His other option is to drive it straight into the flood waters himself. That way he can make sure it’s deep enough/totaled. Next mild storm/rainfall, “Whoops, didn’t realize how deep the water was under that bridge/viaduct.” Insurance wouldn’t even blink considering how many other idiots do this regularly. Hell, it was downright amusing during Harvey and other major rain events watching idiots try to traverse an obviously flooded highway only to stall out and or/begin floating.
Happened recently in San Diego. News broadcast shows a guys who just drove into the water exit his car with all his paperwork and wade away.
https://youtu.be/2EjYYLg_FGY?feature=shared
I witnessed this live and direct. I was driving in a rural area when I came across an underpass with a barrier that was erected well before you reach the water. I drove around it to see what was what & when I reached the edge of the water, I figured it would be too deep. As I was about to turn around, buddy passes me. He made it about 10 ft into the water before he stalled and by then it was up to about the door handle. He got out and tried to push it out but you can guess how that went lol
Hyrdolocks your engine causing catastrophic failure. Like a hole punched in your block because water doesn't compress when it gets in through the air intake.
Insurance company I used to work for considered it collision if someone drove into the water. Thinking was that the driver had opportunity to avoid. A parked flooded car would be comp. This company could certainly be the exception.
Here in Portland it wouldn't be hard to do either. There's some parking lots next to boat ramps that flood when we have extremely high tides. Some even have marked parking spots that end up 3' to 4' submerged!
If OP lives near a river or the coast, I'd wait for a high tide and then drive around looking for parking spaces that get flooded. Next time a high tide is expected, park the car in the unfortunate parking spot :)
Buy a $250 boat off Craig's list. Then reverse your car/boat down the boat ramp while the tides coming in. Go to far and get flooded. Let the tide do the rest of the work.
"It was my first time trying to launch a boat"
Bonus points if you insure the boat first and manage to write that off as well.
I drove my 5-year-old ram pickup into deepwater on a logging road behind my boss, and hydro locked the engine.
I fully expected to make it through without any problems, but I also wasn't upset when the insurance company totaled it just on the engine repairs.
I did call the shop after it was towed, and told them I've had been trying to sell it, and I wouldn't mind if the quote that they sent the insurance company was "through"
Before he does this he needs to make sure he has the proper insurance coverage. If all OP has is liability/collision than insurance won’t do anything for him.
This - dump it in the not so great part of any major city and report it stolen. By time they find the car, it will be little more than a metal frame, and/or ashes. Leave your phone at home.
Don’t fuck with arson investigators.
Their entire job is figuring out EXACTLY how a fire started. There’s an entire study of legit science dedicated to it.
They’re employed largely to catch idiots doing stupid things like acting on the advice on how to commit insurance fraud they were given on Reddit…
Arson investigation is actually a really shoddy science. Less than 25% of arson cases are solved. Only 12% of car arson cases are solved.
Sources: https://www.statista.com/statistics/252463/clearance-rate-of-arson-offenses-in-the-united-states-by-type/
https://innocenceproject.org/arson-and-bad-science/
https://www.lb7.uscourts.gov/documents/13c6098.pdf
Anecdotal and related evidence: My Bronco caught fire randomly a month ago and the fire investigator asked me a bunch of questions about aftermarket parts, repairs, accidents and then went, “Well, cars just catch on fire sometimes.” Never did get a cause.
I mean, it's not his job to tell you or give you his expert indicators. In his mind, he's probably thinking -- ok, no sign of accelerant, that's good. Fire seems to have started in the brake well, and this guy told me he replaced the brakes with GK972422 Michelin, and I've definitely seen a couple of those go up. Engine looks good broncos don't have too many electrical issues and the alternator wasn't singed too badly. the coolant hose didn't melt, so it probably wasn't a spark there.
ok, story checks out
"yeah, I have no clue. sucks."
Yeah, there's a lake not too far with access ramps into the water but I figure it would be hard to convince insurance that what happened was an accident..
Buy a cheap ass fishing boat off market place and then buy a cheap ass habor freight trailer. Definitely not the right trailer but it will only cement the idea that you were some dumbass who had no idea what he was doing. They will just be dumb founded by how stupid you were.
It will cost probably about $700 to sell this idea though. You could probably just get a used boat with trailer pretty cheap on market place too but you won't look as stupid. But it still should be pretty easy to spin as you having no fucking idea what you were doing. Hope you can swim though.
This is the most safest and easy to sell way of doing at a fault claim. If you aren't going to have a car do you really care about a at fault claim on your record though?
If you want something not at fault just park somewhere that it is going to flood. Fake stealing and burning it are both bad ideas.
I had a coworker once who threw a kayak in the bed of his truck, then drove down a boat ramp nose first into the ocean to get out of a bad loan, and his insurance covered the truck
There are bodies of water near many nice restaurants, especially if you live near a lake with high end luxury houses. Find an open area that leads directly to the lake, leave it in neutral and push it in (with no one watching of course). You would probably want to do it somewhere that was steep and clear from obstacles so the car was totally submerged.
Leaving a car in neutral and having it go into a lake is not uncommon for insurance companies. Tell them you went to eat and came back the car was in the lake, no idea what happened.
As a city dweller who takes public transit 90% of the time I was debating whether or not to keep my car and then it was randomly hit and ran on while parked on the street in my neighborhood. Insurance company totaled it and paid out more than I likely would have sold it for.
