I Kept My "total Loss" Car. What Sort of Insurance Coverage Can I Buy?

linderthered

New Member
1
Earlier this year, my 1998 BMW Z3 suffered hail damage and USAA eventually declared it a total loss. After some haggling, I decided to keep my car and have it repaired. This was because the hail damage was 100% cosmetic and I'd just spent about $3k on mechanical repairs.

Now I have a car that looks and drives wonderfully, but USAA will only provide minimal insurance. The car is 100% paid for, btw. Also, I was not required to obtain a salvage title.

Can I buy any sort of additional coverage? For example, what if I'm trapped in a third hailstorm - can I get even partial, high-deductible coverage for hail repair? I'm in Texas.
 
How did you keep it without a salvage title? If it was declared a total loss, then it should have a salvage title, unless Texas has some weird loophole.

While probably most carriers won't, some carriers will write even salvage title cars with full coverage. The catch is though, you pay the same rates and they will pay out as if its a salvage title car, so something normally worth $5000, salvage title is worth $1500, most they will pay is $1500 for damage to the car.

If its not a salvage title, then you should be able to put whatever coverage you want to on it.

Dan
 
Title branding laws vary by state. Here in Oklahoma, you can get clean title hail-totaled cars too. In fact, most of the hail cars are clean titles because other than windshield damage, most hail damage won't effect the safe operation as defined by the state.

Typically, if your car totals from a comp claim and you owner retain, you just can't have comp coverage on it but can still carry collision coverage. You can possibly have the car reinspected if you had it repaired and then get comp coverage again.
 
linderthered said:
Earlier this year, my 1998 BMW Z3 suffered hail damage and USAA eventually declared it a total loss. After some haggling, I decided to keep my car and have it repaired. This was because the hail damage was 100% cosmetic and I'd just spent about $3k on mechanical repairs.

Now I have a car that looks and drives wonderfully, but USAA will only provide minimal insurance. The car is 100% paid for, btw. Also, I was not required to obtain a salvage title.

Can I buy any sort of additional coverage? For example, what if I'm trapped in a third hailstorm - can I get even partial, high-deductible coverage for hail repair? I'm in Texas.

Don't carry full coverage on a 1998 car anyway. Save the money and put it in your own emergency fund.

You will usually come out way ahead.

And if you total the car, it's not that much money anyway. Go buy another 1998 car and you're even.
 
Don't carry full coverage on a 1998 car anyway. Save the money and put it in your own emergency fund.

You will usually come out way ahead.

And if you total the car, it's not that much money anyway. Go buy another 1998 car and you're even.

Good advice - calculate the cost of insurance.
 
Some carriers will or will not do full coverage on a salvage vehicle. Safeco and I had the conversation before and they said that they would but it would only be for what the car is worth with a salvage title. Not bad, but it is probably more expensive than to buy a new car with the comp and collision and the money you get paid out. Kemper, on the other hand, will NOT do a salvage title at all according to the underwriter. So it's going to be up to the carrier as well. IF you don't have a salvage title I think that the carrier isn't going to car and they will just pay you the ACV but it is going to be up to the carrier on how they would handle it, you might want to get an answer directly from them.
 
Some carriers will or will not do full coverage on a salvage vehicle. Safeco and I had the conversation before and they said that they would but it would only be for what the car is worth with a salvage title. Not bad, but it is probably more expensive than to buy a new car with the comp and collision and the money you get paid out. Kemper, on the other hand, will NOT do a salvage title at all according to the underwriter. So it's going to be up to the carrier as well. IF you don't have a salvage title I think that the carrier isn't going to car and they will just pay you the ACV but it is going to be up to the carrier on how they would handle it, you might want to get an answer directly from them.

Allstate is the same - liability only is ok, salvage is nu-uh. And like it's been said, it's probably not worth getting physical damage on one even if you could, unless MAYBE you want windshield coverage via comprehensive.
 
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