ohio

Actually my friend did. I was sleeping in the back seat... Anyway, no injuries, but the truck is totalled. The good news is it's all body damage, so if you can track it down in the NH (Keene, I think) salvage yard, you can score yourself some week-old Bilsteins and Eibach 1" rear springs for a 2nd Gen (I won't be able to get in there to remove the stuff before they take it to the yard... all I could bget was my stereo), as well as a month old radiator.

Anyway, I'm getting f-ed by insurance. I paid good money for full collision coverage from Allstate, and their giving me private party value on the truck, rather than replacement. I was always under the impression that replacement value meant dealer prices on a comparable vehicle. Well, for a '95 V6 with 141k, sunroof, alloys, 5spd, etc... that lists as $8600. The local dealer confirmed that they'd ask over $8k. Allstate is giving me $6500. Whne pressed, they pointed to ads in local papers for similar cars asking $6700-7000 selling privately.

Are they allowed to do that? I don't want to buy a car privately only to dump $1000 into getting it running properly (like I had to do when I first bought mine). I want a car from the dealer that's been checked out and is running as well as my truck was running.

SLC Punk

Glad you are ok! Could have been worse.

MTL_4runner

Glad all are OK!

You really need to bust their chops some more to get more money out of any insurance agency. They are hoping you just take the check and be happy. Litterally be as annoying as possible and state your case clearly. Do more reasearch on your side and put together a good case as to what was done to your car and why it was VERY different from what is available in the paper. If you come back with overwhelming proof, they will usually cave on their side. Worked when my jetskis got stolen.

Spectre

Thank God no one was hurt..
I am sorry that insurance is being a butt..

what do you plan on getting now?

lunatic14r

like what mtl said stay on them and go higher up the chain if you dont get what you want

BruceTS

Tell them you'll settle the case if you get the check and the salvage on you 4Runner. Press the issue that there are upgrades beyond a stock vehicle, Allstate is known to under pay for damages

4x4Lamm

Dude, that sound like total "toro caca". My 92 is valued at $8000 with State Farm.

GoudyMan

have a lawyer write 'em a letter......... gets 'em every time... it helps if you have one in the family.......... once they see 'attorney' they wet themselves.

zedex

Heres something to remember about any insurance company. They all have 2 doors. The big garage looking door is the door they use for the money coming in. The door that looks like a doggy door out back with the big lock on it and the bars over it is the door where the money goes out. You get the picture.

Nolan

First off let me say that I am glad you and your passenger are okay, that is by far the most important thing. I maybe able to offer some advice....I used to work for an insruance company as a claims rep..... I would say prior to anything happening KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE PAYING FOR. When you get insurance, read your policy book carefully because it will tell what you are getting and what you are not getting. I am sure it will answer a lot of your questions and if you are still unclear talk to your agent. Ignorance is not an excuse nor a reason to get lawyers involved. If you are not paying for that coverage you obviously dont deserve the privleges to it. Sorry to say, but its the way it goes.

As for salvage value at the insurance company I worked at, we would give you enough money for you to go out and purchase the exact same vehicle you had with the exact same options (mileage, pwer windows, v6, etc) which is what sounds like the insurance you have is giving you. If you want you can definately ask them to show you where they are getting the value of $6500 from and make sure that quote includes all the options your 4runenr had. Hope it all works out for you.

Mossback74

I got $8600 for my 94 AT moon roof, power everything and all the other options that I cant remember It had over 130k. Isurance is State Farm. They used the standard list price. I forget what it's called (not kelly blue)

Highland Runner

Glad your OK. First, let me say, Allstate is one of the worst insurance companies as far as screwing people on payouts. My mom worked for them for years, and has many horror stories.
My wife and I just went through this whole dealing with insurance company crap when her 98 Limited was hit head on by a semi and totalled. TOTALLY the truck drivers fault. It took us a month for them to finally pay us. Its best to reach an replacement amount before they give you a check or you cash it. We went back and forth with them like dealing with a car salesman. I did a lot of research on the internet before we accepted their offer. Our insurance agent helped us also because he was on our side.
This is true
The insurance co we were dealing with tried to give us Blue Book value for my wifes 98. The only problem is you can't buy a comparable car for the prices in there. They have to give you an amount (fair market value) that it would take to replace your Runner where you live. Many states also require insurance companies to give you sales tax etc.
Don't settle for their first offer. We eventually got enough for a newer model, tax included. Remember to use words when talking to them like lawyer, arbitration etc. Remember, insurance companies like to pay out as little as possible.

Mystickal

As everyone else has said, don't accept the compensation from the insurance company until you are satisfied with it. The insurance company is in the business of making money, so the less they pay out to you the more they have to report to their stockholders.

