Totaled Wrangler - Need Help

[JL_Sahara]

Hey Everyone,

I was rear ended, their fault, and my 2021 unlimited Willy’s was totaled with only 14k miles. The issue I’m dealing with is that I had specifically spec’d this car perfectly for me and I’ll struggle to find another like this in the country to use as comps. Below are the options

manual transmission, sun and sound package, cold weather package, convenience & tech package, sarge green.

I built this exact spec’d wrangler on the Jeep website and there was not a single one in any color available nationwide. If you look at the used market, which is such a struggle to accurately option on the car finder sites, I also didn’t find another one like it.

The insurance company offered $43k. I’m not happy with that because I can’t find anything similar in that price point to replace it with, it’s all mostly Rubicon level and they’re in $50k used. They used automatic, hard top, Willy’s as comps and that’s not right.

I shouldn’t be the one getting screwed here but I may because there’s literally no comps for this trim in a manual spec’d this way.

Any one deal with something similar for these more unique spec’d Wranglers and have tips for this? It’s USAA I’m dealing with.

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[Deleted member 59498]

As far as I know you don't have to accept their first offer. Request more and explain the cost difference. Manuals are so rare I doubt you find one exactly like you had.

 

[JL_Sahara]

As far as I know you don't have to accept their first offer. Request more and explain the cost difference. Manuals are so rare I doubt you find one exactly like you had.

Definitely don’t and I didn’t. But I do have to try and build the case why. If you see my other recent post asking about the sales split, that’s to explain that manuals are significantly more limited and thus the supply on the used market is also.

 

[gato]

That is not how the insurance market works. The fact that you ordered a rather unique configuration is of no consequence.

It's like the guy who orders a purple Cadillac trying to claim that there are no comps because purple Cadillacs are rare.

Find 2021 JL 2 Willys 2 doors (forget everything else about options) with similar mileage to determine comps to make your case.

That is it. If you want to locate the exact combination, which may not exist, that is on you. Your best bet is to order a new one and put some more money on it.

Good luck. A total loss of a car you specked to your tastes always sucks.

 

[JL_Sahara]

That is not how the insurance market works. The fact that you ordered a rather unique configuration is of no consequence.

It's like the guy who orders a purple Cadillac trying to claim that there are no comps because purple Cadillacs are rare.

Find 2021 JL 2 Willys 2 doors (forget everything else about options) with similar mileage to determine comps to make your case.

That is it. If you want to locate the exact combination, which may not exist, that is on you. Your best bet is to order a new one and put some more money on it.

Good luck. A total loss of a car you specked to your tastes always sucks.

I’m not asking for an exact replica. I’m just saying that I feel the drivetrain in combination with the sun and sound package should be giving more weight when looking at comps. Again, pulling an automatic hardtop as a comp and then slightly bumping mine up because of those options when they’re significantly harder to find on the market is just BS. I do have to go brand new to replace that and I’m looking at having to spend $53k on that same optioned car.
this just feels wrong that I lose on this when I was the rear ended in traffic.

maybe I’m sound like I’m just complaining but I just have to imagine someone else has dealt this. If I’m truly just losing on this then whatever, that sucks, but I want to ask.

 

[jaymz]

Maybe your sore neck is worth another $20k?

 

[LKG]

As far as I know you don't have to accept their first offer. Request more and explain the cost difference. Manuals are so rare I doubt you find one exactly like you had.

Agreed, a good friend of mine manages an agency, she told me the same when I was in a similar situation.

 

[pyrodave]

This vin is most of what you have, minus sun and sound https://www.jeep.com/hostd/windowsticker/getWindowStickerPdf.do?vin=1C4HJXDG6MW625148
with 27K miles for under $40k https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...ntity=d494#listing=353465660/PRIORITY/DEFAULT

and a 2023 with most stuff as well for under $47k https://www.jeep.com/hostd/windowsticker/getWindowStickerPdf.do?vin=1C4HJXDG1PW534521

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/new/s...ICE&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=d494

I see a few bunch Willys Manual in Green

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...tedEntity=d494#listing=353599379/NONE/DEFAULT
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...ntity=d494#listing=353465660/PRIORITY/DEFAULT
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/new/s...tedEntity=d494#listing=346564702/NONE/DEFAULT

 

[LKG]

I’m not asking for an exact replica. I’m just saying that I feel the drivetrain in combination with the sun and sound package should be giving more weight when looking at comps. Again, pulling an automatic hardtop as a comp and then slightly bumping mine up because of those options when they’re significantly harder to find on the market is just BS. I do have to go brand new to replace that and I’m looking at having to spend $53k on that same optioned car.
this just feels wrong that I lose on this when I was the rear ended in traffic.

maybe I’m sound like I’m just complaining but I just have to imagine someone else has dealt this. If I’m truly just losing on this then whatever, that sucks, but I want to ask.

You do not sound like you're complaining, I went through this last year, it's not a fun place to be. I would keep pushing the insurance co and do not accept a low ball offer, send them the build sheet from the Jeep site and any other comps you can find.

There's a thread one here somewhere that has a list of below invoice dealers, you may have to order one especially with the manual and you may have to travel to pick it up. Manual gearbox all the way for me too so I had to deal with that as well. MSRP on my Rubi was 55K+, I was out the door at 48. Bad news, it will take a while, good news, the 24's have some significant upgrades especially on the Willis!

Again, I feel your pain, hang in there and good luck!

 

[Pig-Pen]

If you have a manual transmission and a soft top and they based their payoff on a hard top with an auto trans….it sounds like they are paying you more than you are do. The fact that you cant find a used wrangler similar to yours is really not a variable in the equation.

a sore neck can definitely help make up for the shortcomings though lol

 

[Mike_Hawk]

Can someone use current dealership markups to increase value in this situation? I'm honestly curious where that plays in to this

 

[TXRubicon]

An automatic hardtop comp is going to be higher than a manual softtop one. It sucks this happened, but they may actually be giving you a higher valuation. You can fight for more, of course using cost to replace as a factor, but your reasoning that it was 1 of 1 or 1 of few doesn’t align with how insurance does valuations.

 

[multicam]

Sorry this happened to you!

Also remember that even if the only feasible way for you to replace your jeep is to buy new due to the rarity of that combo, your insurance company isn’t replacing a new jeep. They’re trying to replace a three year old jeep with 14k miles. $43k actually didn’t sound bad at all.

Best of luck!

 

[AdamG]

Use online tools, submit a Carvana offer, etc and see how they all value it

https://www.edmunds.com/tmv.html

 

[Antonio]

I would decline it, and either do your own research or get a report from a decent company, there are services out there that do like diminished value etc you can usually find reputable companies from auto body shops etc, they know exactly how to attack and counter these insurance claims and get you the most, it will cost you so def get a quote from them first to see if it’s worth it! Either way I hate to say this you’ll never get exactly what you think you should, years ago I was hit from someone who failed to stop at a 4 way stop and had to take them to court as personal claim to get the difference simply cause I had progressive insurance and the minute they found out the other person had the same insurance it all changed cause it was the same company ?‍ originally it was don’t worry we’ll go after their insurance they’ll pay your deductible etc etc…. then ohh they have progressive too… we’ll have to see what we can do ?

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