Car Loan Terms Can Change After You Already Signed
Car owners are experiencing a frustrating cycle of unexpected costs and complications related to their vehicles. This includes high repair bills for aging cars, difficulty navigating insurance changes due to relocation or policy issues, and unexpected financial penalties. The process feels inflexible and often leaves owners feeling trapped and financially burdened.
SOURCES (60)
“Ya, for sure. They are not repairing frame damage. Scratches and dings are what they can handle.”
“Its not that it can't be repaired, it's that it's cheaper for insurance to give you the cash value of the car than to fix it. It's totaled. You could probably buy it back.”
“Hi all, I recently had a claim and I have an issue with rental and being charged extra. My vehicle was in the GEICO shop for just over a month and I have left 4 voicemails for my adjuster (2 for this issue and 2 for a different issue)and two for his supervisor and a couple messages in the app and I have never spoken to either of them. No one calls me back. Is there a good way to speak to someone on the adjuster side so I can get a call back? Or just a line for ANY adjuster I can actually speak t”
“MY CAR: 2014 Ford Focus (176k miles, paid off). Literally just spent $1,500 fixing it up right before this happened. I got rear-ended by someone, and the insurance company gave me a virtual-only estimate of $800 based on what their network mechanic could see in photos. However, I’m certain the damage is much worse because the car drives insanely bumpy now, making me think the impact bent the suspension or the frame. My biggest concern is that my car isn’t worth very much. If I take it in for a r”
“I am currently in a total loss dispute with USAA. The insurance company is using CCC Intelligent Solutions for their valuation report. CCC claims their database is "up to date" with the latest market information, yet when I look up the specific VINs of the comparable vehicles they provided on the actual dealership websites, the prices are significantly higher than what CCC is claiming in their report. USAA’s only response is that CCC pulls their data from these sites and that it is the”
“Is there any likelihood my car valuation increases? It was considered a total loss after getting whacked by a semi truck. 2017 Toyota, but 226k miles. They gave me an ACV of $2600. I disputed it based on them having the wrong vehicle location and wrong options, and provided 5 comparable cars near my area, all of which were listed well above ACV. Also a JD power NADA report, valuing the car over 8000, and Edmund’s at just under 7000. I doubt it goes up very much or at all, but how likely is it th”
“This was 3 years ago, I didn’t have insurance through the rental agency but my own personal insurance. The rental agency had all my insurance info as well. I just got a call today saying I owed 18k for the car that was totaled 3 years ago. I no longer have access to the email or my old insurance from 3 year ago. From what I can see the statute of limitations in FL is 2 years to collect. Any advice or info on the current situation would be appreciated. Edit: was 2 years to collect submitted”
“wtf is this comment section man. if you do it through your insurance you’ll likely be paying for it for the next 5 years. $200 is not enough. $700 I’d say, $500 if you’re feeling generous, otherwise insurance gets involved and they can go through their insurance, and they’ll be feeling it on their premiums for the next 5 years.”
“That’s is true, when I talked with my insurance company they told me companies are suppose to cover it not them.”
“If you don't plan on fixing it give the kid a break,also if it is the plastic bumber cover warm it up with a heat gun / hair dryer (not to hot ) then put cold water on it with a rag ...may pop it out.”
“Think about how this will be reported to Carfax and possibly affect reselling down the road. Is “Minor damage, vehicle was hit by another vehicle” worth it?”
“If you're not going to fix it, wouldn't have even noticed, it doesn't detract from resale value of the car... I'd say you got lucky with 200 bucks! Otherwise find out what it would cost to repair and ask for a portion. Personally I would decide based on whether it was a BMW or a beater that hit me, i e. if I thought they could afford it. I like spreading generosity and rewarding honesty, albeit I also live by "never set yourself on fire to keep someone else warm" so if”
“Good lord. Someone scuffed my front bumper last year in a terrible parking job. Cost $2300 to fix (their fault) $200 seems pretty insulting these days”
“If your car is new(er) and you want to keep it looking new, I would call your insurance company and let them know. I would not let this go”
“You were not at fault, so your insurance rates would not go up. I would call your insurance company and let them know what happened. Car Insurance is there for a reason; they will get your car fixed and chaise after the person who hit you to pay them back. They are there to deal with this stuff. They have big legal teams to hunt this down.”
