Bambi 0, Corolla 0?

[supton]

Couple deer decided to cross in front of me on the highway this morning. I slowed down but it was still a good hit at speed.

Obviously no one here can look at it and be accurate, but what the heck, this is the internet: what's your estimate for damage cost? I'm not sure how long to get an official estimate but why not guess. $5k? 2021 Corolla with 87k on the clock.

I'm afraid to try to open the hood as I continued onto work (after verifying not losing coolant); a/c still works, but I think I see the radiator cross support has a small bend. Both fenders are shifted a bit too, but not too badly. It's registering a problem with the pre-collision system and headlight; I'm hoping to fish out the turn signal and have a blinker. Not much left of that headlight housing...

Left corner of hood, near cowl.

Right side, near cowl. Hard to see but the gap between fender and A pillar is off (as it is on the other side).

Hood should just buff out, right?

 

[Leo99]

$8200 is my guess. Are we invoking Price is Right rules?

 

[Thermo1223]

The worst thing about that is going to be headlight cost and reprogramming the safe driver systems. LED headlights are $$$ if you can't find a used one.

 

[D60]

I was gonna say $6500, but that's probably low.

This stuff can vary so much because some shops will replace EVERY LITTLE THING that was even gently bumped or scuffed.

On things like rad supports if I can pull them out to where they work, that's gud 'nuf. Granted, such things are not "professional level" body work

And without knowing what's going on under the hood, our guesses could be way off

 

[millerbl00]

87K MILES? totaled

 

[supton]

And without knowing what's going on under the hood, our guesses could be way off

To which I'm totally fine with. Sometimes it's fun to play the guessing game. There's no prize involved but what the heck, I'm trying to find something good out of a lousy start to my day.

 

[cptbarkey]

$800 at the wreckers color matched.

 

[opus1]

87K MILES? totaled

I have to agree with this assessment.

 

[SC Maintenance]

$9K. I am guessing they will quote the entire front clip including the AC condenser and rad - because it would suck to find out after its all apart.

21 Corrolla with 87K - maybe 15K? Will they total that? I guess depends.

Sorry for your issues.

 

[The Critic]

I'm going with $8-$10K if frame rails are OK.

87K MILES? totaled

Doubt it. Buddy just paid $22K for a 21 Corolla with 60K from CarMax.

Edit: unless the damage is catastrophic under there, I think the OP should be ok:

21 LE w/77K is advertised for $17.3K
CPO 21 LE w/88K is advertised for $18.5K

 

[JTK]

Oh no!

You may have read my deer hit story. As if the car damage hit isn't enough. The potential long term effect on your insurance cost and availability is worse.

As everyone has said, I'd guess at $7-10K for that repair, but we're all guessing at this point.

I would be more terrified than excited over it being totalled as that is going to be a large loss that is going to follow you.

 

[ProbeGT]

Doubt it. Buddy just paid $22K for a 21 Corolla with 60K from CarMax.

Why? Could've bought a new one. MSRP of a new 2025 Corolla LE is $22,325.

 

[GSCJR]

$9K.

+1

 

[The Critic]

Why? Could've bought a new one. MSRP of a new 2025 Corolla LE is $22,325.

It was a Corolla hatch in an upper trim with the manual trans, which is no longer available new.

 

[D60]

If the adjuster is having a bad day he'll total it. Just happened to my buddy with a '17 Mini. The adjuster threw in a bunch of things that clearly weren't touched (I saw them personally, still on the vehicle), got within $500 of book value and declared it totalled.

It's very difficult to dispute the adjuster's observation "in the field," kinda like disputing the call of a ref who was standing right there.

We don't know why but from the get it seemed like this adjuster was determined to total the vehicle, and then made the facts fit a predetermined outcome.

 

[SC Maintenance]

If the adjuster is having a bad day he'll total it. Just happened to my buddy with a '17 Mini. The adjuster threw in a bunch of things that clearly weren't touched (I saw them personally, still on the vehicle), got within $500 of book value and declared it totalled.

It's very difficult to dispute the adjuster's observation "in the field," kinda like disputing the call of a ref who was standing right there.

We don't know why but from the get it seemed like this adjuster was determined to total the vehicle, and then made the facts fit a predetermined outcome.

So buy it back and fix it cheaper?

 

[Fitter30]

Chevy 2013 equinox rear ended just the bumper cover and lower plastic pieces. No sheet metal damage. $2300 plus 3 day car rental paided by the person who hit me. In the last three weeks.

 

[thastinger]

Total loss

 

[supton]

I'm impressed--I stopped off at 3 at the body shop, got the estimate via email at 4:30. Pretty quick.

$5,900. New hood and left fender, front bumper, bunch of parts. Of course, as we all know, it can go up from there.

Less impressive: Liberty wants me to upload photos. But I have to do it from my phone? Why oh why? I'm sitting at my desk, multiple monitors, nice keyboard--but it wants me to do everything with my thumbs? this is devolution.

Edit: ok, their "app" has an overlay so that you can take various photos in the right angles. Oddly enough, they seem to want to duplicate the photos that the body shop took... weird. Regardless, it wasn't an "app" but just a webpage, so not so bad--still have no interest in yet another program to have to download.

 

[ripcord]

I bet they want the photos with embedded meta data in them from your phone in case they want to investigate for fraud.