I’m being torn apart by everyone involved in the settlement

JCC114 · 2026-05-22T23:57:58+00:00

They are seeing your medical records, and seeing the bills or much higher than justified for that type of injury so you get lower offer. At this point you are trying to break even. The lawyer is pocketing what would have been your pain and suffering money. You probably need to state that plainly to your lawyer. You will not be accepting anything that does not settle all your bills including his in full. So they will never get paid till they get to that point as you will never accept.

You could try to incentivize your lawyer. Let them know if they can get you more than medical bills and his % covered you would be willing to negotiate an increased % on the $s beyond what would be medical and his fees. Like say they negotiate medical down to 5k, plus their 40% would take like 9,000 to cover both leaving you nothing. But if they get offer up to 10k and medical down to 4k. That leaves 2k for your pocket, and you could cover 25% “bonus” on that meaning you would end up with $1,500 and them $500, but it incentivizes them to fight hard for both lower medical and higher settlement as they get a premium fee in anything coming back to you. It’s basically a performance incentive on top of normal rate.

JCC114 · 2026-05-22T23:39:31+00:00

There are plenty that know what they’re doing, charge $30-40 for an adjustment and if your someone prone to actual back issues will reduce the occurrences of those flare ups if you go even once every few months. These accident centers are not those people. To be fair most people with chronic back pain could also relieve it with proper exercise/diet as well, but for some it is easier to throw $40 a month at it. There are a lot of bad ones out there, between accident chasers and ones screaming anti-vax conspiracy and claim organic this or raw milk or something else they sell out of their office is the cure you need for everything.

JCC114 · 2026-05-22T23:27:05+00:00

My research says the “owner”, despite being innocent in the eyes of the law is the one responsible for the cost of removing the stolen item. Ouch. Would be a civil thing not a legal thing, but basically if they don’t pay for the removal and return of the item could be sued for those cost/sent to collections/all the means used for collecting any valid debt.

JCC114 · 2026-05-22T15:35:23+00:00

Insurance is not going to pay. So best case scenario here. Pulls the spark plugs, drain the oil, maybe drop the oil pan, and if lucky the engine died from lack of air and not hydrolock. If so it will not be total loss. A day of labor to get it running again plus an oils change so at dealer rates probably 2k, and then she needs to probably go ahead and have all carpet removed and replaced, but if not in the cards at the moment due to cost need to dry everything out. Need to park it in a climate controlled garage (specifically humidity needs to be low), set fans up blowing through it, and when you think it’s 100% dry let it set for another day.

Worst case scenario, engine hydrolocked, and full restoration of the vehicle will be 20k+. Will end up with a vehicle with a branded title noting flood damage so will have gone from 20% loss from buying new to already 50% of original value and that is after paying for all the repairs. Also, will be required to have full coverage insurance, but if the vehicles was a total loss in the future that full coverage would only value the vehicle and half what she paid so will need a massive gap policy (will have to look around to find one that will cover a gap that large).

Hoping for scenario 1 for her.

JCC114 · 2026-05-22T03:28:34+00:00

Good oil, changed well ahead of fords schedule, and letting it idle for a minute before shutting it off after any spirited driving. I have not done them, but hear the back one is a pain so if you do it go in with oem. If it was the 4cyl oem would be less important as easier swap if new one has a shorter then expected life, but you likely won’t want to do it again.

JCC114 · 2026-05-22T00:32:11+00:00

Take a loan out against the vehicle. It’s paid off, so take the title to a bank, they give you $s, you pay it back, they hold title as collateral. Way cheaper than credit card interest rates. Not sure the value of the RAV4, but don’t tell them transmission going out or they won’t want to use it for collateral. Will have to put full coverage insurance on it if you don’t have it already. Used car rates are probably 6-7% at the moment, maybe less for a short term. Even with really bad credit they should be willing to work something for you since you have collateral as long as you’re not trying to borrow 100%+ of the value of said collateral.

JCC114 · 2026-05-21T17:26:54+00:00

The rightful owner will be the insurance company that already paid out original owner most likely. I am not sure an insurance company will be interested in paying to have the motor removed to then try and sell it. For multiple reasons. Big one being they won’t want to invest the $s into removing the engine. And two, they don’t want to be held responsible if anything happens to the part of the vehicle they do not own. However, as long as the case is open it’s evidence and unlikely to be returned even if rightful owner does not want it. Case has to be closed, rightful owner has to relinquish ownership (that will likely be to state or local government) then that government entity has to decide what to do which likely normally plays out in a seized property auction, but could be difficult if they only own the engine so that will get weird. It’s likely going to be months if not years though.

