or part it out. Only catch is that it'll be branded with a salvage title. And watch for soft tissue injuries. Whiplash can surface after the accident.

I just moved from the bay area to SoCal after living there 15 years. I miss it sometimes. If i ever get into an accident with my 2006, i'm sure they'll likely total it due to the age and value relative to the cost to repair it which would make me sad because it's paid off.

[Synopsis]

I work at a Personal Injury law office and we handle car accidents and from my experience, if the cost to repair the vehicle is higher than the cost of the vehicle at current market value then at that point the insurance company will deem your vehicle a total loss. If it is deemed a total loss the insurance company will offer to pay you market value for your vehicle as if it were in normal condition. Basically you would need to go to Kelley blue book look up your vehicle value and see what it would be worth if you were to sell it at its current condition prior to the accident and that would be the value of your car give or take a couple thousand dollars depending if you have aftermarket parts and the options you have in your vehicle. The insurance company will have a vehicle inspection done by an appraiser and he will do an estimate on how much it would cost to repair your vehicle if that amount surpasses your vehicle value then it would be a total loss. If it doesn't surpass that amount then the insurance company will repair it for you back to normal condition. It will only be considered salvage once it is in deemed a total loss which they will give you the option to keep it or release it to them and they will pay you your vehicle's worth.

Hope that helps.

[fly300kts]

2006 A4 B7, 97K miles and kept in immaculate condition. Car was always serviced at Audi dealership in the SF Bay area as per Audi maintenance schedule.

I was stopped behind a minivan in my lane which had stopped for a red light traffic stop. I got rear ended by a dude in a Lexus going at 40-45mph. He did not even break before impact, it was full speed contact between the cars. My car got pushed into the back of the minivan, thus having both front and back end damage. See pics in video and below for reference. From the initial visual inspection, looks like the side quarter panels are bent / crumpled, inside the trunk the wheel well has been crumpled / raised upwards completely. Front side damage to fender, grille and parts behind the grille. Inside the car, back seat is broken, driver seat is broken (lumbar support / hard back plastic separated completely from the seat), aftermarket dvd navigation head unit completely shot out of the dashboard onto the driver seat.

I was hoping to keep the car for another 20-25K miles (2 years) but it looks like this is beyond repair due to the cost. Do you think the insurance company will write off the car as totaled? I am thinking, even if it is repaired, the structural integrity of the vehicle has been compromised so I'll have to sell it anyway. Let me know your thoughts. Cheers!

Link to car crash video on youtube with pics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCFRFSHTZfU


The A4Guy USA

Glad to see that you are ok but she is totaled for sure

Phil

[aluthman]

I haven't even clicked the link and I can tell you its totaled just from the accident description.

[Samsonite]

I haven't even clicked the link and I can tell you its totaled just from the accident description.

^^This.

I work at a Personal Injury law office and we handle car accidents and from my experience, if the cost to repair the vehicle is higher than the cost of the vehicle at current market value then at that point the insurance company will deem your vehicle a total loss. If it is deemed a total loss the insurance company will offer to pay you market value for your vehicle as if it were in normal condition. Basically you would need to go to Kelley blue book look up your vehicle value and see what it would be worth if you were to sell it at its current condition prior to the accident and that would be the value of your car give or take a couple thousand dollars depending if you have aftermarket parts and the options you have in your vehicle. The insurance company will have a vehicle inspection done by an appraiser and he will do an estimate on how much it would cost to repair your vehicle if that amount surpasses your vehicle value then it would be a total loss. If it doesn't surpass that amount then the insurance company will repair it for you back to normal condition. It will only be considered salvage once it is in deemed a total loss which they will give you the option to keep it or release it to them and they will pay you your vehicle's worth.

Hope that helps.

Hmmm, it's been a little different in my experience.

The cost of repair doesn't have to be higher than the value of the car, but just up to 70% of the value.

And as for the insurance payoff, in my experience, they look at the replacement cost, not a blue book. They will look at your local market and see what private party vehicles like yours are going for and that is what they pay you. In this case you want to go online and try to find some high priced examples (in your market) with your similar specs, in case insurance tries to lowball you.

