06 Side curtain airbags deploy= It’s totaled

[planomateo]

Am I missing something, where did he say they offered $18k?

I guess it depends on what they're offering and how much it will cost you to buy it back.

 

[Goldeneagle]

Am I missing something, where did he say they offered $18k?

I guess it depends on what they're offering and how much it will cost you to buy it back.

They offered me $18.5K to take it.
The buyback is 9K.
I’m waiting to hear how much rebuilding the airbag system will cost. My friend who owns the body shop says it’s a great alternative which he did for his own vehicle but would never offer to the general public. There’s a place in Atlanta that rebuilds the module and seat belt cartridges and I believe he’ll use bags out of a salvage. He said the airbag Light will come on if there’s ever a measurement out of range so he feels pretty confident about that route.
Yeah why would I disclose this information on mud? Because I would never want to mislead anyone, if I did try to turn around and sell it in a couple years.

Strongly leaning toward keeping it and retire it as a DD and put a tent on it.
Buy a black MDX with 100K mikes with the 9K they give me for a commuter.

then I won’t have to scratch the LC itch. And I have a truck I don’t drive up the mileage on and worry about every scratch and let the big dog eat.

I’m obviously spending every waking moment scouring the country for a 100/200.
I realize I will never again be offered 18K cash to put toward a new rig...

 

[Goldeneagle]

I don't see why I would tell anyone about this minor of a thing. Now an 06 is gone/branded and you should/have to take the money.
churn and burn I suppose. I would have just fixed it. Aren't there thousands of 100s without side curtain airbags?

Yes, there are. But I need a daily driver and insurance won’t fully cover a salvage or rebuilt title.
And without functional side curtain bags the whole dash bag system is out of play.
My insurance guys a cruiser head and he said fix it on the cheap and it will SELL. He said that’s likely what will happen to it anyways. I’m just not confident what the market value will be on it. It would have to be north of 12K to even consider it.

So that leaves me with bailing on it, or keeping it as a true RV.

 

[jLB]

You're in a tough spot.

While $18.5k sounds like a pretty solid offer, I wouldn't be willing to sell my DD (06 LX) for that price.

I'm willing to drive any of the 3 hundred series in my driveway, 2 of which are not equipped with side curtain airbags, but something about daily driving a side curtain airbag equipped vehicle, with blown airbags, I'd have a problem with. I'd be OK with it as an extra vehicle or a weekend toy, but might be a little wishy-washy about a wife or kid driving it. Then I'd ask, if I'm not willing to let wife or kid drive it, should I really be driving it?

(I am fully aware that some of the above defies logic)

If you're willing to buy it back and repair it yourself, the problem becomes "what will insurance cover if involved in another accident" and/or how is the value affected with a branded title.

Any chance of interior pictures with the side bags deployed?

 

[Otter]

Take the $18.5k. Be done with it. Find a new cruiser. You don't have to fix anything. You don't have a salvage vehicle to deal with. Take it out of the equation.

 

[planomateo]

Yes, there are. But I need a daily driver and insurance won’t fully cover a salvage or rebuilt title.
And without functional side curtain bags the whole dash bag system is out of play.
My insurance guys a cruiser head and he said fix it on the cheap and it will SELL. I’m just not confident what the market value will be on it. It would have to be north of 12K to even consider it.

So that leaves me with bailing on it, or keeping it as a true RV.

Hard to argue with that. $18.5k seems like a great price.

 

[jerryb]

Yes, there are. But I need a daily driver and insurance won’t fully cover a salvage or rebuilt title.
And without functional side curtain bags the whole dash bag system is out of play.
My insurance guys a cruiser head and he said fix it on the cheap and it will SELL. He said that’s likely what will happen to it anyways. I’m just not confident what the market value will be on it. It would have to be north of 12K to even consider it.

So that leaves me with bailing on it, or keeping it as a true RV.

which is why I wondered why you'd even report it. It was drivable, fixable for less than a thousand probably. All the other airbags would be fine, center airbag controller would not have to be replaced.
both front belts <400. No accident that says air bags deployed no weird car fax, title stuff etc. Insurance wouldn't know. long list of things that cost money in the long run.
Bonus if you were able to keep the vin correct quarter panel. Real toyota ones are 800. Even on a bad day this is a <2000. mistake.
Not trying to beat a dead horse. Just saying.
Most people would be better off driving, or towing their car to their house after a minor accident, and not calling insurance.

