WWMMD? Car Dilemma

bridejl · October 2015

Our main car is H's 2011 Kia Forte that is close to being paid off. We use the Kia for the majority of our driving, and we carpool to work 3 days/week. My car is a 2002 Chevy Malibu that I drive 2 days/week to work and on the occasion that we both are going different places and can't coordinate carpooling with the Kia.

The Malibu has issues:

Theft system issue when starting, which means it thinks it's being broken into and doesn't start for 10 minutes. There is no rhyme or reason for when it decides to not start right away. When it happens, we need to keep the key in the 'on' position for 10 minutes while the dashboard light flashes and I waste 10 minutes of my day. H has found videos online of ways to try to DIY fix it, but I'm not comfortable with the level of risk with that (what if something goes wrong and I'm out of a car?).
The check coolant light comes on
There is a known leak (what we believe to be oil, but aren't 100% sure).
There is a recall on the ignition switch - the fix only involves filling-in the hole on the actual key so it can't go on a keychain. Found this out today, and my annoyance with this car is flaring up...

I made an appointment for an estimate on the above issues, which costs $110 (I had no idea estimates cost this much).

Our dilemma is - repair this car to use for a couple more years, or bite the bullet and purchase a car (likely a 2013-2015 used crossover or SUV)? I hate to have another car payment, but it's inevitable at some point. The non-mortgage debt we have will be paid off in the next 6 months max - entry doors in November, Kia in the next couple months, and H's SL's within 6 months (sorry, don't have exact numbers this second). We plan to start TTC in September 2016, so I'm thinking that even if a car payment makes things tighter until the other non-mortgage debt is paid off, it may be better to have the majority of the car paid off before a baby comes and my income decreases.

What would you do?

brij2006 · October 2015

You asked what would I do....

I would find a repair shop that doesn't charge to give an estimate, and see how much it will cost to repair the items that are necessary to drive it the minimal amount of time you do each week.

If that amount is more than half the KBB value of the car, then I would sell it and buy something else with cash instead. But I would probably pinch pennies in many areas over the next couple of months to be able to buy something for a few thousand. That vehicle is rarely used, so to me there's no need to buy something $10k+.

If the cost of the repairs are less than half the KBB value of the car, then I would just go ahead and repair it and keep driving it.

Me personally, taking out debt right before having a baby or planning to have a baby is just asking for Murphy to come into your home. There are so many things that can happen when having a baby, and things can change drastically after baby is here. So I would keep my month to month as minimal as possible just in case.

simplyelise · October 2015

We have a 2000 Chevy Malibu, we'll be debt free in 10 months (no house) and plan to TTC starting October 2016. So this answer isn't just what I think you should do, it's what we're actually doing.

1. Theft system issue on Chevy Malibu's is well-documented and you can solve this by disconnecting the anti-theft system: http://tubesound.com/2009/04/27/malibu-will-not-start-disable-passlock-ii/ FREE

2. Recall on the ignition switch short term fix: just take your Malibu key off the keychain when driving. The first letter we got said to just remove all the keychains and you'd be fine. More recent letter said you should still go in and get it fixed, but this will be done for free from the dealership. And it should be able to be done quickly. FREE

3. Coolant light and oil leak you can get checked out, but chances are those are not big repairs if they need to be repaired at all. Even if you are leaking a bit of oil, it shouldn't be a huge deal if you have a bit of time before you need to re-license.

4. You need to find a mechanic who doesn't charge $110 for a look over/estimate. Maybe ask older coworkers who they like and see if you can get a recommendation.

5. Start saving for a replacement car. In 6 months you'll be debt free and you can start putting your current debt payments towards the car fund. Then keep saving until the Malibu dies. There is no reason to get a new car right now.

