Advice to beat the insurance company when you totaled a car

After dealing with the insurance company, I thought I'd pass along some good advice that I received after my coupe was totaled. Maybe this can help you if you happen to find yourself in the same situation.
I'm an Engineer and Consultant by day, and a car enthusiast by night. My cars projects include a Nissan Versa/Tiida hatchback, a Nissan 240sx S14, a '92 Ford Mustang Foxbody Notchback, and an '80 Ford Mustang Foxbody Notchback. Follow along in my adventures from shows, cars, and a lifestyle I've yet or want to define...
Keep up with me between uploads on Instagram: @basinmotorsports
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[@monicajones3430]

Who else is here bc you just found out your car is totaled 💆🏽‍♀️

[@BasinMotorsports]

Well, me! Hope you're OK.

[@monicajones3430]

I am, but they just totaled my car late this evening. Yet I don't know if I wanna keep it or let them pay me out. Besides I don't know if I can negotiate on a totaled car that I'm keeping!! My car is GOOD!!

[@BasinMotorsports]

@@monicajones3430 If you keep it, they'll take your deductable off ($500 or $1000) and should pay out the value. You may be able to negotiate the value if you can prove it's more valuable and wpuld cost more to replace than their offer of value. Receipts, pictures, etc. can help with extra value.

[@monicajones3430]

@@BasinMotorsports duh🤦🏽‍♀️ that's what this video is about negotiating offer when your keeping it🤷🏽‍♀️😂 myind is racing my bad! I'm going back and forth between keeping it and cashing out! Thanks for the reply im adding this into the mix as well! Hopefully I'll have a clear answer for myself to stand on in the morning

[@BasinMotorsports]

@@monicajones3430 I usually write down the pros and cons on a piece of paper and then sleep on it overnight. I find I can come up with an answer I can live with after a good night of sleep.

[@TrojanHorse1959]

I had an insurance agent/adjuster trying to jerk me around and lowball me on a Ford pickup that I had hit some farmer's loose cow with years ago. Like you I had spent a lot of time restoring the truck and putting new parts on it. He made me a ridiculously low offer and it didn't seem like he was going to budge on it even after I showed him the receipts for parts and pictures of the before and after work on the truck. I finally got pissed off and looked him right in the eye and I said to him this simple statement, "My neck hurts." He got the dumbest look on his face, turned around, went to his car, and wrote me a check for the money and time I had invested in the truck at that point and I got to keep the remains of the truck. True story, no BS involved.

[@BasinMotorsports]

Injuries can become a real pain, pun intended. Thankfully I came out pretty well on the whole thing, number one being no real injuries. Glad you walked away. Cows are no joke.

[@GodisLovetoo]

Deers also....

[@risabug7772]

Ahahahahahaha this made me damn day

[@TrojanHorse1959]

Goddess Love, Yes indeed. My daughter had a high school friend and an acquaintance both get killed by deers. The first one was driving a minivan, the deer came through the front windshield and crushed him into the seat. The second one hit a deer while he was riding his motorcycle. Two lives snuffed out way too young.

[@TrojanHorse1959]

Risa Bug, Lol! Glad I could bring you some cheer in these trying times.

[@reddemon52]

Thanks, yes I'm in that situation my rear quarter panel got hit, it's a 2002 celica but I have done so much work on it. My mechanic should be able to pull records. Of repairs, my brand new tires I think auto store might give me warranty receipts on parts I bought.. I really like this car I hope I can keep it ..

[@BasinMotorsports]

Buy it back if it is fixable. They will probably make it a salvaged title if it wasn't before. It may be harder to insure also depending on the company.

[@sheliafarmer]

A INSURANCE COMPANY CAN NOT FORCE YOU TO TAKE THEIR OFFER WHICE IS NOTHING WE CAN FORCE THEM TO PAY US FOR THE PROTECTION WE PAID THEM FOR

[@sheliafarmer]

@@BasinMotorsports SO ITS OK TO BY IT BACK AND YOU FIX IT BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR THEM TO PAY OUT TO FIX IT, WE PAY THEM FOR PROTECTION, THEY BECOME THE MAFIA

[@judges69]

Fell your pain, I did worse I totalled mine at a road race track back in the day. Lost 20 grand with all the mods done

[@BasinMotorsports]

Ouch. I don't know if I could stomach that kind of loss.

