STS-V Crash With Airbag Failure & Stability Control Failure

[JimmyH]

With all the buying and repairing of totaled cars that goes on these days, it does not surprise me that insurance companies are more inclined to try fixing the car than totaling it.

[z06bigbird]

Originally Posted by Bee iLL

I would say it is worth getting a 3rd party estimate on total damages... I can't believe that car is not totalled from looking at the pics. I wouldn't want to drive it anymore. I would really push them on totalling it, though I don't know the laws on totalling a car. I would start doing some research on my state laws. Question though, how does the car lurch to the left from shifting gears while driving straight? I'm not an expert but one would think that one should not have anything to do with the other.

2 thoughts:

1. Get another appraiser to review damages physically examining car. Maybe first appraiser was inexperienced.

2. Need to demonstrate that this car actually sells for <$60k rather than
<$80k. That number will absolutely total it.

[z06bigbird]

Originally Posted by izzman

I recently crashed my 2006 STS-V. Here are the facts.

I was travelling straight on a rain slicked road with the car in auto-stick mode. The car was traveling at the posted speed limit with the stability control engaged. While shifting gears the car lurched to the left and crossed the median into a utility pole causing approximately $30,000 in damage to the front end of the car. Most of the damage was to the front and the left steering tower. I had a passenger in the car in the front seat who was seat-belted and sitting away from the dashboard and weighed approximately 130 lbs. Her airbag DID NOT deploy. The car is not a total loss according to the insurance company and will be repaired over three months (while I pay nearly $1,000/month in lease payments).

My questions to this forum are
1) Has anyone else had a similar failure of the cars' safety features? ??Failure?? Hate to put it this way, but it appears to be driver failure. Not sure what other failure you are talking about. Airbags are direction-activated. In other words, the front bags do not employ with a hit from the side.2) Has anyone tried to get Cadillac to take the product back or make payments on the car in leui of legal action forcing them to do so? You will hire an attorney; pay $20k in fees; judge will tell you to go to arbitration. More fees. Particularly in this case, you will lose, lose, lose--$$, time, effort. It appears to me that you made more mistakes than GM did with this car.

See my other post on appraisals and salvage.
Hate to be blunt, but I did not want to *****foot around.



I have photos of the accident which, while we do have nagging injuries, we thankfully walked away from.

Good luck.

[Kadonny]

Sorry to hear that, glad you 2 are ok.

As for the totaling, it should be done. It seems pretty obvious to me.

[izzman]

I have driven many miles and at much faster speeds and the way the car acted was as if something failed causing it to turn left.

[izzman]

Originally Posted by z06bigbird

Good luck.

I was coming from a hill which I used the autostick to engine brake. And the impact was on the front. Just look at the picture.

[CTS-V-TWIN]

How can any insurance adjuster with a shred of brains NOT deem that car a total loss? That car is done and will never be the same.

If the insurance company is set on fixing it, make sure you get them to pay you for depreciation of the vehicle. Depending on the insurance company, you can make the argument that the car will never be the same and will never be as safe as when it was factory fresh.

There is no way I would take that car back. That car is thrashed and ready for the junk yard.

Sorry to sound so negative, but it doesn't make sense or sound right that anyone would attempt to fix it.

You need an attorney. My wife is a personal injury attorney and she would fight to get the insurance company to total it out.

SG

[JimmyH]

I hate to say it, but when you are the one responsible for doing that to the car, I think you have to take whatever the insurance company gives you.

[urbanski]

Originally Posted by VelocitySTSV

I would agree, really weird. You said you were traveling straight correct, not just off a turn or anything?

wouldnt matter in a hydroplane. straight as an arrow and .001 second later you're in a wall. ST has no chance either. what good is computerized braking when you have no traction.

[JimmyH]

Originally Posted by urbanski

wouldnt matter in a hydroplane. straight as an arrow and .001 second later you're in a wall. ST has no chance either. what good is computerized braking when you have no traction.

^^listen to the man who knows

[thefred]

Originally Posted by JimmyH

I hate to say it, but when you are the one responsible for doing that to the car, I think you have to take whatever the insurance company gives you.

Not so much. You still have rights which vary from state to state. What you are entitled to even if its your fault (in most states) is diminished value if they insist on fixing it. And you can be sure the diminished value on this would be very high. By way of comparison, my car had $4,500 in damage recently repaired (not my fault) and the diminished value was $4,700. I can only imagine how much yours would be......

[parts68]

IM guessing since you were on the down side of a hill you hit the water running off it.
I have skated in the same situation with real good rubber.
If they total it LMK Ill make an offer on the drivetrain(serious).

[CIWS]

Imagine down the road someone pulling up a history on the car before buying it and seeing the amount of repairs that were put into post accident

[Berger 93]

I find it hard to believe that any repuatable shop is going to have a car lingering around for 3 months while they repair it . . . It is not in their best interest.

[LITTLEELVISDAN]

Originally Posted by parts68

IM guessing since you were on the down side of a hill you hit the water running off it.
I have skated in the same situation with real good rubber.
If they total it LMK Ill make an offer on the drivetrain(serious).

You must have not read my engine replacement thread. I'll take the whoe car... (as the vultures hover and finght amongst themselves the caddy's fate lays in limbo)