We just spend $1100 repairing our Malibu (brakes, rotors, calipers on front and tie rod in back) and we spent another $600 on it last year (muffler had a 3in hole and it wouldn't pass inspection) after buying new tires on it right after we bought it ($2500 purchase with $400 tires). But my husband used to travel for work and put like 30k miles on it in a year, so se la vie. We couldn't have bought a better vehicle for the amount of money we had when the repairs came up, and we're not willing to go into debt for a depreciating asset.

smerka · October 2015

I drive a 2004 Vue. I take it in about twice per year. Each time it winds up costing between $600-$1,000. I figure that even at $2,000 per year, that is less than a $300 per month car payment. I also would disable the security system, just suck it up with the key, and find someone better to check out the coolant light and oil leak. Just know that the oil leak might not be anything serious and not worth fixing. Just keep something under it in the garage or driveway.

lbonga1 · October 2015

@simplyelise had some very good suggestions. It sounds like doing those quick fixes and maybe some small repairs now will be your best bet.

As for when you do get a new car, why are you considering a crossover or SUV? Room for the baby? A hatchback would be a much more efficient option. They allow for more cargo/passenger space but use less gas. There's also plenty of options for adding more storage (roof racks, etc), which would be cheaper overall than buying a larger SUV. Maybe start saving for something like a Honda Fit or Scion xA? You don't even have to get a super new one if you aren't going to be driving it much.

dragonstarjk · October 2015

@simpleelise gave some good suggestions. Yes, getting a recall fixed should always be free, and yes I would get this one done ASAP because of the documented cases of people who have been killed when their Chevys shut off in the middle of the interstate for this known ignition problem (not bashing Chevy, I own one).

I've never heard of being charged for an estimate, I didn't know that was a thing.

Personally, I would not even consider taking on a car payment until the other car is paid off, which it will be soon. At that time, I still don't know that I would, but if you do, I don't understand the jump between a 2002 Malibu and a 2013-15 SUV. That's going to be a pretty substantial car payment when there are a lot of less expensive options if you do decide to go that route. I certainly wouldn't get a car payment if you are still planning to only use this vehicle occasionally.

jtmh2012 · October 2015

dragonstarjk said:

I've never heard of being charged for an estimate, I didn't know that was a thing.

Most dealers tend to charge for estimates because they're busy enough as it is and they tend to get a lot of people who come in and get the "free" estimate and then go do the work themselves. Most will apply the diagnostic fee to the repair work if you actually have them do the work.

As for the OP, the list of things doesn't sound that bad. The coolant light is just probably low coolant. You could fix that yourself by going to Wal-mart or your local auto parts store and buying a bottle and pouring it in while the car is cool. Unless you have a leak, this will fix the problem.

All cars just like houses need maintenance. It is normally cheaper to do the maintenance than buy a new car if you keep up with it.

MommyLiberty5013 · October 2015

Ask the dealership if the $110 estimate is deducted from the overall cost of any repair they end up doing.

To get the ignition thing fixed due to the recall, I think you have to take it to an official Chevy dealer, correct? If so, they could do all the fixes at once. We had a Chevy Impala (I hated it), but it served its purpose until we were able to get rid of it. It had trouble, but it's always cheaper to nurse along a car then totally replace it.

jtmh2012 · October 2015

For the recall, it has to go back to the dealer, but should be free. You may have to schedule it in advance though. I have an Impala affected by the recall, but haven't had it done yet. My mom also has one and has had it done. Both have been relatively trouble free at least for us.

short+sassy · October 2015

I had a Chevy Cobalt that I constantly had trouble with the ignition switch. Mainly, it sometimes would not turn out of the locked position, especially in cold weather. I even had a valet driver break my key in the ignition because of the problem, lol. They got it fixed for me and even paid for my cab ride both ways.

Then, it was a few months after that all the hoopla about the bad ignition switches started coming out. Scary stuff!

