Q7 Totaled
03-26-2010, 02:37 PM
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Q7 Totaled
Well, a sad ending to a great two and a half years with one of the best engineered and built cars made. A couple weeks ago on my way to my sons Ski Race my 2007 Q7 4.2 Premium was in an accident where it was hit from the side by a Ford F-350 (one ton pickup) so hard that the front and rear side airbags deployed possibility saving myself and kids from serious injury or worse. After we got hit and checking that my three passengers were ok, I lifted the now deflated airbags covering my driver’s side window only to be looking at the gigantic grill of the truck that hit us. The impact was so hard from the combination of the momentum of the truck and the intensity of the airbags inflating that it felt like I took a solid punch to the side of my face and it immediately shattered my sunglasses. The seat belts worked as designed and tensioned up so tight that it was difficult getting them to release. Everything that this incredible car was designed to do happened. With still another three hours to our destination we were fortunate to find a Suburban to rent for the remained of our trip.
Lessons learned: 1. The combination of mass and safety features in the Q7 make this one of the safest vehicles on the road today. 2. Don’t let the insurance company run the game, take control early on and they will respect you and you will not be ripped off by them. My field adjuster wrote up the damage estimate on the Q7 for $12,000 and wanted me to sign off on it and have it towed to the nearest Farmers approved repair shop. Don’t ever agree to that. I knew the field adjustor had no idea what she was doing and had never done an estimate on an Audi let alone a Q7. Next I paid $400(not covered) to have it towed to the only Audi Certified Body repair shop in the state of Washington. The Q-7 requires very specialized racks and other equipment for repairing extensive body damage. The estimate for repairs from the body shop was over $25,000 (airbag deployment is a major portion of the cost of repair and could become a liability issue for the insurance company). 3. Become familiar with the concept of diminished value. Most insurance companies claim that they do not recognize diminished value for first party claims. An Audi Q7 with extensive body repair work can easily have 20% or more diminished value after the repairs. I made it very clear to my insurance company that if they chose to repair the vehicle I would sell it after the repair work was complete and prove that there was diminished value. If needed hire an independent adjustor to assist with determining values or damage estimates. Farmers recently lost a court case regarding diminished value due to “vague language” in their policies. This court case will now help set precedence for others and has led to a class action lawsuit. Had Farmers not decided to total the vehicle it would have been a long and drawn out ordeal. 4. I purchased my Q7 new rather then leasing it. Fortunately, I had what’s called a “Residual Debt Endorsement” on my policy. This requires that the insurance company pays at least the amount of the outstanding debt on the vehicle at the time it is totaled. Had I not had this endorsement, it would have been more difficult getting to a fair cash value for the Q7. Had I leased the car diminished value would not be an issue (just turn it in at lease end) and if it were totaled the insurance company settles with the leasing company (another factor to consider in the lease vs. purchase scenario).
So now the big question is what do I get to replace this Q7. Another Q7? I don’t like having the same car back to back. Is there another vehicle on the market on par with the Q7's quality, performance, looks, safety? Fortunately I don't have to replace the Q7 immediately as I have a very fun BMW 335xi to drive. The most fortunate part of the whole incident is that my kids and myself were not injured in the accident.
Lessons learned: 1. The combination of mass and safety features in the Q7 make this one of the safest vehicles on the road today. 2. Don’t let the insurance company run the game, take control early on and they will respect you and you will not be ripped off by them. My field adjuster wrote up the damage estimate on the Q7 for $12,000 and wanted me to sign off on it and have it towed to the nearest Farmers approved repair shop. Don’t ever agree to that. I knew the field adjustor had no idea what she was doing and had never done an estimate on an Audi let alone a Q7. Next I paid $400(not covered) to have it towed to the only Audi Certified Body repair shop in the state of Washington. The Q-7 requires very specialized racks and other equipment for repairing extensive body damage. The estimate for repairs from the body shop was over $25,000 (airbag deployment is a major portion of the cost of repair and could become a liability issue for the insurance company). 3. Become familiar with the concept of diminished value. Most insurance companies claim that they do not recognize diminished value for first party claims. An Audi Q7 with extensive body repair work can easily have 20% or more diminished value after the repairs. I made it very clear to my insurance company that if they chose to repair the vehicle I would sell it after the repair work was complete and prove that there was diminished value. If needed hire an independent adjustor to assist with determining values or damage estimates. Farmers recently lost a court case regarding diminished value due to “vague language” in their policies. This court case will now help set precedence for others and has led to a class action lawsuit. Had Farmers not decided to total the vehicle it would have been a long and drawn out ordeal. 4. I purchased my Q7 new rather then leasing it. Fortunately, I had what’s called a “Residual Debt Endorsement” on my policy. This requires that the insurance company pays at least the amount of the outstanding debt on the vehicle at the time it is totaled. Had I not had this endorsement, it would have been more difficult getting to a fair cash value for the Q7. Had I leased the car diminished value would not be an issue (just turn it in at lease end) and if it were totaled the insurance company settles with the leasing company (another factor to consider in the lease vs. purchase scenario).
So now the big question is what do I get to replace this Q7. Another Q7? I don’t like having the same car back to back. Is there another vehicle on the market on par with the Q7's quality, performance, looks, safety? Fortunately I don't have to replace the Q7 immediately as I have a very fun BMW 335xi to drive. The most fortunate part of the whole incident is that my kids and myself were not injured in the accident.
03-26-2010, 02:54 PM
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03-26-2010, 07:40 PM
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+1 - Glad you and the family are safe. Thanks for sharing your lessons learned. I cross shopped the GL450 but found it really soft on even mild turns. The X5 was great on turns but had a much stiffer ride (it was riding on run flat 20s). The Q7 just stood out for me and personally, would not hesitate to get another one if I needed to replace mine (except perhaps for the reported absence of the 4.2 V8 in the latest models).
03-27-2010, 03:32 AM
#6
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count me in. Looking at how high up the side the main impact punches into the door, just think how bad the story would be if you were in a saloon car.
How about trying something different but the same like a 3.0 TDI Q7 or a Q5.
How about trying something different but the same like a 3.0 TDI Q7 or a Q5.
03-27-2010, 07:37 AM
#7
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I agree with Justforfun! Look at Q5! Get with European delivery!
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03-27-2010, 06:56 PM
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Glad to hear everyone is ok. Any estimate how fast the F350 was going when it hit your Q7? And what was your speed when hit, or were you stationary?
Regardless, your Q7 looks like it took the impact from the truck very well. Solid indeed!
A reason for you to get a Q7 3.0TDI? ;-) Personally that's what I'd get to replace a Q7 or if you need more space then a GL would make sense.
Regardless, your Q7 looks like it took the impact from the truck very well. Solid indeed!
A reason for you to get a Q7 3.0TDI? ;-) Personally that's what I'd get to replace a Q7 or if you need more space then a GL would make sense.
03-27-2010, 11:24 PM
#9
AudiWorld Member
I'm sorry but $25K for that? Yes, I realize the airbags went off and I can't see the seems on the opposite side of the car, and yes I realize there are a lot of issues that go further than skin dee. But $25K seems very high for the amount of damage depicted in those pictures. At the very least, I'll be calling our insurance company, Ameriprise (Costco) and ask them about some of the issues you present.
