My Jeep sustained damage in an accident

[Swimmer122177]

The accident was not my fault , the lady was in a turning lane making a left turn and did so before I was through the intersection and turned into me. She t boned me on my driver’s side but she was in a Prius and actually went under me , lifted me up and shoved me over. It broke my coil spring off, bent the shock and hub , damaged the axel, punched a hole in my exhaust, destroyed my transfer case and after they got all that replaced they found my frame was bent . She knocked it over about an inch or more . I found out they straighten my frame and didn’t replace it . When they found the frame was bent the lady’s insurance company had already spent over 7k in the repairs. I have an 04 wrangler, obviously a TJ . It’s the X model with the 4.0L inline 6 cylinder. I’m now having issues with the steering and it driving straight. I have had it put into alignment twice now in less than a week. My steering wheel is not centered . I know they replaced the steering stabilizer and put heavy duty control arms on it . I don’t want my frame just straightened, but also I have a bad idle issue now . Can anybody advise me on the straighten of the frame and what to do so I get my jeep back normal. I have a coil spacer lift and body lift on it 2 inches and my tires are BF Goodrich and they are 33 but they are 15 inches wide . I have been told my issues are my tires which also got replaced from the wreck so it’s not like they are worn . My Jeep has never had an alignment issue ever , it’s never pulled right or left and now it does, it even pulls when I take off from a dead stop which is new ....am I better getting a new frame or new Jeep

 

[jeep_boss]

Although I'm sorry to hear about this, @Chris probably should move this to the TJ General section (it's not an FAQ).

 

[Swimmer122177]

Although I'm sorry to hear about this, @Chris probably should move this to the TJ General section (it's not an FAQ).

Oh I’m sorry I’m new here and I just want my Jeep to be back normal. And be restored back to what it was before the lady texting and driving turned into me ...thank you so much for your kind words though .

 

[Squatch]

That seriously bites. It will be interesting to see what the insurance company will want to do about this. Sometimes if you stand your ground and force the issue, you can get them to do what you want done. I saw one of my teachers fight to have his totaled El Camino rebuilt back in '81. Based on his success, I kept an insurance company from totaling a Rambler I had back in '95. First, though, you need to decide what you want, and then push them to accommodate you, even if it means being, shall we say, "less than pleasant" about it. Best of luck to you. Keep us updated!

 

[Swimmer122177]

That seriously bites. It will be interesting to see what the insurance company will want to do about this. Sometimes if you stand your ground and force the issue, you can get them to do what you want done. I saw one of my teachers fight to have his totaled El Camino rebuilt back in '81. Based on his success, I kept an insurance company from totaling a Rambler I had back in '95. First, though, you need to decide what you want, and then push them to accommodate you, even if it means being, shall we say, "less than pleasant" about it. Best of luck to you. Keep us updated!

Honestly I love my jeep, I have vested so much money just on repairs such as I just put a new clutch in it, I don’t want another Jeep but I am going to stand my ground the lady insurance company has 2 choices either give me the value of my Jeep plus all I have invested in it or replace the frame . I understand accidents happen but this lady was texting so this to me should have been prevented. And I am not asking for anything outlandish. All I want is my jeep the way it was before she hit me . I didn’t have a straightened frame before this , in fact my frame was perfect . It’s not my fault it wasn’t caught early on and now that they have paid out 7k for repairs and a rental car for 2 months why should I be the one to pay . And regardless if straightened frame is ok or not , it wasn’t straightened before . So by them only straightening it does not put my Jeep back to before the wreck . I’m standing my ground firm and they can either go about it difficult, which will cost them 3 times the amount it would have to just worked with me or my lawyer said we will see them in court . I’ll keep y’all posted .

 

[Squatch]

Honestly I love my jeep, I have vested so much money just on repairs such as I just put a new clutch in it, I don’t want another Jeep but I am going to stand my ground the lady insurance company has 2 choices either give me the value of my Jeep plus all I have invested in it or replace the frame . I understand accidents happen but this lady was texting so this to me should have been prevented. And I am not asking for anything outlandish. All I want is my jeep the way it was before she hit me . I didn’t have a straightened frame before this , in fact my frame was perfect . It’s not my fault it wasn’t caught early on and now that they have paid out 7k for repairs and a rental car for 2 months why should I be the one to pay . And regardless if straightened frame is ok or not , it wasn’t straightened before . So by them only straightening it does not put my Jeep back to before the wreck . I’m standing my ground firm and they can either go about it difficult, which will cost them 3 times the amount it would have to just worked with me or my lawyer said we will see them in court . I’ll keep y’all posted .

LOL Well, I'll say this: I wouldn't want to be working for the insurance company that has to go up against you! LOL And that is meant with the utmost respect, by the way. Kudos to ya! Please do keep us posted. It'll be great to hear how the "little guy"...I mean, "gal"...won one!

 

[Swimmer122177]

LOL Well, I'll say this: I wouldn't want to be working for the insurance company that has to go up against you! LOL And that is meant with the utmost respect, by the way. Kudos to ya! Please do keep us posted. It'll be great to hear how the "little guy"...I mean, "gal"...won one!

Lol thank you . Had the lady not been texting and driving I may be slightly forgiving but I feel violated now . My TJ is my dream vehicle. And she wrecked it . And I will not let them scoot by and I don’t care if straightening the frame in spec is fine ...my frame before wasn’t straightened...and they are responsible for restoring it to before the wreck .

