After 5 years, bad fortune has finally caught up with me and I now know what it feels like to wreck my 4Runner :cry: :cry: :cry:

The 4Runner skidded out of control coming around a corner (rainy night). Still not sure how it happened since I was only doing about 20-25mph, but I wasn't able to regain control fast enough and slammed into a building (of all things!). No damage to the building, but both air bags went off and my entire front is crushed. As a testament to the quality of the 4Runners though, I was completely uninjured and the 4Runner was able to drive home.

Now comes the painful part of dealing with insurance, body shops, etc. For those of you who have wrecked your 4Runner, I can totally sympathize. For those who haven't, drive safely!

 

Sorry to hear that man.
But you can make it better, faster than it was before!

 

My dad flipped his 99 4Runner off the side of the highway over a 5 foot drop going 70 MPH (never had a chance to hit the brakes). He flipped it head over heel several times before finally stopping.


All that to say, he only had a collarbone fracture from the seat belt holding so tight. We are now convinced that both of us will always have a 4Runner if at all possible. Although the one he wrecked was totalled, he used some of the extra insurance money to upgrade from a 99 SR5 to a 2000 Limited.

Sorry to hear about your wreck, hopefully your insurance will be amiable in dealing with the claim. Do you think yours is totalled?

 

rpeAMP:

Wow. That's amazing. I'm definately sticking with the 4Runner after hearing that I don't think the car will be totalled since it's still drivable, just with extensive front end damage. Motor looks to be okay other than a crushed radiator, but I don't know for sure. If it is, I plan on buying it back and parting it out.

livelarg:

It will definately be better and faster

 

Use this opportunity to get a TJM instead of the OEM bumper, clear corner lights instead of OEM, newer model year headlights, a hood with a scoop, stuff like that and use this little mishap to your advantage.



Brian

 

If the insurance company decides to total the car ... what do you guys think I will likely be able to get for a 1998 4cycl 2.7L 2wd 4Runner?

I gotta prepare for the worse :cry:

 

What insurance do you have? My mom and I have State Farm and when her ford (cough cough) got totaled they gave her close to a $1000 more than the thing was worth. Maybe your insurance will be generous too.

I'm sorry to hear you had the accident though, but its a good thing you're alright. And if it is totaled, you can switch up to a 4wd!

 

I have Progressive Auto Insurance with full coverage. I'm just afraid they'll give me blue book value for the 4Runner (which is only ~12k). That just sucks cause my car was in otherwise perfect condition before the wreck (50,000 miles, perfect maintenance, drove like a dream, clean interior/exterior). And with that money I won't be able to get anything as good as my 4Runner was :cry:

Thanks for everyone's kind words though, this has been a sucky weekend.

Btw heres a fairly recent pic of what my 4Runner looked like before the accident. I'll have after accident pics on Monday.

 

Sorry to hear about your accident but glad you are ok.

 

Here is the "after" picture.

 

OUCH!!

Glad to hear you are ok. It doesn't look like its bad enough to be totaled...

 

Ouch! :cry: Just be glad you're ok.

 

Your passenger window is cracked. Hopefully that wasn't from somebody's head smashing the glass. Make sure your frame isn't bent, sorry.

 

Sorry to hear about your 4Runner man, glad to hear you're ok.

A little OT, but one more reason I don't like BFG ATs. They don't have very good rain/wet road traction.

 

The airbags deploying is what caused the vehicle to be totalled. Apparently it put the cost of the repairs over 80% of the truck's value ... oh well I've got some leads on a front clip ... I'll definately be repairing. No way I'm giving up my 4Runner

Actually all of that damage is from the air bags deploying. The only injury I had was a bruised hand and a small chemical burn ... both the result of the air bags deploying.

I like the way the BFG ATs look on the truck, but you are right, they have HORRIBLE wet/rain traction. I won't be using BFG ATs again.