[Ananthang]

For auto fans these are dreadful sights and wish no one goes through such situations. Hope the rain abates and wish you get a even bigger, safer car and many long journeys along with Family and friends. Flash floods are always very risky and happened to our Alto in TNagar. I was in US and when I got a call from my father and I did not believe them at all. Only after seeing pictures I believed what they told me.

[anandavinash]

Originally Posted by shekar.ca

So there ends the first stage of this process. Now the claim process, survey/ inspection, etc. start. Will keep you all posted.

I have experienced this first hand during the floods in Mumbai of 2005 and our beloved Fiat Palio 1.2 that drowned. I wish the best for you to recover from this loss.

[pd1108]

Shekar, A car is more than a machine, it is almost like a friend. It is heartbreaking to see a friend going through this agony. Hope everything gets sorted out gracefully from now onwards

[karthikg87]

The latest Compass is one heck of a car. It's so sad to see it in this condition. Feeling really sorry for you and hope you will recover from the loss as early as possible.

Underground parking is not good idea in flood prone areas. There was some news recently even in Hyderabad that underground parking will be banned because of flooding and other reasons and all the new buildings will be permitted to be constructed only from ground floor.

Assuming this will be a total loss ,any thoughts on what you are planning to purchase next ?

[Pancham]

I have been following Shekhar’s car buying process and he had finally zeroed in on that lovely blue Compass and then this happens. It indeed is heartbreaking.

I wonder what happens if the car is hypothecated and there is an existing car loan. What if foreclosure of loan is not allowed. Will I be allowed to pay off the loan after receiving the full amount (assuming RTI is there) from the insurance company?

[clementw]

It is sad to see flood damaged cars, especially new cars. Hope your insurance works out well. Best wishes

[kunalghogle]

My heart bleeds watching the pics. I was very close to this happening with my car last year in Hyderabad due to rains. I hope it goes in total loss as considering the amount of electronics in the car it will all be replaced the car will never be the same with this much water damage. More courage to you and hope you come out of this soon.

[woodstock3001]

Originally Posted by Pancham

I have been following Shekhar’s car buying process and he had finally zeroed in on that lovely blue Compass and then this happens. It indeed is heartbreaking.

I think owner will get intimation about the final settlement amount first. Once that is confirmed, insurance company will make payment to Bank first & once that is settled, then rest of the amount will be credited in owner's account.

This is what happened with my Brother in law, when his Fortuner was stolen earlier this year. He had RTI and same was settled in approx 6 months. First loan was cleared & then rest amount was credited into his account. Note : My Brother in law continue to pay EMIs even after vehicle was stolen & insurance claim process was on.

If it was outright purchase, then i think there's a direct credit into owner's account.

[shekar.ca]

Originally Posted by Axe77

Its heart breaking to see the images of the car in this state. So sorry once again for your predicament and loss.

Your detailed insurance procedure updates will be very valuable for everyone in the forum. Hopefully you can get a RTI type total loss support - given how recent your car is that should give the most palatable outcome.

I know its off topic but any update on how the Interceptor fared once you recovered it from the flood?

Thank you very much Axe77.

The Interceptor is at my friend's garage and while its early still to conclude, there have been some positive signs. Their initial focus was on ensuring that water was drained from inside - he told me every single component/ pipe/ gap had water inside. They did get an initial scare when performeing an engine drain and roughly 2 liters of water came pouring out, the balance some ½ liter was engine oil but in bright orange color.

Since then, the speedometer was found to be damaged and once that was replaced, they were able to start the engine . They are now going through every part and component one at a time to ensure that it can be sorted. So hopefully it should be readied in the coming days (fingers crossed!).

Originally Posted by SnS_12

That’s a heart braking sight but at least things are moving now and the car is at the workshop finally.

The complications of having an electronic hand brakes is just not the sought of thing you don’t want in such a situation.

I was just wondering how will a car be towed out from a parking with a tight entrance /exit like this spiral one. This is thought that comes to my mind every time I park in CR2 mall in Mumbai.

Here is hoping your claim settlement process is smooth and quick and in lines with your expectations. And hope the 650 is back home soon.

Thanks SnS, indeed a relief that the car is finally at the workshop. I must say I was quite impressed with how they retrieved the car from my basement - it was really a challenge but they pulled through it calmly and systematically. The spiral one could be an altogether different challenge (gulp).

Originally Posted by supertinu

Really sorry to read about your turmoil. Hopefully you get total loss on the car and move ahead with a new purchase.

any clue how the boot opened up?

Thanks supertinu, and hoping so too. Indeed, the technician did explain and I covered it in my post above. Repasting here for ease:

I also tried understanding from him on why the boot opened up. Apparently once water level crosses tyre level, the Jeep has sensors which unlock all doors and the boot in order for passengers to get out in the interest of safety (in case stuck in floods). In my case, it worked a bit against, and he suspects the water pressure opened the unlocked boot! So much for all my imagination!!

