[johnksss]

Well, the title says it all. I crashed my S430 with 264,000+ miles and now it's a total loss.... I guess I wont be getting my mileage badge now...😭😡
Damage total, $9,400+ Dollars.... (Per the adjuster)
Ceramic dip, New Rear Struts, EIS, Front Passenger Sam & New Starter....gone.

From this

To this....

 

[markbenj]

Well, the title says it all. I crashed my S430 with 264,000+ miles and now it's a total loss.... I guess I wont be getting my mileage badge now...😭😡
Damage total, $9,400+ Dollars.... (Per the adjuster)
Ceramic dip, New Rear Struts, EIS, Front Passenger Sam & New Starter....gone.

From this
View attachment 2802443
To this....
View attachment 2802419
View attachment 2802420
View attachment 2802422
View attachment 2802440
View attachment 2802441

Yikes! I know this won't be much consolation but at least (hopefully?) no one was injured?

 

[johnksss]

Yikes! I know this won't be much consolation but at least (hopefully?) no one was injured?

I'm still waiting on my xrays to come back....

 

[markbenj]

I'm still waiting on my xrays to come back....

Ohhh... 🤞. Did the other driver accept liability for cutting across you without looking? . From your dashcam footage it looks like it.

 

[johnksss]

Ohhh... 🤞. Did the other driver accept liability for cutting across you without looking? . From your dashcam footage it looks like it.

Well at first they were acting like it was my fault and I let them carry on about it for about 5 minutes then I showed them the video and the whole conversation changed.

both insurance companies realized exactly who’s fault it was after they watch the video, so there was no arguments or discrepancies there.

 

[markbenj]

Well at first they were acting like it was my fault and I let them carry on about it for about 5 minutes then I showed them the video and the whole conversation changed.

both insurance companies realized exactly who’s fault it was after they watch the video, so there was no arguments or discrepancies there.

The (dashboard) camera doesn't lie - unlike some drivers?🤥 In the video & from the soundtrack of your ABS kicking-in / tyres screeching etc it doesn't look like you were driving at an excessive speed for the conditions (within the speed limit? / clear day / dry road / light traffic etc) and you braked hard / took evasive action as quickly as you could in impossible circumstances.

From where I'm sitting, the other driver should already have been in the 'inside' / nearside lane if they were intending to turn-off the highway? But it looks like they made a last-second decision to turn-off abruptly (from the middle lane!) and simply didn't see or check for any vehicles on the inside lane (most probably didn't check?). If you had been on a motorcycle, things could have been very different...🥺

I also notice a 'Disabled Driver' badge on dashboard of the other car. No prejudice intended, but I can't help wondering if the other driver's judgment was impaired in some way - and to the extent that it was at least a contributory factor in their dangerous manoeuvre and collision with you? (not yours with them). But of course your Motor Insurers (& the Police if necessary) will come to their own conclusions. In the UK: so long as no-one was injured, they usually fight-it out between themselves in terms of trying to reach a Settlement for Damages to the innocent party.

If it helps, I speak as an Advanced Motorist & ex-Police Associated Driver Awareness Trainer in the UK and have seen / heard of many similar Road Traffic Collisions ('Accidents') due invariably to poor driver judgement where usually, fortunately, no one is hurt or worse. But ... (you might guess the rest when things go catastrophically wrong in similar circumstances...).

Either way, I hope you get some kind of fair resolution legally & financially. And.. maybe.. you might even manage to repair your lovely S430 and restore it to its former glory? It would be a pity to consign it to the Breaker's Yard after all the time & effort you've spent on it...

 

[tusabes]

That can easily be fixed with a used hood fender and bumper $300 of parts from junkyard if you can buy the salvage and find the same color car .

 

[johnksss]

The (dashboard) camera doesn't lie - unlike some drivers?🤥 In the video & from the soundtrack of your ABS kicking-in / tyres screeching etc it doesn't look like you were driving at an excessive speed for the conditions (within the speed limit? / clear day / dry road / light traffic etc) and you braked hard / took evasive action as quickly as you could in impossible circumstances.

