Howdy, I'm considering trading in my truck sometime in the next 6-12 months for another F150. I backed into a car in my own driveway a while back and have never fixed it. I think the obvious thing to do is to make an insurance claim and get it repaired before attempting to trade it in. I am curious just how much would a dealership would ding this damage. If there are folks on here that would have an idea, I appreciate your input!

I have been out of the body shop loop for a long time but my guess is 3-5k. Also if you claim your rates will probably go up for next 3 years and it will probably get put on a carfax report. Maybe Classic doug will chime in on this thread with his professional opinion

JP76 said:

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I have been out of the body shop loop for a long time but my guess is 3-5k. Also if you claim your rates will probably go up for next 3 years and it will probably get put on a carfax report. Maybe Classic doug will chime in on this thread with his professional opinion

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Right. This is what I was curious about. Is all of that worth the repair being done before trading in.

Thanks for the input!

Slap an aftermarket rear bumper on there and call it good.

https://www.roughcountry.com/ford-rear-led-bumper-10771.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpcs&utm_campaign=18022125814|&utm_content=&utm_term=||c||fit_first_10771-a&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImKzOpMXU_AIV7xXUAR1bmw4bEAQYAiABEgLTvfD_BwE

Thanks. Makes sense.

Your rates are going to go up anyway. Any way you can make a deer run into that?

Backing into your other car is collision. Hitting a deer is comprehensive. Might as well try to get your moneys worth. When rates go up, change carriers.

How you are going to sell the fact you were driving backwards at night at 40mph and hit a deer, I have no idea, but I've seen stranger stories work.

I was practicing my j turns

Bumper isn't so much the issue as the huge gash/tear to the rear quarter panel. That won't buff out.

Just take to a dealer and see what they'll offer. Or Carmax. Then compare to private market.

Insurance is highway robbery right now. Who knows what it would spike to with a 5k "your fault" claim.

Couldn't get shifter into Drive so you were driving in reverse and hit a deer. That's how

Tim Weaver said:

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I'd try to sell it private party. You'll take a little hit on the value, but really you'll get a LOT more in your hand vs the trade in route.

But then if you really don't want to mess with it just trade it in. That damage means nothing to a car lot that needs trucks.

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Is there a way to avoid the hit on sales tax when you buy a different vehicle without having a trade in?

Get an offer from Carmax or such and then price a replacement bumper off of craigslist/Facebook with a cheap paint job. Doesn't resolve the entirety of the damage but mejor que nada. Compare and move forward. Probably better plan of action than lying to your insurance carrier.

find a cool dealer that will let you and buyer/seller do a swap through the dealership

Yeah, I'm not gonna lie to insurance. That was just jokes.

ChoppinDs40 said:

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find a cool dealer that will let you and buyer/seller do a swap through the dealership

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Can you expand on this?

Dealer buys the car you're looking to get, you trade yours in for that one and get the sales tax deduction on the trade. You split the difference on sales tax.

Or the opposite. Just depends on who's buying/selling what.

My dad did it years ago when selling an old '86 suburban and buying a new one from the dealer. Sold it to a private buyer and "traded" it through the dealership.

You could also just lie to the tax/county collectors office on the amount you're selling it for. It's just a form you fill out.

MyNameIsJeff said:

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Tim Weaver said:

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I'd try to sell it private party. You'll take a little hit on the value, but really you'll get a LOT more in your hand vs the trade in route.

But then if you really don't want to mess with it just trade it in. That damage means nothing to a car lot that needs trucks.

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Is there a way to avoid the hit on sales tax when you buy a different vehicle without having a trade in?

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Absolutely no clue. I've only ever bought one new car and I did that paid in full with a cashiers check. New cars are a financial mistake. If you think that warranty makes the difference you would be wrong. New cars are remarkably well built to last just long enough so the warranty runs out and its easier for you to trade it in rather than pay to fix it.


I buy old cars and fix them up myself. That way I know what issues the car has. I realize this option isn't available to everyone, but to that I'd say get a CPO car with a warranty. Those cars have taken the initial depreciation hit already and you'll get some manner of warranty that may or may not help when the transmission drops out.