And also as previously mentioned OP, I would definitely be worried about lingering symptoms from getting rear ended that badly.

[glissoar]

I actually handle auto insurance claims for a living, your rear quarters are buckled and that is a good sign of frame damage. I would say it's totaled, 2 points of impact, I'm sure your trunk floor is pickled too. Each state has a different threshold for % of damage to when an insurance company by law must declare it a total, but even if it doesn't reach that threshold its at your insurance companies descression if they want to total it . If you have any questions feel free to pm me

[adam044]

They don't go by KBB for payouts. I'm going through it right now for my B5 that was totaled in Dec. I'm getting $3800 for it, KBB is under $2500. My damages were estimated at $9500.

I paid $2600 in Feb 2014, obviously I had more than $3800 invested in it but still I'm getting more than I paid.

I'm interested to see what happens with the car you rear ended. Is that your fault or is it the guy who hit you fault? I imagine it's his fault but who knows.

[aluthman]

They don't go by KBB for payouts. I'm going through it right now for my B5 that was totaled in Dec. I'm getting $3800 for it, KBB is under $2500. My damages were estimated at $9500.

I paid $2600 in Feb 2014, obviously I had more than $3800 invested in it but still I'm getting more than I paid.

I'm interested to see what happens with the car you rear ended. Is that your fault or is it the guy who hit you fault? I imagine it's his fault but who knows.

Going off the video he left plenty of space between him and the guy in front of him. It should 100 percent be the guy that hit him paying for all vehicles. Not everyone has the luxury of having an accident video. That should make it pretty cut and dry.

[Ray1031]

Get prices of similar cars around you and they should pay you market price. I lost my Passat last year to hydrolocking and I got a good price, better than trade in for sure.


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[KJack]

Going off the video he left plenty of space between him and the guy in front of him. It should 100 percent be the guy that hit him paying for all vehicles. Not everyone has the luxury of having an accident video. That should make it pretty cut and dry.

I thought the same thing. There was plenty of space. Good thing there was a dash cam to prove it. I hope the OP doesn't have any lingering back or neck issues. It sucks to be the victim of a rear end accident.

[esandes]

lexus drivers FTL

[B-Time]

Definitely totaled. You wouldn't want it back even if they would repair it. That was a good whack but not 45-50mph.

[blue28]

rear most driver will be 100% at fault for both vehicles. Rear end accidents go pretty quickly even without video, assuming the guy who is at fault isn't an asshole and tries avoiding his insurance company for weeks like they try doing. If you file through your own insurance it will go quickly no matter what

[TheA4Guy USA]

Thanks for the comments, guys. Thats what I thought as well about the car being totaled. The Lexus driver was given a speeding ticket by the cop who showed up to do the police report. He claimed he was sneezing and looking around for his bottle of water when his car hit my car, but I honestly feel he was lane changing (from the pic in the video you can see his car's left side is partially in the next lane) and also most likely was on his cell phone as well which would explain why he did not break before impact. I've looked at similar cars in my area on craigslist for private party sellers and they go for anywhere from $9800 to $8K. I'll ask the insurance company for the highest price based on the CL ad, plus estimated sales tax to replace the car, as well as registration and title costs and the cost for my aftermarket stuff installed on the car.

I'll keep you all updated on this plays out in the coming days.

[JDillon15]

Thanks for the comments, guys. Thats what I thought as well about the car being totaled. The Lexus driver was given a speeding ticket by the cop who showed up to do the police report. He claimed he was sneezing and looking around for his bottle of water when his car hit my car, but I honestly feel he was lane changing (from the pic in the video you can see his car's left side is partially in the next lane) and also most likely was on his cell phone as well which would explain why he did not break before impact. I've looked at similar cars in my area on craigslist for private party sellers and they go for anywhere from $9800 to $8K. I'll ask the insurance company for the highest price based on the CL ad, plus estimated sales tax to replace the car, as well as registration and title costs and the cost for my aftermarket stuff installed on the car.

I'll keep you all updated on this plays out in the coming days.