“PDR....Paintless Dent Removal shop. Google one. A couple hundred might cover it. DON'T involve insurance! Claim goes on vehicle CarFax and diminished value can be high! Body shops have become a scam too! Insane pricing and they'll try to keep you in a rental, for a kickback. PDR.....👍”
“Dude, got to a body shop and get an estimate. Sorry but the 16 year old shouldn’t get a break lol wtf”
“I had a windshield fixed with insurance on a vehicle I no longer have - it was free with full glass coverage. With my replacement vehicle, I couldn’t get a $500 deductible because of that “claim”. Joke’s on them for now I guess since I haven’t had any major claim filed so I ended up saving money in the end.”
“They won’t raise your rates because of that phone call. But if a call is routed to claims, it’s going to be logged as a claim. And it’s bullshit. I called once to inquire if I had a deductible for glass coverage. Asked a question. Found out when I changed insurance when I asked about this claim that was on my record from such and such date. Dug into it and it was the phone call asking about the deductible. Logged as a zero dollar claim”
“I’m realizing I’m likely overpaying for full coverage for my old vehicles. I have USAA, my premiums have shot up for seemingly no reason over the years, I’m sure just like everyone else’s. I keep USAA because their claims handling process have always been good to us. What would be the best way to determine actual insurance payout value on my two older vehicles in event of total loss? I’m sure I’m overpaying, I just would like to weigh the cost difference in case its negligible. 2007 Toyota Avalo”
“I have progressive. I hit a deer in my car an over a week ago. I submitted a claim. I was asked in the app to submit a bunch of pictures and video of the damage. A day or two passes and I get a repair estimate sent to me. The only thing it tells me is that my cost is my deductible. This entire time, I have not received any contact from my assigned representative. I haven’t received a call or message. I have called twice and messaged through the app a couple times requesting guidance on how to pr”
“Wow! That’s shitty. Try an independent agent ; One that isn’t tied to any particular brand.”
“I think you mean liability only. Comprehensive usually refers to a plan with a complete or full level of coverage.”
“So maybe $1,200 saved, before costs ~ Assuming this is an ICE car, you are probably better off selling it. Storing a car has costs ~ if you don't keep the battery topped off, you may need a new battery. Tires parked or extended periods sometimes forget what round is. Some gas engines require a special steps for storage and restart (e.g. drops of oil inside the cylinders to protect rings when it finally starts again). Depending on the fuel is in your area, you might need to buy fuel stabilize”
“File a police report and get a quote from a body shop. This way if he refuses to cover the quote you can submit the claim.”
“in my state any vehicle with current tags must be insured, if insurance is dropped the tags must be turned in.”
“The logical and more reasonable part of me figured a claim wouldn’t be worth it, but wanted to get some other opinions. This is my first car I’ve ever owned, paid off by myself, etc. Wanted to keep it as nice as possible for as long as possible. Seeing the comments so far I guess accepting it’s there is the better option even though the other part of me wants to fix it 😅”
“Unfortunately not ☹️ the plastic cladding that’s damaged is attached to the painted parts… the rear bumper cover alone is several hundred without labor costs factored in”
“Just call the insurance, it isn't worth dragging out these private dealing, when the guy innevalbly blows you off your insurance will question why it wasn't reported and try and get out of it. I've dealt with this on 2 seperate occasions through my own private and work insurance and it's allways like this, a guy that's actaully wanting to do the right thing would've given you cash or money on the spot, or transfered by now, if your not at fault just report to insurance”
“Two choices, fix it and be prepared for higher insurance rates, claims covered by auto insurance are just a loan paid in premiums over the next several years or stop driving it and learn to live with life’s imperfections. Consider the two vehicles, a Sunday driver, garage queen and a daily driver, beater.”
“Go get a estimate from a local bodyshop and have him pay the amount. To fix a bumper cover and paint will be easily over a grand these days.”