[@chrisd4655]

judges69 you bought the car and your premium was $x. You added $20k worth of work and your premium stayed $x. Run by me why you feel you should have got more when you didn’t cover it any differently?

[@JeffLifeInReview]

Good advice on the rental car thing.

[@markzajac9993]

Thanks. I just got rear-ended myself and it became a hit-and-run event. LUckily I got the license plate #

[@BasinMotorsports]

Hopefully you're safe! Good luck on the person getting caught. Hit & run sucks...

[@Cristina199]

Glad I found this vid! Going through the same thing. 99 gsx, 15k restoration. Lady ran a stop sign knocked my front wheel off. Her insurance wants to total it out. Lucky for me turbo charged cars from the 90s are going for double what I spent on my restoration. There's even a Supra going for 101k.

[@BasinMotorsports]

Cristina199 Stick it out til the end. It's all a numbers game for them, and they need to pay what the loss is to you, not what a book value is. Good luck, let me know how it goes!

[@Cristina199]

Well it's been 33 days and copart has been out twice to try and steal the car. My friends work at the body shop and already have the car almost fixed. The damage was only the front wheel and fender. But because there is a side mount intercooler in there that is no longer made they want to total the vehicle. Although I haven't received any settlement offers yet.

[@BasinMotorsports]

Steal? Like "Grand Theft Auto" steal? Can you replace the value of the intercooler with something new? I would have figured the insurance company would have settled it by now with either a total loss payout where either they keep the car or you do with a little less money. Have they given you claim number to call and ask about?

[@matthewrodriguez8092]

Cristina199 what do you mean steal your car how and why would they steal it from you

[@alansmilealot]

@@Cristina199 what's was the update to this? The insurance company part

[@rosegg13]

Do a video on rental, got to turn in my rental and I still don’t have money for the other one. They didn’t extend the date till I had another car.

[@theearloffunk7223]

I see your insurance agent watched this video. Ha

[@ToFineDam]

So! He didn't say or do anything illegal! It was great advice.

[@mmtquis100]

So fuckin what he gone get paid

[@andysanchez9651]

I just totaled my car. I have no car insurance and I luckily got out alive. I flipped over 4x and both my windows are smashed. If it weren't for my seatbelt I would've died. Once my car flipped over and thank God it landed on the wheels. I then drove off and no one called the cops. My car hand locked on me and that's what caused my flip. since I got no car insurance or updated tags I had to drive home. Thank God no one seen because I left.

[@andysanchez9651]

I had my friend in the car too but I had dropped him off before that even happened. I have the tow company coming to pick up my car for $291 damn that ain't shit lol 😂 but better then trying to fix it.

[@BasinMotorsports]

Probably scrap value at this point for $291. Would it be easier to part out and sell off anything of value before letting them take it?

[@EddieLeal]

Some of these insurance companies have been hemorrhaging money as of late and are doing just about anything to minimize payout. State Farm for example reported a net loss of $6.7B in 2022. Supply-chain disruption, labor shortages, and costlier replacement parts are all said to be contributing to current and future loss pressures.

[@BasinMotorsports]

Insurance can be such a mess with so much happening anymore. No parts, no people, and heaven forbid you have to go buy another car. And no, that was a Morkie. I was watching my mother-in-law's dog at the time, and she was wandering around the garage.

[@EddieLeal]

@@BasinMotorsports Yeah, I deleted my comment because a few minutes into the video I saw the dog walk out into the open. Had a lions tail 😁

[@2vcrew782]

I just got rear ended by a girl who admitted to falling asleep. My 2002 Mustang GT I just did $4,000 in motor work on two weeks prior to the wreck.

[@BasinMotorsports]

Hopefully you have receipts to prove what the car would cost to replace at the time of the accident. They will try to give you THEIR value, but don't take it. Show her insurance what it would cost to replace. Don't be afraid to seek legal counsel too.

[@sheliafarmer]

INSURANCE COMPANIES NEVER WANT TO PAY OUT, ONLY KEEP YOUR MONEY, WE ARE FORCED TO HAVE INSURANCE WE NEED TO FORCE THEM TO GIVE US WHAT WE PAY THEM FOR

[@taniam.4554]

I wish my settlement would be smoother. I'm getting such a low offer for my totaled car that wasnt my fault. I've sent receipts and comparables. I still have hope they'll give a more reasonable offer.