Erikan73 · October 2015

If you can afford it, repair your car. Then when Kia is paid off, put the montly payments aside into savings. You didn't have the money before, you won't miss having it. Then when either car needs repairs or mainetenance you can take from those funds. Or if you decide after a few months, you've had enough of your car, you'll have your car plus whatever money you've put aside to put down towards a newer vehicle for you.

bridejl · October 2015

Thanks for your thoughts, all! To answer some questions, the next car we purchase will be a crossover or SUV for the cargo space. We are DIY'ers around the house and have had much need for the space. We've been using my parent's van for large items, but that ends this month because they are taking insurance off of it. I said crossover or SUV because we haven't decided on which is best for us, but it's most likely that we will get a mid-size crossover. We do have the money saved for a down payment right now, ready for when our other debt is paid off. But H and I still need to decide what we ultimately want the timing to be.

I did cancel the $110 estimate and have taken my key off the chain for the ignition issue.

short+sassy · October 2015

bridejl said:

Thanks for your thoughts, all! To answer some questions, the next car we purchase will be a crossover or SUV for the cargo space. We are DIY'ers around the house and have had much need for the space. We've been using my parent's van for large items, but that ends this month because they are taking insurance off of it. I said crossover or SUV because we haven't decided on which is best for us, but it's most likely that we will get a mid-size crossover. We do have the money saved for a down payment right now, ready for when our other debt is paid off. But H and I still need to decide what we ultimately want the timing to be.

I did cancel the $110 estimate and have taken my key off the chain for the ignition issue.

I know a lot of PPs above were side-eying a charge for an estimate; however, I'm assuming that included an engine check. I'm not saying it isn't highway robbery! But that type of charge is very common where I live and is usually in the $75-$120 range...just to see what is wrong. Though the mechanics will usually deduct that off the repair if you use them.

brij2006 · October 2015

short+sassy said:

bridejl said:

Thanks for your thoughts, all! To answer some questions, the next car we purchase will be a crossover or SUV for the cargo space. We are DIY'ers around the house and have had much need for the space. We've been using my parent's van for large items, but that ends this month because they are taking insurance off of it. I said crossover or SUV because we haven't decided on which is best for us, but it's most likely that we will get a mid-size crossover. We do have the money saved for a down payment right now, ready for when our other debt is paid off. But H and I still need to decide what we ultimately want the timing to be.

I did cancel the $110 estimate and have taken my key off the chain for the ignition issue.

I know a lot of PPs above were side-eying a charge for an estimate; however, I'm assuming that included an engine check. I'm not saying it isn't highway robbery! But that type of charge is very common where I live and is usually in the $75-$120 range...just to see what is wrong. Though the mechanics will usually deduct that off the repair if you use them.

If your check engine light is on, you can pull into any Auto Zone, Oreilly's, Advanced Auto Parts, or NAPA auto parts store and have them run a diagnostics with their computer. = Free

I have flat out asked them when they tell me what the code is, if it's something that's urgent to repair or not.

Then you can call around to repair shops and ask, "how much will it cost to replace an O2 Sensor on a 2002 Chevrolet Malibu?"

simplyelise · October 2015

brij2006 said:

short+sassy said:

bridejl said:

Thanks for your thoughts, all! To answer some questions, the next car we purchase will be a crossover or SUV for the cargo space. We are DIY'ers around the house and have had much need for the space. We've been using my parent's van for large items, but that ends this month because they are taking insurance off of it. I said crossover or SUV because we haven't decided on which is best for us, but it's most likely that we will get a mid-size crossover. We do have the money saved for a down payment right now, ready for when our other debt is paid off. But H and I still need to decide what we ultimately want the timing to be.

I did cancel the $110 estimate and have taken my key off the chain for the ignition issue.

I know a lot of PPs above were side-eying a charge for an estimate; however, I'm assuming that included an engine check. I'm not saying it isn't highway robbery! But that type of charge is very common where I live and is usually in the $75-$120 range...just to see what is wrong. Though the mechanics will usually deduct that off the repair if you use them.

If your check engine light is on, you can pull into any Auto Zone, Oreilly's, Advanced Auto Parts, or NAPA auto parts store and have them run a diagnostics with their computer. = Free

I have flat out asked them when they tell me what the code is, if it's something that's urgent to repair or not.
Then you can call around to repair shops and ask, "how much will it cost to replace an O2 Sensor on a 2002 Chevrolet Malibu?"

