hey would this be considered totaled? im just hoping it wouldnt cause i love my element, but i seriously doubt it T_T

airbags depolyed and everything, just waiting to hear from insurance

yeap. id call that totaled.

if you fix it anyway, i reckon your chassis would be soo awry you will never drive straight on the freeway again.

Yes its dead....can you drive it on 3 wheels ? plus the bags are blown, the wheel is ripped from its frame...

yeps i would say it is totaled no one hurt?:)

OUCH.

Bye Bye Element, RIP.

Could be - the tale will be told when the Insurance adjuster sees it and determines the cost of repairs vs. the value of the car
I had a girlfriend in 1990 that hit a cow and you would swear her car was totaled..........well, they didn't
If the frame isn't damaged you might be ok, but if the frame id damaged............

Good luck and let us know the outcome

That's totaled. The Element doesn't have a frame, it's a unibody construction, they can't be straightened. The airbags deployed, the passenger door is pushed back, the front suspension is ripped off along with the half-shaft which is connected to the engine... You're looking at a minimum of $15,000 in damages. That is totaled. Even if they offered to fix it, convince the body shop to find more damage to total it.

Yup, total that sucker, :sad: if they don't you'll be paying for it until you sell it.:mad:

Just get another one.:)

BAH, Don't listen to the naysayers........



A bottle of touch up paint from H and A and she is good as new.



:)

what did you hit>?

Ouch.... :-(

I bet it looks better from the drivers side:cool:

If that E is somehow not totaled, you'll want to either find a way to total it or get rid of it as soon as it's fixed. That car will never be the same again.

Any frame work + air bags deployed = totaled. On the bright side, you get to buy a new one now :D

Wait what am I saying?? We have the tools. We can repair it. Make it better. Faster. Stronger.

:razz:

We'll be over in a few hours with a torch and some JB Weld :lol:

That ain't gonna grow back. The good news is, you can buy a Kiwi next time.

That hurts~! Stick a fork in it though cause in my opinion it is done. As stated in previous post, cost of repairs over value of vehicle. It looks as though the cost of repair would be more than the value of it to me. Personally I wouldn't want it if it were repaired. I just don't think it would be the same and you would always have that lurking in th back of your mind. Look forward to getting another one.

Now that we've seen the damage, what happened?

:-(. My condolences. I hope that you and/or your passengers were not hurt. I am not an expert, but from the pictures, I would have to say that your E will not be running with the bulls anytime soon. :-(.

BAH, Don't listen to the naysayers........

A bottle of touch up paint from H and A and she is good as new.
:)




And a few rolls of Duct tape should work to help hold it all back together.
I don't think one would be enough.

Just look at this way, if it is totaled, it gives you an excuse to get a new 08.

Can we have a moment of silence ....ashes to ashes...dents to dents...

what did you hit>?

It looks like he gauged into a concrete pole or some similar non-deflecting object... See the deformed fender just above where there used to be a good looking 18" wheel...?

Reminds of a Great Line from a Great Movie:

Jefferson's Brother: My brother's gonna kill us! He's gonna kill us! He's gonna kill you and he's gonna kill me, he's gonna kill us!

Jeff Spicoli: Hey man, just be glad I had fast reflexes!

Jefferson's Brother: My brother's gonna sh*t!

Jeff Spicoli: Make up your mind, dude, is he gonna sh*t or is he gonna kill us?

Jefferson's Brother: First he's gonna sh*t, then he's gonna kill us!

Jeff Spicoli: Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it.

yea no one got hurt, was just me

i was hoping it wasnt totaled cause i cant get another element, parents wont let me, plus insurance defintiely wont give me back the whole sum to buy another one, even if its only 6 months old.

really sad T_T, hit a fire hydrent btw, was my fault, clipped it from the side

yea no one got hurt, was just me

i was hoping it wasnt totaled cause i cant get another element, parents wont let me, plus insurance defintiely wont give me back the whole sum to buy another one, even if its only 6 months old.

really sad T_T, hit a fire hydrent btw, was my fault, clipped it from the side

Sorry to hear about that. At least you learned from your mistake. Hopefully it won't happen again.

Do you have gap insurance? If so it will cover replacement cost rather than book value. It is a must for the first year or two untill the depreciated value equalls the pay off value. Your parents are foolish to tell you not to get another Element. Just look at how well it protected you compared to a small car that would have split in half with the engine in your lap. Good luck with your insurance, hope you get to replace your E with a new E!

