Sep
8
2009
A Throw Away Society
Author: Marci
After the hit and run
Last week, my car was hit by someone dropping their kid off at the high school. They hit my car, parked in front of my house, and left. Yup. No note, just left. Nearly a week later, I finally took my car in for an estimate. It’s not a new car, but it runs okay. The heater core needs to be replaced, but other than that, it’s a good car. We have collision, so our insurance will cover it. (Do I think it should have to? No. Obviously, the person who hit my car should act like responsible and step forward, but, barring that, it is why we pay the insurance company.) So, I went into the auto body shop today to see what the damage is. It doesn’t look good.
The other car (a 4×4) rammed my car hard enough to push the back wheels 2′ from the curb. As a result, the left, front wheel is slightly tilted inward. (This would explain why the wheel feels like it’s wobbling when I drive.)
Back to the body shop. They looked at the car and shook their heads. It’s not a new car. I’ve had since 97, it’s paid for, it runs, and I can’t see the point in purchasing a new one…until now. If the damage is more than the car is worth, they will total it. My neighbor, who is in the insurance business, suggested that I purchase it back from the junk dealer and have it fixed with the money they give me for the totaled car. That’s a good idea. I wouldn’t have car payments. My insurance wouldn’t increase. My registration would continue to go down. But the car will go to a junkyard when there isn’t really that much wrong with it. In a few years, the transmission will probably go. That’ll be another couple thousand dollars, but I still get 25 miles to gallon on the freeway, and I have a hard time just throwing something away that is still useful. And, yet, the insurance company would be more than willing to do so.
It doesn’t make sense to put more money into something than it’s worth. I understand this, but, in my mind, I have a hard time justifying sending a perfectly good car to a junk yard. Yes, it’s been damaged, but it can be fixed, and it makes me wonder just how many cars have ended up in the scrap yards just like mine. They have plenty of life left in them, but the damage exceeds the value, and they are deemed not worth fixing.
My last car I sold to someone who could use it. This one, I may not get the chance. So, do I follow the dictates of a throw away society and get a newer car (if mine’s totaled), or do I buy my car from the scrap yard and fix it with the money my insurance will provide?
I guess, until I know what will happen, no decision will be made. I’m just hoping my car can be saved.
