• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

YACT: If my car is declared a total loss, can I remove my system?

Red

Diamond Member
Wrecked the car on Friday. Yesteday (Sunday) I went and removed my face plate as well as my amplifier and subwoofer out of my trunk because my brother said that stuff like that "disappears" from body shops pretty often. Now that a handful of people are suggesting that there is a good chance that my car will be declared a total loss, I'm worried about the speakers in my car. I have Crystal components in the front and Eclipse coaxials in the rear... and I still need to take my Pioneer MP3 head unit out. Will any of this be a problem?
 
I would think if you had explicitely insured them under your policy then no you cannot take them out. However, if you had not specifically insured them then it makes sense that you could take them out, unless the policy says something about this kind of thing. Really best place is to call insurance agent 🙂
 
The best place to ask would be your insurance agent - (s)he'll know what's covered/allowed in your policy better than anyone here will.
 
From my dealings, you can take them out, BUT you need to put back in another radio/speakers. In other words, just make the car whole.
 
You can take those out (the deck and the speakers) as long as you put in the default deck and speakers - At least that is what my insurance company told me when my car was declared total.
 
When my car was totaled i took out EVRTHING (stereo, speakers, etc) and left all the wiring in there. insurance totaled it and made no mention of putting anything "default" in there even giving me value equal to if stereo was in there.
 
Originally posted by: Drakkon
When my car was totaled i took out EVRTHING (stereo, speakers, etc) and left all the wiring in there. insurance totaled it and made no mention of putting anything "default" in there even giving me value equal to if stereo was in there.

Did you take the speakers out before or after it was declared a total loss?
 
Originally posted by: Red
Wrecked the car on Friday. Yesteday (Sunday) I went and removed my face plate as well as my amplifier and subwoofer out of my trunk because my brother said that stuff like that "disappears" from body shops pretty often. Now that a handful of people are suggesting that there is a good chance that my car will be declared a total loss, I'm worried about the speakers in my car. I have Crystal components in the front and Eclipse coaxials in the rear... and I still need to take my Pioneer MP3 head unit out. Will any of this be a problem?

If you want them, yank them out. The insurance company won't know and won't care.
 
Originally posted by: Red
Originally posted by: Drakkon
When my car was totaled i took out EVRTHING (stereo, speakers, etc) and left all the wiring in there. insurance totaled it and made no mention of putting anything "default" in there even giving me value equal to if stereo was in there.

Did you take the speakers out before or after it was declared a total loss?

If it's a total loss, it's going to go itno a car compactor and be turned into a cube. Just take the stuff out! Why are you even asking this. Why would an insuarance company demand you throw out $1,000 worth of equipment? Take the stearing wheel if you want. By you taking anything out of hte car will cause NO IMPACT on the insurance companies bottom line.
 
Did you take the speakers out before or after it was declared a total loss?
before 🙂

i'll add that you CANNOT take it out after...once they total out and u take the money the car becomes property of the insurance company. If you do so it will be considred stolen property.
 
Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004
Originally posted by: Red
Originally posted by: Drakkon
When my car was totaled i took out EVRTHING (stereo, speakers, etc) and left all the wiring in there. insurance totaled it and made no mention of putting anything "default" in there even giving me value equal to if stereo was in there.

Did you take the speakers out before or after it was declared a total loss?

If it's a total loss, it's going to go itno a car compactor and be turned into a cube. Just take the stuff out! Why are you even asking this. Why would an insuarance company demand you throw out $1,000 worth of equipment? Take the stearing wheel if you want. By you taking anything out of hte car will cause NO IMPACT on the insurance companies bottom line.

Wow talk about not having a clue. If it is totaled it will be sold at a place like copart.com and someone else will end up getting screwed when they notice no speakers after they buy the car. The insurance adjuster can reduce the value they pay to you if the speakers are missing but I would go with the don't ask/don't tell policy on taking the speakers.
 
The car is yours. You own it and all the belongings inside it. I would be there today taking the stuff out.
 
DO NOT leave your speakers and headunit in there. if your car's not at the bodyshop yet, take it out ASAP...or atleast b4 the car goes into the shop. When someone hit my car ('90 Acura Legend) I had a Pioneer headunit, 4 infinity speakers, 1 12" infinity sub, and a RF amp in the car. I didnt know any better and took it to the body shop to get a quote on fixing it. When the insurance adjuster came, they declared my car totalled.

But since my aftermarket audio equipment wasnt insured, I wanted to take it out and replace it with the stock stuff before they took my car away. This is where the problem started. Insurance company wouldnt let me take the car off the body shop's lot without calling it a buyback, and the bodyshop wouldnt let me get into my car and take stuff out on their lot (apparantly they were scared of getting sued if i were to get injured on their property while taking the stuff out). It was a real PITA that lasted about 2 weeks...but I persisted and finally got my way - insurance company let me drive the car back to my place where I took my stuff out...and a tow truck came and picked up my car from my house.
 
In my experience any aftermarket equipment is yours to keep. My insurance company let me modify my totaled car back to stock, meaning that I took the head unit and speakers that I had put in there and put back the factory versions.
 
Generally speaking, if the value of the car was increased because of the extra equipment, they should subtract the amount added for the equipment. For instance, if they agreed the car was worth $1000 more because of the system, they're not going to pay you that extra amount if you remove it.
 
Originally posted by: jemcam
Generally speaking, if the value of the car was increased because of the extra equipment, they should subtract the amount added for the equipment. For instance, if they agreed the car was worth $1000 more because of the system, they're not going to pay you that extra amount if you remove it.

Exactly. When my car was totalled I recieved an extra $600 dollars from the stereo equipment it had in it. Had to leave it all in there.
 
just go to the salvage yard where it is and ask if you can get some things out of your car. It's worth a shot
 
why not? think about it. If the stuff is still good, you can put it in your new car and save the insurance company from paying it out. If they make you leave it, then they have to pay for new equiptment for you (minus the depreciation). Why wouldn't they let you?
 
Originally posted by: tfinch2
Originally posted by: jemcam
Generally speaking, if the value of the car was increased because of the extra equipment, they should subtract the amount added for the equipment. For instance, if they agreed the car was worth $1000 more because of the system, they're not going to pay you that extra amount if you remove it.

Exactly. When my car was totalled I recieved an extra $600 dollars from the stereo equipment it had in it. Had to leave it all in there.

Yes, although some insurance compaies require you to claim these items when you first get them, and will not insure the value of them if the car is stolen/totalled and assume it was all factory parts.

Bottom line, just go there, take the stuff and be on your way. Nobody will probably even notice it. Might not be the correct or best way to deal with it, but I doubt anyone is going to bother to check for it once it goes to a parts yard or gets put up for salvage.

edit: Or tell me where your car is and I'll make sure no one takes it 😉
 
Back
Top