Another piece of advise, since you are not at fault - Absolutely ABSOLUTELY refuse their first offer. You can always argue that your car was worth more. When my car was totaled out, they gave me an offer, I refused, they asked what I thought was fair, and basically agreed to what I thought was fair (and supported).

[B-Time]

Keep in mind that you car is worth less than most B7 a4s on the road. Looks like it has very few options, if any.

[Charles.waite]

Jesus. That was violent as hell. Great testament to the safety of our cars!

[vortexjunkie]

Glad you are OK. God that was bad. If you need a front bumper I have one and I'm local to you over the hill in the valley. Let me know if you need it.

[kingDL]

Thanks for the comments, guys. Thats what I thought as well about the car being totaled. The Lexus driver was given a speeding ticket by the cop who showed up to do the police report. He claimed he was sneezing and looking around for his bottle of water when his car hit my car, but I honestly feel he was lane changing (from the pic in the video you can see his car's left side is partially in the next lane) and also most likely was on his cell phone as well which would explain why he did not break before impact. I've looked at similar cars in my area on craigslist for private party sellers and they go for anywhere from $9800 to $8K. I'll ask the insurance company for the highest price based on the CL ad, plus estimated sales tax to replace the car, as well as registration and title costs and the cost for my aftermarket stuff installed on the car.

I'll keep you all updated on this plays out in the coming days.

I got rear ended this summer also , but my damage was no way near yours, was easily fixed. The guy who hit me was also looking at his phone....people and their fucking phones!

[Rulty]

Thanks for the comments, guys. Thats what I thought as well about the car being totaled. The Lexus driver was given a speeding ticket by the cop who showed up to do the police report. He claimed he was sneezing and looking around for his bottle of water when his car hit my car, but I honestly feel he was lane changing (from the pic in the video you can see his car's left side is partially in the next lane) and also most likely was on his cell phone as well which would explain why he did not break before impact. I've looked at similar cars in my area on craigslist for private party sellers and they go for anywhere from $9800 to $8K. I'll ask the insurance company for the highest price based on the CL ad, plus estimated sales tax to replace the car, as well as registration and title costs and the cost for my aftermarket stuff installed on the car.

I'll keep you all updated on this plays out in the coming days.

Not be a Debbie downer but unless you told the insurance company about the aftermarket parts they are at a loss as you weren't insured for those parts, atleast that's my understanding of it, because if you had told them about any parts your insurance would go up because of that, so you were not paying to have those parts insured. I may be wrong but does anyone else have info on this? And personally what I would do is buy another a4 and swap my stuff to it.

[JMKAUDI]

Not be a Debbie downer but unless you told the insurance company about the aftermarket parts they are at a loss as you weren't insured for those parts, atleast that's my understanding of it, because if you had told them about any parts your insurance would go up because of that, so you were not paying to have those parts insured. I may be wrong but does anyone else have info on this? And personally what I would do is buy another a4 and swap my stuff to it.

You are correct for aftermarket parts. Its a very fine line to walk to even begin to argue with an insurance company, but its moreso arguing the condition your car was in prior to the accident and not necessarily the value based on aftermarket parts.

For example, if you had the car freshly repainted you could argue the value is more than the usual A4. Also, if you had the motor replaced for some reason or another you can argue the mileage on said motor raises the value of the car compared to the norm.

Again, its a very fine line; but I've seen a guy argue the value of his 80's BMW E36 to get an extra $2k out of insurance because he had a motor rebuild along with multiple other maintenance items.

[b6onboost]

Regarding mods...

There is a difference between you wrecking your own car and your insurance not wanting to cover mods they didn't know about, and SOMEONE else wrecking your car.

The reality is if the other driver was legally at fault, they are fully responsible for any damage they caused to you, your car (including mods), and any personal property carried inside the car. Their insurance company may only want to pay some low-ball amount, but you are entitled to full compensation. I'm sure the at-fault driver is insured for enough to fully cover it. The money is there. Fight for it. Document everything. Get your insurance involved, have them fight for you.

[Rulty]

Your insurance won't fight for you, beat thing to do honestly is get a lawyer. I would imagine all your insurance would say well its not your fault, you don't pay your insurance to represent you do you?

[IronAudi]

those quarter panels need to be welded in, each side is about 3500 painted plus hood and bumpers. Totalled city.