Glad to hear that you were OK!! :shock::)

Sorry about your E :sad:, hope it DOES work out to get another one. As the above post said, look how well this one protected you..... :-o:razz:

Come on, Mom and Dad, it's a great car, he DEFINITELY needs another one (how else is your baby going to be so well protected?)....:-P

OK, did my part...... :rolleyes::-P

What does the hydrant look like?

Glad that you are ok.

yea no one got hurt, was just me

i was hoping it wasnt totaled cause i cant get another element, parents wont let me, plus insurance defintiely wont give me back the whole sum to buy another one, even if its only 6 months old.

really sad T_T, hit a fire hydrent btw, was my fault, clipped it from the side

...yep, non-deflecting object!! :-I

...did it break off and make a temporary geyser???

I've been in the Insurance claims business for 15+ years with many years before that as a Factory Rep for an OEM and a Manager of Dealership service departments and body shops....I've seen a few wrecks in the past 20+ years.

If your adjuster does not total this one out I would be very suprised.
I hope you get someone who is technical enough to find all the damage on the initial inspection.
I have been an ASE Master Tech since 1983 and still get amazed at the number of Adjusters who know very little about how a car works and are in effect designing a repair process for a hard hit auto.

Things I see in the one photo. Possible transmission damge, the steering rack may need to be replaced, possible engine cradle damage.
The unibody has taken an impact at the lower corner of the firewall, aka Cowl, this has caused the structure to shift as can be seen from the door alignment. The Element with the suicide doors has a very large opening and
it would take a top of the line frame machine to even get close on being able to measure the upper body points to correct this mis alignment and square the door opening back to original shape...

Many parts of the inner unibody are not available from the Manufacturers such as the firewall amd floor sections. If the parts are not available then the shop must locate used sections to weld in or try and repair what is left of the original.

Just my .02 but I would write it as a total loss and make certain it went over the repair threshold.
There is a good chance that a LARGE supplement would be required by the shop once repair started and that would send it over the limit. This creates a time delay and who knows how far into the repair they go before realizing it should have totaled.

Good luck with it but remind your parents the most important thing is that you are not injured. The car did it's job of protecting you and I hope you can get another Element.

Sorry for the long post but if you have any questions on the claims process shoot me an e-mail and I will try to help you through it.

Ken TN

Alternator looks broken.

I'm just surprised that no one has stated the obvious solution....
duct tape
I thought everyone knew you could do about anything with duct tape (http://www.octanecreative.com/ducttape/howto/)...

In all seriousness, yea, I think it's totaled.

Ya gotta keep an eye out for those immovable objects, they are tough on automobiles.

I'm just surprised that no one has stated the obvious solution....
duct tape
I thought everyone knew you could do about anything with duct tape (http://www.octanecreative.com/ducttape/howto/)...

If it doesn't move and it should, WD-40.

If it moves and it shouldn't, Duct Tape.

'Nuff said.

really sad T_T, hit a fire hydrent btw, was my fault, clipped it from the side

Clipped?:oops:

Clipped?:oops:


Sudden de-excelleration trauma. I'm curious as to whats going to come out of this situation. Keep us posted. So why won't your folks allow you to have another? Just curious and not trying to get into your BIZ. If that's the case, knowing how much you like the ride and can't get another, I'd be inclined to see if it could be repaired to your satisfaction. Hope all the best to you on this and glad no one was hurt.

My condolences bro, that definately sucks...

Glad everyone is OK

Good News the windshield cracking issue has been resolved:)

Honestly the picture shows the worst part f the damage and not the door or any other part. It's hard to say just by looking at a picture. If the knucle ripped clean off the car without moving any of the components it was attached to the car may not be totaled. Also depends ont he insurance company, some companies will fix a car with less than 60 or 70% of the total value of the car, some insurance companies will fix it if it's close to 80%, all depends. I love how everyone becomes an expert in situations like this. Sorry about the bitterness but it seems like all posts where there is a minor accident everyone is like, well it's totaled or I wouldn't drive it after that door ding.....

looks totaled to me, and just because you wont get enough for a new sc dosent mean you cant get a EX or LX if you still want a e. i must ask though, how fast were you going?

thx everyone for the replies, really helps. I think some even helped convince my parents my element actually protected me

I was going at 35 when i hit the hydrant, reason was because i pulled an all nighter for school work before and made the stupid decision of driving the next day, therefore fell asleep and ya.....=_=' i regret it so much, but im glad no one got hurt

anyway my parents thought that the element was weak for falling apart so easily, but i think i convinced them otherwise, hopefully.

But the body itself is in bad shape, the chassis is twisted pretty badly, the doors are misaligned by alot X_X. i guessing its totaled, based on what everyone said, o well.

