Got in an accident - diminished value?

[ASD Dad]

Hey all - my poor NV was in an accident yesterday afternoon.  19 year old girl was texting and ran a red light.  Smacked me in the passenger door pretty hard.  I had all 3 boys with me and we're all fine thankfully.  I was turning when she hit me so it was a sharp pointy hit dead center of my passenger door and below.  She was driving her mom's 2015 Honda Civic!  I bet mom's really happy...  Her Honda looked totaled.  Both front airbags went off and she bounced off me and hit the guard rail so the whole front was pretty messed up.  She was bloodied up from the accident, my family was joking around and hanging out with the firefighters on the scene.  They even gave my kids little fireman hats!  

 

So anyone here been in an accident with their NV?  I talked to a local owner a few months back.  They hit a deer (big buck) with their NV that was just 3 weeks old.  Did $16,000 in damage to the front end.  The biggest issue was the time to repair.  It took 6 weeks!!  They said parts werent available from Nissan, they barely had enough to build them let alone repair them.

 

Curious if anyone else had a long wait.  We have a camping trip that may need cancelled if this drags on weeks.  

 

Curious if anyone was successful in getting a diminished value settlement too.  I keep reading they are a giant pain and if I use the industry standard 17C method I get a whole $1300 which is waaaay too little.

 

I'll be interested how they plan on repairing my van.  I want all OEM parts.  I also want to know how they repair the crushed rocker panel/seam welded area.  It was pushed in and down a couple inches.  Frame looked fine.  Hood, sliding door and quarter panel are all out of alignment.  Van was out of alignment when I drove it down a bit to get out off the road (I got hit turning onto a bridge so we had to move once the cops arrived).  Also had a weird clunk when slowly accelerating.  Sounded/felt like a loose driveshaft of all things.

 

Honestly the damage could have been much much worse at her speed.  I'll post up pics later but I was pleasantly surprised how well the NV held up!  

Edited August 11, 2016 by ASD Dad

[radin2son]

Good to hear that everyone is fine. Hope your Nissan body shop can fix it the way you want. A good independent shop may be able to come up with a "parted out" door. Fixing that rocker panel could be a tough one cosmetically. If you were a commercial owner, you would be happy with a workable door.

 

We are starting to see a few well worn NVs. 3 of 4 sensors knocked out, brocken top brake lights and bashed roof along with assorted mangled bumpers. More important to keep it on the road.

 

I guess the only way you would know the true diminished value would be to trade it for 2017 NV.

Not that you would want this? Perhaps Chris_cm can help with this info so you can get it from the insurance settlement.

[andy_george]

Glad to hear your all fine. So sad that there are so many drivers who care so little about actually driving their cars.

[Bamps]

Glad you're all ok!! Vans can be replaced and repaired. Hope the 19 yr old wasn't badly hurt too.

 

I don't know how that could affect your value. This day and age it all goes on car fax and what not else.

[ASD Dad]

The girl was really shaken up and bloody in the face.  I think it was from the airbag honestly, there were no impacts on the windshield.  She honestly had no clue she ran a red light!  I talked to her for just a few minutes and she was just baffled by it all.  Thankfully two women stopped and waited for the Police to arrive to tell him what happened.  It was pretty obvious from the damage on both vehicles it could not have been me but the two women sealed her fate.

 

The other insurance company is a total JOKE so far.  Lyndon Southern is the name...  Rep told me they get so many accident calls per day it could take 2 full days for an adjuster to even be assigned on my case!  Seriously?!  

 

Meanwhile I have Travelers.  They contacted me no less than 3 times already.  They set me up in a rental (Nissan Quest - Do NOT like it!), followed up once I got the Police report and the adjuster was assigned immediately and she called me first thing this morning.

 

I can have Travelers handle the whole thing and then they go after the others but I'm trying to wait it out.  For one Travelers said I couldnt claim diminished value with them since I was not at fault, it would need to be against Lyndon.  

[KMG]

Sorry for your troubles.  Very glad you and your daughters are fine.  Good luck.

[ASD Dad]

Sorry for your troubles.  Very glad you and your daughters are fine.  Good luck.

 

I have 3 young boys but thanks!  Two boy dogs too, my wife is very outnumbered and loves to remind me...

[radin2son]

Your insurance vs her's brings up a good point. You have to know your insurer and what's in your policy. It is definitely not just about the best price. If you get this great... Auto body shops can definitely clue you in on who approves repairs quickly and right. Just ask.

 

Your NV has definitely lost resale/trade in value from last week to now. Good luck on getting this priced.

[KMG]

Sorry, I was thinking of the girl who caused the accident and translated that into you having girls.  No disrespect intended.  Keep us updated.  Thanks, Kevin

[jaredg]

Wow. Sorry to hear about that. I'm just glad everyone is ok. So you didn't have any airbags deployed?

 

I'm not familiar with the diminished value concept. I'll be interested to see how this all works out for you.

 

Best of luck.