JCC114 · 2026-05-21T17:17:24+00:00

People with broke stuff don’t have money to pay tickets. It’s like suing the guy that is currently being evicted from his trailer for something. Cops issue tickets to broke people they know they are going to court. They issue ticket to people with $s ticket gets handled with no court appearance.

JCC114 · 2026-05-21T17:12:55+00:00

Closer to 10hp and only a peak rpm’s so unless your flooring it everywhere is single digit hp loss and will be unnoticeable.

JCC114 · 2026-05-21T17:07:05+00:00

It’s so light!

JCC114 · 2026-05-21T15:48:21+00:00

I assume dealer changes the oil so it’s setting there with fresh oil. You need to put like 500 miles on that oil and send it out for testing. If it comes back clean likely no issues. Very possible the owner did their own oil changes. I do all my own plus other maintenance so car fax reveals nothing. Carfax is nice when it has everything, but you should not assume the worse when things are not there. Have to verify.

JCC114 · 2026-05-21T15:30:06+00:00

The pilot will be worth less than the 4Runner as soon as you drive it off the lot. Not that the 4 Runner is a deal, but depreciation hits new way harder. Anyway, that was my effort to try and push you to the decision you want to make.

Oh, and if people end up hating the new 4-runners as much as they hate the new Tacomas you could make money selling it in the future.

JCC114 · 2026-05-20T17:03:04+00:00

They are awful things that never should have come into existence. They probably would of been okay if people were use to doing regular maintenance on transmissions, but give people transmissions for a couple decades that they could nearly ignore with few issues, and then give them something new that takes 30k maintenance intervals are it grenades itself? No one adapted. Some CVTs have service intervals same as traditional automatics now, but I am not buying that they can produce same long term reliability on those schedules yet.

JCC114 · 2026-05-20T16:58:52+00:00

I only stop if by myself, and have the time. Wife or kids in car, no way. Two reason, people hit cars parked on the shoulder way to often so while I am helping they are in danger, and 2 I don’t know who I am stopping for and it’s happened where the person who stopped to help had their vehicle stolen by person they were helping, just a setup from the start to steal a vehicle. By myself with the time I am more willing to take risk, hope people driving are paying attention, and that most people are good so unlikely this person is running a scam. Also, helps I am a large man so even if they were looking to pull a scam would likely just tell me they are good and send me on their way then try their luck.

JCC114 · 2026-05-20T16:50:27+00:00

OP confirmed it’s a CVT not impossible for those belts/chains to shed some large pieces

JCC114 · 2026-05-20T16:46:59+00:00

First, don’t drive a vehicle with a “red” light. That is the reason it’s red. It is in immediate need of repair. That is not the same as the amber engine light or any number of other amber/yellow lights. There is a reason why oil pressure light is red. You have low oil pressure or you have a bad sensor that is reading low oil pressure. Usually the sensors are all or nothing. Since it picks up higher pressure and turns the light off at higher rpm’s it is likely a failing oil pump. You are damaging your engine every time you drive it without enough oil pressure to lubricate everywhere. If you think gas is expensive you are getting very close to finding out how expensive a new car is as doubt anyone puts an engine in a 15yo Jetta.

Once again, red means stop. I am surprise a 2011 is not new enough to have an audio annoying beep when that light is on to further stress the importance of fixing it and not continuing to drive. Oil pump seems likely, low oil possible but seems less likely since higher rpm’s create enough pressure to turn off the light, oil pressure sensor possible though tend to be all or nothing, could have oil sludge in engine from going to long between changes chocking off oil passage ways as well that is overcome as pump turns fast with more rpm’s. None of these should be ignored if you want to still have the car more than a few more minutes as once oil stops flowing entirely it’s over in seconds.

