My 2013 Passat TDI may have been totalled

I was asleep and somebody fell asleep on my road and plowed into it. They rear ended it, took out whole backend driver side. Trunk, bumper, back glass, etc.

The car started right up though but not enough power to pull the two cars apart.

Personally, I wouldn't want it back after than much damage. Being uni-body, the unseen damage continues much further towards the front. Doubtful it can be made completely right.

Bummer, man...

My Passat was hit on the driver and passenger door and was pushed into a curb. Didn't look that bad but they stopped counting damage at 13k. Yours looks much worse than mine did. I say yours is totaled.

Sorry for the loss. Glad you and family are ok, and were not in the car.
I agree with the comment posted above: Unibody is not the same after an accident.

If it still starts and drives hang onto it and do the buyback (assuming that's more $$ than the insurance will give you).

My understanding is the car only has to drive onto the lot to qualify for the buyback.

It's interesting the side airbag went off even though the ignition was off.

-J

i don't think that is the side airbag, I think that is the plastic trim piece on that back pillar.

compu_85 said:

If it still starts and drives hang onto it and do the buyback (assuming that's more $$ than the insurance will give you).

My understanding is the car only has to drive onto the lot to qualify for the buyback.

It's interesting the side airbag went off even though the ignition was off.

-J

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From this statement, you may want to have the insurance fix it and then do the buyback. It's too bad that the buyback dates aren't closer so you could find out if you would be able to drive it to the dealer as is.

That's too bad. I hate it when nice cars are wrecked because of carelessness. At least no one was hurt.

Good news is if you want another there should be bought back and repaired ones available in a few months.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

Good news is if you want another there should be bought back and repaired ones available in a few months.

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Well I don't about that. From reading the threads here many will ignore normal care, abuse, strip parts on the the cars they are going to get rid of with the buy back. I wouldn't want one of those....would you?

The important thing to be aware of is that ownership must not change before the opt-out date. So if the insurance company does total it, you should delay the actual transfer of title until after that date.

Don't even take my word for it. Look into it yourself, and be very careful taking any advice on this forum, as most of it is rubbish.\

It appears to be on a tow truck. I would not have even let it out of my sight. Put it in the driveway until you decide what to do.

MichaelB said:

Well I don't about that. From reading the threads here many will ignore normal care, abuse, strip parts on the the cars they are going to get rid of with the buy back. I wouldn't want one of those....would you?

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I don't think that's a lot different from what a lot of car owners do now. Just have to be careful about what you buy.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

Good news is if you want another there should be bought back and repaired ones available in a few months.

Click to expand...

Well I don't about that. From reading the threads here many here will ignore normal care, abuse, strip parts on the the cars they are going to get rid of with the buy back. I wouldn't want one of those....would you? There has even been talk of to having it towed across the street and driving it on the lot to say it was delivered under it's own power. These are the guy's on this forum think about the others that really didn't give a crap about their car in the first place.

These are the important parts from https://www.vwcourtsettlement.com/en/

Who is excluded from participating in the Class Action Settlement? (ONLY INCLUDED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THIS THREAD)
The following entities and individuals are excluded from the class:
Owners whose Volkswagen or Audi 2.0-liter TDI vehicle (1) could not be driven under the power of its own 2.0-liter TDI engine on June 28, 2016, or (2) had a branded title of assembled, dismantled, flood, junk, rebuilt, reconstructed, or salvage on September 18, 2015, and was acquired from a junkyard or salvage yard after September 18, 2015;
Owners who sell or otherwise transfer ownership of their Volkswagen or Audi 2.0-liter TDI vehicle between June 28, 2016 and September 16, 2016;

mtbsteve said:

These are the important parts from https://www.vwcourtsettlement.com/en/

Who is excluded from participating in the Class Action Settlement? (ONLY INCLUDED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THIS THREAD)
The following entities and individuals are excluded from the class:
Owners whose Volkswagen or Audi 2.0-liter TDI vehicle (1) could not be driven under the power of its own 2.0-liter TDI engine on June 28, 2016, or (2) had a branded title of assembled, dismantled, flood, junk, rebuilt, reconstructed, or salvage on September 18, 2015, and was acquired from a junkyard or salvage yard after September 18, 2015;
Owners who sell or otherwise transfer ownership of their Volkswagen or Audi 2.0-liter TDI vehicle between June 28, 2016 and September 16, 2016;

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What on earth does all that gobble de gook mean to what I just posted? I wasn't talkin' about scrapped or junked cars.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

I don't think that's a lot different from what a lot of car owners do now. Just have to be careful about what you buy.

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Normally when people trade in or sell their vehicle there are a few more things other than it runs under it's own power to be sold or traded. You are gonna have to be really careful.