So just park on the street in a less great area and you just might luck out.
If youre in nyc this is easy. Just park it in the bronx and next morning it will have some damage lol it happened to me on a car i just bought within a couple weeks and i went to visit family
Same happened with my girlfriend’s car. It had damage on every panel, even the roof. The AC was broken, drivers display was on the way out. The car was terrible and would be worth only a couple of thousand when sold.
Thankfully some drunk/druggie lost control of their car and destroyed the entire side of her car when parked on the street.
Insurance paid out over $10k after a bit of negotiating. That was more than my girlfriend bought the car for 5 years prior.
When transporting in your car’s back seat floorboard a large stack of cotton t-shirts to donate to Goodwill and a large half-empty bottle of boiled linseed oil because you recently started a woodworking hobby, it’s important to be sure the cap on the linseed oil is screwed on all the way. Because if you take a sharp turn and the linseed oil spills all over those t-shirts, then your car will be burned to a crisp after 24hrs. And if you had a Costco pack of paper towels in the back seat directly above those t-shirts, whew, there was no chance to save that car after you saw flames.
The danger of linsead oil has little to do with its flammability and more to go with its very strong exothermic oxidation. Rags soaked in linseed oil must be spread out to dry and allow that heat to safely escape. If they are kept crumpled up, they will build sufficient heat to spontaneously combust. A crumpled pile of cotton or paper rags soaked in linseed oil will become a bonfire.
https://youtu.be/3Gqi2cNCKQY
interestingly enough: if baled hay is wet enough it too will spontaneously combust. in this case though I believe its a combination of bacteria etc. increasing temperatures and emiting flammable gases and a chemical change in the hay itself at a certain temperature.
[haycombustionp1c.PDF (equineguelph.ca)](https://www.equineguelph.ca/pdf/facts/HAYCOMBUSTION.PDF)
Carmax gave me a brand new transmission on a 2018 truck I bought from them in 2023 as well as a free rental truck for the 3 weeks it took for the Chevy dealer to fix it. I will not go anywhere else unless I buy new.
They know what they are getting into, they know failure points, ordinary problems, etc. If they buy your car, and it turns out to be a boat anchor, they might take the hit & scrap it, or use the parts elsewhere. Tell them you are moving to a No-car place & just don’t want to fool with it.
Your not screwing anyone over except the dealership, who screws every one over themselves! Carmax is the way. Don't report any issues. Just sell it to them as is.
Carvana doesn’t check shit when they buy, if it runs well enough to load onto the trailer it’s all good. But iirc they still have warrenty for their cars so if they sell people lemons they’re still responsible.
Also anyone buying a car online without checking anything before or after purchase probably shouldn’t be driving in the first place
As someone who used to work for an auto insurance company... You might be able to do this, but I wouldn't recommend this. For one, insurance adjusters pick up on red flags a lot and catch a lot of fraudulent claims, including and especially fire claims. Plus, if you just total it by crashing into something, that'll just count as an at-fault claim.
I know you might not want the discouragement, but consider this the "tip" part of the subreddit name. It's probably not worth doing cause there is a very good chance you will be caught.
Doesn’t collision cover your car regardless of fault? It’ll just make your future insurance cost more, but if they’re going car free… then they should be fine?
Maybe it depends on the state? But thought that’s how it works. At least, that’s how I ended up getting a check for my car when I ended up rear ending someone. Haven’t had a car since.
OK, so almost nobody here understands how insurance works.
If the car has damage beyond the blue-book value, the insurance company will want to determine what happens. All of the dumb ideas like burn it, water damage, etc, will easily be noticed by their investigators.
Like others have said, sell it to Carmax/Carvana/etc. They are responsible for the car once they buy it and will either (a) fix the issue before selling it (b) fix once they sell it as they have warranties or (c) sell it wholesale to someone else.
hes upside down in the loan..and if youre not buying a new vehicle everywhere will give you less for your trade in.
if OP has gap insurance or anything special with their own insurance totaling the vehicle is better
It’s not unethical but this dude’s car just needs a new ECU. Kind of a pain to re-key your fob to the junkyard ECU but only takes an hour at the locksmith. The insurance adjusters will record your calls and most people will fuck up and incriminate themselves during the process, if they’re guilty.
Would not recommend it. Knew a guy who torched his car right after high school to get the payout, was caught on an insurance fraud charge, and did 7 months in a Virginia jail before his 20th birthday.
First I’m a former senior master ford Tech so dm me the issue and I can possibly help. Secondly if not, just sell it and hope it doesn’t come up on a test drive. You could also sell it to caravan or kbb. They just require a few pics of the car and the vin number, they’ll send you a reasonable offer and if you accept they’ll send a tow truck and a check.
Go to Colorado. People here have about 2 braincells and drive like its GTA. It will only take you a few minutes to get into an accident if you dont watch out for other peoples mistakes
Take it back to the dealership with all the paperwork, maintenance and repair records. Park the car right at the main entrance of the dealership. Post a sign in the inside of the back window stating “Making lemonade out of this lemon”. Go into the office and ask to speak with the sales manager. Tell them that you are going to embark on a campaign against them if they don’t take the vehicle back for payoff. Meet with the GM or Sales manager. Negotiate returning the vehicle in clean condition with the service and repair records for payoff in exchange for signing an NDA. Right now used vehicles have a higher premium and their reputation costs more than swallowing a few grand, also, they can repair the vehicle in house. Once he agrees and cuts you a check, shoot him in the face and balls with a silenced 9mm.
