My 2022 Gladiator burned down... how?

[TheDerb]

shouldnt I get All of my invested money, why should a victim take any loss?

This is the worst part of it all. Car insurance doesn't ever make you whole. Whether it's a brand new vehicle or a ten year old vehicle, insurance companies literally have entire departments filled with people whose job it is to make sure that your insurance company pays as little as possible. And in the case of people that own their vehicles outright, I'm certain that unless you lawyer up, you are going to end up losing money.

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[Great Offender]

Allstate's not necessarily trying to shift blame onto or away from anyone

Allstate just pays out for the vehicle, then they fight Jeep to get their money

Allstate in not going to fight any more than the recovery of the money paid out to you and their business expenses in recovering those funds. They are in business to make money regardless of your feelings.
You want more I recommend an adjuster and I wish you the best of luck!

 

[Mister Lamb]

Live view of OP wiring up his accessories:

(I kid)

 

[sharpsicle]

This is the worst part of it all. Car insurance doesn't ever make you whole. Whether it's a brand new vehicle or a ten year old vehicle, insurance companies literally have entire departments filled with people whose job it is to make sure that your insurance company pays as little as possible. And in the case of people that own their vehicles outright, I'm certain that unless you lawyer up, you are going to end up losing money.

You know, the payout value doesn't magically change when a loan is involved. You have to carry additional insurance for that (GAP). Many people with new rides who don't carry GAP, and then get totaled often still owe money after the insurance payout. Those are actually the situations where you lose money, when you're short on the loan.

If you own outright, chances are much higher you will be in a better position than someone with an active loan. Because you actually get the payout.

 

[Xrayphoton1]

I'm gonna guess bad wiring on the aftermarket stuff. If it was done by you you're probably out of luck. If it was all installed by the dealership you can probably fight them for the payout

 

[Rocksalt]

I would like to hear more from OP before jumping all over him.

 

[916WI]

The insurance company isn't doing anything wrong here. Without an agreed value policy, for which the premiums that the OP would have had to pay would have DEFINITELY increased, the only thing that the insurance company owes the OP is the value of the base vehicle that premiums were being paid on. If that was a sport, the market value of a typical sport is all the OP would and should receive--because that is what the premiums that the OP was paying were based on. It sucks being underinsured--typically it is a lesson that only needs to be learned once........

 

[TheDerb]

You know, the payout value doesn't magically change when a loan is involved. You have to carry additional insurance for that (GAP). Many people with new rides who don't carry GAP, and then get totaled often still owe money after the insurance payout. Those are actually the situations where you lose money, when you're short on the loan.

If you own outright, chances are much higher you will be in a better position than someone with an active loan. Because you actually get the payout.

Have you ever dealt with big insurance claims? I do it all the time for my business. I made the mistake- once- of trying to manage a payout on my own.

After that first time, I lawyered up. And that Lawyer gets me more for one simple reason:

When attorneys work with attorneys, they start off knowing that there will be no pulling the wool over anyones eyes. If the insurance company is just working with some individual, such as the OP, they are going to offer an amount, and that amount isn't likely to change. When a lawyer gets involved, the odds of that amount changing DOES go up. Think of all of the Personal Injury commercials you see. Those attorneys really do get you more. (as opposed to, say, when you have a car on a loan or lease, the bank which holds the note is owed that money, thus they have a real interest in realizing the maximum amount of payout. And they send their lawyers after that amount. Because they don't care anything about an amount above what they are owed.)

Coincidentally, My wife purchases all of her vehicles outright. Our insurance broker tells her every year when we meet that insurance will most likely not cover the value of her vehicles if something happens to them as part of his spiel, and that the expectation would be that an attorney would get involved if she were unhappy in the event of a loss. He attaches a separate form for all other modifications she does, and tells her to keep the receipts because the primary auto insurance policy will not cover any modifications she does.

GAP insurance is only for cars with loans, and it covers the gap between the loan and payout. GAP insurance is literally doing the job of that attorney for you IF what you still on the loan is less than the payout. But what if, for example, you owe $45k on a $70k due to putting a hefty down payment on a car and they offer you a $35k payout (I know this is unlikely but for the purposes of math go with it)? The Gap insurance ONLY covers the difference from the $35k to the $45k, so in this case $10,000. You still would be out the $25k that would make up the "rest" of the $70k. That extra $25k would need an a lawyer to assist with making you (closer to) whole.

 

[Jefe1018]

Sorry for the loss. I know I’m not planning to get a penny back on any accessories I’ve added. I pay those in cash, knowing damn well I’ve kissed that money good bye.

 

[Deleted member 57233]

OP also said it only had 2,500 miles, and sat all winter. Mice and rodents love the coating on wires, especially the wires on vehicles that sit for long periods.