MichaelB said:

What on earth does all that gobble de gook mean to what I just posted? I wasn't talkin' about scrapped or junked cars.

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"MichaelB", I didn't quote you in my original post, I should have probably quoted "Mark SF" if anyone.

My post was meant to be informative to the OP since it gives conditions of getting money from VW. Depending on what the OP would receive from insurance or if it would have any negative impact on his insurance like rates going up (most likely no since it was not his fault), he might want to understand that the car is still worth something, even in its current messed up form (at least that is how I interpret this legal writing).

If dealing with the insurance wasn't worth it he could pick up another car and then after giving this one back to VW, pay off a loan or any number of things. Remember, most people outside of TDI enthusiasts, even other TDI drivers, know almost nothing about the settlement. I wouldn't count on the insurance company to know already if a better solution (financially) than fixing it right now exists. (It would be neat if the insurance company offered some $ to tide you over until the VW check comes in but would cost less than fixing/totaling your car - probably/definitely fraud so don't count on it - but it does make the most financial sense for them) Most likely the scenario that will play out is that it will be totaled because other than the VW offer of the buyback, the car is probably worth $10k or less (blue book value).

Just as "Mark SF" mentioned, just be careful with what you are doing with the title in regards to any insurance settlement because it might heavily impact the payout.

mtbsteve said:

"MichaelB", I didn't quote you in my original post, I should have probably quoted "Mark SF" if anyone.

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mtbsteve, I gotcha sorry for the mix up it is just the way the posts followed each other. No harm no foul.

If you transfer the car to another owner between now and Sept 16th, and a write-off would count as it is a transfer to the insurance company, it won't just impact the payout, you'll be removed from the class and won't get a cent.

Mark SF said:

The important thing to be aware of is that ownership must not change before the opt-out date. So if the insurance company does total it, you should delay the actual transfer of title until after that date.

Don't even take my word for it. Look into it yourself, and be very careful taking any advice on this forum, as most of it is rubbish.\





It appears to be on a tow truck. I would not have even let it out of my sight. Put it in the driveway until you decide what to do.

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Its been towed to get an estimate for repair. I dont have another car, so I cannot sit around with it for months in my backyard. Wife and I believe things happen for a reason. So, I may lose out on my buy back money. Maybe they can fix now, and I sell back in a few months.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

That's too bad. I hate it when nice cars are wrecked because of carelessness. At least no one was hurt.

Good news is if you want another there should be bought back and repaired ones available in a few months.

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Our local news reported that all buybacks will be scrapped and never re-sold like cash for clunkers

compu_85 said:

If it still starts and drives hang onto it and do the buyback (assuming that's more $$ than the insurance will give you).
My understanding is the car only has to drive onto the lot to qualify for the buyback.
It's interesting the side airbag went off even though the ignition was off.
-J

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I wouldn't follow this advice. The agreement does not state "only has to drive on the lot...". It does state as one of the conditions, it 'has to be driven under it's own power to the dealer...'. Unless specific additional language is included stating "the condition of the car is irrelevant", then you can't assume it is.
My advice; if you have already registered for the buyback and have the estimated quote in hand, provide that to the insurance company. The buyback amount is the damages you have incurred since it's documented. If they push back and don't take it, contact VWofA and ask for help - who knows, they may provide you some backup!

I have not registered for the buyback, nor do I have any paperwork. I didn't realize that registering was even open yet or necessary.

I'm fighting the insurance companies right now because Michigan is a no-fault state, but there is an exception that states if you car is hit while legally parked, then the person at faults company is the one you put the claim through and they have to put me into a similar car rental at their cost. My Allstate agent said that wasn't true, and Allstate corporate said I could go through the other company but it could be delayed..but what they wouldn't tell me is whether i leave the claim through them if my rates go up. A friend of mine used to work for a dealer bodyshop and told me about this stipulation in the law, and a friend of mine had a similar accident and they did the exact same thing for her, so I have to obtain the police report tomorrow and call the other person's company.

I'm kinda hoping they total it and are generous and give me around 18k. If they do, that's close enough to VW's $21k, and I will let it go.

I'm considering either a Chevy Malibu hybrid or a Honda Accord Hybrid as a replacement.

VW customer care just said it had to drive into the lot under it's own engine power. They said the condition of the rest of the car DID NOT MATTER. Even if I was dragging my rear bumper and the car was not legal. I told them I would have it towed to the business next door and drive it from one driveway to the other and they said that would qualify. Maybe the were full of **** too (like my insurance agent).

jrm said:

Our local news reported that all buybacks will be scrapped and never re-sold like cash for clunkers

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I've read multiple reports that buybacks will be repaired and offered to VW dealers for sale. And my local dealer owner was told the same thing at a national dealer meeting a few weeks ago. Haven't seen any reports or documents that say they'll be crushed. I think your local news got it wrong.

jrm said:

Our local news reported that all buybacks will be scrapped and never re-sold like cash for clunkers

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Yeah. I don't think they have that accurate. If an approved fix becomes available, what good does it do to scrap perfectly acceptable cars?

