On Monday, my 2005 S-Type 4.2 was rear-ended. The damage wasn’t that bad, but when based on the resale price, the insurance company has determined a total loss.
I’m really sad about this because I loved the car. It was both luxurious and simple. It glided above the road, and shut out the noise. I constantly received compliments. I felt special.
If I have one complaint, it’s that Jaguar overpriced the parts such that a wonderful car with minor damage is tossed away to the junk yard. Even if I had the car repaired, the title would change to “salvage”, destroying its resale value. I imagine there are thousands if lightly-bruised Jaguars sitting in junk yards for this reason.
A few questions for the forum:
1. If I wanted to purchase a similar used Jaguar today with the insurance payout, which model and year would you recommend? Should I find another S-Type? Upgrade to an XJ8? I’m in Southern California, if that make a difference.
2. Is anyone restoring lightly-bruised salvage Jags? It seems you could create like-new cars on the cheap.
Thank you in advance for your responses, and for all the previous advice I received on this forum.

 

Sorry to hear that. I'd be very upset, too.

Here, people sometimes buy the car, repair it, with the intention not to sell it but rather to drive it indefinitely. That way the salvage title (we have other terms) makes no real difference (well, maybe it can affect insurance?).

They usually repair without using all-jag new parts, else it's not affordable.

 

you don't have to get new parts to repair your car,sometimes in the uk, we use green parts,
that's good used ones,
here in the uk I have all the parts you want to repair yours,but a bit far to pick up.

 

We have a healthy used part market here in the United States, but the insurance company is required to install factory parts. Because Jaguar factory parts are so expensive, I believe more jags are sent to salvage yards than necessary.

If I choose the keep the car, the insurance company will subtract the salvage price from my payout, so I have little incentive to do so. It's a bad system.

 

It's actually a fair and balanced system. Most cars are insured for actual cash value. It costs no less to repair a 10 year old Jag than a 10 day old Jag, yet the values of the two cars are dramatically different. Makes sense to spend 10K fixing a 100K car, but not spending 10K on a 5K car. Not many owners will do so and no insurance companies I know of.

Your insurance company should be offering you enough money to go out and buy an identical S-type and not be out one penny except for any deductible.

Unless you've got a sentimental attachment to your present car, what's the problem?

 

Hi Mikey,

I agree that that I should buy a new car if the repair costs more than the replacement.
However, because the cost of an insurance repair is based on factory parts, there is a cascading set of consequences:
1. Even a minor repair will cost more than a replacement car.
2. Once that has been determined, the car title is forever a "salvage", making the car almost worthless on the used market.

If the car title was not salvage, it would be worth it to me to fix with used parts, and the I could keep my car.

So, that's the part of the system I don't like.

 

This will happen to any car as it ages and decreases in value. The same holds true with repairs. It's not worth spending $10K for a new engine on a $5K car.

This would be a factor only if you were going to sell it. Given that an accidented and repaired older S-type is not worth much anyway, having a salvage title has little impact.

Get a repair quote from the garage using as many aftermarket or used parts as possible. See how much out of pocket you'd be (if anything) if you bought the car and had them repair it that way.

If it makes no sense, then take the money and go buy another S-type.

 

I Know The Feeling. My Blue STR Was Totaled 3 Days After I Bought It, By The Mechanic Changing My Fluids. It Was A Sad Day For Me. But, In The End I Had Another (Nicer) STR, A Parts Car, Plus A $1000 In Pocket. The Hood Opened At Speed Completely Destroying The Roof And Windshield. I've Never Seen Damage To This Extent From A Hood Letting Go. When I First Saw The Car I Thought They Rolled It.

 

That's an intriguing notion of a "parts car". I am told that the salvage value is only $800. Perhaps I should get another S-Type and keep mine as a parts car? Or someone else on this forum would want my car for that purpose? The car drives fine, so transporting will not be a problem.

 

You could always keep the car and part it out, I am sure you could make that $800 back easily especially in California.

 

So, take the insurance payout, give them the $800 for the salvage value and fix the car with the balance as you see fit.

 

I Bought My Car Back For $980.

 

Over the years, how much value in parts have you been able to use? Sounds like a really good deal when you own the same car.

 

I've Made Several Hundred Dollars, And Saved Myself Roughly $2000-$2500 On Parts.

 

Those pictures were totally scary!! I too could not believe it was all from the hood. Really thought he had hit something hard.
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Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum - ONEsicJAG's Album: my STR's - Picture

 

Hey sweetie I used grade a used parts to f7x my jag, they came with 12 month warranty, I used automotix.com under used car parts
Good luck

 

Just a warning from personal experience:

US insurance companies (::State F$rm:: at least) will tie the "actual cash value" of your car to your local market. If your car was in pristine condition and your local market for used Jags is small enough, rural enough, and run-down enough, you'll face a really low offer from your insurance company and you may find that the few Jaguars of the same model and year as your departed car are truly rolling pieces of crap. Case in point: my insurer cited one 2007 X-Type for sale in North Carolina for $5,600. When I took a look after accepting the insurance offer, the driver's door panel was nearly falling off, there was "minor damage" to the front suspension, and it spewed a half dozen engine problem codes at me.

The S-Type I bought as a "replacement" was older, and has had me on my back every other weekend replacing worn-out parts when I can afford it.

I would strongly suggest if you're looking at the used Jaguar market, keep your eyes on post 2004 S-Types and X-Types, less than 100k miles, and get an independent mechanic to do an inspection. Even if you know your cars and are a pretty good DIYer, you will miss something - a second pair of eyes looking the car over can only help. OR, take the insurance money, buy a reliable daily driver car and use the remainder to buy a used Jaguar needing some TLC, a project car

 

Not looking to divert your thread . . . but fascinated by regional, even international variances. In Australia, insurance companies are obliged to offer both "market value" and "agreed value" cover. Different premiums may apply but no guesses that the luxury market is dominated by agreed value cover, and for the reasons given in this thread. No surprises that this alone saves many an otherwise "write-off" and lost classic.

The gleaming Signal Red 60s 3.8L S-Type in my Album is a case in point. Formerly my Dad's car, it was involved in a head-on argument with a mail van and severely damaged front end. Total ground up rebuild later, it went on to a National Concours win. Insurance paid for a large chunk of what turned into a VERY large chunk for total restoration.

Emphasizing the adage that most Aussies are presumed to be crooks and convicts, no car that is now written off by an insurer here is allowed to be re-registered . . . ever . . . not by the original owner nor anyone else. No doubt you will find this unacceptable, but again it has the effect of almost guaranteeing adequacy of insurance cover, and thus the repair of many that suffer repairable damage. Also, it carries one further advantage . . .

It was designed to stamp out "re-birthing" - the nefarious practice of transferring to a "stolen to order" car, all the VIN plating and identity of a "brilliantly repaired" wreck . . . which disappeared into the crusher as its "doppelganger" then re-appeared as a gleaming MB/Bimmer/Audi/Jaguar to tempt some unsuspecting purchaser. I guess every system has its downside . . . and watching your pride and joy get trashed would make me sick. I feel for you.

Ken

 

You can get agreed on value insurance in the US. It's mostly the old car guys that get it.

But you bring up a good point. If you feel your car is worth more than the current market value contact an insurance agent to see if they will even write you an agreed value policy. Usually they will but many have a lot of restrictions on driving your "Classic".
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