“I think its time to invest a 24/7 parking monitor dashcam my friends. I had some fucker scrape the shit outta my bumper and flee. Got his license plate, face all checking out the damage before fleeing like a coward. Cost his insurance 3k and his prems went through the roof and he got 3 tickets 🤣”
“Welp. Got hit in a parking lot with no note for the 3rd time… first ding I was able to buff out mostly, 2nd ding was a dent in the passenger door that I got fixed with PDR, but this is probably the most noticeable ding so far and from researching online it looks like the only option to fix is get my entire rear bumper cover replaced. Since the lovely person who hit me didn’t leave a note, I’d have to pay my $500 deductible. My car is a 2023 cx30, so it’s a bummer so many things have happened wit”
“Imagine if I am involved in a at fault insurance. Orher party is going though my insurance. My car also has dent. Will it make sense to repair my car on my own dime ? It's cosmetic damage. Agter deductible it'll be around ~500. I can easily pay if needed. submitted by /u/pineappleshaked [link] [comments]”
“I side swiped someone's parked car. I am directly talking to other party for repair cost without involving insurance. But if things go south, what's safe time to report claim ? submitted by /u/pineappleshaked [link] [comments]”
“I have GEICO car insurance in Arizona with 1500 Deductible/No deductible for glass. Got a crack in my windscreen from a rock. Unsure whether I should submit a claim for this when getting the crack fixed (which might need glass replacement) or not. I'm afraid of premiums going up, looking to understand whether it's likely to happen if I do submit that claim. submitted by /u/sppw [link] [comments]”
“I crashed the rear side of my boyfriend's 2018 BMW X2 into a wall of an underground parking garage. The car looks absolutely horrendous. Please see the attached photos. I am already in deep debt with my educational LOC. The most I have been able to scrounge up from my savings and family is $1,800. I have another $1,000 coming in one week, so $2,800 so far. Please, what is the process for fixing this? I know it is much more than what I have. I am thinking I should take out another loan to pay”
“My dad passed two years ago and I am the administrator of his estate. In a couple weeks I’ll be flying to California to pick up his truck and toy hauler to drive them back to Minnesota. The registration has lapsed on both of them, but the CA DMV told me I could apply for a one-trip permit rather than renewing the registrations, and the MN DVS told me I could register them once I get them to Minnesota. Both of the vehicles have active loans, so the lenders currently have the titles. The storage f”
“My second post about this topic and again I am a first time homeowner ignorant to most things house and life. A car crashed in our front yard almost 60 days ago. We submitted an estimate for damages 32 days ago. I am in WA state. The insurance company has told me verbally that they are 100% at fault but there is an investigation delay or something because they are having a difficult time getting the Landscaping company on the phone to discuss a certain charge. The landscaper emailed me about sai”
“Auto insurance question from New York, USA here: About a month or so ago I was rear ended. Low speed with no damage to either car aside from my license plate falling off. Knocked the wind out of me but I assumed that was the extent of it. I got the guy's information but, seeing no real damage at the time, decided not to push it and we drove off. (Yes, I know this is dumb retrospect) I've had on and off upper back pain since that I can only really attribute to that. A week or so after the”
“Neighbor backed her jeep into my 2013 Hyundai accent a couple of months ago. My car ended up getting totaled and I got around 4.5K (only paid 2K for it over 3 years ago) for it while still keeping the car. Mechanically the car is in great shape and I’ve continued to drive it. I repaired the headlight with silicone RTV and used outdoor-rated duct tape to seal off the bent metal underneath the tail light since it leads into the trunk. I also stripped the inner lining in the trunk just in case any”
“Hello friends, I am in a situation where I am under 25 and my mother was paying my car insurance. she passed and I got an email about an upcoming renewal with geico. Do I just call them and cancel the policy? without me knowing my father put me under his without asking me so i've been kinda scrambled all over the place. no internet search has given any kind of good information. any info helps (im in the state of NC) submitted by /u/grifalifatopolis [link] [comments]”
“Is it standard for windshield replacement and roadside assistance to increase your monthly premium? I’m considering switching from GEICO to progressive to save $100/mo, based on my initial quote. But when I moved forward and they gave me my final quote it went back up $100/mo. I checked my Lexisnexis report and I had three towing occurrences and two windshield replacements between two vehicles over the past 5 years. Is this standard? GEICO never increased my rate like this, only because I bought”
“(I’ve never been in a situation like this, so forgive me if I sound ridiculous). I got a voicemail from the other driver’s insurance asking for my statement about the accident (I am the one at fault). I’m not sure if I should provide one, out of fear that they might use what I say against me. But I’m also afraid they might come after me (ik, stupid). So should I provide my statement to them, or let them speak to my insurance? submitted by /u/No_Photograph_4488 [link] [comments]”
“I just got back from walmart. I was parked with my Tacoma in an angled parking spot. I started to back out and I was looking at a car to my left facing away from walmart. There was another car parked right behind me that was not that easy to see. I stopped and I felt nothing. Not a thing. I decided since there was no concrete block ahead and it was clear I just pulled out straight. I got home and I got a call from an officer who said someone turned me in on a hit and run. The officer said she fo”