I own a 2016 Subaru WRX STI with aftermarket parts. I had a simple issue with a damaged tire after hitting debris from another accident. I changed to the spare and had it towed to a tire center through my insurance claim. The car was running perfectly when it left my house. Later, I was told the steering column had some issues, so the car was sent to another shop. It’s been a month now, and I was just told the car is being written off as a total loss. When I went to check on the car, I saw the engine was in pieces—hoses cut, belts missing, and nothing was hooked up. I found out my car’s ECU had been reflashed to a different tune, which makes no sense since the problem wasn’t related to the engine. My car started sounding better after I reset the ECU, but with so many parts disconnected, I didn’t want to run it any longer.
This car is really important to me. I had it rebuilt, and it has low mileage for its age, so I don’t understand why it’s being considered a total loss. My insurance company says they won’t pay for a new engine, which wasn’t damaged when the car was towed. I’ve shown security footage proving the car was in good shape just before it was towed. What steps can I take to ensure my car is properly repaired, and how can I make sure I’m not forced to pay for damage that wasn’t there when I filed my claim? Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.
Without knowing exactly what caused the engine to fail, it’s hard to hold the shop responsible. It sounds like you’re trying to save the car yourself, but you might be causing more damage without realizing it.
The accident may have caused more damage than you thought, like a bent tire rod or oil pan damage. You mentioned the oil level was down 20%—that could’ve been from a slow leak. It’s possible the shop didn’t remove any oil during repairs. It sounds like you’re in shock and upset, which is understandable, but you might have to accept that the car is totaled. You could ask about buying it back as a salvage title if you really want to fix it.
Vale said:
Without knowing exactly what caused the engine to fail, it’s hard to hold the shop responsible. It sounds like you’re trying to save the car yourself, but you might be causing more damage without realizing it.
The accident may have caused more damage than you thought, like a bent tire rod or oil pan damage. You mentioned the oil level was down 20%—that could’ve been from a slow leak. It’s possible the shop didn’t remove any oil during repairs. It sounds like you’re in shock and upset, which is understandable, but you might have to accept that the car is totaled. You could ask about buying it back as a salvage title if you really want to fix it.
Just to clarify, the steering column issue has been there for a while due to a previous near miss, so it’s unrelated to this incident. When he reflashed the ECU, the car sounded normal again, aside from a code for the O2 sensor, which makes sense because one of the vacuum tubes wasn’t hooked up. We hadn’t checked the oil level before the accident, so we don’t know how much was lost. The car had been driven a lot before the issue happened.
Vale said:
Without knowing exactly what caused the engine to fail, it’s hard to hold the shop responsible. It sounds like you’re trying to save the car yourself, but you might be causing more damage without realizing it.
The accident may have caused more damage than you thought, like a bent tire rod or oil pan damage. You mentioned the oil level was down 20%—that could’ve been from a slow leak. It’s possible the shop didn’t remove any oil during repairs. It sounds like you’re in shock and upset, which is understandable, but you might have to accept that the car is totaled. You could ask about buying it back as a salvage title if you really want to fix it.
Just to clarify, the steering column issue has been there for a while due to a previous near miss, so it’s unrelated to this incident. When he reflashed the ECU, the car sounded normal again, aside from a code for the O2 sensor, which makes sense because one of the vacuum tubes wasn’t hooked up. We hadn’t checked the oil level before the accident, so we don’t know how much was lost. The car had been driven a lot before the issue happened.
Haha, the wife coming in with the real story. Gotta love it! Seems like there’s more going on here than we first thought.
You need to find an independent mechanic to look at your car and figure out what really happened. I would also talk to a claims supervisor or manager at the insurance company and ask for a detailed timeline—when and why was your car moved, and why weren’t you notified? Was it driven or towed?
You’ll have to be polite but firm when speaking with them. Don’t mention getting a lawyer right away—they’d probably prefer dealing with a lawyer over you. Until this is settled, remember, it’s still your car, so they shouldn’t be acting like it isn’t. Good luck!