Hot take: people who call any dented car 'totaled' don't know insurance math

I was at Pull-A-Part in Phoenix last month grabbing a door for my 2002 Civic. Guy next to me points at a wrecked Corolla with a crushed fender and says 'that's totaled for sure.' But the frame was straight and the airbags didn't even pop. Why does everyone think cosmetic damage equals a total loss?

2 comments

2 Comments

henryreed27d ago

Wait, someone actually thought a straight-frame Corolla with intact airbags was totaled?

robinson.holly27d ago

Honestly, it's wild how many people don't know the real math on this. Total loss happens when the repair cost hits a certain percentage of the car's value, usually around 70-80% depending on your state and insurer. A dented fender on a 2002 Civic? That's maybe a $300 part and 2 hours of labor at a shop. Unless the frame is bent or the engine bay is messed up, most cosmetic damage on an older car doesn't even come close to that line. The guys at Pull-A-Part see this all the time, people tossing out the term 'totaled' for any scratch. Tbh, if the airbags didn't pop and the frame is fine, you're usually just looking at a junkyard swap and some elbow grease.