Omg this exactly. We've replaced three O2 sensors on our Malibu.

jtmh2012 · October 2015

bridejl said:

We've been using my parent's van for large items, but that ends this month because they are taking insurance off of it.

This may not apply in your state, but before they take insurance off of it, make sure they don't also have to turn in the plates first. I live in Virginia and if you remove insurance, the insurance company reports that to the DMV. The DMV will then assess you the Uninsured Motorist Fee.

No idea if any other states do this, but just wanted to point it out in case it applied. I've had a few friends hit by this.

hoffse · October 2015

jtmh2012 said:

bridejl said:

We've been using my parent's van for large items, but that ends this month because they are taking insurance off of it.
This may not apply in your state, but before they take insurance off of it, make sure they don't also have to turn in the plates first. I live in Virginia and if you remove insurance, the insurance company reports that to the DMV. The DMV will then assess you the Uninsured Motorist Fee.

No idea if any other states do this, but just wanted to point it out in case it applied. I've had a few friends hit by this.

Ours does this too in a roundabout way. They send out insurance verification forms a couple times a year and then check to make sure the info is correct that you fill out.

bridejl · October 2015

hoffse said:

jtmh2012 said:

bridejl said:

We've been using my parent's van for large items, but that ends this month because they are taking insurance off of it.
This may not apply in your state, but before they take insurance off of it, make sure they don't also have to turn in the plates first. I live in Virginia and if you remove insurance, the insurance company reports that to the DMV. The DMV will then assess you the Uninsured Motorist Fee.

No idea if any other states do this, but just wanted to point it out in case it applied. I've had a few friends hit by this.

Ours does this too in a roundabout way. They send out insurance verification forms a couple times a year and then check to make sure the info is correct that you fill out.

Interesting thoughts - thanks! I'll have to look into our state's rules.

brij2006 · October 2015

hoffse said:

jtmh2012 said:

bridejl said:

We've been using my parent's van for large items, but that ends this month because they are taking insurance off of it.
This may not apply in your state, but before they take insurance off of it, make sure they don't also have to turn in the plates first. I live in Virginia and if you remove insurance, the insurance company reports that to the DMV. The DMV will then assess you the Uninsured Motorist Fee.

No idea if any other states do this, but just wanted to point it out in case it applied. I've had a few friends hit by this.

Ours does this too in a roundabout way. They send out insurance verification forms a couple times a year and then check to make sure the info is correct that you fill out.

I wish our state did any of this. As an insurance agent who works with people who come in without insurance or a clients gets into an accident with someone who is not insured, it's frustrating. Don't have insurance, don't drive the vehicle. Plain and simple.

short+sassy · October 2015

brij2006 said:

hoffse said:

jtmh2012 said:

bridejl said:

We've been using my parent's van for large items, but that ends this month because they are taking insurance off of it.
This may not apply in your state, but before they take insurance off of it, make sure they don't also have to turn in the plates first. I live in Virginia and if you remove insurance, the insurance company reports that to the DMV. The DMV will then assess you the Uninsured Motorist Fee.

No idea if any other states do this, but just wanted to point it out in case it applied. I've had a few friends hit by this.

Ours does this too in a roundabout way. They send out insurance verification forms a couple times a year and then check to make sure the info is correct that you fill out.

I wish our state did any of this. As an insurance agent who works with people who come in without insurance or a clients gets into an accident with someone who is not insured, it's frustrating. Don't have insurance, don't drive the vehicle. Plain and simple.

Where I live in NOLA, our auto ins. is crazy high because we have a much higher than average percentage of uninsured motorists on the road. For example, I have a perfect driving record, but my comp./coll. is $210/month. And it would be another $25/month if I didn't pay my 6-month premium up front.