From where I'm sitting, the other driver should already have been in the 'inside' / nearside lane if they were intending to turn-off the highway? But it looks like they made a last-second decision to turn-off abruptly (from the middle lane!) and simply didn't see or check for any vehicles on the inside lane (most probably didn't check?). If you had been on a motorcycle, things could have been very different...🥺

I also notice a 'Disabled Driver' badge on dashboard of the other car. No prejudice intended, but I can't help wondering if the other driver's judgment was impaired in some way - and to the extent that it was at least a contributory factor in their dangerous manoeuvre and collision with you? (not yours with them). But of course your Motor Insurers (& the Police if necessary) will come to their own conclusions. In the UK: so long as no-one was injured, they usually fight-it out between themselves in terms of trying to reach a Settlement for Damages to the innocent party.

If it helps, I speak as an Advanced Motorist & ex-Police Associated Driver Awareness Trainer in the UK and have seen / heard of many similar Road Traffic Collisions ('Accidents') due invariably to poor driver judgement where usually, fortunately, no one is hurt or worse. But ... (you might guess the rest when things go catastrophically wrong in similar circumstances...).

Either way, I hope you get some kind of fair resolution legally & financially. And.. maybe.. you might even manage to repair your lovely S430 and restore it to its former glory? It would be a pity to consign it to the Breaker's Yard after all the time & effort you've spent on it...

The only people that had an issue was the driver and his son until the saw the video. Their insurance company took full responsibility immediately. So no issues with any of that. And that was on surface streets where he tried to run right into the parking lot. Which is 100% illegal in California. Turing across 1 lane let alone 3.

As to my stopping distance...That was about 75 feet at best.

 

[markbenj]

The only people that had an issue was the driver and his son until the saw the video. Their insurance company took full responsibility immediately. So no issues with any of that. And that was on surface streets where he tried to run right into the parking lot. Which is 100% illegal in California. Turing across 1 lane let alone 3.

As to my stopping distance...That was about 75 feet at best.

Thank goodness you had the Dashcam footage as Evidence. I hope you'll get a fair result from your / their Insurers to cover the costs to repair the damage to your car? Fingers crossed and please keep us posted... 🤞

 

[wallyp]

It will be interesting to see what the insurance companies have managed to sneak thru/bribe into the law in California. In Georgia, it is now almost impossible to keep the car and clean title for a total loss.

 

[johnksss]

That can easily be fixed with a used hood fender and bumper $300 of parts from junkyard if you can buy the salvage and find the same color car .

Yeah, that's going to be a big 10/4 negative! A hood and a fender and bumper for 300? LOL
Fender is 150+
Hood if you can even find one that hasn't been damaged 200+
And undamaged bumper in a junkyard? Not out here. So it has to be bought already taken off. 300+
Not sure where this 300 dollars is coming from. Not to mention those parts all have to be treated, painted and ceramic dipped.
My headlight is 350+(R+L) +200 for the bulbs so 500+ dollars. Their quote for 1 OEM headlight... 900$ And that was for everything that goes into that light. I gather.


The car is now salvaged and my insurance will not insure a salvaged title car with full coverage insurance. That's a done deal.

You only see where they put the wheel straight for the time being but the suspension is also messed up. Their parts total was about 4500 and then they had a used and aftermarkets parts list that was far less expensive. Plus labor would be far less expensive as well. You forget what is under that particular part of the car as the AC is messed up as well.

Lots of unseen stuff and I'm not about to take chances when I can just get something else.

Lesson learned though, time to look in to getting modified insurance.

 

[johnksss]

Thank goodness you had the Dashcam footage as Evidence. I hope you'll get a fair result from your / their Insurers to cover the costs to repair the damage to your car? Fingers crossed and please keep us posted... 🤞

I could have put in the time and work and paid and probably got it fixed for about 4 grand, but that is in no way shape or form worth it. And they still did not put the car on a rack to find out the final extent of the damage.

Also i'm not trying to build a project car, I need another car now. LOL

It will be interesting to see what the insurance companies have managed to sneak thru/bribe into the law in California. In Georgia, it is now almost impossible to keep the car and clean title for a total loss.