[@BasinMotorsports]

Have you contacted a lawyer to see what your options are?

[@taniam.4554]

@@BasinMotorsports according to my state law I'm entitled to a replacement vehicle but they only want to give me cash value. And there value is low not enough to cover the cost for the same car used. So I'm still fighting it.. Lawyers have said to send comparables and do my best.

[@sheliafarmer]

PEOPLE WE PAY FOR PROTECTION THESE INSURANCE COMPANIES NEED TO PAY UP, STOP GIVING IN TO THEM

[@laylalibertyeinstein8420]

I’m an insurance adjuster who deals 100% with total losses. We don’t use Craigslist ads. We only use certified dealers. I love how he said insurance companies low ball you and he was happy with the offer… Keep your receipts is key! We don’t pay for labor, only parts. We don’t pay the insured for rentals, if you’re a claimant I still won’t unless you have a receipt.

[@BasinMotorsports]

I said the initial offer was low, but after turning in receipts and other evidence of work completed the offer was good (and I was happy). If you're using dealer trade-in as the benchmark, it's low. They need to protect a profit margin. Insurance and car dealers are both businesses, and no one should be surprised with lower offers. Thanks for backing up the receipts comment.

[@laylalibertyeinstein8420]

@@BasinMotorsports no problem. We don’t use dealer trade ins. We use Private Property sales and we definitely don’t use Craigslist ads. We use a company called CCC1 who only uses certified dealer or DMV records. As the insurance company time is money and 80% of my customers are surprised by how high the value comes back at. 15 don’t agree but take the offer after I reason with them and 5% refuse the offer. If you’re a claimant, I tell you to file with your insurance or do a forced retention, take out the salvage value and return your car all smashed up. If you’re our insured we offer you the appraiser clause. You higher an appraiser and pay hundreds of dollars for the appraiser to tell you it’s about what we told you, or they higher a lawyer who calls us and begs for more money so they don’t go back empty handed. The best thing to do get more money is after the accident, deep clean your car if possible (seats,,rugs, headliner). The only thing we control is the condition rating. The mileage and options are fixed items, and be very nice on the phone. We talk to 100 people a day, if i have 95 customers I’m helping the nice people first and the ***** last and ALWAYS GET RENTAL CAR COVERAGE on your policy even if you don’t need it. People in a rental get priority.

[@mattm2411]

man the ammount of time i spent swapping my car to a bigger engine, a 6spd trans, every single suspension component, subframe, steering rack, wiring and engine management like gauges, entire exhaust fabbed up, and some interior stuff. Gone I just hope I can keep the car. Lady pulled out and as im driving straight and tapped my rear quarter. no parts available to fix cuz its so old. Insurance cant just keep my car right? They think i paid 500$ for it. and also think its stock

[@BasinMotorsports]

They won't just take it It sounds like a complete write-off for them if you have full coverage insurance. If you only had liability, it might have to be covered from the other drivers insurance. See what they come back with and go from there. You should be able to get the car back, even if there isn't much cash from any insurance company. Then time to part it out, or find another shell to build

[@charlessmith6107]

Don’t keep your receipts inside your car because when the insurance company steal your vehicle and send it to the auction you’ll never see the papers again. They didn’t ask for the title to my vehicle before they gave me beans not offered me beans.

[@BasinMotorsports]

Charles Smith I usually just keep the registration, proof insurance, and simple things in the car. Any receipts are kept at the house, but I may put copies in the car. Good advice.

[@sheliafarmer]

UNTIL WE FIGHT BACK THE MAFIA INSURANCE COMPANIES WILL CONTINUE TO STEAL FROM US

[@gowest5145]

Thanks, it was hard to hear the video with all the acoustics.

[@psychotogen1]

Cool advise but I think i'd rather have a rental than a dollar a day.

[@BasinMotorsports]

For me, it was a good situation as I had other vehicles to drive and didn't need to worry about a rental car. I didn't know it was an option until then.

[@SurviventheOnslaught]

if you don't insure your vehicle as a specialty vehicle it just gets labeled as a regular 5.0, you pay extra insurance for specialty items

[@BasinMotorsports]

True. I'm finding out the age of the vehicle is troublesome also. My 1980 widebody is too old for most insurance companies. There are only a couple that will insure a vehicle that old.