I was in an accident about ten years ago. 100% the other driver's fault. She gave me her up to date insurance card. Or at least it looked up to date. So I called her insurance later that day to report the accident. NOPE! No insurance. The agent told me she had paid for the first month and gotten her card...then never paid again so it was cancelled.

short+sassy · October 2015

jtmh2012 said:

bridejl said:

We've been using my parent's van for large items, but that ends this month because they are taking insurance off of it.
This may not apply in your state, but before they take insurance off of it, make sure they don't also have to turn in the plates first. I live in Virginia and if you remove insurance, the insurance company reports that to the DMV. The DMV will then assess you the Uninsured Motorist Fee.

No idea if any other states do this, but just wanted to point it out in case it applied. I've had a few friends hit by this.

This is exactly how it is done in Louisiana also. I also found out the hard way a few years ago...to the tune of $180. And that was after the DMV lady was nice and cut the original fine in half.

brij2006 · October 2015

short+sassy said:

brij2006 said:

hoffse said:

jtmh2012 said:

bridejl said:

We've been using my parent's van for large items, but that ends this month because they are taking insurance off of it.
This may not apply in your state, but before they take insurance off of it, make sure they don't also have to turn in the plates first. I live in Virginia and if you remove insurance, the insurance company reports that to the DMV. The DMV will then assess you the Uninsured Motorist Fee.

No idea if any other states do this, but just wanted to point it out in case it applied. I've had a few friends hit by this.

Ours does this too in a roundabout way. They send out insurance verification forms a couple times a year and then check to make sure the info is correct that you fill out.

I wish our state did any of this. As an insurance agent who works with people who come in without insurance or a clients gets into an accident with someone who is not insured, it's frustrating. Don't have insurance, don't drive the vehicle. Plain and simple.

Where I live in NOLA, our auto ins. is crazy high because we have a much higher than average percentage of uninsured motorists on the road. For example, I have a perfect driving record, but my comp./coll. is $210/month. And it would be another $25/month if I didn't pay my 6-month premium up front.
I was in an accident about ten years ago. 100% the other driver's fault. She gave me her up to date insurance card. Or at least it looked up to date. So I called her insurance later that day to report the accident. NOPE! No insurance. The agent told me she had paid for the first month and gotten her card...then never paid again so it was cancelled.

I can't even tell you how common this is. Thankfully our agency doesn't write "riskier" business, but we will have some filter through every once in a while.
I had someone call me the day they got pulled over, to get insurance. She received a ticket for no insurance. She paid the first months' premium, went to court and proved she had insurance on that date, then never paid it again. She drops her daughter off for dance 1/week right in front of our office. We joke to not get into an accident with her, because we know she doesn't have insurance.

The only plus is if someone has a loan on their vehicle, then they're required to have insurance. Most loan companies are on top of this. We receive a lot of requests from the loan company to prove someones' insurance.

dragonstarjk · October 2015

brij2006 said:

hoffse said:

jtmh2012 said:

bridejl said:

We've been using my parent's van for large items, but that ends this month because they are taking insurance off of it.
This may not apply in your state, but before they take insurance off of it, make sure they don't also have to turn in the plates first. I live in Virginia and if you remove insurance, the insurance company reports that to the DMV. The DMV will then assess you the Uninsured Motorist Fee.

No idea if any other states do this, but just wanted to point it out in case it applied. I've had a few friends hit by this.

Ours does this too in a roundabout way. They send out insurance verification forms a couple times a year and then check to make sure the info is correct that you fill out.

I wish our state did any of this. As an insurance agent who works with people who come in without insurance or a clients gets into an accident with someone who is not insured, it's frustrating. Don't have insurance, don't drive the vehicle. Plain and simple.

*Stuck in the box* Ditto this, as somebody who has been hit by an uninsured motorist. The only thing you have to do in our state is sign your vehicle registration card saying 'yes, I have insurance'. They don't check it, ever.