Now if a fix is never approved, I could see that happening. But so far, it sounds like a fix is possible.

pparks1 said:

<snip>
VW customer care just said it had to drive into the lot under it's own engine power. They said the condition of the rest of the car DID NOT MATTER. Even if I was dragging my rear bumper and the car was not legal. I told them I would have it towed to the business next door and drive it from one driveway to the other and they said that would qualify. Maybe the were full of **** too (like my insurance agent).

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^^^^^^

The first sentence (bold mine) is what the legal settlement document says, and that is the only condition for turn-in.
Some people on this forum want to speculate about "fine print" that doesn't exist, some unspecified skullduggery on the part of VW, or that the final agreement will be somehow modified in October.
It has been noted by others that VW is on a strict timeline to implement these buybacks, and getting involved in a mare's nest of wrangling over vehicle condition is simply not going to let that happen. So— it's simple pragmatism: you want the cars turned in, just say they have to be able to get there themselves, and deal with what rolls onto the lot.
Anything else spread around the Internet is FUD and paranoia.

"Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep-"

- Buffalo Springfield, For What it's Worth

If all goes well it won't be totalled, they'll give you about $14k to fix.

Cash that check, don't fix, park til buyback, tow to outside dealer, then pull in for buyback.

Hold repair cash in reserve until buyback comolete.

pparks1 said:

I have not registered for the buyback, nor do I have any paperwork. I didn't realize that registering was even open yet or necessary.

I'm fighting the insurance companies right now because Michigan is a no-fault state, but there is an exception that states if you car is hit while legally parked, then the person at faults company is the one you put the claim through and they have to put me into a similar car rental at their cost. My Allstate agent said that wasn't true, and Allstate corporate said I could go through the other company but it could be delayed..but what they wouldn't tell me is whether i leave the claim through them if my rates go up. A friend of mine used to work for a dealer bodyshop and told me about this stipulation in the law, and a friend of mine had a similar accident and they did the exact same thing for her, so I have to obtain the police report tomorrow and call the other person's company.

I'm kinda hoping they total it and are generous and give me around 18k. If they do, that's close enough to VW's $21k, and I will let it go.

I'm considering either a Chevy Malibu hybrid or a Honda Accord Hybrid as a replacement.

VW customer care just said it had to drive into the lot under it's own engine power. They said the condition of the rest of the car DID NOT MATTER. Even if I was dragging my rear bumper and the car was not legal. I told them I would have it towed to the business next door and drive it from one driveway to the other and they said that would qualify. Maybe the were full of **** too (like my insurance agent).

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I suggest you go ahead and register it with VW. You will then have a value in hand to agrue with the appraiser.

I've never had to file a claim in Michigan but have found that involving my insurance company got things to move faster. They know you and know what you have paid them for things like this not to happen. The other company doesn't give a rat's butt about you.

Rico567 said:

^^^^^^

The first sentence (bold mine) is what the legal settlement document says, and that is the only condition for turn-in.
Some people on this forum want to speculate about "fine print" that doesn't exist, some unspecified skullduggery on the part of VW, or that the final agreement will be somehow modified in October.
It has been noted by others that VW is on a strict timeline to implement these buybacks, and getting involved in a mare's nest of wrangling over vehicle condition is simply not going to let that happen. So— it's simple pragmatism: you want the cars turned in, just say they have to be able to get there themselves, and deal with what rolls onto the lot.
Anything else spread around the Internet is FUD and paranoia.

"Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep-"

- Buffalo Springfield, For What it's Worth

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I think that there will be some modifications on the final agreement by October but they will not be that great or have a large effect on us, the owners. I had a small list but realized this isn't the thread for that.

kjclow said:

I think that there will be some modifications on the final agreement by October but they will not be that great or have a large effect on us, the owners. I had a small list but realized this isn't the thread for that.

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I'd be interested in what you feel might be modified. A different thread, sure. It doesn't belong in the Passat forum, but I believe in the General News section. Have you posted it somewhere else I haven't seen?

atc98002 said:

Yeah. I don't think they have that accurate. If an approved fix becomes available, what good does it do to scrap perfectly acceptable cars?

Now if a fix is never approved, I could see that happening. But so far, it sounds like a fix is possible.

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I think it's most likely that VW will apply the fix, and simply auction most of them. Some of the older, cheapest ones might get bought, stripped for parts, and scrapped. It seems unlikely that most VW dealers will want to clutter up their forecourts with reminders of the TDI scandal, so most buyers at auction will be smaller independent dealers.