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Can you keep a totaled car?
I got into a pretty bad accident a few days ago. No one was hurt (thank God), but my insurer took a look at the damage and is writing it off as a total loss. I’ve got a little bit of experience in salvaging used car parts, so I’m wondering—can I keep my car even though it’s totaled?
Samuel Todd · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
I’m sorry to hear about the damage to your car, but relieved that no one was hurt! If you want to, you can keep your totaled car—but you might not be able to get much value out of it. I’ll walk you through a few things you should consider before hanging on to your car.
Usually, when a car is totaled, an insurer pays you a salvage value for its working parts and frame, then auctions it off to a salvage yard.
There are two good reasons to hold on to a totaled car, though: first, if the car has value to you personally and you don’t want to part with it; second, if you’re an expert mechanic and you think you can salvage parts or repair the car.
Remember, if an insurer found that the repairs weren’t worth it, it’ll take some serious skill for you to repair it on your own (and the cost might be high!). Even if you get it into working condition, you could have trouble passing inspections or finding cheap insurance.
Still—if you’re a real grease monkey and you like a challenge, you can hold on to your totaled car and try to bring it back to life.
Whether you choose to get a new car or repair your old one, you’re going to want to have
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