[TheA4Guy USA]

So I got a call from the body shop yesterday, they confirmed that car was totaled. He said he did not even bother to do a hardcore estimate because the bodywork alone was upwards of $13K. Plus, there was engine damage which he has not included in the estimate so he just called my insurance AAA and let them know to have it towed to a salvage yard. Waiting to hear from AAA as to how much they would pay me to make good for a replacement car of similar pre-accident conditions.

[IKE20VA4]

Yeah, was going to say totalled. Rear quarters at $3500 a side easy, plus the rest. Sorry to see...

[inked_up415]

Wow man I'm so sorry to see that happen to you. It brought back terrible memories for me also. Had the exact same thing happen to me and my car was totaled and had 6 months of physical and chiropractic therapy. I hope your feeling okay. It seems like a terrible situation now but this could lead to a better a newer car for you which could be exciting. Hope it works out for you.


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[drewgold]

Sorry to see this happen to you or any enthusiast. Gotta be a sick feeling to lose your car.

Good to hear no one was seriously injured. At the end of the day it's just stuff, your life and your health are the most important!


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[TheA4Guy USA]

Got a copy of the police report today. Lexus driver was driving on a suspended license and his car got impounded. He got 2 citations: CVC 22350 (driving at unsafe speed) and VC 14601.1(a) (driving with a suspended license). I wonder if his insurance coverage is valid (not cancelled) due to his suspended license. The police report does list his insurance policy details with State Farm.

[JDillon15]

Got a copy of the police report today. Lexus driver was driving on a suspended license and his car got impounded. He got 2 citations: CVC 22350 (driving at unsafe speed) and VC 14601.1(a) (driving with a suspended license). I wonder if his insurance coverage is valid (not cancelled) due to his suspended license. The police report does list his insurance policy details with State Farm.

Unfortunately, police will put whatever was on the insurance card. Doesn't mean his policy is valid. Who knows - Once you get in contact with his insurance, it'll be pretty clear how they proceed.

[mtroxel]

Now I'm not from the USA, but to me it seems like insurance companies over there are much more likely to write off cars than they are here. It's a common thing in Sweden to import salvage title cars from the USA that are fully repairable. A friend of mine currently owns two cars like that, both had almost no damage and after fix they are like brand new cars.

Here in the US, most states have a threshold where if the cost of repairs is X% of the value of the car, you end up with a salvage title. I live in the same state pAid4 lives in, and it doesn't take much to damage to get to 70% of the value of a 10 year old car.

The cost of repair doesn't have to be higher than the value of the car, but just up to 70% of the value.

That car might be worth $5K with a salvage title. Can't do much at a body shop for $5K.

[KJack]

Got a copy of the police report today. Lexus driver was driving on a suspended license and his car got impounded. He got 2 citations: CVC 22350 (driving at unsafe speed) and VC 14601.1(a) (driving with a suspended license). I wonder if his insurance coverage is valid (not cancelled) due to his suspended license. The police report does list his insurance policy details with State Farm.

Wow, just reading that makes me angry. That clown had no right being on the road. Hopefully his insurance is valid.

[wildcat333]

damn, that video is nuts. sorry for your accident. hope you are ok.

[1killera4]

Definitely totaled. You wouldn't want it back even if they would repair it. That was a good whack but not 45-50mph.

This.

[mtroxel]

Just for the record, when someone rear ends you without even hitting the brakes, call the cops, don't let the guy move and watch him till the cops get there. Then have them check his phone to see if the twerp was texting. I know what I'd bet he was doing...............

[blue28]

Got a copy of the police report today. Lexus driver was driving on a suspended license and his car got impounded. He got 2 citations: CVC 22350 (driving at unsafe speed) and VC 14601.1(a) (driving with a suspended license). I wonder if his insurance coverage is valid (not cancelled) due to his suspended license. The police report does list his insurance policy details with State Farm.

check your policy. If you have uninsured motorist property damage a lot of times the deductible is lower than your collision coverage. Typically 250 instead of 500. So might be good if he doesn't have coverage. Your company will subrogate against him personally instead of the insurance company