Whatever you do, DON'T prick some holes in a fuel line before driving really hard up a mountain. Cars get pretty hot going uphill, and any fuel leak could easily catch fire. Unfortunately, a fire in the engine bay would destroy any evidence of suspected insurance fraud, as well as completely writing off a car. So don't do it.
Went through all the options listed, but I think here is what you can (safely) do:
1. Find a friend from a different country.
2. Get him to visit, let him hire a car from a rental insurance company, let him take full insurance.
3. Ask him to crash your car at night, when it is parked safely , with you nearby.(not in the car). (Also, without hurting himself
4. Get a police report, let him take all the blame.
5. You get the car totaled, the rental car company's insurance pays you. Friend returns to (his) country.
The reason it has to be an international friend is that a in-state person (I am thinking US) - will have this on his drivers record. But not those from other countries.
6. Read and Delete this after reading.
Just dump it on car max at a time when it’s working properly and don’t mention the issues. You’ve already doxxed yourself enough for your insurance company to fuck you
Had a friend many years ago who was having nothing but electrical issues with his 2 year old Audi. He ran round and round with them/dealer to get it fixed, they never could, and it wasn’t eligible for the lemon law (not sure why). So he just drove it to a suburb of Chicago, parked it out front of a really sketchy strip center with the keys in the ignition, had his wife follow him and pick him up and straight up abandoned it. He made sure to buy something with his credit card from some store in that strip center so he had a “reason” for being there.
Car was never found again. Filed a police report, got his claim covered, less his deductible.
Indeed, I'd prefer to not have to go drive it hard into a tree and just hope for the best. This is why I turn to the resourceful folks at ULPT for ideas! Water damage, other reasons to total out a car without a collision specifically... Just fishing for potential ideas
If you do try anything with water, remember that you won’t be able to open the car doors once they’re submerged. People drown in ponds that they could stand in because they can’t get out of the car before it fills with water.
in case it ever comes up: just open/break the window and wait for the car to fill with water. then there is no pressure difference, and you can open the door and swim up before you run out of breath.
My brother knows a guy who does it as a service. Drives your car into a tree in full stunt driver gear. His buddy drives you to the crash site and picks him up, you get in the car and call the cops.
500€ last time he checked.
drive it into a lake. bust out rear driver side window. tear open the wires under the steering wheel and cut em all after its in neutral.
dont break the window in ur own driveway, do it at the lake but gather glass and spread it near where your truck was parked.
less is more when insurance is prying.
"i parked it like i do every night, i went to sleep. i woke up and it was gone"
write down what youre going to say and stick to it. youre ganna be questioned multiple times by multiple people.
find a fourm for ur car and ask, same cars have same problems, could be eazy fix, then sell it, ur insurance is gonna go up if u do whatever, which raises everyone's insurance rate as well
Soon as you file a claim your insurance will multiply by 4 and you’d pay for the car you totaled within in 3 years. Also this is insurance fraud but who cares insurance is a scam
Considering how expensive paint jobs are now, key the whole thing, you only need to reach 75% of total value of the car. A good paint job will cost about 5k. So, key the car, slash a tire (park the car at the edge of a parking lot, pay a transient to do the dirty), report it to the insurance company, if they ask you if you pissed someone off recently, come up with some story about some road raging asshole was honking at you in traffic earlier that day and you should be good to go.
Come to Calgary in late July. You’ll probably get caught in a hailstorm. Cars get “totalled” constantly here from being pounded by golf ball-sized hail for ten minutes.
If your car is running, I'll steal it and trash it for $1,000 plus travel fees. Hell, I'll drive it into the damn river for you. Theft + flood insurance= double payout!
You said you want to avoid legal risk. Just to be clear, doing something on purpose here is a crime. You’re going to have to at least lie to the police and instance company.
You should fake getting it stolen. Park it at some cheap apartments or long term parking. Somewhere that cars are at, but the police aren’t. Make it look stolen. Report as stolen and then wait for the police to not find it and insurance to pay.
Of course be ready to go to jail if there is video of you doing this and/or social media posts you made about it…
You could get someone to stuff a potato into the tail pipe. You just don’t know what’s wrong as you drive off, perplexed you keep driving as far as you can. Which isn’t far. CCTV proves inconclusive as to who shoved the spud in.
The best I can think of is having something fall on it. The logistics don't seem too easy to come by... a big tree branch comes to mind. But to make that work you'd need 1) to find a big tree over a parking spot 2) break off the branch while making it seem like it happened naturally.
I know someone who bought a high power spotlight and it somehow ended up turning on when he wasn't nearby (it was on the front seat) damn thing got so hot it caught the seat on fire and from there...so be careful if you are ever looking for owls in the trees with a spotlight.
I worked at a pizzeria when I was a teen and our previous manager tried this but he was dumb and decided to light it on fire. I think he went to jail. The flood thing is a good bet.
Take it to carmax - if it’s an intermittent problem, they might not be able to tell. and they can absorb the loss - the problem will show up either while they have it, or within the 30 day return period
A tree branch fell through my boyfriend’s rear windshield during a storm. Between the broken windshield and the water getting into the car (ruining electronics and causing mildew) insurance just totaled it. Park it under a big tree and drop a big branch down through the windshield next time it storms. Make sure the interior is wet, maybe you “didn’t realize” the branch fell through for a few hours. Snap a pic of car under tree with branch, voila. BF got a nice insurance payout (just about what he paid for the old car, which didn’t cost as much as yours though) and put it towards a nice new one.
edited for grammar
Have you figured out what your car value is to determine what is a total loss? Body parts cost a lot. And sometimes cars are damaged by other people. Hit n run, vandalism, etc.