But i think my insurance is the one that replaces one for one or something, so i think i can get another SC, just that i got a really good deal on the first one so i dont know how that will pan out again.

But i thank everyone for their input and will keep this thread updated

... oh shizzz. Sam, you dont happen to be the guy who goes to Pasadena ArtCenter College of Design.... are you? cause if you are....






THAT FREAKEN SUCKS MAN!!! WHAT THE HECK DID YOU HIT!>?!?!

a FOX? DEER? you gotta get some freaken sleep dude! schools out!

gaaawd, ben hits a fox, you hit something worse... that isnt linda vista is it?


product guys must have the worst luck eeeeever..


sh*t. im joining you guys next year too....

hit a hydrant, yea i fell asleep, pulled a few all nighters during week 14, that week is hell

you will have fun to next year, heehhe

my parents thought that the element was weak for falling apart so easily

That's old-school thought. Your parents need to be educated on car construction and crash safety. Here's some fuel for that discussion.

Older vehicles (like up through the mid-late 70's) would stay relatively intact in major accidents with not a lot of visible damage. The problem is that the vehicles would transfer all the crash energy forces to the occupant. The cars would stop instantly on contact with a large immovable object, but the passengers would still be moving at the same speed the car was a split-second before, and either get huge internal injuries from the seat belts or from hitting part of the interior of the car...the passenger would experience very high rates of deceleration (i.e. they'd stop so fast that their internal organs or other parts would become injured).

New cars are designed to have front and rear ends that crush in a predictable, progressive manner, while having a VERY stiff and strong passenger cage. The damage in accidents looks FAR worse than it did for old cars in accidents, but those crush zones enable the rate of deceleration the passenger experiences to be relatively low, reducing the chance for injuries. In other words, the car sacrifices itself to more gradually slow down the occupant, meaning there's a smaller chance for injuries. That slower deceleration, combined with a stiff passenger cage, means that accidents are more survivable than ever.

Think of this example. Take a light bulb, and drop it on a hard floor. Light bulb explodes. That's you in an accident in an old car...your body hits an immovable object going fast and doesn't have the chance to slow down progressively. Take another light bulb, and drop it on the sofa cushion. If you had a high-speed camera, you'd see the cushion deform, allowing the light bulb to slow down progressively. The light bulb will generally survive the impact with a sofa cushion because the rate of deceleration is slower. The light bulb hitting the sofa cushion is you in a modern car with good crumple zones.

True, these modern crumple zones do make for more expensive repairs to the vehicle (especially in minor accidents), and can quickly lead to vehicles being totalled out. But I'd rather survive an accident and have a high repair cost than have a car not be totalled out but end up with me permanently disabled or dead because the car didn't have the latest safety features.

or have them think about this:

even with no insurance on the element, it will only cost $20k to replace.

even a moderate injury, like a broken leg that requires surgeries to place some pins, and the PT, is going to cost $20k.

it is so worth it to sacrifice the car for your health.

it is so worth it to sacrifice the car for your health.

Agreed. Aside from money imagine what would happen if you lost some major function of your body. Honestly I would rather give up the car instead of losing my ability to walk or have to rely on a machine to live. It's a shame that it happened but then again, you'll get some of the money back and it will just be a few thousand dollar mistake. : /~

Did the hydrant shear off? what had the adjuster said about it? most vehicles that had the air bags set off will be written off just because the bags and sensors cost so much to replace let alone the cost of the repair of the damage. Looks like the wheel took the brunt and got pushed back into the fire wall before getting sheared off. Had a body shop in Irvine 15 years ago and good body techs can make it look great on the outside but the pillar and fire wall are almost impossible to get straightend out.:-(

Uh thier gonna repair it, is there a way to make sure its safe or something? or can i get a second opinion or something to write it off cause it really doesnt sound to appealing after everyone said stuff couldnt be straightened out X_X

Uh thier gonna repair it, is there a way to make sure its safe or something? or can i get a second opinion or something to write it off cause it really doesnt sound to appealing after everyone said stuff couldnt be straightened out X_X


Unfortunately it is up to your insurance companys adjuster...you could get 5 different opinions and still not get it written off. You can always try calling your insurance companys customer service dept and see what they have to say. How much was the estimate for the damage?


With the repair techiniques being used today there is no reason to believe it won't be safe to drive after it is fixed. My wifes Civic was hit in the back end....the total repair cost $11,000...the replacement value at the time was $16,000. It should have been written off...but the guy that owned the shop conned the insurance company into thinking it could be fixed for a lower price.