[@SurviventheOnslaught]

you can get antique plates for vehicles 25 yrs old but will have a mileage restriction, no inspection anymore and they will insure

[@BasinMotorsports]

Sweet, I'll check that out. Thanks for the tip.

[@cali_smartb5098]

So your car was totaled you was cut a check and you kept the car??

[@BasinMotorsports]

Yes.

[@CHIEFMOOKY]

🙏🏿 loss my SS 2days ago. Sent a couple papers on car repairs but u just motivated me to screen shot/ copy everything. Them new 900$ tires? Add it to the list

[@BasinMotorsports]

Submit everything in writing (receipts, invoices, etc )! Let me know how it goes

[@CHIEFMOOKY]

@@BasinMotorsports wats good bro, geico called me yesterday and offered $10,700 for the SS. I firmly and denied and stressed to them my $7k I’m repairs. My attorneys went over the repairs and the agent left me a voicemail stating they will call with another offer tomorrow. I’m looking to get 20k from these folks if possible but willing to settle at 17.5k.

[@BasinMotorsports]

@@CHIEFMOOKY excellent. Let me know that next offer. Are you planning to buy it back or let it go?

[@CHIEFMOOKY]

@@BasinMotorsports yea I’m thinking bout it, how would I go about that?

[@CHIEFMOOKY]

@@BasinMotorsports at same time likely buy another one. I saw one for 5500 in Florida, he sold a couple days ago I was pissed.

[@chosenwomandestined6294]

There is one of two claims to discuss.Both cars totaled and the at fault driver is trying to lie to their insured and say the accidents were my fault. Which is a complete lie ! What could be done in this case ?

[@BasinMotorsports]

Chosen Woman Destined That is a tough one. What does the police report say? People can say what they want, but the report should list a potential cause. Do you have a lawyer on your side already retained and reviewing the information?

[@chosenwomandestined6294]

Basin Motorsports Not yet! The lady slammed on her brakes while traffic was moveing through a green light causeing a rear end hit. How do we claim no fault she even admitted the accident was he fault at the scene in front of the cop.

[@BasinMotorsports]

I'm not a legal expert, so I would find a lawyer in your area (or maybe two) that do free consulting to see what they say about the incident. Saying she was at fault on the scene may not mean much after the fact unless it is documented on the accident report somehow. Some could argue that since you were the trailing car and hit her that you could be held liable.

[@mr.universe250]

What if car is new 2017 worth 30k and totalled?

[@BasinMotorsports]

Mr. Universe You shouldn't have to fight for the value too much if it's a 2017. In my case it was a 1992 model with a lot of work hours and parts. Have you modified the 2017, or just a basic car?

[@chrisd4655]

Basin Motorsports hey off topic. Now that it’s settled, can you plz ask the insurance company for and upload a copy of your valuation report? I wanna check it out. A 2017 might put you in more trouble. I take it you have a loan. Do you recall getting GAP?

[@BasinMotorsports]

This whole deal was 3 years ago, and I wouldn't even know who to call and ask for a valuation report. My wrecked car was a 1992 model, so you may be asking the original responder about the GAP insurance. I didn't have GAP insurance on my '92 as it was a project car that I put insurance on the day it was wrecked.

[@sheliafarmer]

INSURANCE COMPANIES DON'T WANT TO PAY OUT THEY ONLY WANT TO TAKE YOYR MONEY

[@anthonymaniz9896]

Good day I have a 2005 Chevy Silverado single cab that was stolen they stole the rims and interior what do you think the insurance company will do for me I have AAA full coverage

[@BasinMotorsports]

My first guess is total it based on the replacement cost of 16 - 17 year old interior and a set of wheels (and tires). Usually if the repair is 50% or more of the vehicle value, they'll total it. They may give you a cash value for it to keep it, minus a fee. Then it's on you to fix it, get it re-titled as a salvage or rebuilt vehicle, then find insurance again. They typically cancel or re-write the policy.

[@KennethBostonian]

Cancel the claim. They will do it. And fix the car your self.

[@DustySteel]

Awesome video! Thank you so much for your help. If the car is easily fixable but the adjuster says the car isn’t worth very and totals it, but then you find evidence proving that it’s worth more then it costs to be fixed, is it then not considered totaled?