@short+sassy, this is pretty much what happened to me. Lady rear-ended me, handed me her insurance card and driver's license, everything looked legit. Filed a claim w/ her supposed insurance and it was not active. My insurance agency is currently in subrogration to try to reclaim their expenses and my deductible. So annoying.

dragonstarjk · October 2015

brij2006 said:

short+sassy said:

brij2006 said:

hoffse said:

jtmh2012 said:

bridejl said:

We've been using my parent's van for large items, but that ends this month because they are taking insurance off of it.
This may not apply in your state, but before they take insurance off of it, make sure they don't also have to turn in the plates first. I live in Virginia and if you remove insurance, the insurance company reports that to the DMV. The DMV will then assess you the Uninsured Motorist Fee.

No idea if any other states do this, but just wanted to point it out in case it applied. I've had a few friends hit by this.

Ours does this too in a roundabout way. They send out insurance verification forms a couple times a year and then check to make sure the info is correct that you fill out.

I wish our state did any of this. As an insurance agent who works with people who come in without insurance or a clients gets into an accident with someone who is not insured, it's frustrating. Don't have insurance, don't drive the vehicle. Plain and simple.

Where I live in NOLA, our auto ins. is crazy high because we have a much higher than average percentage of uninsured motorists on the road. For example, I have a perfect driving record, but my comp./coll. is $210/month. And it would be another $25/month if I didn't pay my 6-month premium up front.
I was in an accident about ten years ago. 100% the other driver's fault. She gave me her up to date insurance card. Or at least it looked up to date. So I called her insurance later that day to report the accident. NOPE! No insurance. The agent told me she had paid for the first month and gotten her card...then never paid again so it was cancelled.

I can't even tell you how common this is. Thankfully our agency doesn't write "riskier" business, but we will have some filter through every once in a while.
I had someone call me the day they got pulled over, to get insurance. She received a ticket for no insurance. She paid the first months' premium, went to court and proved she had insurance on that date, then never paid it again. She drops her daughter off for dance 1/week right in front of our office. We joke to not get into an accident with her, because we know she doesn't have insurance.

The only plus is if someone has a loan on their vehicle, then they're required to have insurance. Most loan companies are on top of this. We receive a lot of requests from the loan company to prove someones' insurance.

Yeah, the bank where I work is pretty on top of this. We track insurance coverage regularly, and if it's discovered that a loan holder does not have it on their collateral, we will 'place' insurance on their behalf--at the customer's expense. It's super-expensive and has resulted in more than a handful of customers rushing in to get their insurance renewed so they don't have to pay for the force-placed insurance.

julieanne912 · October 2015

I was rear-ended by a guy who was driving a car that was insured, I got the info etc. He actually took off when I said I wanted to call the police to do a police report, even though it was a minor accident. We found out later that the car was indeed insured, but it was his girlfriend's car, and he was listed on the policy as an "excluded driver" so his insurance wouldn't pay out His license was revoked and he had countless traffic violations. Add a hit and run to that now I guess. My deductible on my insurance (I have uninsured driver protection) was $500.... the repair was $680, so I didn't even bother fixing it (My bumper was just scraped up). I guess I could have lawyered up and sued his insurance company but it wasn't worth the effort.

Side note: They ended up finding him, and the investigator working on the case asked me to write a letter about what happened and provide repair quotes to present in court. He had to pay restitution to me, which they garnished his wages for. For 3 years I got checks here and there for random amounts until it was paid off. I traded in the car about a year later so I just kept the money.

short+sassy · October 2015

julieanne912 said:

I was rear-ended by a guy who was driving a car that was insured, I got the info etc. He actually took off when I said I wanted to call the police to do a police report, even though it was a minor accident. We found out later that the car was indeed insured, but it was his girlfriend's car, and he was listed on the policy as an "excluded driver" so his insurance wouldn't pay out His license was revoked and he had countless traffic violations. Add a hit and run to that now I guess. My deductible on my insurance (I have uninsured driver protection) was $500.... the repair was $680, so I didn't even bother fixing it (My bumper was just scraped up). I guess I could have lawyered up and sued his insurance company but it wasn't worth the effort.