Seems like we all would rather keep the 20k car we have then go searching for another 20k car we don't know anything about. Maybe not I guess.

 

[Goldeneagle]

which is why I wondered why you'd even report it. It was drivable, fixable for less than a thousand probably. All the other airbags would be fine, center airbag controller would not have to be replaced.
both front belts <400. No accident that says air bags deployed no weird car fax, title stuff etc. Insurance wouldn't know. long list of things that cost money in the long run.
Bonus if you were able to keep the vin correct quarter panel. Real toyota ones are 800. Even on a bad day this is a <2000. mistake.
Not trying to beat a dead horse. Just saying.
Most people would be better off driving, or towing their car to their house after a minor accident, and not calling insurance.

Seems like we all would rather keep the 20k car we have then go searching for another 20k car we don't know anything about. Maybe not I guess.

You make a good point. I would rather keep my truck forever and not worry about the carfax or resale value.
I suspected it would be closer to 7K for repairs and it would be better than it was before. I’ve never been in this situation. In hindsight, I would have gotten a quote first.
Hopefully this discussion will help someone in the future.
I only came across one other airbag deployment thread in my search, although I suspect there must be more.

 

[suprarx7nut]

which is why I wondered why you'd even report it. It was drivable, fixable for less than a thousand probably. All the other airbags would be fine, center airbag controller would not have to be replaced.
both front belts <400. No accident that says air bags deployed no weird car fax, title stuff etc. Insurance wouldn't know. long list of things that cost money in the long run.
Bonus if you were able to keep the vin correct quarter panel. Real toyota ones are 800. Even on a bad day this is a <2000. mistake.
Not trying to beat a dead horse. Just saying.
Most people would be better off driving, or towing their car to their house after a minor accident, and not calling insurance.

Seems like we all would rather keep the 20k car we have then go searching for another 20k car we don't know anything about. Maybe not I guess.

But the side curtain airbags and seat belts alone are $2500 through the cheapest online dealers. Throw in the headliner and add another $1500.

Not reporting it might save you some cash if you want to replace everything on the cheap, but you still *should* fix the airbags or disclose that they are inop to the next buyer. That's going to be an expensive thing without insurance. Even fully DIY, I don't see how that's less than $5k. Alternatively, you file a claim and insurance covers everything and then some and your rates might go up a few hundreds bucks for a couple years. If the airbags didn't pop, sure, skip the claim. With the airbags though, eek. That skyrockets the cost to fix it.

 

[jlm43]

Strongly leaning toward keeping it and retire it as a DD and put a tent on it.
Buy a black MDX with 100K mikes with the 9K they give me for a commuter.

then I won’t have to scratch the LC itch. And I have a truck I don’t drive up the mileage on and worry about every scratch and let the big dog eat.

Out of curiosity, what do you feel the value was of your 100 before the incident?
If you can pocket $9,500 and keep the cruiser, that's hard to pass up. But that is only IF you can find a commuter you would be happy with for $9,500. Then take the next few months to find parts and have your buddy make the cruiser road worthy again. But that's just one of the many options.

 

[thebeedeegee]

I'd keep it. 18k is a strong offer, but like someone said, you would have to start looking for another 18 to 20k car that you know nothing about. Used car shopping is stressful, or at least it is for me. That's a major reason why I repaired my truck instead of taking the money and looking for another truck. The devil you know....

If an airbag is really about $1k you should be able to find a shop that will work with you. I was quoted like over $10k to repair and ended up paying a local small time guy $1,500 to repair the fender, repaint the fender and hood, and pull out the radiator support. I bought all the parts. I ended up spending just over $4k to repair it, and that included $1100 on a new steel bumper. With $9k you should have a lot left I would think.