 

[Mays9185]

Unfortunately all new cars you need gap insurance and anytime you have negative equity

 

[sharpsicle]

Have you ever dealt with big insurance claims? I do it all the time for my business. I made the mistake- once- of trying to manage a payout on my own.

After that first time, I lawyered up. And that Lawyer gets me more for one simple reason:

When attorneys work with attorneys, they start off knowing that there will be no pulling the wool over anyones eyes. If the insurance company is just working with some individual, such as the OP, they are going to offer an amount, and that amount isn't likely to change. When a lawyer gets involved, the odds of that amount changing DOES go up. Think of all of the Personal Injury commercials you see. Those attorneys really do get you more. (as opposed to, say, when you have a car on a loan or lease, the bank which holds the note is owed that money, thus they have a real interest in realizing the maximum amount of payout. And they send their lawyers after that amount. Because they don't care anything about an amount above what they are owed.)

Coincidentally, My wife purchases all of her vehicles outright. Our insurance broker tells her every year when we meet that insurance will most likely not cover the value of her vehicles if something happens to them as part of his spiel, and that the expectation would be that an attorney would get involved if she were unhappy in the event of a loss. He attaches a separate form for all other modifications she does, and tells her to keep the receipts because the primary auto insurance policy will not cover any modifications she does.

GAP insurance is only for cars with loans, and it covers the gap between the loan and payout. GAP insurance is literally doing the job of that attorney for you IF what you still on the loan is less than the payout. But what if, for example, you owe $45k on a $70k due to putting a hefty down payment on a car and they offer you a $35k payout (I know this is unlikely but for the purposes of math go with it)? The Gap insurance ONLY covers the difference from the $35k to the $45k, so in this case $10,000. You still would be out the $25k that would make up the "rest" of the $70k. That extra $25k would need an a lawyer to assist with making you (closer to) whole.

I totally get how all this works. And yes, I've been through it before. No need to assume otherwise.

But I think you maybe replied to the wrong person? I didn't mention anything about lawyers or attorneys or depreciation or anything like you're discussing. All I said was the ones who get put in the worst spot are those who have loans without GAP insurance, and that the presence of a loan does not dictate the value of the vehicle. Thanks for agreeing with me I guess?

 

[Sweetums]

My 2022 Jeep Gladitor burned to the ground August 06, 2023. Jeep claims no responsibility for the cause of fire. I had 2,536 miles on my Gladiator. I had $71k in the vehicle. did not drive all last winter because I did not want snow, salt, slush on my Gladiator. My insurance company "Allstate" offered me $47k. 2 1/2 months have gone by and no claim payout. How does a fire start on a vehicle that is parked and turned off and a cold engine?

NHTSA page to report a safety issue: https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem#index

I strongly recommend going this route. Also, take a close look at your policy regarding accessory coverage and your state laws - many states have laws about what has to be covered in a claim for a vehicle 2 years old and newer.

You have enough of a loss here that a consultation with an attorney would be highly recommended, many will meet with you for 30 minutes for free. You can also contact the insurance commissioner for your state and file a complaint against your insurer.

You 100% got the "go away" quote, don't sign anything, don't accept payment. As soon as you take that check you have given up any rights for additional compensation. If you don't agree that the number you are being offered is the last amount you will get, you need to decline it!

Get a lawyer! Sign nothing! Do not accept any payment that is not complete!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

This is the worst part of it all. Car insurance doesn't ever make you whole. Whether it's a brand new vehicle or a ten year old vehicle, insurance companies literally have entire departments filled with people whose job it is to make sure that your insurance company pays as little as possible. And in the case of people that own their vehicles outright, I'm certain that unless you lawyer up, you are going to end up losing money.

They pay FMV and that's only right. It is what it is. Your vehicle can only be considered to be worth FMV in such cases. You may sell if for more if you were to sell it, but that's an if and not a guarantee. The insurance industry must work with hard numbers that can be proven no matter how much anything is worth to the owner.

NHTSA page to report a safety issue: https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem#index

I strongly recommend going this route.

I have a feeling it's not a safety or Jeep issue but is an emotional issue. He's got to give a reason or source. Can't just report "Jeeps are dangerous as mine caught on fire for no reason and one person said it's a defect".
They'll laugh at that. You should see some of the bull crap reports of trouble the NHTSA gets - people have a beef, are angry, emotional, and suddenly...........
He'd better have proof beyond what he believes or one person told him if indeed that happened.
My question is - what's he going to report? With the age and accessories, was it REALLY a Jeep issue?

Sorry, too much emotion here and too much is left out of this story. Little fact.

 

[Sweetums]

A vehicle catching fire while cold and parked is a safety issue and the NHTSA collates the report with others and uses that data to take action such as forcing recalls. This is how the NHTSA determines if there is a design flaw, a problem with assembly, or a bad batch of parts that needs to be addressed.

You've probably seen the notices for owners of certain vehicles to not park inside their garages until a recall can be done - fire reports are how those notices are generated.

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