A heavy crash isn't the only reason that a car will be totaled. There are a myriad of other reasons why a car could be declared a total loss, including, apparently, an almost microscopic crack in the frame of your Corvette.
That's precisely what happened to Corvette Forum user cdm85-521 and his 2017 Corvette Grand Sport. Here's how it went down, according to his post on Corvette Forum.
I had the misfortune of being on an extremely busy interstate about a month ago when a vehicle in front of me went over a large rock or chuck of something VERY hard. This interstate is eight lanes wide where I was at and vehicles were all around me doing 70+/- mph, so I had no where to go and I couldn't stop without causing accidents for others. I tried to straddle it, but it hit a number of places under the car, but luckily it missed anything with fluids. One big problem right now is the dealer has shown me pictures of a rear structural member that has a crack. They are calling it a rear transmission tunnel and indicating it is a non-serviceable part, not offered by Chevrolet. $7,600 damages without buying this part and the associated labor. Anyone have any similar experience? I may end up with a totaled car that still looks perfect.
And he's right, cosmetically, the car is still perfect. The only damage is the teeny little crack in the frame seen in the photo below:
As you'd imagine, the insurance company found it hard to believe that this damage was irreparable. As cdm85-521 told Jalopnik, once the dealer told him that the frame couldn't be repaired by them or by Chevrolet, a back-and-forth began with the insurance company. Insurance was looking for options like replacement or welding, but welding it wouldn't be covered by warranty and replacing it, Chevy said, would compromise the integrity of the car.
For their part, the insurance company declared the car a total loss and assessed a fair value for the car. Cdm85-521 has already been paid.
That means that the Corvette is going up for a salvage auction in Iowa with an estimated repair cost of $7,675. So if you're looking for a cut-rate Grand Sport that is cosmetically perfect but has an underlying issue that can never be totally fixed, this is the car for you.
Travis was an editor at Road & Track. He was previously the Editor-in-Chief of Jalopnik.com.
