My 1998 Dodge RAM 2500 was in a collision last month in which I was t-boned by a car that ran a red light. There's extensive damage, and the frame is bent.
The insurance company first said that the truck was repairable, but the
2nd inspector said they were going to total it. I assumed they were going to give me the blue book value of around $8000, so I asked them to please repair it instead. They agreed, but mentioned that they had valued the vehicle at just over $13k.The repair estimate is $9055, and that doesn't include possibly replacing the dash (until they pull the frame they won't know if the dash will pop back). Should I have it repaired, or take the total value?
Truck is a 1998 V10 quad cab with only 69k miles. I've also added a bed liner, trailer brake controller and a removable gooseneck hitch.
I'm concerned about pulling my horses with this truck. Also, I could get a newer truck with similar features for around $15k. Does totalling a car affect my insurance rates any more than repairing it? Will repairing it affect the long-term value or reliability?
Help!