Signs Your Car Is Totaled
Getting into a car accident can be an incredibly traumatic experience, especially if you were injured or your vehicle is too damaged to repair. If you have auto insurance, your car insurance company will either pay for repairs or declare it a total loss and give you a cash value. Whether or not your car insurance company will repair or replace your vehicle depends on if it’s totaled. If you’ve been involved in a car accident, it’s good to know the signs that your car is totaled so that you can negotiate with your insurance company.
A totaled car refers to a car that is damaged to the extent that it’s not worth repairing, so it’s considered a total loss. In other words, a car is labeled as a total loss if the cost to repair the damage equals or exceeds the car’s value before the damage occurred. An insurer can also declare a vehicle a total loss if it would be unsafe to drive even after making all the necessary repairs. At Chloe’s Auto Repair and Tire, we are a reputable auto repair shop offering a wide range of auto repair services, so we know a thing or two about totaled vehicles. Here are the common signs that your vehicle may be totaled.
Significant Fluid Leaks
Minor fluid leaks after an accident aren’t unusual and can be fixed at a dependable auto repair shop like Chloe’s Auto Repair and Tire. However, excessive fluid leaks can be a sign of major structural damage, which can be expensive to fix. In this case, your insurance company will simply declare the vehicle a total loss and give you the cash value.
Extensive Frame Damage
The frame is the foundation structure of any vehicle that supports it from underneath. It’s analogous to the skeletal system of the human body. If there’s extensive damage to the frame, most insurers would consider the vehicle totaled because the costs to repair the frame wouldn’t be worth it.
You Own an Older Vehicle
If your vehicle is older and there’s significant structural damage or the vehicle was in poor condition to begin with, the insurance company will declare it totaled. Just like the age of your vehicle is a factor that insurers consider when determining whether to declare a vehicle a total loss, so is the mileage. A damaged vehicle with a high amount of miles under its belt is more likely to be totaled.
Where To Take Your Car After An Accident
If you’ve been involved in an accident and your vehicle needs repair work, Chloe’s Auto Repair and Tire can help. We are a trusted auto repair service serving Woodstock, Roswell, Acworth, Marietta, Kennesaw, GA and the surrounding areas. Our mechanics have the expertise, experience, and keen eye for detail to handle all of your auto repair needs. Here at Chloe’s Auto Repair and Tire, we offer a wide range of auto repair services, including engine repair and diagnostics, fuel injection service, radiator repair, steering and suspension repair, heating and AC service, speedometer repair, and more.