Gather as many comparative prices as you can on vehicles similar to yours. The more higher priced examples you have, the higher the 'average' cost is in your area. Make sure their private party sales are in the local area - that they're not showing you private vehicle prices for 4Runners from 200 miles away.

Ultimately, if you feel that you're not getting enough to replace your vehicle with a like vehicle (similar options, etc) then you can call the adjusters bosses, the insurance commission in your state, or an attorney.

~Bill

PirateFins

Like what has been stated, do not settle for a price that is listed in the paper. With the economy the way it is, people are stucturing the private sales prices lower than what a dealer would charge so they can bet rid of the vehicle. Make sure they are quoting you for every option you had in the runner, if you have the receipts for the upgrades make them pay you for them. Also if they instist on paying you private party amount. Make sure they add in the cost of state vehicle inspection, taxes, and do research for the avg. expected cost to bring vehicles of that age into state inspection regulations compliance. After that you should be around what a dealer would charge, since they are doing it for you.

Sorry for your loss and glad everyone is alright.

lee

all this talk of crashes and roll overs and fires really freaks me out.

i gotta knock on wood more often.. unfortunately, my runner is without the wood trim!

My99

Glad you fellers are okay. I couldn't only imagine being woken up to a rollover.

As someone else stated, do your homework. And also get a detailed account (they will give it to you) of where they got their numbers from. DO NOT sign until your satisfied. Also, if in the end you still don't like what you see, threaten to leave them. Tell them you're going to State Farm (or somewhere) if they want to screw you over on a thousand bucks (or whatever amt it is). If they loose you, it's their loss. IT's sorta your loss to begin with, since this is going on your insurance record I assume and your buddy was the one that did it.

ohio

Thanks for all the advice. I really appreciate it. I should be hearing from the main office on Monday. The adjuster finally offered that when I get a final quote from them I can request that they run "dealer quotes" which will mean they get dealer prices in addition to the pricing service they normally use, and are required to use the higher of the two estimates. I've also got kelley blue book and NADA quotes around $8000 for my area, so I think that helps.

We'll see how it goes.

In a semi-related note, I bought a 2001 subaru forester today. Not as sexy as a runner, but a lot better in the snow and ice, and probably more practical for someone like me who really only needed the 4wd to get to trail heads for skiing and MTBiking. Drives pretty well. I'm impressed, eventhough it has to be the most ill-proportioned car aesthetically I've ever seen.

I saw someone driving a twin of my runner down the street today though, and I already miss it.

22Ryota

If you do get salvage or whatever.. make sure that everything is there!! My step sister got in a wreck (guy ran a red light and side swiped her). His insurance company said he had insurance so he could get out of jail because he didn't have proof of insurance on him.. So he gets out of jail and they offer my step sis $5000 for a $3000 car... she accepts.. they say they sent the check.. wait a while... She calls again and they say "NO check... this guy isn't covered by us".. We had an attorney friend write a letter and soon received a check from the guy who hit her... He paid the insurance price for the car with the deal that when the insurance paid up we send him the money.. He did this because my step dad is a cop and said that if it not straightened out then he will take him back to jail on a couple charges. We agreed.. Insurance company still not paying and they have the car towed to our house.. It gets here and is missing the air bag ($2k airbag) and trunk lid and a couple other parts... We tell the tow truck guy we refuse to accept it and take it back... Step dad jump the insurance companys salvage yard they hire out too and the insurance company and sent another lawyer letter.. next 3 days we get a check and all is good.

ohio

Just got off the phone with the head adjuster guy, and I have to say I'm pissed. His offer was $6625, which is $150 BELOW the NADA base price ($8225-$1450 for mileage, which is also silly) which doesn't include a single option (alloys, moonroof, cassette, etc), and about $1500 below the Kelley Blue Blue retail value, which takes all the options and mileage into account. It's nowhere NEAR dealer prices in my area for a similar truck, and slightly below private party sales. Not even mentioning that it has a near new front axle and rotors, new radiator, new front calipers, new rear Bilstein shocks and new rear Eibach springs

Edit: forgot to mention, Allstate uses ADP as their appraisal service. Not sure if that means anything.

So I'm having him run dealer quotes, but he went right into his spiel about how he's been doing this for 30 years, and I will have to get an independent appraiser at my own cost (which I don't think will ever be worth it for a vehicle this old). All I can do at this point is threaten to go to another insurance company. So far, I'm very unimpressed with Allstate.

The thing is, I've so far made NO claims for health and hospital expenses, but I think I may actually have a herniated disc (I see the doc today), and I have no idea where it came from. I feel bad bringing it up, because it sounds like I'm scamming them after I got a bad appraisal, but the accident is the only thing I can think of that would have caused it.

Highland Runner

They have to give you fair market value which is the amount to replace your car with one that has the exact options including alloy wheels, sunroof etc. The amount should be what it would cost in your area.