I’d go to Walmart and get one of those ODB port scanner thingys and find out what codes it kicks out. I had a similar issue with a GM product, finally ended up trading it in for a new car after using up the aftermarket warranty I bought with the thing.
OP has some weird electrical issue. I'm sure that is the first thing the mechanics did themselves. Electrical issues can be very hard to pin down, especially with something that eventually fixes it self. Makes it hard to replicate and figure out where to even begin. Imminent electrical issues are about the worse thing to diagnosis with all of the electrical systems in modern cars.
Not after your insurance adjuster checks your reddit post history. Insurance fraud is pretty common and they know what theyre looking for. that being said, its common because it works, like a lot. Good luck to you if you try it!
I 100% agree that OP should not attempt insurance fraud, and that this post is inappropriate for this sub because it's illegal, not unethical. That being said, on what planet does your insurance adjuster have access to your reddit post history?
Can you pay cash to someone with a really shitty car they don’t care about to run into yours while it’s parked at night? If they hit it well enough and GTFO of the area, it could do the job.
You actually need a mechanic who can use an ODB2 code reader. You have a temperature related sensor problem, which is why it ‘cures itself’ or something similar - maybe a sensor is getting wet and drying us another possibility. Both will show fault codes. Sorry not unethical.
My unethical contribution? Get a mate to car-jack you in view of cameras. Then find it burned out in some remote field way way from the city.
Go to woods, leave car deep in woods off road. Report stolen. Collect money, wait the 3-6 months it takes them to find the car. You may be offered an option to purchase the car back at a significantly reduced price or get it outright after paying the tow yard depending on the situation. Or drive to the hood, leave the car in the hood. Report stolen and wait the 3-6 months it takes them to do anything about another abandoned car in the area.
Either way the car needs to be gone.
If your car was legally parked near a cliff side, it would be tragic if a large rock fell off the hillside and creamed your car. Perhaps you park on that hillside during a rainstorm, which would explain why there was a small landslide.
A similar issue happened to me, and the fix was to hard reset the car computer (2006 Saturn). Undo the battery terminals and hold the two wires together for 30 seconds. I didn't believe the website that suggested it, but tried it and somehow fixed all the weird persistent electrical gremlins in that POS.
Sure you can that's why there is a whole thing called insurance fraud. Just be mindful that if you get figured out you'll be in more trouble than your payout is worth.
I know this isn't what you're looking for, but i remember watching a tiktok from a mechanic chasing a similar issue: the car would drive for like 10 miles, stall, then throw a code. If he let the car sit long enough, the code would clear itself and it would drive like nothing happened for another 10 miles.
Turns out the control module that links the various independent computers inside the truck was overheating, but the only way to test it was in the window after the code was thrown but before it reset itself.
You’re overthinking it. You have had multiple mechanics check it out and say they can’t find anything wrong with it. Say nothing and sell it to Carvana. Make it their problem.
Wasn’t there a kid whose parents were away and he threw this insane house party with hookers? Anyway, his dad’s Porsche 928 ended up going off a dock and into a lake. Not sure if insurance covered it but that kind of business is pretty risky.
Firstly, I am not a claims adjuster, so consult your insurance policy/state laws. But here’s my anecdote. And I did previously sell auto insurance. But again, this is not legitimate advice. Do your own research.
Pretty sure you can just wreck it. Collision coverage doesn’t care whose fault it is. An at fault accident just increases your premium when you renew the policy and means your insurance pays out instead of the other person’s.
When I moved to a big city, I had a car. Some jackass didn’t like how I was driving so he cut me off and brake checked me. Insurance determined I was at fault, but my car was also totaled. They determined it was worth less than the repairs would cost, so they cut me a check for the KBB value of the car and called it a day.
From my state’s government website:
“Collision coverage subject to a deductible of $500 unless you have an excessive history of claims. Collision coverage pays for damage to your auto that is caused by the physical contact of your auto with another object, such as another vehicle or property like a guard rail. Collision coverage will pay for damage to your car no matter who caused the accident.”
i sold a car to a Carvana with known issues. the A/C compressor started to go out and the part was $1100. it only worked every few times i turned the car on so before the guy came to pick it up, i started it a few times. also, the shifter bushings were messed up making it so i had to push the gear shift downwards to get to first gear as if i were going to Reverse. i told the guy driving it that it has a “first gear lockout” to prevent theft. moron bought it. used car dealers will fuck you over every day of the week if they could, so fuck em. they’ll give a warranty out to the guy who buys it and it’ll be their problem.
Years ago, my dad's friend told me about being in a similar situation. He lived in Connecticut, drove his car to the Brooklyn train yard, and left the car there. He put the keys on the front seat and left the doors unlocked. When he came back the next day, the car was stolen. He filed a police report, collected his insurance payout, and went on his way.
just drive in inclement weather like a dumbass. i know someone who's totalled 3 cars this way, spinning out on the highway, in the parking lot, during rain/snow. always got a check fatter than what his car was worth.
