Need advice from GM Specialists

[jwsZ71]

I am new to the forum so bear with me. My wife has a brand new 2015 GMC Canyon in which she was involved in a rear-ended collision in. The guy that hit her has USAA insurance and after taking the vehicle in, it was determined that the Frame is bent way beyond re-pair. The interesting part is that USAA is saying that since the vehicle is so new (3400 miles on it) that the cost to total would be too high. What they want to do is remove the existing frame and re-place it with a new frame from GM and then re-build it with all the existing parts. The Kicker is that GM hasn’t even started making replacement frames for the Canyon yet so it will be at least 6 months until one is available. So she will be in a rental until then.

 

Am I missing something? I have never heard of anyone doing a frame transplant before. Is this something that is normal? The value of the vehicle is said to be $34,000 but their cost analysis says that it would be more cost effective to fix it. They say that the cost will only be $12,000 to repair it. How is that right? A busted tail light cost over a grand, how are they going to do all that for $12,000? That vehicle will never be the same. Plus, will the full warranty that we bought for that vehicle even be worth the value of the paper it’s written on? The guy at the repair shop told my wife that they should total it out and the adjuster agreed, but now after the “cost analysis” everyone is changing their story.

 

Could someone please enlighten me on this process or give me some advice?

 

[pcf]

You may need to get a lawyer involved. Not some low rate ambulance chaser either.

 

No offense intended, but it doesn't sound like you know what you're doing and the internet is a horrible place for legal advise. No one here is going to testify for you in court or offer more than an apology if things don't work out.

 

If you haven't entered into any sort of agreement with USAA, don't just yet.

 

I would recommend you go to the Texas Department of Insurance and read up on the Consumer Bill of Rights and as well as repair procedures.

 

You also need to consider who's paying your note while your truck sits, depreciation while your truck sits, diminished value from the crash, negligence by the other driver, reasonable time frames for repair, etc.

 

I'm not saying that if you hire a lawyer that you're going to have a perfect or happy outcome, but you don't seem happy with the way that things are going now. You're best bet may be to find someone that knows what they are doing to help you.

[00Silverado4x4]

Me personally I would much rather take the chance with a new frame vs a "repaired" frame. However, a 6-month wait, even though insurance (at least better be) paying for a rental for the entire time, would think is a factor to total vs repair, but that's me thinking logically. For all that mess they may as well just buy your wife a new truck and carry on. Again me thinking logically.

[KARNUT]

Not something I would except . I had a warranty engine once, took them six months to get it all dialed in. I would explain to them that her back is starting to ack up, is it stress or the accident or both worrying about the truck. That should move them along.

 

 

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[Duelin]

Do you have it at a body shop or the dealer? I would have it taken to a dealer. A lot of insurance companies don't like dealing with dealers. Also If you end up having to replace the frame and you have a problem then it was done by a GM certified representative. That way GM or the dealer can't say that a body shop didn't do something right and we can't help you.

 

But the first thing I would do is talk to your insurance company. Ask them if they will total it. I assume you have collision on the vehicle. If not make sure you get what ever amount of money that the collision will depreciate your vehicle. If they don't want to work with you then its time to get a Lawyer.

[gmtech4]

I was a GM tech , they have body shops , I think you can ask where it is fixed , check on that ..

 

A new frame is one **** of a job ,,,, but it can be done by an anal tech ,

 

I get the whole cost thing , I may have done it a few bazillion times in the tranny bay

 

I'm on the fence wether it should be done and also know the cost comparison thing as well

 

Good luck

[Doug_Scott]

I was a GM tech , they have body shops , I think you can ask where it is fixed , check on that ..

 

A new frame is one **** of a job ,,,, but it can be done by an anal tech ,

 

I get the whole cost thing , I may have done it a few bazillion times in the tranny bay

 

I'm on the fence wether it should be done and also know the cost comparison thing as well

 

Good luck

 

I wouldn't want to be the one doing it by myself. I have usually found someone in the shops where I worked that I could both trust and work with. Makes this type of job a lot easier to handle.