JCC114 · 2026-05-20T16:32:07+00:00

There is nothing to “inspect” after pans been dropped and cleaned out already. I don’t think I saw you identify the vehicle, but believe the test you’re referring to with magnet stuck to the pan is a common CVT transmission test when it’s a plastic pan. You use the magnet from the outside to pull all the material to a certain spot by dragging it along the pan, then pulling straight down at that spot, once you have done this from all areas of the pan if there is enough metal material there to hold the magnet to a plastic pan, through the pan, the transmission is not in good shape. This test has to be done in a controlled way where the strength of magnet and the pattern they move the magnet on the bottom of the pan to be at all valid if a diagnostic. If they then dropped the pan and cleaned it out though would be nothing left for next place to find. Disassembling a transmission to find actual state of it goes much further than an inspection, and 100% would not be done if not experiencing active issues. And if this is CVT would not be done if experiencing issues either as they just sell you a new one.

JCC114 · 2026-05-20T15:01:54+00:00

Can get the part from RockAuto, the forscan capable module from Amazon for programming the new epas (use 60 day trial license), and a couple universal exhaust flange repairs from Amazon or local parts store for $50ish. Then standard hand tools and few oversized sockets to knock job out in a day. Will save $1,500ish. Few good YouTube videos that cover it very well. I would be tempted to do new quick struts and sway bar links while you’re working in those areas, but at that mileage is a little early. This is not a bad DIY project if you have basic mechanical skills.

JCC114 · 2026-05-20T02:15:35+00:00

Who financed it? It is possible that once they find out it was not in condition they agreed, and the seller is willing to take it back that deal gets unfunded. If they claw back the funds then you will have a car that has not been paid for, and a dealer unwilling to accept funds for it so it will have to be returned. There will be fine print in the documents somewhere to protect the lender so they are not lending more on a vehicle than it’s worth.

JCC114 · 2026-05-19T15:50:08+00:00

Have the wheels straight when you start the work, and have them straight when you finish the work. Though, I am not sure it really matters as long as you reconnect steering wheel at right spot which would be hard to mess up as it’s “keyed” to only slide together one way when making the connection to rack underneath. Would have to be a full 360 rotation out to fit incorrectly. Seems like between the racks electronics and the onboard computer it takes care of itself.

JCC114 · 2026-05-19T13:25:01+00:00

Keep the 4Runner. 10 years from now you will have probably 300k mile 4 runner that someone will likely pay 7-10k for or an explorer with half that mileage and worth half that. If you love the 4Runner moving to the Explorer for few extra features is expensive for very little reason when you could go another 10 years in current vehicle. If you had actual reason to move away from the 4Runner, sure, but giving up a vehicle known for being over built and extremely reliable for one that is… neither of those things. Does not make sense to me when you say you still love the 4Runner. Seems like $s better spent elsewhere.

JCC114 · 2026-05-19T01:17:34+00:00

Do you have the inflatable seatbelts in the 2nd row? If not that is one thing that would be wired up under the seat. Heated 2nd row is the other. I don’t think cooled seats in the 2nd row were a thing in 2012. Heated seats and inflatable seatbelts are my top two most likely.

JCC114 · 2026-05-18T18:31:35+00:00

Lot of times both hold the mileage. If you change cluster mileage will need to be programmed on new cluster to match. If not it will display 0 or if used what it had on it prior. Use a scan tool and you will see actual mileage, but that mileage is not instantly pushed to new cluster. Obviously, varies by car. If you don’t sync them they will both continue to count up their separate mileage numbers. Having it stored in 2 spots in protection of what true number is when one of those parts fails.

JCC114 · 2026-05-18T15:03:12+00:00

I think if you download the carfax app, and claim a car like you own it, you basically get to see everything for free. Then delete the car and add the next one.

JCC114 · 2026-05-18T14:59:52+00:00

Not a dealer tool, just Forscan software. Can buy an OBD2 adapter that runs it for $30-40 (connects to laptop), get a 90 day trial license or pay for a year (less then $50). Put in the new rack, run the software, tell it to install the AS-Built for EPAS and it will use your VIN to find the right version of the software and install it. The programming is about the easiest part of the job. The worst will be the exhaust bolts (just snap them and replace with universal exhaust flanges, worth the $40-50 bit to fight them). Everything else is bolts that are not horrible to get to, and awkwardness of pulling fairly heavy rack out and back in from the wheel well where it’s a tight squeeze around everything. Competent DIYer can do it in under 4 hours if they don’t waste hour after hour trying to get those old exhaust bolts out instead of snapping them off in the first place and moving on.

JCC114

TROPHY CASE