I'm not keeping it and I already signed it over.
And the best you can get is liability insurance, they are not covering your car at all. At least that's with AAA, others may be different.

 

[pt_700]

my condolences. my wife totaled our '98 e430 (280+k miles) rear ending someone. couple of body shops who saw the damage said at least $6-7k, we ended up selling to a wrecker... i'm surprised at your cost to fix, doesn't look nearly as bad.

what fate, our poor e430?

this happened yesterday, no injuries. can't yet speak to the how... while i think i know the answer, what to do with the poor ol' girl (the car, not the driver ;))? of concern is the wheelbase on that side now appears to be about 3/4" shorter although that could be a bent steering component...

www.benzworld.org

i can't share our footage, unfortunately... painful to watch and listen to, she'd kill me...

i won't own another car without installing a good dashcam and have an extra that goes into borrowed / rented cars.

 

[johnksss]

my condolences. my wife totaled our '98 e430 (280+k miles) rear ending someone. couple of body shops who saw the damage said at least $6-7k, we ended up selling to a wrecker... i'm surprised at your cost to fix, doesn't look nearly as bad.

what fate, our poor e430?

this happened yesterday, no injuries. can't yet speak to the how... while i think i know the answer, what to do with the poor ol' girl (the car, not the driver ;))? of concern is the wheelbase on that side now appears to be about 3/4" shorter although that could be a bent steering component...

www.benzworld.org

i can't share our footage, unfortunately... painful to watch and listen to, she'd kill me...

i won't own another car without installing a good dashcam and have an extra that goes into borrowed / rented cars.

You saved me from visiting your thread because I was going to say the same thing to you. 😂 Sorry for your loss....😥

They tend to do retail pricing as one form then they come back with a second version with aftermarked/used and refurbished parts.

If they would have not gave it a salvaged title I may have stuck it out, but after driving a car with keyless entry, remote start and active cruise control pretty much helped to make up my mind. My car had none of this. And I did not want to go through the headache of trying to retro fit any of it either.

 

[speedn_j]

Well at first they were acting like it was my fault and I let them carry on about it for about 5 minutes then I showed them the video and the whole conversation changed.

both insurance companies realized exactly who’s fault it was after they watch the video, so there was no arguments or discrepancies there.

Shoukd of let them put all that nonsense on a police report and let them tell the insurance… then bring out the dashcam.

 

[johnksss]

Shoukd of let them put all that nonsense on a police report and let them tell the insurance… then bring out the dashcam.

I actually call the police first as I needed a translator and they sent out a traffic enforcement officer, but did not take any reports.

At the end of the day none of that was needed as once the video was shown, any doubts went out the windows. They ruled in my favor in less than 2 days.

 

[tusabes]

At “pick your part” salvage yards a hood fender and bumper would be under $300 . eBay prices or salvage yards that remove the parts for you would be much higher

 

[cowboyt]

I truly am sorry for the loss of your car. Also glad you had that dashcam.

Sadly, having collision insurance on these cars is not a good idea, due to the KBB/NADA "book value" of these cars at their present age, even one in as sterling a condition as yours. Can the car be fixed at a reasonable price? Yes, I think so. These cars are built very sturdily. My E320 CDI, I managed to fix, with similar damage, for about $1,000 in body parts and new brakes all around. But I didn't have suspension damage. I suspect you didn't, either, but it would take putting it up on a rack and taking a look.

Folks, it's true, dashcams don't lie. It's unfortunate that we need to have them nowadays, but that's the way our society is now.

 

[johnksss]

At “pick your part” salvage yards a hood fender and bumper would be under $300 . eBay prices or salvage yards that remove the parts for you would be much higher

Now I do not know what condition your Benz was in but I sure know what mine was and to get it back to that quality will take everything on this list and a quite a few other things to accomplish that.
Can it be done for cheaper, well the obvious answer is yes! But would I want to waste that kind of money on a salvaged title car? Hell no! I could just go buy a salvaged S55 with more options with a few extra dollars.
And as for the part about the suspension, the driver side rim was facing 45 degrees in toward the right side of the car while the other side was perfectly straight.

