[darkpuppet]

Standard terms on insurance on leased vehicles is depreciation protection for the 1st year. So if you car is totaled in the 1st year, they're obligated to cover the full cost.

short story:

My Dad had a '69 GTO Judge that rolled a few times when a defective steering linkage went on it.

Took months for the crash investigators to release the cause behind the accident -- and he settled with the insurance company and in order to get a new car right away had to sign off on any further legal rights concerning the totaled car.

So 2 weeks after he settles all that and gets a new car (not a GTO), and gets the report back saying that it was the steering linkage and in fact, Pontiac was 100% liable in the crash.

and that's the story of how I grew up middle class instead of upper-middle class.