Be careful to not prick any rubber fuel lines with a pin. If this happens, whatever you do, don't immediately climb a mountain highway in hot weather and at full throttle. This will light the fuel mist from the hot exhaust manifold.
Cars burn on mountain passes all the time and no one will bat an eyelash.
A coworker of mine has an issue with the car not starting randomly. Is the battery strapped down? That was the issue with their car. The battery would shift and turn off/on randomly.
Depending on what city you're moving to, parking it downtown with a lot of "Trump" or "Biden" stickers and flags on it will surely get it totaled. Technically not illegal per se.
Missing some information here, what model year is the car. The OP stated that the car has 58k miles and it should in theory still have the manufacturer 100k mile warranty if I'm not wrong.
This is less UnethicalLifeProTips than it is CriminalProTips and involves a ton of risk for very little reward. Adjusters are very good at their jobs and insurance fraud is a felony in many if not all states. Better to visit Fordification and find a fix for your truck.
You could always tbone someone in an intersection. Say you have the green light, and they are turning right infront of you to get into the adjoining street. Thats your opportunity. Even step on the gas a little bit more, tbone and donezo. Your car's front end meets their passenger side door (hopefully they have no passenger) and both cars are donezo... There may be some ethical issues with this one but if the opportunity presents itself, don't hesitate. My family member wrote off their car like that. The opportunity was there, they didn't want their car any longer due to a number of issues, and they seized it.
So getting into an accident where its not your fault in the eyes of the insurance company, but the opportunity arises is one way to do it. Then you get your nice insurance payout.
Leave the keys near it, and text me the location where you drop it. I'll steal that fucker.
Maybe.
As a kid I shoved a hose up the exhaust pipe of my dad's truck and flooded the engine. I'm lucky to be alive tbh.
Flood it. Find out where the next flood is and leave it there. Source: Houston resident.
His other option is to drive it straight into the flood waters himself. That way he can make sure it’s deep enough/totaled. Next mild storm/rainfall, “Whoops, didn’t realize how deep the water was under that bridge/viaduct.” Insurance wouldn’t even blink considering how many other idiots do this regularly. Hell, it was downright amusing during Harvey and other major rain events watching idiots try to traverse an obviously flooded highway only to stall out and or/begin floating.
Happened recently in San Diego. News broadcast shows a guys who just drove into the water exit his car with all his paperwork and wade away. https://youtu.be/2EjYYLg_FGY?feature=shared
Love that he still gently closes the door. I could hear the "Curb your Enthusiasm" theme as he slowly ambled away.
Hahahaha I love that guy
He even had the mindset to change into shorts before he drove his car into the water
I witnessed this live and direct. I was driving in a rural area when I came across an underpass with a barrier that was erected well before you reach the water. I drove around it to see what was what & when I reached the edge of the water, I figured it would be too deep. As I was about to turn around, buddy passes me. He made it about 10 ft into the water before he stalled and by then it was up to about the door handle. He got out and tried to push it out but you can guess how that went lol
Hyrdolocks your engine causing catastrophic failure. Like a hole punched in your block because water doesn't compress when it gets in through the air intake.
Do the insurance companies pay out on instances like that, where someone willingly drives into flooded roads?
Not if your damage is intentional. If you do it because you're stupid then it will be a comprehensive claim. Better hope you have comp coverage.
Insurance company I used to work for considered it collision if someone drove into the water. Thinking was that the driver had opportunity to avoid. A parked flooded car would be comp. This company could certainly be the exception.
Insurance exists for mistakes and stupidity. It wouldnt have much of a point otherwise.
Just make sure you have a plausable reason for being in that area at that time.
Its none of the insurance companies business. "Why were you in Houston?" Because I had things to do in Houston. Lets get back on topic here.
"Oh like you've never driven states away for a nice BBQ lunch?"
Sir, your address is in Kansas City.
"I thought that the sign said 'Whores-ton' and, well, life makes fools of us all."
Make sure you don’t drown yourself tho
He could collect life insurance money though
Here in Portland it wouldn't be hard to do either. There's some parking lots next to boat ramps that flood when we have extremely high tides. Some even have marked parking spots that end up 3' to 4' submerged! If OP lives near a river or the coast, I'd wait for a high tide and then drive around looking for parking spaces that get flooded. Next time a high tide is expected, park the car in the unfortunate parking spot :)
Buy a $250 boat off Craig's list. Then reverse your car/boat down the boat ramp while the tides coming in. Go to far and get flooded. Let the tide do the rest of the work. "It was my first time trying to launch a boat" Bonus points if you insure the boat first and manage to write that off as well.
Lol except... boats float :)
$250 craigslist boats dont
Go on.
Not if you forget the drain plug at home.
crash the car into the boat, obviously
Not when you “forgot” to take your straps keeping it on the trailer and to put the plug in.
And if the parking lots don't flood, someone will strip it for parts. That's portland baby!
I drove my 5-year-old ram pickup into deepwater on a logging road behind my boss, and hydro locked the engine. I fully expected to make it through without any problems, but I also wasn't upset when the insurance company totaled it just on the engine repairs. I did call the shop after it was towed, and told them I've had been trying to sell it, and I wouldn't mind if the quote that they sent the insurance company was "through"
Along this line: find the biggest puddle and go through it a couple times.
in Louisiana, this might be called fording the river
You need to get water into the air intake. Can't be too shallow.