Here is a list of the parts needed to get it back to Mercedes Benz quality, not ghetto put together with bubble gum and duck tape. And that list is still missing things.


2001 BENZ S-Class S430 4D SED 8-4.3L Gasoline SMPI black
Line Oper Description Part Number Qty Extended
Price $
Labor Paint
1 FRONT BUMPER
2 O/H front bumper 3.6
3 * <> Repl USED bumper assy/COVER ONLY J61632 1 402.00 Incl. 2.8
+20%
4 Add for Clear Coat 1.1
5 ** Repl Non OEM LT Molding w/o
parktronic black
22088505219999 1 115.04 Incl. 0.0
6 Repl LT Stay bracket 2208850036 1 27.50 Incl.
7 ** Repl Non OEM Energy absorber center 2208851137 1 99.79 Incl.
8 ** Repl Non OEM LT Energy absorber
outer
2208850137 1 50.59 Incl.
9 Repl Reinforcement 2208850165 1 87.00 Incl.
10 ** Repl Non OEM LT Grille outer w/o
sport pkg.
2208851123 1 17.32 Incl.
11 ** Repl Non OEM LT Seal 2208850198 1 12.75 Incl.
12 FRONT LAMPS
13 O/H radiator supt s 6.6
14 ** Repl Non OEM LT Headlamp assy 2208205161 1 900.90 Incl.
15 Aim headlamps 0.5
16 R&I RT Headlamp assy 2208205261 Incl.
17 ** Repl Non OEM LT Signal lamp 220820012164 1 15.94 0.3
18 RADIATOR SUPPORT
19 Refinish Components 1.5
20 Add for Clear Coat 0.3
21 ** Repl Non OEM LT Mount frame 2206200572 1 88.70 s Incl. Incl.
22 Repl Lower c'member 2206201086 1 755.00 s Incl. Incl.
23 Repl Upper tie bar 2206200372 1 182.00 s Incl. Incl.
24 Evacuate & recharge m 1.4 M
25 Refrigerant recovery m 0.4 M
26 Repl LT Baffle 2206280398 1 8.75
27 ** Repl Non OEM LT Mount bracket 2206201931 1 70.69 0.5 0.3
28 Add for Clear Coat 0.1
29 ** Repl Non OEM LT Front shield 2205242930 1 43.66 Incl.
30 COOLING
31 * R&I Radiator 220500090364 m Incl. M
32 AIR CONDITIONER & HEATER
33 R&I Condenser 2205000454 m Incl.
34 HOOD & GRILLE
35 ** Repl Non OEM Hood 220880015728 1 1,330.56 2.3 3.2
36 Overlap Major Non-Adj. Panel -0.2
37 Add for Clear Coat 0.6
38 Add for Underside(Complete) 1.6
01/09/2023 3:22:30 PM 143800 | 1.8.07.10200 Page 2
Claim #: 015591842-I-3841
Workfile ID: ee7967ae
Estimate of Record
2001 BENZ S-Class S430 4D SED 8-4.3L Gasoline SMPI black
39 R&I Grille assy w/o proximity cruise
gray
22088003837712 Incl.
40 FENDER
41 * Repl USED LT fender assy +20% 00920005 1 215.94 1.7 2.0
42 Overlap Major Adj. Panel -0.4
43 Add for Clear Coat 0.3
44 Refn edges 0.5
45 ** Repl Non OEM LT Cover 2206902530 1 33.26 0.3
46 ** Repl Non OEM LT Bracket front 2208801114 1 18.71
47 ** Repl Non OEM LT Seal front 2208890195 1 4.34
48 * Repl USED LT Fender liner front w/o ~333649849 1 36.00 0.6
4-Matic w/o active bdy cntr
+20%
49 * Repl USED LT Fender liner rear w/o ~322832949 1 36.00 Incl.
4-Matic +20%
50 R&I LT Molding assy black 22069001629999 0.3
51 * Rpr LT Apron/railassy 2206201361 s 5.0 1.0
52 Overlap Major Non-Adj. Panel -0.2
53 FRONT DOOR
54 Blnd LT Door shell 220720010528 1.3
55 # DETRIM LT FRONT DOOR 4 1 1.5
PAINT
56 # MISCELLANEOUS OPERATIONS 1
57 # Subl 4 Wheel Alignment 1 89.95 X
58 # Adhesion Promoter 1 5.00 X 0.5
59 # Color Tint 1 X 0.5
60 # Coolant 1 18.00 T
61 # Corrosion protection 1 8.00 X 0.3
62 # Flex Additive 1 2.50 X
63 # Hazardous Waste Removal 1 3.00 X
64 # Mask Engine 1 3.00 X 0.3
65 # Mask Jambs 1 5.00 X 0.3
66 # Pull and Square 1 X 2.0 F
67 # Seam Sealer 1 8.00 X 0.3
68 # Setup and Measure 1 X 2.0 F
69 # Wheel Mount and Balance 1 12.50 X
70 # De-Nib and Polish 1 1.5
71 # Cover Car 1 8.00 X 0.2
72 # Rpr Setback/secure electrical wiring
harness/Modules 4 repairs
1.0 M
73 # Cover car 4 primer 1 5.00 X 0.2
74 ** Repl RECOND Repair & Polish 1 178.80 0.3
Aluminum wheel
75 # Wheel Mount and Balance 1 12.50 X
SUBTOTALS 4,911.69 34.4 15.8
01/09/2023 3:22:30 PM 143800 | 1.8.07.10200 Page 3
Claim #: 015591842-I-3841
Workfile ID: ee7967ae
Estimate of Record
2001 BENZ S-Class S430 4D SED 8-4.3L Gasoline SMPI black
ESTIMATE TOTALS
Category Basis Rate Cost $
Parts 4,731.24
Body Labor 27.6 hrs @ $ 63.00 /hr 1,738.80
Paint Labor 15.8 hrs @ $ 63.00 /hr 995.40
Mechanical Labor 2.8 hrs @ $ 130.00 /hr 364.00
Frame Labor 4.0 hrs @ $ 75.00 /hr 300.00
Paint Supplies 15.8 hrs @ $ 43.00 /hr 679.40
Miscellaneous 180.45
Subtotal 8,989.29
Sales Tax $ 5,428.64 @ 7.7500% 420.72
Total Cost of Repairs 9,410.01
Deductible 500.00
Total Adjustments 500.00
Net Cost of Repairs 8,910.01