 

[gg1]

I owned on car that was wrecked, which I didn't know when I bought it. I purchased a car way back before the internet and it turned out the car was wrecked on the underside and they straightened the frame. It was a Mercedes 190td, which they only made one year for the US, so I was so excited to own it. Anyway, long story short I traded it in because I never could get it aligned and it wore tires. Such a shame as I probably would have owned that car for years. Charcoal and burgundy interior. Loved it for the short time I had it. Anyway, you might end up trading it in or selling it and get another one. Keep an eye on tire wear. Shame that happened.

 

[mrblaine]

The issues as you describe them are not related to the bent frame.

 

[Squatch]

I owned on car that was wrecked, which I didn't know when I bought it. I purchased a car way back before the internet and it turned out the car was wrecked on the underside and they straightened the frame. It was a Mercedes 190td, which they only made one year for the US, so I was so excited to own it. Anyway, long story short I traded it in because I never could get it aligned and it wore tires. Such a shame as I probably would have owned that car for years. Charcoal and burgundy interior. Loved it for the short time I had it. Anyway, you might end up trading it in or selling it and get another one. Keep an eye on tire wear. Shame that happened.

I hate being in that kind of situation, as I'm the sort that feels compelled to tell the next buyer what I know about it. I don't want to be "that guy" who misrepresented something I sold. Totally unacceptable. On a lighter note, now I need to look up what a Mercedes 190td looks like!

*Based on Wiki, I'd surmise it to be a 1987...?

 

[jeep_boss]

On a lighter note, now I need to look up what a Mercedes 190td looks like!

Basically a 190E with a diesel. Having lived in .de for 5 years, I learned to appreciate the massive differences between the German versions of a vehicle vs. the overly protective US spec versions. Most of the US versions have ugly bumpers lol.

 

[Squatch]

Basically a 190E with a diesel. Having lived in .de for 5 years, I learned to appreciate the massive differences between the German versions of a vehicle vs. the overly protective US spec versions. Most of the US versions have ugly bumpers lol.

And they are severely detuned, as well. We do seem to get the watered-down versions, if we can get one at all.

 

[89sandman]

Getting them to flip for a new frame may be a problem. A used one would probably be the route they decide. I know here in Oregon they are required to repair your vehicle to "the state it was before." Thus meaning the frame was used when the accident happened, so it may be replaced with another used one. I myself would rather be cashed out and move on to another vehicle.

 

[egclassic]

The insurance company may just "total" it out and only give you Blue Book for it since it is an older vehicle. Which really sucks because most of our TJ's are worth more than BB!
Oh, and I hate when I see people with their phone in their hand while driving!
I would think by now that there would be a way that when the phone is moving, it disables texting, period!

 

[Kiwi TJ]

Call me crazy, but I though Insurance companies were bound to return your vehicle to how it was before the accident.:thinking:....whatever the issue is as to why its not driving straight (bent frame or not) if it wasn't like that 'before' the idiot T boned you then you have every right to tell them to sort it out.

 

[egclassic]

Call me crazy, but I though Insurance companies were bound to return your vehicle to how it was before the accident.:thinking:....whatever the issue is as to why its not driving straight (bent frame or not) if it wasn't like that 'before' the idiot T boned you then you have every right to tell them to sort it out.

But i don't think they would spend more on repairs than the vehicle is worth, in most cases. That may not be the case here, though.

 

[Bird]

Unfortunately, in most cases that I've experienced over the years, when you start pushing the insurance company, they find it more beneficial to total the vehicle with bb appraisal.
That's the route they took when i was unsatisfied with repairs.

They simply don't account for stuff like Currie steering or Fox shocks....my insurance company didn't.

 

[Drizit]

Unfortunately, in most cases that I've experienced over the years, when you start pushing the insurance company, they find it more beneficial to total the vehicle with bb appraisal.
That's the route they took when i was unsatisfied with repairs.

They simply don't account for stuff like Currie steering or Fox shocks....my insurance company didn't.

They generally do if you get an appraisal though.

—
There must have been a time
when we could have said no.

 

[cjaama]

Honestly I love my jeep, I have vested so much money just on repairs such as I just put a new clutch in it, I don’t want another Jeep but I am going to stand my ground the lady insurance company has 2 choices either give me the value of my Jeep plus all I have invested in it or replace the frame . I understand accidents happen but this lady was texting so this to me should have been prevented. And I am not asking for anything outlandish. All I want is my jeep the way it was before she hit me . I didn’t have a straightened frame before this , in fact my frame was perfect . It’s not my fault it wasn’t caught early on and now that they have paid out 7k for repairs and a rental car for 2 months why should I be the one to pay . And regardless if straightened frame is ok or not , it wasn’t straightened before . So by them only straightening it does not put my Jeep back to before the wreck . I’m standing my ground firm and they can either go about it difficult, which will cost them 3 times the amount it would have to just worked with me or my lawyer said we will see them in court . I’ll keep y’all posted .

Sorry, digging up an old thread as I just came across it. I used to work as a claims adjuster, so I always feel inclined to reply to these threads.

First, if you aren’t satisfied with the repairs, that is between you and the shop. If the shop says the insurance company isn’t authorizing XYZ, then THAT is between you and the insurance company.

If they total it and you’re not satisfied with their offer you’ll need to support your case with comps.

And if they DON’T total it, your vehicle is now worth less than it was prior to the crash. Contact their insurance company and let them know you would like to file a diminished value claim. Some companies are jerks about this, others are cool about it.

Sorry for your situation. Accidents are a huge pain in the ass!