BOSTON (WHDH) - Kyle Hastings loved his first car.
“It was the first car that wasn’t a parents’ car or something. It was the first car I had bought,” Hastings remembered fondly.
He worked hard to pay off the loan. The car had just 51,000 miles on the odometer, so he thought he’d hold on to it for years to come.
However, that smooth ride came to a smashing stop last fall.
“I was on my way to work. It was an unfortunate accident, it was a fender bender,“ Hastings said.
The front end and bumper were cracked and dented. His car’s hood was popped out of place and the grille was damaged.
Despite the damage, Kyle said his car was still drivable.
“I drove it to work for a week,” he said.
Hastings was stunned when a body shop told him it would cost more than $8,000 to fix the damage.
“I was at that point saying okay, that is more money than I was expecting to pay, but fine, I will pay it and we’ll get back to normal,” Hastings said.
He wanted to put the crash in his rear view but he hit a roadblock.
His insurance company declared his car a total loss!
“It was like a gut punch,” Hastings remembered. “You think totaled and you think of just a car that is completely beyond repair.”
Instead of paying for the repairs, Hastings’ insurance company appraised the car and offered him around $11,000 to total it and buy a new one.
If he wanted to keep the car, he would have to accept a smaller payout, $6,900, and his vehicle would be permanently tagged as salvaged – meaning his car would be harder to insure or sell.
If he kept the car, Hastings would also have to pay for the repairs.
“It really felt like I was trapped and couldn’t go anywhere,” he said. “I was kind of forced at the end of this story to buy a new vehicle and not repair my car because I didn’t want that salvage title stigma on the vehicle.”
Hastings is not alone.
The number of cars being totaled by insurance companies is rising, according to a new auto industry analysis by CCC Intelligent Solutions.
The report found that in 2025 nearly one in four collision claims ended this way.
Ten years ago, only about one in six cars involved in a crash were totaled.
So, why are insurance companies doing this?
“Think about your vehicle today vs. 10-15 years ago; cameras, LiDAR, the types of lamps, the number of airbags. The type of safety that is on vehicles now that are protecting consumers all comes with a cost,” explained Frank Cesario, the senior director of insurance claims at LexisNexis Risk Solutions.
Cars have gotten more high-tech and repairs have gotten more expensive.
Now, when insurers are deciding what to do with a damaged car they look at the cost of the repairs and compare that to the value of the car minus how much they can get for the damaged car at auction.
In Hasting’s case, the repairs were $8,100 compared to the $11,000 his car was worth minus the $4,100 the insurer could get at auction.
After doing the math, $8,100 to fix is a lot more than $6,900 to total the car, so the insurer totaled it.
Brian Bernard said he sees the increase in totaled cars at his Raynham autobody shop, Total Care Accident Repair.
“The number, honestly, it’s too big. I wish they didn’t total as many as they do,” Bernard said.
He says he’s dealt with many frustrated customers who feel forced to give up their wheels.
“This has a big impact on consumers but we hate to see them go because it is a job that we would otherwise be able to work on,” Bernard explained.
In Massachusetts, the decision to total a car is up to the insurance company.
Unlike some states, there is no minimum amount of damage required before a car can be totaled. Instead, insurers get to do their own math to see if fixing a car could cost more than totaling it and selling it at auction.
“In our case, all of the cards are held by the insurance industry,” Bernard said.
Bernard said he would like to see more options for drivers after a crash, options Hastings wishes he had.
“It just seems wasteful. I didn’t need a new car, and I just have to get a new one because everyone is telling you to,” Hastings said.
Unfortunately, drivers can’t control whether insurers decide to total a car. There are a few things drivers can do after an accident to protect themselves, including choosing a reputable repair shop to ensure an accurate and fair repair estimate. Experts also recommend consumers not accept the first settlement offer from the insurer, instead, research the car’s value and try to negotiate. Drivers should also be sure to ask repair shops and appraisers about options before making a decision.
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