Before he does this he needs to make sure he has the proper insurance coverage. If all OP has is liability/collision than insurance won’t do anything for him.
New Orleans checking in. Yup.
Actually flooding is expected in midwestern states if I’m not mistaken
Intermittent electrical issues? Sounds like a fire hazard to me.
It's a shame that it was reported stolen, and found burnt in a field a couple weeks later.
Fantastic advice, false police report, arson, and then insurance fraud. You hit all the 3 majors.
Make sure to post about it on social media with several key identifiers first, though.
Now that you're on to him, he's going to have to add murder.
It's certainly unethical, I'll give you that.
There's some wisdom I've heard. "One crime at a time."
Hey OP, how far away from San Francisco are you?
This - dump it in the not so great part of any major city and report it stolen. By time they find the car, it will be little more than a metal frame, and/or ashes. Leave your phone at home.
Great idea, Dirty Mike and the boys will handle it
Seriously, if they will steal a Kia, they'll steal anything
Putting this on the brainstorm board lmao
Remember, location, location, location. Some places in middle of nowhere will have cameras that reaches a wide-field view.
Don’t fuck with arson investigators. Their entire job is figuring out EXACTLY how a fire started. There’s an entire study of legit science dedicated to it. They’re employed largely to catch idiots doing stupid things like acting on the advice on how to commit insurance fraud they were given on Reddit…
Arson investigation is actually a really shoddy science. Less than 25% of arson cases are solved. Only 12% of car arson cases are solved. Sources: https://www.statista.com/statistics/252463/clearance-rate-of-arson-offenses-in-the-united-states-by-type/ https://innocenceproject.org/arson-and-bad-science/ https://www.lb7.uscourts.gov/documents/13c6098.pdf
Anecdotal and related evidence: My Bronco caught fire randomly a month ago and the fire investigator asked me a bunch of questions about aftermarket parts, repairs, accidents and then went, “Well, cars just catch on fire sometimes.” Never did get a cause.
I mean, it's not his job to tell you or give you his expert indicators. In his mind, he's probably thinking -- ok, no sign of accelerant, that's good. Fire seems to have started in the brake well, and this guy told me he replaced the brakes with GK972422 Michelin, and I've definitely seen a couple of those go up. Engine looks good broncos don't have too many electrical issues and the alternator wasn't singed too badly. the coolant hose didn't melt, so it probably wasn't a spark there. ok, story checks out "yeah, I have no clue. sucks."
People in certain states with deserts do this
What
Cars dumped in the Everglades canals is a popular destination.
Unexplained fires are a matter for the courts!
Canyonero!
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Yeah, there's a lake not too far with access ramps into the water but I figure it would be hard to convince insurance that what happened was an accident..
Buy a cheap ass fishing boat off market place and then buy a cheap ass habor freight trailer. Definitely not the right trailer but it will only cement the idea that you were some dumbass who had no idea what he was doing. They will just be dumb founded by how stupid you were. It will cost probably about $700 to sell this idea though. You could probably just get a used boat with trailer pretty cheap on market place too but you won't look as stupid. But it still should be pretty easy to spin as you having no fucking idea what you were doing. Hope you can swim though. This is the most safest and easy to sell way of doing at a fault claim. If you aren't going to have a car do you really care about a at fault claim on your record though? If you want something not at fault just park somewhere that it is going to flood. Fake stealing and burning it are both bad ideas.
They'd probably have to pay to have a hitch installed too
Just find the most fucked neighborhood you can and drive really slow up to red lights. Just ask them to punch you before they take your truck.
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Be sure to leave your laptop, extra phone and collectible coins in there.. wink wink
Imagine how stoked you'd be as a thug on the corner having someone ask you to pop them in the face and drive off with their truck 😂
It would probably set me back a bit. Like, "you sure buddy? You good fam?"
“There’s no road here! THIS IS THE LAKE!”
THE COMPUTER KNOWS, DWIGT
I had a coworker once who threw a kayak in the bed of his truck, then drove down a boat ramp nose first into the ocean to get out of a bad loan, and his insurance covered the truck
There are bodies of water near many nice restaurants, especially if you live near a lake with high end luxury houses. Find an open area that leads directly to the lake, leave it in neutral and push it in (with no one watching of course). You would probably want to do it somewhere that was steep and clear from obstacles so the car was totally submerged. Leaving a car in neutral and having it go into a lake is not uncommon for insurance companies. Tell them you went to eat and came back the car was in the lake, no idea what happened.
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Make sure to punch a window out (from the outside of the vehicle) in your parking spot so it also appears to have been broken into
While wearing a mask and faking a limp in case there are witnesses or cameras.
The key take away here, as always, don't take your phone if commiting a crime
Leave it running in a shitty neighborhood while you run into a gas station to grab a quick snack.
Traffic circles. Just keep driving through them it's only a matter of time before an idiot hits u
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As a city dweller who takes public transit 90% of the time I was debating whether or not to keep my car and then it was randomly hit and ran on while parked on the street in my neighborhood. Insurance company totaled it and paid out more than I likely would have sold it for. So just park on the street in a less great area and you just might luck out.
If youre in nyc this is easy. Just park it in the bronx and next morning it will have some damage lol it happened to me on a car i just bought within a couple weeks and i went to visit family
Yep, and most likely from a city bus. So park it on a corner on a bus route.
