So I was driving the wife's winter beater last night and hit a deer, I'm wondering if the insurance would total it or fix it. 2006 pontiac torrent. 110k mi I think, so can't be worth much. So what do you guys think? 
Sorry for the crappy pictures. From what I could see last night it needs a hood, fender, headlight, fog light and the rad support behind the headlight is bent. We were planning on replacing this and her other car with something newer in the spring, just hate to have the expence of buying another car right now.
Fixable? Sure, but I'm guessing insurance would total it based on book value.
Insurance will probably total it.
Trade-in is probably under $2,000.
Take the check from the insurance CO.
Put a hood on it and pull the fender back and get it to hold a headlight and keep driving it!
Or start shopping for another ride now.
I once fought an insurance company 6 months over the value of my totalled car while I continued to drive it. Might solve your time issue. Bonus at least in my case was they refunded those 6 months of me paying insurance on it.
Agree with all of above. Bonus if insurance cuts you a check and doesn’t brand the title.
I ran a quick NADA value check on it. Not knowing all the specifics it came out to $4000 (High Retail).
https://www.nadaguides.com/Cars/2006/Pontiac/Torrent
I knew it wasn't worth much but I really thought it was worth more than $2000. Sounds like I'm going to search the local yards and just slap it back together enough to make it safe for the winter. I know there are a lot of equinoxes (or would it be equini?) In the local yards, maybe I can find a matching color hood and fender.
cdowd
Dork
11/30/19 12:45 p.m.
Car-part.com has hoods around 150 and fender for 50 if you can find matching parts it will go back together easy.
Glad you are ok. I'd let them total it and buy it back, fix it with leftover money. I was shocked at what they gave me for my focus svt. I then bought it back for less than 500 bucks.
Did you keep the deer?
My guess is $5k in damage to your car that would high retail for $5k.
As recommended, take the check and fix it with parts from car-part.com
Hood is Torrent only. I would still try to fix it, nut you may have to search a little for the part.
I have no desire to deal with the reconstructed title inspection in PA so buying it back and fixing it is out.
I didn't keep the deer, dealing with a mad wife and scared daughter was enough. I can only imagine their horror if I loaded a dead deer into the back of the car.
I'll call my insurance agent monday an try to get an estimate on my next day off.
In reply to BionicTigerShark :
Especially if it was just unconscious. 
AngryCorvair said:
In reply to BionicTigerShark :
Especially if it was just unconscious.
And you were driving a convertible Belvedere
Just about any mature deer in Pennsylvania is a big deer. I imagine finding out it's not dead about 5 miles down the road with the family in the car would be a marriage limiting decision.
If your goal is to drive the crap out of that car until the wheels fall off, it's fixable. Take what the insurance gives you and fix it. It looks like you may need to hammer on the radiator support a bit.
In reply to Brett_Murphy :
Tow strap and a stout tree. Hammers just make you tired and frustrated.
A couple hundred pounds of high speed meat bent the metal in one blow, you need a more or less equal and opposite amount of force to un-bend it.
Knurled. said:
A couple hundred pounds of high speed meat...
My nickname in high school...
(how's that for off-topic?)
einy
HalfDork
12/1/19 2:00 p.m.
If you can get junkyard parts for only a couple hundred bucks, and are doing the work yourself, I wouldn’t even file an insurance claim. Why take the chance on your rates going up?
einy said:
I wouldn’t even file an insurance claim. Why take the chance on your rates going up?
Some insurance companies consider it deceptive if you don't report and may cancel the policy. Tell your agent, but ask that no claim be filed, especially if the police were involved.
einy said:
I wouldn’t even file an insurance claim. Why take the chance on your rates going up?
In Pennsylvania a deer hit is considered a no fault accident, they can't raise rates based on that.
As for going the insurance route, if I'm going to end up with with $300 to 400 in parts plus paint plus my time to put it together then just paying a $500 deductible and having someone else do it sounds good. If I have to work on one of the cars I would rather work on something fun.
I don't think you're going to find those parts in the junkyard.
~$300 for a new aftermarket hood. $50-$100 for a matching fender.
