There comes a time when every car owner must trade in their vehicle and get a new one. In some cases, this is because the car has simply been through so much wear and tear that properly fixing it is unfeasible. In other cases, an accident sends the car to an early demise.
No matter why it happens, the process of getting rid of one car and buying another is an incredibly common, relatable experience. That may be why so many people have shared their trade-in stories on the internet. For example, some have offered advice on maximizing trade-in value. Others have recounted stories of getting their trade-in rejected.
Sometimes, a person has to say goodbye to their car significantly earlier than expected. Such was the case with TikTok user @carrrrr173. She recently shared her car experience in a video with over 626,000 views as of Friday.
Why did this woman get rid of her car?
In her video, the TikToker shows her car, a Toyota C-HR, being loaded onto a truck.
“When they declared my car, THAT I ONLY HAD TWO MORE PAYMENTS ON UNTIL IT WAS PAID OFF, a total loss from the hail damage,” she writes in the text overlaying the video.
Immediately, some commenters were confused about how hail damage could make the car a total loss.
“Is it really worth totaling out for hail damage? Especially if it’s almost paid off? I’d just live with the hail dents,” a user wrote.
“I would have owner retained that total loss. Kept the money and let it look ugly,” offered another.
But is it really the smartest move to keep a car that’s been deemed totaled?
Why might someone keep a totaled car?
As noted by Kelley Blue Book, a car is considered “totaled” if the repair costs surpass its market value at the time of the incident. Most insurers have a threshold for damages over which the car will be considered totaled. This generally varies from state to state.
If an accident happens and the car is deemed a total loss, an insurer will often offer to pay the owner for the total cash value of the car. This is how much the car was worth right before the declared loss.
Still, an owner can opt to keep their totaled car, though there’s significant work that must be done if they still wish to drive it. The vehicle must be repaired, pass inspection, and given a rebuilt or a salvaged title. Even then, an owner will be limited in what insurance they can buy for the car, as insurers are generally hesitant to insure rebuilt or salvaged vehicles.
In the TikToker’s case, she says the main issue with her car was the damaged windshield, which would have cost $600 to replace. However, upon consulting with her insurer, they offered her “basically…enough to buy a brand new car.”
“Mind you, my car only had 29,000 miles,” she says in a follow-up video. “I got it in high school in like 2021 and it was, like, peak COVID, and so everything was really cheap.”
@carrrrr173 I’m so mad #wtf#hail#fyp#this#sucks ♬ ohhhmyygoddmy shayla – 🩷
Viewers commend her decision
In the comments section, users offered their thoughts about the TikToker’s experience.
“As long as the car you choose is totally paid off, for sure worth it,” one user said of the TikToker’s decision.
“Used to work for a collision center: this is not uncommon. Hail damage is one of the most expensive (but easy) repairs to be done to a vehicle,” added another. “Insurance always wants to take the cheapest way out.”
“I bought a hail damaged car once at a reduced price. you could barely even tell, the dealer just wanted it off the lot. paid cash, drove it proudly,” recalled a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to @carrrrr173 via TikTok direct message and comment.
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The post ‘Is it really worth totaling out for hail damage?’: Toyota driver only has 2 car payments left. Then it hails appeared first on The Daily Dot.