[@BasinMotorsports]

It varies by state, but here in Oregon a "totaled' vehicle can be retitled after being fixed and inspected by the DMV. The Mustang in the video was totaled in California, but brought to Oregon and titled as a branded title. I just bought a Porsche from an insurance auction that was totaled. It won't take much to get going again, but will be a salvaged title once I get it inspected. The value is always debatable and subject to interpretation. Insurance companies usually go off Kelly Blue Book to determine basic value. KBB isn't always a good tool. The Mustang in the video was valued at $3,300, but because I could prove how much work and parts I put into it, I received about $7,700 for it. You need to debate the value with evidence ASAP before the insurance company settles the claim. It's probably not worth going back after it's settled.

[@DustySteel]

@@BasinMotorsports I have a lot of custom parts like my headlights.

[@BasinMotorsports]

@@DustySteel You'll have to prove what the car is worth via receipts, labor, video, etc. I had pictures and scanned receipts to show everything done to my Mustang. I offered links to the KZbin channel, but I dont think they watched anything. Hit the adjuster with everything you have available.

[@sheliafarmer]

CORRECT INSURANCE COMPANIES TOTAL EVERYTHING THE GAME TO THEM IS TO PAY THE MAFIA FOR FALSE PROTECTION

[@sheliafarmer]

@@BasinMotorsports THE BIG PROBLEM IS WE PAY FOR PROTECTION AND THE MAFIA INSURANCE DOES NOT WANT TO PAY UP, MY CAR WAS HIT BY ANOTHER DRIVER, MY CAR IS FIXABLE BUT MY OWN INSURANCE COMPANY IS WORKING WITH THE OTHER DRIVERS INSURANCE COMPANY TO SAVE BOTH THEM MONEY

[@sammiee.702]

how much did you get per day without rental ?

[@BasinMotorsports]

Sammiee Tvxq I believe it was $75 per day. Enough to cover a mid-size car with rental, taxes, etc.

[@chrisd4655]

I take it you went thru the at fault carrier right?

[@BasinMotorsports]

Yes. They initially offered me a low number based on the age of the car and nothing else. I was able to send in copies of receipts and some pictures of before and after all the work, which over doubled the value of the car. I took their second offer, and kept the car to later part out.

[@gworkseliteautofinish3611]

@@BasinMotorsports do you let the insurance company keep the car at their facility and get it later or do you keep the car at home and have them inspect the it there

[@BasinMotorsports]

You should be able to do it both ways. In the case of my Mustang, I took it home and had a local body shop come out and inspect the car. In the past I have also had a dealership do the inspection on a motorcycle that I had wrecked. It was deemed totaled because the repair value for OEM parts was too high, but I still went and picked it up and kept it.

[@gworkseliteautofinish3611]

@@BasinMotorsports thanks for the reply.

[@vallee7966]

Question: you got the insurance payout, but you still got to keep the car?

[@BasinMotorsports]

Yes. They gave me the option to keep the car at a value of $500, so the cash payout was $500 less to keep the car. It was worth way more in parts than that.

[@jasoneman8318]

Thanks man I did something a little different as soon as I found out that the shop I choose to have them work on I took a week off from work and helped the guy doing the estimate on my truck granted it was front end damage I let him do the estimate and I tore it apart to find out how bad it was he almost hired me because i am a mechanic myself but with his help and today's prices I got 2 grand more than was expected?

[@BasinMotorsports]

Excellent. Doing some of it yourself can put some money back in your pocket. Prices today are crazy.

[@beingdijiona6670]

I have a 2013 Ford Fusion eco boost I just got the water pump fixed and it just stopped on me out of nowhere. Now my mechanic is telling me that I need a new engine. How do I tell my insurance so that I am able to get some money out of my vehicle? * I have full coverage*

[@BasinMotorsports]

I would call your insurance agent and discuss it with them. Your mechanic should be able to give you an estimate in writing to document the problem for insurance to act on.

[@beingdijiona6670]

Thanks

[@rayshaungates3702]

I’m going thru the same thing 😂

[@WalkerHagius]

So you got like $250 instead of $200? 🤣

[@BasinMotorsports]

That and a couple more doll hairs.