[300winmag]

Ouch! Sorry bro,

When mine was hit from behind/corner they did not want to replace the whole back corner, just hit it out and puddy it up with a new bumper. I said hell no and made them replace the whole panel like new. They couldn't argue much cause we only had 4000kms at the time. But to my surprise everything only cost $3500 to get it fixed as new. Expect her insurance to fight tooth and nail for a quick cheap fix... but damn that pic looks like a lot of money to me. They might try and cut sections out and re weld new ones back in rather then replace whole pieces, from what I was told by a few auto body techs here is that is where the rust begins, re welded seams = rust spots.

 

Here if I trade my NV in at a dealer they inspect it for 3 to 5 mins, look up a similar vehicle and give me a value towards a new car. However if I sell it privatly people will want a carfax report or something that states the history of the vehicle and that is where I'd be screwed because it would show up on that report. Dunno how it works over where you are but I would be hounding them about this diminished value concept.

 

Glad to hear everyone is ok. Why did you not like the Quest?

[ASD Dad]

I'm worried about the crumpled section where it is seam welded.  I dont see an easy fix there and there is zero chance I am letting them bondo that smooth!  I want steel down there.  The body did it's job absorbing the impact.

 

Surprisingly the side airbag didnt go off.  I dont know if they only arm when there is somebody in the seat with their belt on.  I had no passenger.  It was definitely a hard enough hit to set it off.  I know the curtain bags only go off if a rollover happens.  I thought the seat bag may have deployed in my hit but it did not.  

 

They use Carfax here and dealers do an automatic lookup when trading it in.  I called my NV dealer and talked to the Commercial Mgr and the Used Car Mgr about it.  They said the issue is there are not many for sale to get comparable values and if they are for sale they were not in accidents.  The Used Car appraiser said if the CarFax showed the damage and they could tell it was repaired the offer would start at 10% below what they would offer if it was accident free and go down from there.  If an airbag did go off that would drop it to at least 15% or more!  

 

He told me if it was clean they'd offer around $29-33K for it depending on overall condition.  I'll be going after $3500 in diminished value to start with dependent on what all needs fixed.

 

BTW - Lyndon Southern Insurance is a total joke still, no adjuster has been assigned still and they cant tell me when one might be assigned.

 

EDIT:  The Quest is just too small.  It is way smaller than even our Sienna.  There is no room behind the 3rd row and it is hard to get into that 3rd row even with just a booster kid seat let alone a 3-in-1 kid seat.  It has nice power, gets decent mileage (I reset computer and I am getting around 24mpg over 100 miles) and is comfy.  Just small for a mini-van.  

[ASD Dad]

Just a quick update.  Still waiting on parts...  They estimate parts will be available around Sept 1st.  After all the parts are in they said 2 weeks min to get it fixed and painted.  For the crushed rocker panel they are cutting that whole section out and welding in a new factory piece.  New door of course and lots of realignment of body parts.  They still need to get it up on a rack for a deep inspection but this is what is happening for now.

 

I am driving a 2016 Ford Expedition XLT now for my rental.  It is pretty nice overall.  It's a bit tight for the family with the two kid seats but it works.  The 3.5 Ecoboost is surprisingly nice.  Zero turbo lag, a lot of power and I am getting 21 mpg in mixed driving.  It rides very well and is very quiet even on rough roads.  Turning radius is excellent especially being used to the NV!  Some things I dont really care for.  Even after 900 miles of driving it I still cant find a sweet spot for comfort with the seat, pedals and steering wheel.  I am always fiddling with it.  The chrome rings around the air vents are annoying as they reflect the sun way more than expected.  Space behind the 3rd row is tiny.  The Ford Sync system is pretty blah.  The text to speech is horrid for one thing.  

 

Since I have at least a month to go in rentals I may see if I can switch things up a couple times for fun.  They have new 2016 Kia Sedona minvans in stock at some locations and my wife wanted to check one out vs. out Sienna.  They even had the new Pacifica available although I dont think I could buy a Chrysler...  They also have the new Maxima's which could be fun to drive but I seriously doubt I could fit my kids in the back!  

[radin2son]

Good to see repairs are progressing and that you are enjoying the ASD Dad test fleet.

 

I see you eventually in a 2017 NVP with the new 5.6 if... Can't imagine Nissan would waste time producing the old one. If they have a large stock, not likely with just in time manufacturing, they could offer them as a free upgrade in the 1500.

[ASD Dad]

Good to see repairs are progressing and that you are enjoying the ASD Dad test fleet.

 

I see you eventually in a 2017 NVP with the new 5.6 if... Can't imagine Nissan would waste time producing the old one. If they have a large stock, not likely with just in time manufacturing, they could offer them as a free upgrade in the 1500.

 

Rad - The reviews on the Cummins and 5.6 have been pretty mixed for mpg which would be one big reason to upgrade.  I've been reading the XD forums off and on and actual user reports have numbers all over the place.  Some swear they get 22 highway, others say 17 even at the same speeds.  

 

Now the power and torque would be most welcome with either engine.  I have not looked up maintenance costs on the Cummins yet, I know on the domestics that cost is very high.

