replacement vehicle

[armymom1228]

I am sorry to be a bother...I just don't know where else to ask this.

Last Tuesday in the rain this dork in a pickup hit his brakes in front of me. I tried my best to avoid him, but... I slid the hood of my Crown Vic under his bumper. The resulting crap with USAA has been my worst case nightmare.

The Crown Vic is a 2002, with only 40k on it. Now they say that its only really worth $5K and want to total it out. The repair is set at $3k That leaves me probably driving a junker with 100k on it.. I am so upset I can barely speak..
I don't have the money at the moment to fix it myself or I would just do that.

So....if I Had to purchase either a car or a small pickup. Any recommendations?
I am okay with a 4 or 6 cylinder. I just want reliable. I am not into having the darn thing visit 'the shop' more than my parking spot. My ex is no good... all he does is tell me to get another Benz and won't offer to help.. so what is new..:mad: Any suggestions based on reliability I guess... I dunno.. thanks any case..
AM

[Red Flag 1]

I am sorry to be a bother...I just don't know where else to ask this.

Last Tuesday in the rain this dork in a pickup hit his brakes in front of me. I tried my best to avoid him, but... I slid the hood of my Crown Vic under his bumper. The resulting crap with USAA has been my worst case nightmare.

The Crown Vic is a 2002, with only 40k on it. Now they say that its only really worth $5K and want to total it out. The repair is set at $3k That leaves me probably driving a junker with 100k on it.. I am so upset I can barely speak..
I don't have the money at the moment to fix it myself or I would just do that.

So....if I Had to purchase either a car or a small pickup. Any recommendations?
I am okay with a 4 or 6 cylinder. I just want reliable. I am not into having the darn thing visit 'the shop' more than my parking spot. My ex is no good... all he does is tell me to get another Benz and won't offer to help.. so what is new..:mad: Any suggestions based on reliability I guess... I dunno.. thanks any case..
AM

Sorry for any USAA troubles, they have been very good to me over the years.

While $3K seems expensive, with todays prices, that is not very much. If the Vic has been a good vehicle for you, and there is no severe structural damage, my thought would be to fix the Vic. You'll likely have to spend some bucks no matter which way this falls for you.:(

As for a "new" ride, I've been putting my kids in Hondas for decades. 200 K miles on a Civic is pretty much a given with regular maintanince. I'm sure the same could be said for Toyotas and Nissans. My domestic choice would be a Ford Focus; also supports free enterprise in this country.

I've been looking at SUV's for my son, and right now Ford is offering better rebates than GM, $3K vs $1K.

Best of luck Armymom!!

RF 1

[PRB]

Armymom,
Sorry about the accident and glad no one was hurt.
I'd look for a used low mileage Toyota Camry (anything less than 80k) although that doesn't sound low miles they are good for 200k...always get a background check on the car like a 'carfax' that will tell you if it's been in accidents, floods etc.
Take it to a trusted mechanic prior to purchase for inspection and any items needing repair can/should be negotiated with the seller.
If you buy from a dealer you will pay a bit more but he should also be more reliable with backing up the purchase.
Good luck.

[2018commo]

AM,
Sorry to hear you issues with USAA, they have always been beyond helpful when I had issues. I have had good luck with Ford, both Explorers (2) and F-150's. I also had a Hyundai Sante-fe which was bullet-proof. I gave it to my dad last year and it is still going strong. I used to drive 80-90 miles a day and put up some serious miles per year. Now I work at APG and should probably ride my bicycle! I buy my Fords from Plaza in Bel Air and I know some-one with 7th Group lineage who works at Jones in Bel Air.
I had a Ranger 4x4 back in the mid 80's when I was competitive skydiving, which I ran up 200k, but have no current experience with them.
I am a stickler with preventive maintenance, which has probably helped me with the mileage I get on vehicles.
PM me if you want the POC for Jones, I seem to remember you are down near CPT Harvey's.:D
AO

[armymom1228]

Thanks everyone. Until now I have never had problem one with USAA.

This time it has been a nightmare.... I got a manager involved and he saw several mistakes immediately that were made and is having one of thier inhouse adjusters take a look.

I agree $3k is not a lot all things considered. My beef was the value they placed on the car and the attitude of the appraiser at the honda body shop.

I guess I will give USAA a chance to work it all out for me.. I was leaning towards a toyota or nissan in any case. I am glad to know they have such a long life. I tend to keep cars and trucks forever. I bought a 1982 240D Benz in '82 and drove it until it was stolen in 2007. Bought a '75 3/4 ton jeep 4WD in '75 drove it till I bought the Benz in '82. I am not much on trading cars I guess.

[Red Flag 1]

Thanks everyone. Until now I have never had problem one with USAA.

This time it has been a nightmare.... I got a manager involved and he saw several mistakes immediately that were made and is having one of thier inhouse adjusters take a look.

I agree $3k is not a lot all things considered. My beef was the value they placed on the car and the attitude of the appraiser at the honda body shop.

I guess I will give USAA a chance to work it all out for me.. I was leaning towards a toyota or nissan in any case. I am glad to know they have such a long life. I tend to keep cars and trucks forever. I bought a 1982 240D Benz in '82 and drove it until it was stolen in 2007. Bought a '75 3/4 ton jeep 4WD in '75 drove it till I bought the Benz in '82. I am not much on trading cars I guess.

My wife hit a deer a few months ago with her Honda CRV. The USAA adjuster was a pure loon and I went to the body shop with the USAA estimate. The body shop did it's work . I paid the difference and requsted the body shop FAX the invoice to USAA. USAA responded and made up the short fall to me. In the end, I paid only my deductable despite the inital estimate from the contracted USAA adjuster. I did make several calls to USAA and followed their advice.

What ever the reason for your mishap, I have come to learn that in the end USAA will do the right thing. I still think fixing the Vic is probably the best and least costly plan. USAA has always paid for a rental while repairs are made. $3K damage on a Blue Book $5K vehicle is not a total loss!!! You should expect from any auto insurance company that the vehicle be returned to the condition it was in before the crash.

If you can get to a USAA approved body shop, things will go smoother. This is not a question of who hit who; this is a question of damage repair! It is my humble opinion that USAA will come through for you in the end.

Be well Mom!!

RF 1