Originally Posted by SaiSW

It is heartbreaking to see a person's car meet such a fate. I hope you get a good sum from the insurance provider and you are able to move on to another car. As another member said, your detailed updates about the insurance process in this scenario will be very much helpful to a lot of people in this forum.

Hope your Interceptor fared better.

Thanks for your kind words SaiSW, hoping so too. Just covered the Interceptor update above.

Originally Posted by ScorpWarp

My heart sank reading this about the new compass and interceptor, a heartbreaking story! I hope the claims are processed sooner and you get another brand new shiny jeep and a new bike, all the best!

Thanks ScorpWarp, yet to think about what next - will take a call in the coming days/ weeks, once this process if followed through.

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Had a recent experience in the Mumbai floods last year, with a family member's nearly new Swift submerged in his basement exactly like yours.

Car was written off quickly, claim was processed by Future Generalli and payment was done relatively quickly as well (within a week or two).

However, it isn't so straightforward:

1) Please tell the insurance company you desire to get the Registration cancelled so they can negotiate with scrap buyer accordingly - many scrap buyers will fix & sell if the car is not de-registered (which it should be as a total write off) and in case of any registration issue the liability may fall on your head.

2) Submit relevant forms and documents to RTO, get registration cancelled. Some states, like Maharashtra will refund a portion of the RTO tax paid in case of a total loss, though it can be a time consuming matter (14 months and counting in Mumbai).

These may not apply in case you have chosen the RTI package, but do try and make sure you are absolved of any liability - enter into an agreement on stamp paper with scrap buyer where you are indemnified from any future liability (our insurer required it, but should be done in either case).
Some insurers may act smart and say RTO Cancellation is not possible (since they will have to pay more from their pocket - in our Swift's case, the Scrap buyer reduced 2.xL off the price if the Reg was cancelled), but hold firm and if needed there are numerous news articles on the same online with SC / HC rulings on the matter which should be quoted.

Thankfully Future Generali was a gem to deal with, and hope your experience is similarly smooth.

Thanks lamborghini, those were really useful inputs and some thing I wasn't aware of earlier. Will pay particular attention now - thanks again!

Originally Posted by chaksjr

In September, my Liva was filled about a couple of inches with water due to mad Delhi rains and my apartment being on a downslope with shoddy maintenance. Even that much was heartbreaking to see, can't imagine the pain of looking at a new car in this condition. Hopefully your RTI will help you get the right amount of money back.

Originally Posted by snallagatla

Its sad to see the car in such poor condition. Hope your insurance claim gets resolved quick and smooth.

Originally Posted by drift87

I am really sorry. Its heart breaking to see such images, I cannot fathom this happening to even a 10 year old car.

Originally Posted by Ananthang

For auto fans these are dreadful sights and wish no one goes through such situations. Hope the rain abates and wish you get a even bigger, safer car and many long journeys along with Family and friends. Flash floods are always very risky and happened to our Alto in TNagar. I was in US and when I got a call from my father and I did not believe them at all. Only after seeing pictures I believed what they told me.

Originally Posted by anandavinash

I have experienced this first hand during the floods in Mumbai of 2005 and our beloved Fiat Palio 1.2 that drowned. I wish the best for you to recover from this loss.

Originally Posted by pd1108

Shekar, A car is more than a machine, it is almost like a friend. It is heartbreaking to see a friend going through this agony. Hope everything gets sorted out gracefully from now onwards

Originally Posted by clementw

It is sad to see flood damaged cars, especially new cars. Hope your insurance works out well. Best wishes

Originally Posted by kunalghogle

My heart bleeds watching the pics. I was very close to this happening with my car last year in Hyderabad due to rains. I hope it goes in total loss as considering the amount of electronics in the car it will all be replaced the car will never be the same with this much water damage. More courage to you and hope you come out of this soon.

Thanks chaksjr, snaliagata, drift 87, Ananthang, anandavinash, pd1108, clementw & kunalghogle. Whilst broad indications are on a full loss, I don't have a confirmed picture yet.

Originally Posted by karthikg87

The latest Compass is one heck of a car. It's so sad to see it in this condition. Feeling really sorry for you and hope you will recover from the loss as early as possible.

Underground parking is not good idea in flood prone areas. There was some news recently even in Hyderabad that underground parking will be banned because of flooding and other reasons and all the new buildings will be permitted to be constructed only from ground floor.

Assuming this will be a total loss ,any thoughts on what you are planning to purchase next ?

