Three weeks ago wife and kids drove the car and were bumped hard on the back. The hit-car has enormous damage, air bags deployed, and was unable to clear the road by itself. S-Type was smashed.
Family was shocked and everyone had some pains but overall nothing serious.
I was informed by the insurance adjuster that the car is declared total-loss due to the many parts that will need to be replaced: Both tail lights, Rear cover plates and baggage compartment parts, Bumper and accessories etc.. Furthermore due to the intensive crash all doors were locked close position as they seems to friction the frames. The frame need to be checked if it is pressure from distortion or from the parts pushed toward the back door and the later one apply force on the front...
The car I had was great, and drove outstandingly. It was maintained and kept as new.
I asked the insurance for options and was told that they will agree to 10k $ repair + parts Max. So Either I get the car value or will repair it.
Parts cost here are huge - so it is on the edge and damages are big.
I love the car, and for the money I will get from insurance It would be difficult to find similar. If I fix it, I also get compensation for cost reduction.
The car was fixed over a period of two weeks and is as new again. When dismantled, I was impressed by the quality of the hidden parts.
Not much rust on the exhaust, and we have it back again.

I assume that if family was in a smaller car - the picture may have been different. Jag have long extended tail - and it prove to be for a reason here...Glad I am still here

 

Thank goodness no one was hurt! The curves on a S-Type hide the fact that this is not a light car. I saved my wife's car the same way...the shop let me get used body panels, which brought down the repair cost, under the insurance total figure. Well worth it!

 

Wow, glad to hear everyone is okay, and you got your car back!

A few months ago, a semitractor trailer truck ( an artic for our UK friends), backed into the front of my car ('03 S Type, 3.0) while it was parked, causing $4,000 USD in damage.
I lucked out because the truck was from Pepsi Cola, and they paid for everything!
If it was a different scenario, it might have been a total loss.

Anyway, great that you have your car back, and of course that everyone was okay!

 

Also glad to hear that no one was injured....

As our S-Types get longer and longer in the tooth, it takes less and less accident damage for the insurance companies to declare them history. When my 2005 S-Type was creamed in the front end by an inattentive F-150 driver in August 2009, it took nearly $13,500 worth of repairs to restore it to normal and it came within about $500 of being officially totalled. Today, a $5,000 or $6,000 crunch would probably send my car to the great scrap heap in the sky....

 

I had to get mine under $5,500 last year. Most insurance-authorized repair shops will NOT allow you to "bring your own parts" - meaning they quote list or retail price on everything, and most likely won't use the Ford part # cross-reference, where minimum 50% lower prices can be had. Use of used body panels and Ford parts (where applicable) allowed to keep the car! In the case of a mint vehicle, they hit you for the deductible, while THEY rebuild the car, and sell it (even with a salvage title) for a profit!