Home / Damage we repair / Total Loss
What we do
Total loss evaluations
After the accident, tell them to tow it to the experts — Rods & Rides — and let us properly assess the damages.
A vehicle gets called a total loss when the insurer decides the cost to repair it, plus what the wreck is worth as salvage, adds up to more than the vehicle itself is worth. That sounds like arithmetic, but every number in it is an estimate — and the first one is often written fast, sometimes from photographs, before anyone has taken the vehicle apart. A number written that way can go wrong in either direction. We look at what is actually in front of us and tell you what the vehicle really needs.
Why where it gets towed matters
After a wreck the vehicle usually goes wherever the tow truck is headed — a storage yard, a lot, somewhere it will simply sit while fees accrue. Nobody at those places is going to pull a bumper cover off and look behind it. You are entitled to have your vehicle taken to a shop of your choosing, and choosing one that will actually inspect it is the difference between a number someone guessed at and a number someone measured.
“Tow it to Rods & Rides, 8581 Cargo Ln, Amarillo.” Then call us at (806) 738-1470 and tell us it is coming. The sooner it is somewhere that will look at it properly, the more of your options are still open.
What an evaluation can turn up
How we handle it
- Get it inside and look at it. A walkaround in a storage yard is not an inspection. We bring it in, take off what has to come off, and see the damage.
- Document everything. Photographs panel by panel, with notes, so nothing rests on anyone's recollection weeks later.
- Write a real estimate. Line by line, from the vehicle in front of us, including the parts and labor the first pass missed.
- Record what the vehicle is. Exact mileage, trim, equipment and condition — the details that decide what it gets valued at.
- Talk to your adjuster. We supply the documentation, answer their questions and file supplements when teardown finds more than the original estimate covered.
- Tell you straight. If the vehicle should be totaled, we will say so. We would rather lose the repair than talk you into one that does not make sense.
The total loss decision belongs to your insurer, and the value they assign is theirs to set. What we can do is make sure that decision is made against an accurate picture of the vehicle instead of an incomplete one — and give you documentation to hold in your hand while you discuss it. We are a body shop, not your insurer, your appraiser of record or your attorney; for a formal valuation dispute, ask your carrier about the appraisal clause in your policy.
What we work on
We repair this damage on
Our work
Total Loss before & after
Photos from real jobs. Swap these placeholders for your own shots of this kind of work.
Common questions
Total Loss FAQ
My insurance company already said it's totaled. Is it too late?
Not necessarily, but time matters — once a vehicle is picked up and sent to salvage, the options narrow considerably. If you have not signed the title over yet, call us before you do.
Do I have to let them tow it wherever they want?
No. You choose where your vehicle is repaired, and you can direct where it is taken. Tell the tow operator to bring it to 8581 Cargo Ln in Amarillo, then let us know it is on its way.
Can I keep my vehicle if it's declared a total loss?
Often yes — it is called owner-retained salvage, and the insurer pays the claim minus what the salvage is worth. It usually means the title gets branded, which affects future value and sometimes insurance and financing. Ask your carrier what it would look like on your claim, and we will tell you honestly what repairing it would involve.
Why do you need the exact mileage and equipment?
Because that is what a vehicle's value is built from. Trim, options, mileage and condition all move the number the repair cost gets compared against, and a vehicle valued as a base model when it is not is valued short.
What does an evaluation cost?
Call the shop and we will tell you exactly what it runs for your vehicle before we start anything. No surprises.
What if the damage turns out to be worse than the first estimate?
That happens regularly, and it is the point of tearing it down. We document what we find and file a supplement with your adjuster so the claim reflects the whole repair rather than the visible part of it.
Get in touch
Tell us what
happened
Send us the details and a few photos if you have them. We'll come back with next steps and a time to get eyes on it.