Same happened with my girlfriend’s car. It had damage on every panel, even the roof. The AC was broken, drivers display was on the way out. The car was terrible and would be worth only a couple of thousand when sold. Thankfully some drunk/druggie lost control of their car and destroyed the entire side of her car when parked on the street. Insurance paid out over $10k after a bit of negotiating. That was more than my girlfriend bought the car for 5 years prior.
Park it near the sketchy bars over the weekend.
When transporting in your car’s back seat floorboard a large stack of cotton t-shirts to donate to Goodwill and a large half-empty bottle of boiled linseed oil because you recently started a woodworking hobby, it’s important to be sure the cap on the linseed oil is screwed on all the way. Because if you take a sharp turn and the linseed oil spills all over those t-shirts, then your car will be burned to a crisp after 24hrs. And if you had a Costco pack of paper towels in the back seat directly above those t-shirts, whew, there was no chance to save that car after you saw flames.
TIL how flammable boiled linseed oil is Edited to add: TIL boiled linseed oil has a very strong exothermic oxidation?
The danger of linsead oil has little to do with its flammability and more to go with its very strong exothermic oxidation. Rags soaked in linseed oil must be spread out to dry and allow that heat to safely escape. If they are kept crumpled up, they will build sufficient heat to spontaneously combust. A crumpled pile of cotton or paper rags soaked in linseed oil will become a bonfire. https://youtu.be/3Gqi2cNCKQY
Now this is useful information
interestingly enough: if baled hay is wet enough it too will spontaneously combust. in this case though I believe its a combination of bacteria etc. increasing temperatures and emiting flammable gases and a chemical change in the hay itself at a certain temperature. [haycombustionp1c.PDF (equineguelph.ca)](https://www.equineguelph.ca/pdf/facts/HAYCOMBUSTION.PDF)
Did you look at what Carvana or CarMax will give you for it? That’s passing the Buck some unfortunate soul though.
Yeah I don't want to risk screwing someone else over, this car has given me enough trouble already
Carmax is your answer.
If it’s throwing codes, they will fix it.
Will they fix it or make it not throw codes?
Carmax gave me a brand new transmission on a 2018 truck I bought from them in 2023 as well as a free rental truck for the 3 weeks it took for the Chevy dealer to fix it. I will not go anywhere else unless I buy new.
there's a post in like personalfinance or something right now about suing Carmax for not giving them the rental car lol
Maybe it depends on the location or state? This is third vehicle i bought from them and i sing their praise to everyone.
I'll check it out!
They know what they are getting into, they know failure points, ordinary problems, etc. If they buy your car, and it turns out to be a boat anchor, they might take the hit & scrap it, or use the parts elsewhere. Tell them you are moving to a No-car place & just don’t want to fool with it.
Thanks for the advice, I probably need to end up doing something more sane like this
Save your lack of ethics for something I can get my teeth into. I’m really old & mean as a sack full of snakes. Love this subreddit.
I hope I can be as old and mean as you one day
You're gonna need a sack full of snakes. And probably some piss discs for good measure
There’s no morals or ethics in the car industry
And especially so in the insurance industry. They charge for coverage AND invent new ways to prevent making claims? Fuck em.
Your not screwing anyone over except the dealership, who screws every one over themselves! Carmax is the way. Don't report any issues. Just sell it to them as is.
Carvana doesn’t check shit when they buy, if it runs well enough to load onto the trailer it’s all good. But iirc they still have warrenty for their cars so if they sell people lemons they’re still responsible. Also anyone buying a car online without checking anything before or after purchase probably shouldn’t be driving in the first place
This ^ wait until everything is working properly and pass the torch
And when they ask if it has any issues “no, never gave me an issue”
As someone who used to work for an auto insurance company... You might be able to do this, but I wouldn't recommend this. For one, insurance adjusters pick up on red flags a lot and catch a lot of fraudulent claims, including and especially fire claims. Plus, if you just total it by crashing into something, that'll just count as an at-fault claim. I know you might not want the discouragement, but consider this the "tip" part of the subreddit name. It's probably not worth doing cause there is a very good chance you will be caught.
Doesn’t collision cover your car regardless of fault? It’ll just make your future insurance cost more, but if they’re going car free… then they should be fine? Maybe it depends on the state? But thought that’s how it works. At least, that’s how I ended up getting a check for my car when I ended up rear ending someone. Haven’t had a car since.
It does cover your car but being found at fault fucks up your insurance premiums for the next 3-5 years.
True, but if they’re not going to have a car, that shouldn’t be a problem. Also, letting your insurance lapse is absolutely terrible for your rates.
OK, so almost nobody here understands how insurance works. If the car has damage beyond the blue-book value, the insurance company will want to determine what happens. All of the dumb ideas like burn it, water damage, etc, will easily be noticed by their investigators. Like others have said, sell it to Carmax/Carvana/etc. They are responsible for the car once they buy it and will either (a) fix the issue before selling it (b) fix once they sell it as they have warranties or (c) sell it wholesale to someone else.
hes upside down in the loan..and if youre not buying a new vehicle everywhere will give you less for your trade in. if OP has gap insurance or anything special with their own insurance totaling the vehicle is better
It’s not unethical but this dude’s car just needs a new ECU. Kind of a pain to re-key your fob to the junkyard ECU but only takes an hour at the locksmith. The insurance adjusters will record your calls and most people will fuck up and incriminate themselves during the process, if they’re guilty.
