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June 2014 Moms
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NBR: My Mechanic Totaled my Car...

tbmadeamistaketbmadeamistake member
in June 2014 Moms
So I dropped my little Honda Fit off this morning to get a new O2 sensor and an inspection. I got a call around 9:30 with the cost.  I said great.  Around 3:30 the owner called back...and said he had bad news.  His mechanic had to put some highway and town miles on the car to get it ready for the inspection after the O2 sensor was replaced.  Someone pulled out of an IHOP, hit the rear passenger side, spun the car so it got hit head on by an oncoming car...and it's totaled.  I just paid this car off in June!  I'm so upset, where the hell are we going to find the money for a new car!?  Insurance will probably only give us $6k, which is about what the car is worth...so we either buy used or end up with another car payment, right as we're trying to cut costs so I can stay home with the kids. 

I laughed at him when he called (after making sure that his driver was ok!), because honestly how the crap do you react to that sort of thing?  Now the laughing is wearing off and the tired, cranky, worried, WTF are we going to do is setting in.  Crap on a cracker...

Married DH 7/30/11

CSC arrived 5/7/12 

CHC arrived 6/2/14

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Re: NBR: My Mechanic Totaled my Car...

  • arekewegarekeweg member
    I'm so sorry! That sucks!

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  • elittlerelittler member
    That is terrible! I'd definitely pressure the car place to do something. This is 100% their responsibility I would think.
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  • tbmadeamistaketbmadeamistake member
    Their insurance is covering everything until they can get payment from the guy who hit my car, who is the one at fault.  The poor mechanic was just driving along when someone shot out of an IHOP, hit the rear passenger side, spun him into oncoming traffic, and he was hit by an oncoming car.  Totally IHOP dude's fault, not the mechanic. They are being really super, so basically I just have to wait until their two insurances duke it out and then I collect my payment.  If that takes too long, I will be putting pressure on the mechanic.  Sigh, just not what I needed right now.

    On the other hand, if my car was meant to get totaled, at least I wasn't in it!  Had I been, my daughter would have been in the seat that got hit first...not cool.  We'll go shopping for a new car seat this weekend so we can put a receipt in for the insurance when the time comes.  In the meantime, I get to drive DH's car, which is much nicer than mine was.  MUCH nicer.  Silver lining?

    Married DH 7/30/11

    CSC arrived 5/7/12 

    CHC arrived 6/2/14

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  • ElTrain5ElTrain5 member
    Ack! Sorry your dealing with that. But glad everyone's ok!

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  • elsa1688elsa1688 member
    I'm so sorry! That's such a bummer. FWIW, we have gotten some great used cars off Craigslist to avoid car payments. My Explorer was about $6k from a private seller and I love it.
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  • kbellizio3kbellizio3 member
    edited January 2014
    That totally sucks and I completely understand why you're upset. DH is a mechanic and I asked him how this would work. Technically the shop is responsible for your vehicle once you sign the keys over to them. Since its not the mechanics fault try to go through the guy who pulled out of IHOP and hit your car because he's technically at fault. But shops have insurance for reasons like this too. So if the guys insurance fails for some odd reason try going through the shop. You should not be responsible AT ALL for any costs. Thank goodness you and DD weren't in the car and the mechanic is ok!

    @krystaJ this is definitely the exception and not the rule, don't be afraid to get it serviced especially if you go to a reputable dealer (I know mechanics get a bad rep, but since being married to one my feelings about them have changed completely). But you can't control how other people drive either which always worries me when DH has to do highway/test runs with cars
    If you guys live in the Philly area I can recommend a good mechanic ;)

    Edit: for words and stupid autocorrect

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  • babybean82babybean82 member
    Wow that really sucks! Hopefully you can find a good reliable used car so you don't have to have payments again.

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  • tbmadeamistaketbmadeamistake member
    @KrystaJ, he said this is the second phone call like this that he's had to make in 25 years of owning his shop.  I'd say that's pretty good odds.  I'll bet he's afraid he's lost a customer, but I'd still take my cars to him.  He does good work at good prices, not his fault some idiot pulled out of an IHOP.  @Kbellizio3, thanks for the insight! 

    Married DH 7/30/11

    CSC arrived 5/7/12 

    CHC arrived 6/2/14

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  • bumpuser9343355bumpuser9343355 member
    I have to say, you seem to be handling this really well!  I would have flipped out!  Hopefully you can find a good used car so you don't have to go back to having a car payment.  Glad you weren't in the car at the time and good luck with car shopping!  Oh, and enjoy your DH's car for as long as you can ;o)
    BFP 12/30/12...MC 1/13...TTC again 6/11/13...
    BFP #2 9/28/13....EDD 6/7/14

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  • nunzchucksnunzchucks member
    What a pain! It's great that no one was hurt. I hope you're able to find a car soon and that your payments are low or zero!
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  • tbmadeamistaketbmadeamistake member
    Yeah, we had enough saved that we were going to pay off all our credit cards this month and start the new year off right...now at least some of that money will have to supplement to buy the new/used car. I cannot have another car payment if I'm quitting when Charlie is born.  Not an option.  So...we'll pay off half our credit cards and use the rest plus insurance check to fund the car.  Sucks, but there you have it.  We could be worse off, and I need to remember that.  Honestly, I think between the two losses on this board over the weekend and a friend's grandmother passing yesterday, a lot of things got put into perspective.  It's happened, there's nothing I can do about it, and none of my family got hurt in the process.  If I could get a hold of the guy who hit my car, I might do some yelling...
    Thanks for the support!  I'm having a small glass of wine because I need to calm down a bit (emotions are high even if I'm not upset AT anyone) and some waffles for dinner.  Then bedtime!

    Married DH 7/30/11

    CSC arrived 5/7/12 

    CHC arrived 6/2/14

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  • lucreciaclucreciac member
    Omg this totally sucks. I am so sorry you had to deal with this, but thank god you weren't in the car!! I hope it gets sorted quickly.
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  • Read247Read247 member
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    Damn!!!!! Glad everyone is ok.
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  • robbinrlrobbinrl member
    That sucks. Did you get an estimate from the insurance on the 6k? I had a 08 Toyota Yaris (similar level to the fit) that was totaled in Dec of 2011 and we got 12k for it from the other people's insurance. We were shocked b/c we only paid a little over 14k new. Hoping they give you a lot more than you are expecting!
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  • PinkKEL9PinkKEL9 member
    Oh that sucks!! I am so sorry! I know what a pain it is to have a totaled car. I've been in two wrecks with two totaled cars in the past 3 years....I don't have a good track record. And thats the reason I hate to drive! But anyways, hopefully the insurance will all work out and you can find something else thats in your budget.
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  • jshropjshrop member
    edited January 2014
    I'd say between the guy at fault and the garages insurance you should be able to get a car replacement. Yikes tho! Glad you weren't in it!
    Eta: check autotrader.com for used cars. That's what hubs and I use to search for every car we've bought. You can compare prices and select at distance range for what you're looking for.
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