Thanks karthikg87, yes in retrospect but now time to push for a better solution both at my apartment as well as the street. I can some drain related work happening continuously through this week (in the street and on the main road). So hoping that provides much needed relief to the residents here.

In terms of next purchase, haven't thought much yet. I spent 3-4 months researching and reading up before narrowing on the Jeep. So first thought is to say Jeep again, but plan to take a call in the coming weeks once a lot of this follow-up/ admin work is sorted out.

Originally Posted by Pancham

I have been following Shekhar’s car buying process and he had finally zeroed in on that lovely blue Compass and then this happens. It indeed is heartbreaking.

I wonder what happens if the car is hypothecated and there is an existing car loan. What if foreclosure of loan is not allowed. Will I be allowed to pay off the loan after receiving the full amount (assuming RTI is there) from the insurance company?

Thanks Pancham, indeed a long drawn process before this uncontrollable incident. My car is a corporate booking and does have hypothecation - my understanding is what woodstock3001 has kindly explained below - first payment directly to bank to settle the loan and balance to owner.

Originally Posted by woodstock3001

I think owner will get intimation about the final settlement amount first. Once that is confirmed, insurance company will make payment to Bank first & once that is settled, then rest of the amount will be credited in owner's account.

This is what happened with my Brother in law, when his Fortuner was stolen earlier this year. He had RTI and same was settled in approx 6 months. First loan was cleared & then rest amount was credited into his account. Note : My Brother in law continue to pay EMIs even after vehicle was stolen & insurance claim process was on.

If it was outright purchase, then i think there's a direct credit into owner's account.

Thanks woodstock3001, this is in line with my understanding too. I really hope it does not take as long as 6 months, that will be one painful wait!

[RT13]

Dang, really sorry to hear that. This is painful to hear.

Let us know about how much RTI qualifies you for.

When we recently picked up our Hector Plus, I went to great lengths to understand what would be covered and I was clearly told it is only the invoice amount and does not include registration and insurance cover, let alone the extended service packages. In our case, we ponied up just shy of 25L but the amount we would recover was just over 18 in case of a total loss.

Hope you get a better deal than I was given to understand.

[Somz]

After reading & seeing all pictures of car, my heart sank. What an ordeal you have to face for 10+ days and the stressful situations. Assuming it as a total loss, hope you can get your insurance claim soon.

[Sran]

Originally Posted by shekar.ca

Hello everyone,

An update from my end on developments over the past week in two parts (in view of the photo upload restrictions) - here is part 1 until seeing the condition of the car

Horrendous situation and I can only imagine the sleepless nights you had. What has happened has happened and do take care of yourself mentally and physically and try to take a day or two off without thinking about this ordeal.

Originally Posted by RT13

When we recently picked up our Hector Plus, I went to great lengths to understand what would be covered and I was clearly told it is only the invoice amount and does not include registration and insurance cover, let alone the extended service packages. In our case, we ponied up just shy of 25L but the amount we would recover was just over 18 in case of a total loss.

Hope you get a better deal than I was given to understand.

From digit insurance site:

However, when you make a claim under Total Loss / Constructive Total Loss or Total Theft, the insurance company generally compensates the lower of the following two values:

The price of the vehicle including the Ex-Showroom Price, the Road Tax and also the Registration Charges at the time of the original purchase.
The current replacement price of the vehicle including the Ex-Showroom Price, the Road Tax and the Registration Charges, in case the same model is available.

It means that the RTI add on pays OTR value and not only ex-showroom price. Do check again with your insurer.

[Akshay6988]

Originally Posted by shekar.ca

So there ends the first stage of this process. Now the claim process, survey/ inspection, etc. start. Will keep you all posted.

Oh dear god, my heart sank seeing the compass
I feel very sorry for your loss of a new car Shekar. While insurance and such process will take care of the situation do consider installing pumps in basement to remove the water in such disasters. I understand nothing much one can do when it comes to flooding but something is better than nothing.

[askrahul]

Originally Posted by pd1108

Shekar, A car is more than a machine, it is almost like a friend. It is heartbreaking to see a friend going through this agony. Hope everything gets sorted out gracefully from now onwards

Car is like a family member for most of us in the forum. I will not able to sleep if something like this happens to my car.

I'm sure the insurance will take care of this.

Recent floods in cities makes us think we should opt for residing in flats which have appropriate parking above ground level. Underground parking or passes are not success in India.

[GeeTee TSI]

Firstly, really appreciate documenting (for the benefit of others) what is undoubtedly a heart wrenching sight of one's prized possession. Gives a lot of clarity to us folks, any of whom might be subject to such a situation.

Could the interior damage have been minimised if the boot hadn't opened? While the safety feature unlocking the car makes sense, it is not clear how the boot could open (after unlocking), the one 'door' which is not only the heaviest but also also requires the most effort to open.