time to say goodbye to my A3

because of the accident with airbag deployment, geico agent told me that he's gonna pay the total value of my 94golf rather than pay for the repair cost because the repair could cost more than the total value. he's asking around 3,700 for my car and saying that the repair cost should be over 4,000 just for airbags. so, i'm gonna take the offer. am i doing right? or any other suggestion?

desperate a3 lover.

Reply to
Komang
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rule of thumb - if the airbags go off then it's probably totalled. Maybe not for new cars, but anything over 3 years and it's gone.

Tim Wohlford '89 Golf

Reply to
Tim Wohlford

Just make sure that the total loss settlement is enough to buy a similar car on the local used car market, including tax and pro-rated license. Have them send you a list of comparable cars for sale or recently sold that they should have used to come up with the settlement.

Reply to
Timothy J. Lee

Man that's insane (totalling a car out because of popped airbags). Yeah I know it happens but it sure seems like a waste of an otherwise good car with otherwise only minor damage.

Reply to
Matt B.

So don't repair the air bags. Is there a way to make it look normal? or did it bend up the steering wheel getting out? My A2 doesn't have air bags. My last Golf took a telephone pole straight on at about 55 mph and I walked out just fine. Or a few months ago there was a guy that flipped his A2 Jetta. Air bags are a good addition to seat-belts, but as long as you remember to buckle up you should be fine. But that's IMHO.

Reply to
Matt Anderson

If I'm reading the post correctly, the airbags deployed because the car was totalled. Geico is not wrecking the car because the airbags simply popped.

Reply to
Darryl

Komang also started a thread "critical speed for airbag deploy?" which made me think he bumped something too hard, but didn't total the car. I know the old small bumpered A2's could hit about anything at a reasonable speed and bounce back.

Reply to
Matt Anderson

thanx guys... yeah....actually the outside of the car looks quite good. Here is the damages that I "saw".

2 deployed airbags passenger side window blowen front bumper cracked

The Geico adjuster told me that the cost for all of these (set aside the possible > because of the accident with airbag deployment, geico agent told me that

Reply to
Komang

BS!!!

There are places where you can buy rebuilt or used airbags cheap. The Geico agent is a moron!!!! Don't fall for his easy way out.

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Reply to
Peter Parker

I think the original poster is in Canada and IIRC Canada didn't mandate airbags until later. Can you instead do w/o the bags and swap dashes and steering wheel with a good used dash from a non-airbag A3?

Reply to
Matt B.

I remember the original post (or maybe a different post from the same person a few days ago) being that his airbags were triggered in a very low speed accident and there was little or no damage to the car otherwise and the insurace company was totalling it out the car anyway because the cost of replacing the bags was high and nearly exceeded the car's value.

Reply to
Matt B.

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An insurance company will not recommend used airbags. A while ago I read where one company had a HUGE judgment against them because they only paid for a used airbag, which failed to inflate in a subsequent collision. As you noted, you can find used airbags, but don't expect any guarantee they will work. Depending on how the donor car was damaged, how the airbag was removed, stored, and installed, it can be damaged and left unworkable.

Reply to
Tony Bad

I read this about rebuilt air bags. I don't have air bags on my 94 and so my point being, why trash something that essentially is still pretty whole?

Reply to
Peter Parker

I agree 100%. It seems a shame to junk an otherwise sound car for such a minor (but $$$$) problem. An issue that will arise more and more now that everything has airbags. I mean a 2 year old Kia is probably worth less than cost of two popped bags and a new bumper.

Reply to
Tony Bad

Airbags need to be a low cost item in order for this not to happen. They have two stages now in the deployment phase but this only is for safety and not cost.

Reply to
Peter Parker

snipped-for-privacy@zero.com (Peter Parker) wrote in news:40338869_1 @nntp2.nac.net:

on my 94

essentially is still

car for such

and more now

probably worth

happen.

only is for

I wonder about the safety of side airbags. I have them built into the door side of the front seats.

What happens to my body if I'm broadsided and the airbag deploys as the seatbelt locks me into my seat.

Since my body is stuck in place, I imagine the side airbag might just break my neck (and my hearing which will no longer be an issue anyway ;)

Andy

Reply to
Bingo

You're right. The carmakers never bothered to test them.

Were you joking when you wrote this? I was... While I won't say they are the next best thing to sliced bread I can say they've tested them in the standard condition where the occupant is in their seat and wearing the seat belt properly.

Reply to
Bob Hetzel

The entire purpose of the side air bags is a collision where you are broadsided. Instead of your head and body impacting the side of the car/side door glass (and stopping in millimeters) you impact the airbag. This gives you a few extra inches for your head/body to deccelerate, thus likely saving your life.

Scott

Reply to
Scott

Well, why don't YOU price out what the repairs would be... sometimes you can get a certain amount and still keep the car... and get it fixed. Insurance companies use a program that usually gets a price quote of NEW parts from the dealer if they are available... when someone rearended my 87 cabriolet, they were going to total the car because the bumper (which had a minor almost unnoticeable dent) was $300-$350 (unpainted) and the trunk lid was $600-$650 (again unpainted) so w're looking at $900-$1000 just for TWO parts of a car they only valued at $1700, not to mention any of the body damage beside the trunk and getting the car repainted... there was NO damage to the engine/drivetrain/frame... and they were only valueing it so low because at the time it had 189,000 miles on it (happy to say it now has over 195,000). I made a deal with them to only value the car at $1500 (the state of FL has certain rules about totalled vehocles... basically they dont care if it is valued at under $1500... $1501 and the car would not be street legal) and give me near that amount for the repairs and I would take care of it... Well, I got the trunk operable again, but I never actually made the repairs (waiting to rebuild the car at 200,000 miles). Car runs great, but doesn't look as great... is perfectly safe... AND... I had a parts car with a good back end, that I had paid $250 or $350 for, so I ended up making money off the parts I would have had to purchase...

basically, see what they would do if you wanted to keep the car and make the rpairs... if you have a good car then you might want to hold on to it... none of my cars have airbags and i dont see the need for them... the only injuries i have had in the 4 accidents I have been in were from seatbelts and one permanent one from my knee hitting the dash... an airbag is NOT going to prevent those injuries :-/

"Komang" wrote in message news:c0tt2o$phm$ snipped-for-privacy@peabody.colorado.edu...

Reply to
VWGirl

I don't see why used airbags would not work... maybe rebuilt ones, but used ones should work as well as the ones on his car did... I set off an airbag at school one day that had been sitting on the shelf for 10 years and there was nothing wrong with it... it's just a chemical reaction so far as i know...

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Reply to
VWGirl

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