McKayla Girardin, Car Insurance Writer
@mckayla_girardin
A car is not automatically totaled if the airbags deploy, as it depends on how the cost to repair the vehicle compares to the vehicle's pre-damage value. If there is a lot of damage when the airbags deploy and the vehicle was not worth much before the accident, it is more likely to be totaled.
Insurance adjusters ultimately decide whether a car is worth repairing or a total loss depending on state laws and the specific damage.
Reasons Why a Car With Deployed Airbags Is Considered Totaled
- Repair costs exceed a certain percentage. A car with deployed airbags may be considered totaled if the cost to repair the vehicle is more than a certain percentage of the vehicle's actual cash value. Most states, including New York and Texas, use this percentage method to determine a total loss, and the most common percentage is 75%.
- Salvage value & repair costs are too high. Other states, like California and Pennsylvania, use a total loss formula to decide if a car with deployed airbags is totaled. The formula is a comparison of the vehicle's actual cash value to the sum of its repair costs and salvage value.
- Insurance company decides it's totaled. Your insurance company and your insurance adjuster, following state laws and guidelines, will decide if the vehicle is totaled based on an investigation.
In general, a car is more likely to be considered totaled after the airbags deploy if the vehicle was not worth much before the accident, or if it is a type of vehicle that is typically very expensive to repair, like a luxury or electric vehicle. Similarly, older vehicles are more likely to be declared a total loss because of their diminished value.
To learn more, check out WalletHub's guides to totaled cars and state total loss thresholds.
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