 

[Goldeneagle]

The value before the accident? Well I think the market values right now are crazy. I paid 15K for this 4 years ago with 100K miles bone stock. Flew to West Tx to get it. Today, based on the market I would have listed it for 18K. So I was pleased with the payout.
I’m looking at an 06 LX with 75K for $22 (now sold)
04 LX with 113K for 15K
Or the guy in SC with the 200 with 156K for 22.

I really love the 100 series.... I can always move into a newer model down the road.

 

[Goldeneagle]

I’m also going to go look at this. JUST to see how bad it is.

Check out a 2003 Lexus LX 470 470 4WD - $10,995 on CarGurus at CarGurus - 2003 Lexus LX 470 470 4WD - $10,995

 

[jlm43]

With that payout, you're really not in a bad spot as there's some great options in that price range. And if you go lower, the cash is there to base line / upgrade.
I've looked at the 200's quite a bit but until I can get a 2016+ in the $20k range, I'll stick with my 100.
The 2003 for $10,995 doesn't look too bad until you look at the hardware in the engine bay.

 

[jLB]

I’m also going to go look at this. JUST to see how bad it is.

Check out a 2003 Lexus LX 470 470 4WD - $10,995 on CarGurus at CarGurus - 2003 Lexus LX 470 470 4WD - $10,995

Looks like a waste of time to me...

Low price for mileage​

Missing 3rd row​

Missing skid plates​

Covered up rust​

AHC gone​

​

Unless this is being viewed as a parts vehicle.

 

[OwnerCS]

Not sure how it works in your state or with the insurance companies involved. But I had a car hit by a texting driver and declared to be a total loss a few years ago.

1) The insurance company offered me a fair settlement for the car's value. No complaints.
2) I had an option to buy the car back from the insurance company for $300 that was basically salvage yard value. I bought it back.
3) Since the car didn't change hands. The title was not reissued with a salvage blemish.
4) Since the car was not repaired by a major body shop, no CarFax blemishes.
5) I replaced the SRSCU and airbags using parts purchased in salvage yards. The replacement SRSCU had no history of an airbag deployment.
6) A small local body shop fixed the body damage for $600 cash.
7) We drove the car for an additional 2 years before selling it to a guy who knew the full history. He drove it for another 5 years and traded up for a nearly new Tundra.

I know this may not be possible in all areas, but sometimes it is worth a try to keep a vehicle that you know and love.

 

[rrc swb]

Sorry to see that your truck got totaled, hope you and your loved ones came out unscathed.

I have a noob question... Does the RSCA OFF can help avoid this?

 

[chaileyk5]

I’m also going to go look at this. JUST to see how bad it is.

Check out a 2003 Lexus LX 470 470 4WD - $10,995 on CarGurus at CarGurus - 2003 Lexus LX 470 470 4WD - $10,995

I was planning on checking out a LC this place had a few years ago, but a family friend that has been in the car business in the Chattanooga/N. Georgia area for 50 years said to stay away. They are like a lot of the other wholesale dealers that buy northern cars with a lot of rust, cars with flood damage that was never reported, etc. from auctions for next to nothing, clean them up, and throw them on the lot ‘at a great price’. They’ll end up costing much more in the long run.

This isn’t to say this particular LX falls into one of those categories, I would just go in with heavy skepticism.

Good luck whichever way you decide to go.

 

[Goldeneagle]

thanks for the input everyone.
update:
After some shopping, I found it a lot easier to find a commuter for 9K and keep my truck.
I had planned on retiring the 06 as a DD in the next year and Converting it to a camper of sorts.

My wife has driven MDX’s for the last 12 years and we’ve been pleased. So yeah, we got his and hers... I’ve always thought the black ones were pretty hot. I need a decent cargo space that I access 5-10 times a day.

2009 from Texas
95K miles
Timing belt and water pump done
New tires and cleaner than my cruiser.
$9500

I spent some time cleaning my truck up today after detailing my wife/mother of my children. Her car.
And I feel good about the choice.
I’ll get an alignment, although it drives perfect, get the airbags/front seat belts rebuilt and work on the Front corner at my convenience. The bumper already had a bad scuff.
The headliner’s bottom of the list, if at all. I’ll be able to tuck it all up pretty quick, with just one area of concern. I spent about 5 minutes working on it and had to call it a day.

 

[Goldeneagle]

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