I would still pressure the insurance company on how the loss of value is going to be handled. Maybe even get the used car department at the dealership to speak up on what they would do when they saw the car fax on this truck after a frame replacement. If a loaner vehicle is being supplied for the 6 months projected wait on parts, the rental should be of equal value, including being a truck if the wrecked truck was being used like one, or was needed to be a truck for physical reasons.

[MikeNH]

Re-framing isn't as bad as you're making it out to be but I understand the concern. Find a body shop you're confident in and you'll get back the truck as good as new, if not better honestly.

[RyanbabZ71]

Toyota is replacing frames on tacomas as part of a recall due to rust.

 

I am with you though I would push for it being totaled. A 6 month wait is unacceptable. Might use the L word (lawyer)

 

 

Ryan

[Doug_Scott]

As others have said, replacing a section of the chassis is not a bad thing. Assuming the part is not being welded in. If it a section that gets cut out, and welded back in, that to me is the same as taking two cars that were crashed at opposite ends and making one car from it. Insurance would never insure it, so, they cannot possibly expect you to accept them doing that. I don't think that is the case here, the bent portion is likely a bolt in section.

 

The point I would bring up with the insurance company is how does this impact the life of your vehicle? Once this damage hits CarFax what does that do to the value of your truck? Its nice that they are fixing it, but don't they also have to make you "whole"? In other words, put you back in the position you were in prior to their client damaging your vehicle.

 

As strange as it sounds, you are being impacted because your truck is simply too new. Another 6 months and it may not be deemed repairable. Even though they are providing you a rental for the 6 months, you are losing the value in the truck that you do not get to use. When you own a car, every day you drive it, you get some value out of the vehicle, and the value goes down. Today your 2015 truck is a current model year vehicle, in 6 months it will be one model year old, and be worth less, but, you did not get that value. A truck is not the same as a Camry rental. Are you working with your insurance company, or with the other drivers insurance company? You may want to approach your insurance company to get their input on this as well. As I said, CarFax will be showing this vehicle as being in a wreck that necessitated an extensive repair. Even though the repair is very likely not going to be an issue, the other points I have brought up are issues to me though.

[gmtech4]

I wouldn't want to be the one doing it by myself. I have usually found someone in the shops where I worked that I could both trust and work with. Makes this type of job a lot easier to handle.

I would still pressure the insurance company on how the loss of value is going to be handled. Maybe even get the used car department at the dealership to speak up on what they would do when they saw the car fax on this truck after a frame replacement. If a loaner vehicle is being supplied for the 6 months projected wait on parts, the rental should be of equal value, including being a truck if the wrecked truck was being used like one, or was needed to be a truck for physical reasons.

 

I'd do it in a second , can you imagine the room needed ??? Lol

[jwsZ71]

They are not replacing one area of the frame, they are talking about totally removing everything off the frame and replacing it with a completely new frame. I just don't see how that truck will ever be the same as it was before she was hit. However, I don't know, that's why I'm asking someone who does.

[barry G]

body on frame has that option to dismantle the whole thing. Fleets loved that stuff.

 

I'd rather broken and welded, than bent...

best get a whole new frame. Cabs mangled all to hell can get cut and puzzled..but frames bent the long way is terrible.

 

To get upset over real value, ponder any model just 15 years ago, is over double that now as brand new.

 

Just go with it. That may be a canyon staying a little stronger than the others with the same year.

I know if I found that for sale 10 years from now, and saw frame complete in the repairs... I'd buy it just for conversation.

[Jsdirt]

With all the electronics on these things, who's to say one or 10 of the 5,000 miles of wiring in this thing is cut or frayed - that will make things real interesting after a couple rainstorms, and after the insurance company has long since washed their hands of this thing - in other words, your stuck with it. I would run far, far away from that deal, IMO.

 

Frame swaps for rust are one thing ... but after a collision that was bad enough to bend the frame so that it's unrepairable? No thanks! The way the bodies are built these days (like soda cans), I can't fathom how that can be repaired. You can hide alot of butchering with good body work ....

 

I'd fight tooth and nail to get out of that one - you'll thank me later.