cloudyTT

Drunk driver t-boned my beloved roaster. Wife and I were luckily ok. Insurance appraiser says it's 11K of damages before the body shop tear-down.. can it really be just 11K?

I'm hoping they total the car.. I don't want to drive it anymore.. how do I make sure the body shop checks everything in the teardown? frame? convertible roof? engine? (body shop said the front wheels are jammed.. so suspension?

tgdA4

Doesn't look totalled honestly. Unless there is a lot of hidden frame and engine damage, $11k sounds about right.

TTS - AR

Here are few suggestions:

1. Ask for a complete "tear down". From your picture, it is clear that some parts need to be removed to check damage that may not be overtly visible (and therefore not contained in the estimate). You may need to get forceful as this will require extra cost to the insurance company to "tear down" the car.

2. Get the itemized repair estimate and have another shop look it over

3. Ensure that the parts are in stock. Insurance companies typically will price a part but it may not be in stock. This causes delays that significantly drive up rental coverage. For example, I have some minor curb damage to a rim. I went to buy a new rim and there are none in the USA until a cargo ship arrives in October (there were 2 and both arrived damaged).

4. Research state law where you live. If you are making a claim against your own insurance company, some states will allow you to ask for the difference between what the car was worth before the accident, and what it worth after it is repaired. Many states do not allow for first party claims like this one. However, the restrictions only apply to first party claims. If you are making this claim against the insurance company of the person that hit you, then the claim may be allowed.

crewltof

I concur with TTS-AR #4. Accidents suck, but oh well, get the difference between before and after value, sell the car, buy another car that suits you.

Also, don't stop with the insurance company. You might be able to collect real damages from the drunk driver if insurance does not cover everything.

Va_TTer

Wow that really stinks. I'd be furious and trying to get it declared a total loss, too. The advice others have given is entirely sound and I have nothing to add.

I do have some questions if you don't mind answering, as crash information is so hard to come by on these cars.

Did you get any cabin intrusion from the door in the crash? The panel looks really pushed in (to the point where the door sill is fully visible), but the doors on the roadster are so thick I'm wondering if they absorbed most of it? If there was intrusion, did it press up against the driver?

Did your side airbag deploy? Did it do an OK job protecting from broken glass?

What kind of car hit you, and how fast do you think the drunk was going? Just curious what kind of accident causes the damage pictured.

Thanks so much for any feedback. I have a car that is almost identical to yours, and my wife is really paranoid about the risks of side impact. I think what you show proves that they're well designed to handle such crashes.

oakmad

I had an accident this past November, learn from my mistake. First make sure you get it to an authorized Audi Aluminum shop for repair. Non authorized body shops can't buy TT parts apparently but I had a lot of grief retrieving my car from one. Second is have them check the power steering loom. Mine was damaged and un-repairable. The end result was my initial $11k insurance assessor estimate went to $14k once Roger Beasely got it. They repaired the car and then discovered the steering damage. The loom costs $4500 plus 6 week lead time plus $11k for labor, whole bloody car is built around the loom and was disassembled to the shell. Ended up being about $29k in repair and 4 months of pain for a car that should have been written off. Good luck with it.