 

[johnksss]

I truly am sorry for the loss of your car. Also glad you had that dashcam.

Sadly, having collision insurance on these cars is not a good idea, due to the KBB/NADA "book value" of these cars at their present age, even one in as sterling a condition as yours. Can the car be fixed at a reasonable price? Yes, I think so. These cars are built very sturdily. My E320 CDI, I managed to fix, with similar damage, for about $1,000 in body parts and new brakes all around. But I didn't have suspension damage. I suspect you didn't, either, but it would take putting it up on a rack and taking a look.

Folks, it's true, dashcams don't lie. It's unfortunate that we need to have them nowadays, but that's the way our society is now.

Thank you.

I'm going to have to disagree... Having collision allowed me to recoup some of my money for the car. Not having it would be 0. So anything above 0 is better than 0 in my book.

The car could be repaired but once they said salvage that was basically it for me....

The body shop was willing to totally work with me on getting the car back right and they come highly recommend through some of my clients. They work on high end cars and can work down to the frame.

And yes there is suspension damage. (Possibly wiring damage ac and air line damage) You can't tell from the pictures but that wheel is suppose to be straight not turned.

After I was done cussing in the car, I did get out and try to talk to the guy to see if he understood what had happen, but when people get to pointing fingers like your at fault then at that point I could careless about them and more about me. They were thinking they had two people against me to say it was my fault, but that was not the case.

PS:
It should also be noted that AAA and the body shop allowed me to remove my sound system (Sub and and amp), camera's (security cameras), rims and tires (replaced with factory rims and tires), 10" Pioneer deck (Replaced with 40 dollar radio from Walmart), 1500W/3000W inverter and spare battery along with other nick nacks that I needed.