One thing about it, if they fix it, just make sure it rides right and feels right. If not, complain to your insurance company that it has issues and needs to go back in. My wifes Civic was hit recently (sideswiped) and the other night we took it to the car wash and noticed that the repainted passenger side isn't Nighthawk Black Pearl but a midnight blue. It looks nice and my wife and I both said if the entire car was that color, we'd be real happy with it but it isn't, it's two different colors now. I called the dealership who fixed they said to bring it back and they'll fix it. I also said we love the new color and they should either go with one color or the other but not both.

I believe if they fix your ride, it'll be right. They'll use genuine parts and they fix it they way it should be.

[QUOTE=samz89;522905]Uh thier gonna repair it, is there a way to make sure its safe or something?

sorry to hear that, it will never drive straight down the road and i think it will be nothing but problems.
but you did want to keep driving your element:rolleyes:

I'll just stop in and reiterate what's been said: Make sure it drives and feels right. If not, bring it back in and make them fix it right. :D

Once they've agreed to repair it, then it's their responsibility as the vehicle's insurer to make damn sure it's road-worthy, safe, and reliable, or they'll likely have another claim on their hands as well as possibly some liability.

Like I said before just because a car is involved in an accident does not mean it cannot be repaired to like new. Sure you will always have that bit of doubt in you head that something is always going to be wrong. Everyone just has to get this out of their head that "oh I got a door ding, the car is never going to drive straight again" or "The car got keyed, they should total it." If that was the case then insurance companies would go out of business. Just because you purchase insurance does not mean they owe you a car when YOU get in an accident.

You might be suprised as I have see some terrible wrecks coming out like new. A friend has a new GTO and hit a tree square on and it got repaired so I gave it a once over and it looked like it never got hit at all. I think Caliber Auto body in San Bernardino did the work.

You might be suprised as I have see some terrible wrecks coming out like new. A friend has a new GTO and hit a tree square on and it got repaired so I gave it a once over and it looked like it never got hit at all. I think Caliber Auto body in San Bernardino did the work.

Hey, there was a GTO that a lady won on the Price Is Right and she had a minor accident in it, took it to a body shop where it was discovered it had been previously wrecked. She told them it was new and she won it off the game show. Needless to say, she's now suing CBS. This is a true story. Obviously I don't know all the facts and circumstances but this was the basics as I got it from the Indy Star a few weeks ago and obviously the car had been won earlier in the year but I think Drew was the host. Bottom line, the previous damage hadn't been know or discovered until new damage had occured and was being estimated for repair.

Without knowing all the facts I can suggest a posssible senerio. It is possible that The Price is Right contacted a dealership to get a car for the winner, The dealership probably gave them a "new" car to give to the winner not knowing the dealership slipped them a fast one and got rid of a car they couldn't sell otherwise.

Without knowing all the facts I can suggest a posssible senerio. It is possible that The Price is Right contacted a dealership to get a car for the winner, The dealership probably gave them a "new" car to give to the winner not knowing the dealership slipped them a fast one and got rid of a car they couldn't sell otherwise.


You could be right AD. I know in the news article, they are trying to suggest maybe the lady who won the car, wrecked herself and is trying to place it on CBS and the dealership. It'll be interesting to see how it all shakes out for surely as my daughter would say.

Peace!

was that a self inflicted wound????:confused:

So Samz89, what's the verdict? I mean is it being fixed and what is the turn around that they said it would be ready? I know we all would like to see how it looks once done and how you think the work was done as far as quality goes and it's drivability. Keep us posted.

Peace!

yea the body shop said it was totaled, just waiting for a pay off but thier being such a pain about it =_='

we were thinking that was going to happen.

Wow sad to see it totaled but I'd love to have it. I'd cut the front end off at the windshield and sheet metal in the lower half, gut it and turn it into a trailer to pull behind my E:D. Drew:)

hey SAM!!! LEMME HAVE YOUR SPOILER MANN!! CMON! AND YOUR BADGES TOO!!! ive been itching to get a black element badge and i really realy want the sc spoiler!!

i mean, schools starting this monday and your gonna see me anyway, so theres no hassle in sending it CMOOON!!!!!


... can i also have your back seats? if they fit the normal Es?


id also like the sc smoked tailights....

Wow sad to see it totaled but I'd love to have it. I'd cut the front end off at the windshield and sheet metal in the lower half, gut it and turn it into a trailer to pull behind my E:D. Drew:)

New school red-neck trailer! I love it!:lol::lol:

there's crooked dealerships'' out there...AAAGGGGGHHH:D