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Are you asking yourself, “is my car or truck totaled because of “structural damage”? Can car frames be fixed?
We get asked this question on a regular basis. Here’s what you need to know.
Types Of Vehicle Frames
- Body-on Frame. The body-on frame is found on certain vehicles like trucks, and older cars. With this type of frame, the body can be removed or separated from the frame. This helps Body-On Frame Vehicles handle heavier loads.
- Modern Trucks have collapsible areas built into the Frame much like the Unibody cars. They are designed to protect the occupants from the forces of the impact.
- Unibody. Most cars built after the 1950’s began to have unibodies. Built with a body that is a self supporting structure, rather than frames like trucks and older cars. Kind of like the fuselage of a airplane.
Does Car Frame Damage Total A Car?
Most vehicles that total, do so because of the “economic” costs of fixing it.
Unibody cars are designed to collapse in the impact and absorb the force of the collision, transferring the forces around the passenger compartment. These rails have what is referred to as collapsible zones.
The cost of repairs can be for outer panels and headlights, dashboards and air bags. When the price of parts can labor add up to a percent (usually 75%) of the value of the car. It’s an economic total loss. Again most cars are repairable but not worth repairing.
More Information On Unibody And The Structure Of A Modern Car
An example is this unibody structural front rails. It has convolutions designed into the structure to absorb the force of the impact.
Is It Safe To Drive A Vehicle With Structural Damage?
Wondering if it’s safe to drive a vehicle that’s been damaged? The answer is: maybe.
Driving a vehicle with a damaged structure can result in the vehicle not able to properly protect the occupant in the next accident. It can make the car pull or not be in proper alignment.
Drivable is not the same as safe in a collision. Only a thorough inspection from a properly trained technician will be able to tell you whether or not the vehicle will be safe in a collision.
Is Car Structural Repair Safe?
When done properly with the necessary specialized equipment by certified professionals, working on the frame can make the car nearly as safe as it was prior to the accident. Understand that the vehicle must be made to collapse as designed.
Making the Unibody Vehicle or the Full Frame vehicle stronger than designed can compromise the impact force management. Also if could make air bags deploy earlier in the impact….or later.
Interesting, in layman’s terms, the repairs must leave the vehicle with equivalent strength to an undamaged vehicle of the same year, make and model. It can’t be stronger or to weaker.
Back To The “Economics” Of Repairs
Often, when it comes to structural repairs, the question is not whether or not the damage can be repaired, but whether or not it is worth repairing. Insurance companies determine this using a repair-to-value ratio.
Insurance companies typically declare a car a total loss if repairing the frame / unibody damage will cost more than the vehicle’s value.
Remember the cost of repairs may make the vehicle a total loss.
Know Your Options At Layton Carcare
Our I-CAR and ASE certified technicians are able to restore your vehicle to pre-accident condition, depending the parts required and required repair procedures.
Don’t buy a Salvage Title Car. Insurance companies are very frugal. They would have repaired the car if it could be done properly and safely and ECONOMICALLY.
Pre-purchase inspections do cost money. Typical cost is around $130 plus tax.
We will let you know whether the car you are planning on purchasing has damage or poor repairs, and whether or not your vehicle’s damage can be repaired ECONOMICALLY.
Our I-CAR and ASE certified technicians may be able to restore your vehicle to pre-accident condition, depending on the damage sustained. Contact us today to learn more.