Side note: They ended up finding him, and the investigator working on the case asked me to write a letter about what happened and provide repair quotes to present in court. He had to pay restitution to me, which they garnished his wages for. For 3 years I got checks here and there for random amounts until it was paid off. I traded in the car about a year later so I just kept the money.

Wow! I've heard of such things (restitution), but I figured the person owed the money is usually just SOL the majority of the time. That's great you eventually got the money back.

I had a former boss who was rear-ended by a guy at like 10AM on Sunday morning. The guy was already super drunk (or maybe leftover drunk from Sat.). They exchanged information, but then the guy got antsy knowing the police were coming and took off. When the officer arrived, he asked my boss if he had any of the guy's information.

My boss hands the officer the guy's driver's license and insurance information. In his drunken haste to leave, the guy had forgotten to retrieve those items!

julieanne912 · October 2015

short+sassy said:

julieanne912 said:

I was rear-ended by a guy who was driving a car that was insured, I got the info etc. He actually took off when I said I wanted to call the police to do a police report, even though it was a minor accident. We found out later that the car was indeed insured, but it was his girlfriend's car, and he was listed on the policy as an "excluded driver" so his insurance wouldn't pay out His license was revoked and he had countless traffic violations. Add a hit and run to that now I guess. My deductible on my insurance (I have uninsured driver protection) was $500.... the repair was $680, so I didn't even bother fixing it (My bumper was just scraped up). I guess I could have lawyered up and sued his insurance company but it wasn't worth the effort.

Side note: They ended up finding him, and the investigator working on the case asked me to write a letter about what happened and provide repair quotes to present in court. He had to pay restitution to me, which they garnished his wages for. For 3 years I got checks here and there for random amounts until it was paid off. I traded in the car about a year later so I just kept the money.

Wow! I've heard of such things (restitution), but I figured the person owed the money is usually just SOL the majority of the time. That's great you eventually got the money back.
I had a former boss who was rear-ended by a guy at like 10AM on Sunday morning. The guy was already super drunk (or maybe leftover drunk from Sat.). They exchanged information, but then the guy got antsy knowing the police were coming and took off. When the officer arrived, he asked my boss if he had any of the guy's information.
My boss hands the officer the guy's driver's license and insurance information. In his drunken haste to leave, the guy had forgotten to retrieve those items!

Yeah I pretty much though the money would be a wash so I was surprised to receive the first check in the mail. It actually came from the court vs him directly.

And yeah, on this particular highway we were on, they have courtesy tow trucks driving around during morning traffic to help clear accidents etc. One happened to be right behind us when he hit me, so he pulled over behind us and was writing up his own report, so he got the guy's license plate number. Once the police showed up they put in the number and found a picture of him (since this obviously wasn't his first time messing up with the car), and asked if that was him, which it was.

lbonga1 · October 2015

I've unfortunately had poor experiences with giving others my insurance information. It seems like everyone is trying to take advantage of a poor situation. I had one time when I was backing out of a parking spot at a gas station and a lady pulled her truck up to the pump area at the same time, but she pulled up way too far forward and was blocking the driveway where I was backing out (I had to do a five-point turn to get out of the spot when I left). I happened to turn my head to check the other direction at the same time she was pulling up so I didn't see her, but I was backing out very slowly. I got a small scratch on the corner of my bumper, and her plastic front license frame cracked, no damage to her truck. I gave her my insurance info anyway, and she tried to file a claim...what she was trying to get out of it, I have no idea. My insurance company dropped it.

Another time I took a turn a little too sharp in a parking garage and bumped the corner of someone's bumper. I left a piece of paper with my phone number and insurance info on their windshield. My insurance premium doubled after that, and I called to find out why it went up so much because the repair couldn't have been that expensive. It turned out that the person chose their own repair shop, and even though the repair shop only needed to put in 6 hours of work on the car, the person kept a rental car for three weeks. The rental car was triple what the actual repair cost. I fought it, and my premium went back down to where it was before that.

WWMMD? Car Dilemma

Re: WWMMD? Car Dilemma

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