My totaled 1999 F150

Insurance totaled my F150, offered to pay me $5,867.00 for it or I could keep it and they would pay me $4,687.00. Body shop says he can fix it for considerably less than that, so I am keeping it. Granted the truck is high mileage but as the adjuster said it is in excellent condition. So I get it fixed and a new paint job. Guess a man can't complain to much.

About 8 years ago, our 1990 Suburban was rear ended on the left rear. The Suburban was a fine running, reliable, rust-free, dent-free vehicle but looked rough because the original paint had worn thin. The wreck did nothing but bend the left end of the rear bumper, push the corner of the quarter panel in a little, and broke the taillight lens. The insurance company said it was totaled and not worth repairing because of it's blue book value at the time. They wanted to haul it away out of the driveway and give us about $1,500 for it. I told them it was repairable and that I couldn't replace the vehicle for $1,500, and I'd have to spend at least $5,000 to buy another older Suburban that was as nice running and reliable. They said fine, keep it, but they'd give me a salvage title. A few weeks later, a trip to a local junk yard found a pristine rear bumper and taillight lens for a total of about $35. I installed them and couldn't care less about the dented quarter panel. Had the inspector come and look at the vehicle and it took him about 5 minutes to say it was a perfectly road worthy vehicle. After a few more months of haggling over some government paperwork, I got a new title and put the Suburban back on the road, and then a check came in the mail from the insurance company for about $2,500! I told my wife at the time that this was so profitable that we could do this for a living, get rear ended in an older vehicle, go through the salvage title process and end up getting money for it.

I don't know if this applies to all totalled vehicles but I bought a cheap pickup with the title that had up to date license/ state inspection sticker. When licence expired county wouldn't renew licence because the truck had been totalled from a wreck before I bought it.

i wouldnt give up the title if u do it will come back as a salvage title some times non rebuldible. thay will have to fix it if u insist. geta firm price from body shop of better yet if you know the body man well get a coupel estimates tahy have to pay. have ran a body shop for better part of 30 years and adjusterswill try to pull anything stand up for your rights

In Ohio if that happens you get a salvage title. The truck would have to be repaired and then inspected at only just a few locations so it can be a hassle to get all the paperwork and inspections done.

The adjuster told me that in TX, the would only do a salvage title if the frame is bent and non drivable. All had to do was send in a copy of the title, I retained the original.