 

For now I just want my van back!  BTW - I had to go to 4 shops to find one that even wanted to work on it due to the size.  2 could not physically get me into their paint booth.  1 didnt want to mess with it at all.  The last one was more than happy to do it, they recently worked on a 3500 cargo that was also t-boned so already had a nice heads up on what would be involved.  

 

Makes me wonder where the high roof NV, Transits and Sprinters need to go for body work.  I refused to go to the major insurance shops that just churn cars in and out cheap and fast.  I got referrals from friends and neighbors to find shops with a long and good rep.  Shop I am using is small, family owned for 27 years and do anything from custom jobs on hot rods and choppers to basic repairs.   

[radin2son]

Truck Trend said 18 mpg so 17 is probably spot on. I was looking at the overall benefits for your use.

 

The family owned body shop I used is no longer in business. I think the entire shop retired together.

 

Looks like you have found the right shop...

[Chris Dempsey]

ASD - sorry you have to go through this. Both my daughters were hit by texting drivers and I was rear-ended by a distracted driver. It’s infuriating and time-consuming. Glad you’re all ok.

[ASD Dad]

Another update.  Van is finally in the shop and they are telling me it is much worse than it appeared from the outside.  The impact was harder and more directed due to her hitting me with the corner of her car at full speed vs. with the whole front of her car.  Some parts made it in already but others are backordered from the factory.  They are using all OEM parts only.  

 

I've been driving different rentals for fun/out of boredom.  The Expedition was nice but a pain for kids to get in the back.  Found out they had new Kia Sedona vans in stock and wife wanted to check one out so drove that for a week.  Not bad but not great either.  I'm in a 2016 Sienna now (we have a 2011) and it is nice.  Pretty much the same but they did update some small things.  I need to go in today to sign yet another rental extension from the other insurance company so may see about switching it up again.  They have a Jaguar XJR convertible but I dont think I can get the car seats in the back!!  

[ASD Dad]

Finally got my van back!!!  That took way too long.  No fault of the shop but the insurance company was a total disaster to work with.  If anyone ever has these people or needs to deal with them you have my condolences!  Lyndon Southern is their name.

 

I would say the shop did a 98% perfect job.  The paint is flawless looking and blended very well.  You cant see the physical splice of the new panels anywhere.  Most of it is aligned to factory.  The only area that isnt factory aligned is the actual rocker panel.  It has a larger gap than it should and it is not tweakable at all so it is what it is.  I noticed it right away but I am looking for things like that.  I am pretty happy with the results, that panel would be hard to align once the whole section was cut out and replaced like it was.

 

I am still working on the diminished value claim.  The NV is not in their system so they cant pull values and history.  I plan on hounding them until they make this right.  Worse case scenario if they continue to dodge me and tick me off I can take them to small claims court and go after more than the industry "standard" since they refused to settle.  

 

Here is my van after repairs. 

[radin2son]

Thanks for taking us through the process.

 

I see what you mean about the gap, but I doubt anyone will notice without you or Carfax mentioning it.

 

Good luck with your diminished value claim. In some respects the gap may help you. It's a visual that will cost you at resale/trade.

[ASD Dad]

Finally got the DV appraisal done on their end.  It is not as much as I had hoped but they never are.  In the end I am just happy to be done with those clowns.  I am getting $1950.00 back as a "reduced market value" settlement.  My NV dealer told me it should be closer to $3000 but according to insurance standards they could have gone as low as $900.  Since this is in the middle I am taking it.

[breeze]

That's a bummer for sure: 18 to 24 y.o. multi-tasker girl drivers. One thing I learned on a motorcycle is get loud dual PIAA horns for $60 a pair and use them, esp. in LA (but don't forget the custom wiring harness with thicker wires from relay to horns :-) Dizzy drivers delight in multi-tasking above all others safety and welfare.

 

I hope you got a 2017 NV 3500 and traded it in to Nissan, lol. It may be your best deal possible at this point. And next time, don't forget thte dual PIAA horns (600 and 700 Htz)! BEEP BEEP!!

[LargefamilyinSoCal]

My state doesn't allow diminished value claims. Wish they did. I was hit on the freeway in our minivan, my frame was bent and needed to be fixed. I thought frame damage was always something that would cause our car to be considered "totaled". But it's not. And so though their insurance paid for the repairs, I was left with a car that had frame damage and the loss of value was on me :(

[breeze]

My state doesn't allow diminished value claims. Wish they did. I was hit on the freeway in our minivan, my frame was bent and needed to be fixed. I thought frame damage was always something that would cause our car to be considered "totaled". But it's not. And so though their insurance paid for the repairs, I was left with a car that had frame damage and the loss of value was on me :(

 

Not with the body shop technology in the last 20 or 30 years, They can fix anything, but if an airbag goes off (that can break your glasses and/or neck), then it is totalled!

[ASD Dad]

Not with the body shop technology in the last 20 or 30 years, They can fix anything, but if an airbag goes off (that can break your glasses and/or neck), then it is totalled!

 

Airbags are not instant totals anymore, costs insurance too much.  Girl that hit me had her bag go off and she was bleeding from her mouth and nose when she smacked into that airbag.  Her car was fixed.  I know because she ended up at my local body shop and I saw them fix it!