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Got into an accident today in my 2018 C300 cabriolet. I love this car!
Nobody was seriously injured. I was turning left and got hit by someone using the bus lane to get around traffic. No cars in the bus lane 7-9am and the accident happened at 8am.
Anyway, I wonder if you think my car is totaled based on what you see here?
It's definitely going to depend on the mileage and the current value. If you have no frame damage then i'm inclined to think they probably won't total it for just the driver's side airbag. It appears you're leaking fluids though so they're going to have to account for anything going on under the hood. It's very tough to say without more info, but my hunch is they won't total it. Accidents like this happen frequently, it's not in the insurance company's best interest to total vehicles that often.
It's definitely going to depend on the mileage and the current value. If you have no frame damage then i'm inclined to think they probably won't total it for just the driver's side airbag. It appears you're leaking fluids though so they're going to have to account for anything going on under the hood. It's very tough to say without more info, but my hunch is they won't total it. Accidents like this happen frequently, it's not in the insurance company's best interest to total vehicles that often.
It's best not to guess - be patient as it will all get worked out.. from what I see I can't tell if there has been frame damage or not.. it's the total estimated repair bill that will determine if it's totaled or not....
1. FYI for the newer member's here - when you are involved in a accident like this where there is "safety damage" (ie headlights, turn signals. etc) Mercedes Roadside Assist will give you a Free Tow to the closest Mercedes Certified Collision Center - knowing that can save you a tow bill down the road
2. Did MBConnect reach you on your cell with that airbag deployment - glass you are OK !
Not sure about if it’s totaled, but I totally get what happened. My sister lives nearby there in Brentwood and I’ve been almost hit several times right there on Wilshire, it’s crazy sometimes.
Not clear to me if it will be totaled. I had a similar amount of damage on a previous vehicle, including airbag deployment, from a deer impact. The insurance company chose to repair the vehicle, and I happily drove it another 4 years and 100,000 miles.
If that was here in Australia, I would say its not viable to repair, with some rough calculations on what I can see,
Parts list will be drivers airbag, door airbag, knee airbag, crash pad cover, seatbelt pretensioner, Airbag module, hood, fender, bar cover, radiator support, both headlights, bumper reinforcement, air conditioner condenser, radiator, radiator fan, grille, lower grille assorted sensors etc, and thats just the start, there will be more, then labour, paint etc, I would say she's done.
What are they like $52000 new there? so used market value about $30,000 ?, would be looking at $12-16000 in parts ( just a rough guess ), labour and paint cost would be close to the same, I would say is done.
Usually insurance companies will go as far as 70 % of the market value but most will come in under that depending on what the salvage will bring.
Glad you are OK. If they do repair it, and it is determined that you are not at fault, you may be able to negotiate loss of value payment. No matter how well the repair comes out, it will always have a Carfax report. If you trade it, the dealer won't be able to use it as a CPO with clean Carfax. It will always be worth less than a car that has no Carfax. If you were not at fault, why should you take the financial hit? When I was on the GLA forum, one of the members with an AMG reported being rear ended while stopped at a light. He claimed that he was able to get compensated for loss of value.
MB Connect was great! They came right on over the speakers. I didn't know about the tow, but that is helpful for the future! Longtime Benz owner and if she's totaled, then I'll certainly get another. Thanks!
I feel your pain-When I was a 2015 GLA owner, although it doesn't seem possible, I let the car roll backwards down the driveway, across the street into a tree, $12,000 worth of damage. They took it as a trade, but I'm sure it got wholesaled immediately.
I still haven't heard from the insurance company, but here's a zoomed-in photo. I wonder if the way that front cross-member (where the insignia should be) is bent into the radiator is considered frame damage?
I'm pretty sure there is no "frame" but a unitized body providing the structure and strength. It may be possible to straighten and realign it if the mounts for the drive train haven't been severely displaced. It doesn't look so bad, but you're at the mercy of your insurer.
Happy to hear no one is injured, and very sorry for the accident. i had similar accident with my 2018 GLC300 Coupe with almost same damage, car had 8000 Km only.
Because the air bags were deployed, insurance claimed it as totaled.
Front bumper reinforcement has 2 small legs that bolt into the front of both Chassis rails, If you look close enough you can see where the other cars tire has left an imprint I would say from that it has grabbed the reinforcement and pulled it to the left bending the rail and dragging the right one with it.
You can see under the right headlight where the reinforcement is center to the light but the left it is nearly at the fender, I have a c200 that was hit exactly the same but from the left to right and both rails are across a heap, it didn't look bad until I stripped it.
Well, they totaled her! She was a real beauty. Our time together was nice while it lasted! What's terrible is they offered me $35,000 for her! The valuation had "unknown" listed as my odometer reading (she has 14,500 miles) and they compared with vehicles that had 44,000+ miles. I declined and rejected the settlement offer. I sent a copy of the original sticker with proof of all the upgraded packages, like the P01 Premium Package, 318 Leather Seating Package, 321 AMG Line package and 868 Smartphone integration package. I also logged on and sent them a used comp nearby with similar mileage listed around $45,000 including most of the same premium options, except AMG line steering and wheels. They called and said they will re-run their report. Fingers crossed!
That is pretty typical. My 2015 C300 was totaled by other drivers insurance company. They low balled valuation by $5,000. Pointed them to 3 cars with the higher valuation in my local area. They eventually gave me the appropriate valuation.
Have you mentioned which insurance company you use? Last year a vehicle in my family's fleet was totaled, and the offer from State Farm was fair in my opinion, comparing existing vehicles for sale and KBB. We accepted it and moved on.
Have you mentioned which insurance company you use? Last year a vehicle in my family's fleet was totaled, and the offer from State Farm was fair in my opinion, comparing existing vehicles for sale and KBB. We accepted it and moved on.
I also had a good experience with State Farm when I got hit head on by a red light runner leaving my Santa Monica office totaling my pickup. State Farm gave me a very fair check for my truck quickly. I was thrilled not to have to hassle with them.