Expert: Richard Hixenbaugh - 7/19/2010

Question
I have a 1999 buick park avenue. my car was hit on the left front damaging the bumper, headlight, a small place on the finder, and a small kink on the hood. my car is in very good condition. no scrapes or scratches, the interior is in good condition. new set of bridgestone tires, remanufactured transmission on 02-02-2010 of $2,500. new shocks, new brakes and rotors 12-09-09. the mileage is 226k. the ins. company want to total it because of the mileage.  what can I do?

Answer
Hi Galvester,

Unfortunately, there is not much you can do. The decision to repair or total a car is completely up to the unsurance company. The vehicle owner has no say in the matter. There are really only two things you can do. You can either withdraw your claim and pay for the repairs yourself or you can let them total the car. If you want to, you can keep the car after it is totaled. The insurance company will deduct an amount from your settlement that they could have sold the salvage for, but in this car it should not be more than about $200.00. You would then have to have the repairs completed and then pay the state for an inspection to certify the car as being roadworthy. Then you will be able to register the car in your name again. It may be more trouble than it is worth.

You should make sure you are being offered a fair price for your car. You can check by going to www.autotrader.com where you can search for cars like your for sale to see what they are selling for. Of course, you will need to make adjustments for conditions and the maintenance you have done.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh