Should I get it repaired, take the check and fix it myself, or just take the check? My 2025 is coming next month and I'm selling it anyway… or do you think it'll be totaled due to parts shortages?

Take it to the dealer and hope they total it, then use the money for the new one.

It’s going to the dealer’s collision center on Monday for a quote.

Take the check, buff out the scratches so it’s less noticeable, and keep driving it for the next 20 years.

Isn’t taking the check and not fixing it considered fraud?

Wow, I’m embarrassed I didn’t know that. But I guess it’s good I’ve never had to learn it.

Most people do it for hail damage. It only gets tricky if you get in another accident and didn’t fix the old damage. That’s when things get complicated.

No, you’re entitled to the value of your damages whether you fix it or not.

It depends if the car is financed. The bank might have something to say about not fixing it since they own the car until it’s paid off.

That’s what I thought.

How do they repair a unibody like this? Door panel is easy, but what about the rest of the body?

Bondo… lots of Bondo.

The rear quarters bolt on, and the door panels can be replaced. If there’s damage to the pillars, they cut out the bad parts and weld in new sections. A good shop will make it look almost like new.

They pull or hammer out the damage, add filler, and paint. I’m not a body guy, but it’s basically just a station wagon/SUV with an open cargo area.

In my case, they had to cut off the roof to install a new interior pillar.

Is it paid off? If it’s financed, the bank will want it repaired. If it’s paid off, you might still want to fix it, because no one’s paying top dollar for a wreck, and insurance companies won’t cover previously damaged vehicles.

It’s paid off, which is why I’m considering options. I’d part it out if I had the space!

Total it so the rest of us can get parts! /s

I had a similar accident, and it took 9 months to fix due to parts shortages. Insurance wouldn’t total it because the damage wasn’t 80% of the value. I bought another one and sold it after the repairs.

My last one had less than $25k in damage, but Ford had no ETA on parts, so they totaled it. I got $50k from insurance!