[@BasinMotorsports]

@PANCHO VILLA Bring your receipts and pictures to them. Prove what you have into your project. They'll pay.

[@BasinMotorsports]

@PANCHO VILLA Sounds like a good idea.

[@arch1028]

@3:50 in these days market that car could've gone 10k plus with insurance payout hahah

[@BasinMotorsports]

Amazing how wacky the market has been lately.

[@arch1028]

@@BasinMotorsports yesss its crazy i just total loss my 1997 Eclipse due to the Negligence of another driver I just hope my payout comes out to whats its worth finding a clean 5speed 97 eclipse with all maintenance records from 97 is hard to find now a days without it being clapped out

[@BasinMotorsports]

@@arch1028 Hopefully insurance takes care of it. It's getting tough to find clean older models.

[@arch1028]

@@BasinMotorsports I finally got a call from them and they're taking responsibility 75% Payout I got all my receipts of work I did on the car this year which was $7k ( coilovers , poly bushings , paint job , performance control arms , all around suspension rebuilt axles , hubs and everything ) i did all the work myself which is at least a total of 100hrs working on the car . I paid 4k for the car back before prices shot up now I cant find any 5 speed manual barcelona red pearl anywhere ! Closet example to mine was $10k silver with 120k miles and the 5 speed mines had 150k . Only one i found my color is $20k but its a automatic with 80k miles . I'm expecting at least 15k am I to optimistic? Edit : Clean Title

[@arch1028]

@@BasinMotorsports oh and I get to keep the car since its 75%

[@BLDCVNANT]

My insurance company does not want to pay for labor because I have no proof of labor.

[@BasinMotorsports]

Did you have parts installed by a professional? If they were installed by you, how much is your labor worth?

[@BLDCVNANT]

@@BasinMotorsports I installed nearly everything on my own. Parts and labor come out to about 10-15 thousand depending on high end to low end prices.

[@BasinMotorsports]

@@BLDCVNANT When I submitted everything to the insurance company, I had scanned copies of receipts, pictures of me installing parts, etc. They couldn't deny that I did the work as I had before and after evidence. Do you have that by chance? After I submitted all that, they came back with a settlement figure that I could live with. I don't know how much per hour or how many hours they thought it took though. I knew the total cost of the parts, and the rest was their labor estimate.

[@BLDCVNANT]

@@BasinMotorsports I have all the receipts of parts but no video or pictures of the parts being installed. Insurance company told me they would not include labor costs only parts. I felt them not including labor is wrong. Do you think I should dispute labor costs with the higher ups if the adjuster does not budge?

[@BasinMotorsports]

@@BLDCVNANT Yes, I would dispute it a bit. You should determine what you see is correct for labor and have that as your proposal for reimbursement. I usually charge myself $25/hour, for example. You can determine what value you deem acceptable and approach them with that cost. Negotiate from there. Their job is to minimize cost to them (payout to you).

[@abumannocchi]

Total loss but keep car take lol less

[@zackwalker664]

You look like my bf and that’s the only reason I watched lol.

[@BasinMotorsports]

Fair enough!

[@AwakeDude911]

all cars over their odometer reading(when it flips) in CA get a salvage title ...was looking at stangs out there from here in NY and all CA stangs for sale have this salvage title ! final found out why this salvage title its their LAW.

[@BasinMotorsports]

Interesting. I know my '92 was in an accident along the way and was a "branded title" because of that. Good to know though.

[@stew4148]

That is not true at all. My coupe came from Cali with over 100,000 miles and it does not have a salvage title. I had a 66 Chrysler from cali with 225,000 miles on it, no salvage title.

[@sheliafarmer]

YA BUT THEY FORCED YOU TO GET INSURANCE ON IT RIGHT, THEY ARE THE MAFIA

[@shawnwest9383]

So what did the insurance pay?

[@BasinMotorsports]

$7,700 for the car, then parted it out for an additional $3k. I also kept the drivetrain and fuel system (and still have a few things left over to sell), which was put into my widebody build.

[@shawnwest9383]

@@BasinMotorsports cool has happened to me 3 times over the years just about the same circumstance's 87-93 stangs are a payday now that they are classics have fun man

[@pyotr716]

@@BasinMotorsports is it normal for an insurance company to subtract your deductible on a total loss settlement?

[@BasinMotorsports]

@@pyotr716 Yes.