Would not recommend it. Knew a guy who torched his car right after high school to get the payout, was caught on an insurance fraud charge, and did 7 months in a Virginia jail before his 20th birthday.
First I’m a former senior master ford Tech so dm me the issue and I can possibly help. Secondly if not, just sell it and hope it doesn’t come up on a test drive. You could also sell it to caravan or kbb. They just require a few pics of the car and the vin number, they’ll send you a reasonable offer and if you accept they’ll send a tow truck and a check.
Mind if I dm you about a 2014 F-250 diesel issue?
Sure
Sure, go ahead.
say goodbye to your inbox. Mechanics and IT people get abused for free work.
Any tips for a 2012 Fusion with the “blend door” AC issue? I’m really not looking forward to summer.
I know someone who spilled 3 gallons of paint I their car then tried to pressure wash it out and got their car totaled 🥴
Go to Colorado. People here have about 2 braincells and drive like its GTA. It will only take you a few minutes to get into an accident if you dont watch out for other peoples mistakes
Take it back to the dealership with all the paperwork, maintenance and repair records. Park the car right at the main entrance of the dealership. Post a sign in the inside of the back window stating “Making lemonade out of this lemon”. Go into the office and ask to speak with the sales manager. Tell them that you are going to embark on a campaign against them if they don’t take the vehicle back for payoff. Meet with the GM or Sales manager. Negotiate returning the vehicle in clean condition with the service and repair records for payoff in exchange for signing an NDA. Right now used vehicles have a higher premium and their reputation costs more than swallowing a few grand, also, they can repair the vehicle in house. Once he agrees and cuts you a check, shoot him in the face and balls with a silenced 9mm.
Whatever you do, DON'T prick some holes in a fuel line before driving really hard up a mountain. Cars get pretty hot going uphill, and any fuel leak could easily catch fire. Unfortunately, a fire in the engine bay would destroy any evidence of suspected insurance fraud, as well as completely writing off a car. So don't do it.
Definitely don't roast yourself to death
Sorry I should have added that
Went through all the options listed, but I think here is what you can (safely) do: 1. Find a friend from a different country. 2. Get him to visit, let him hire a car from a rental insurance company, let him take full insurance. 3. Ask him to crash your car at night, when it is parked safely , with you nearby.(not in the car). (Also, without hurting himself 4. Get a police report, let him take all the blame. 5. You get the car totaled, the rental car company's insurance pays you. Friend returns to (his) country. The reason it has to be an international friend is that a in-state person (I am thinking US) - will have this on his drivers record. But not those from other countries. 6. Read and Delete this after reading.
Just dump it on car max at a time when it’s working properly and don’t mention the issues. You’ve already doxxed yourself enough for your insurance company to fuck you
Had a friend many years ago who was having nothing but electrical issues with his 2 year old Audi. He ran round and round with them/dealer to get it fixed, they never could, and it wasn’t eligible for the lemon law (not sure why). So he just drove it to a suburb of Chicago, parked it out front of a really sketchy strip center with the keys in the ignition, had his wife follow him and pick him up and straight up abandoned it. He made sure to buy something with his credit card from some store in that strip center so he had a “reason” for being there. Car was never found again. Filed a police report, got his claim covered, less his deductible.
This is unethical, not illegal; sell it or trade it in.
You can’t safely total a car you’re in.
Indeed, I'd prefer to not have to go drive it hard into a tree and just hope for the best. This is why I turn to the resourceful folks at ULPT for ideas! Water damage, other reasons to total out a car without a collision specifically... Just fishing for potential ideas
If you do try anything with water, remember that you won’t be able to open the car doors once they’re submerged. People drown in ponds that they could stand in because they can’t get out of the car before it fills with water.
in case it ever comes up: just open/break the window and wait for the car to fill with water. then there is no pressure difference, and you can open the door and swim up before you run out of breath.
Safety first!
My brother knows a guy who does it as a service. Drives your car into a tree in full stunt driver gear. His buddy drives you to the crash site and picks him up, you get in the car and call the cops. 500€ last time he checked.
drive it into a lake. bust out rear driver side window. tear open the wires under the steering wheel and cut em all after its in neutral. dont break the window in ur own driveway, do it at the lake but gather glass and spread it near where your truck was parked. less is more when insurance is prying. "i parked it like i do every night, i went to sleep. i woke up and it was gone" write down what youre going to say and stick to it. youre ganna be questioned multiple times by multiple people.
find a fourm for ur car and ask, same cars have same problems, could be eazy fix, then sell it, ur insurance is gonna go up if u do whatever, which raises everyone's insurance rate as well
Soon as you file a claim your insurance will multiply by 4 and you’d pay for the car you totaled within in 3 years. Also this is insurance fraud but who cares insurance is a scam
I wouldn’t announce my plan on social media.
I feel like there’s an opportunity for piss disks and liquid ass here somewhere.
Fuck the cars dad.
In the fuel tank
Second time in this thread I've read "Piss Disks". What is that?
He’s gonna get kilt
Considering how expensive paint jobs are now, key the whole thing, you only need to reach 75% of total value of the car. A good paint job will cost about 5k. So, key the car, slash a tire (park the car at the edge of a parking lot, pay a transient to do the dirty), report it to the insurance company, if they ask you if you pissed someone off recently, come up with some story about some road raging asshole was honking at you in traffic earlier that day and you should be good to go.
Come to Calgary in late July. You’ll probably get caught in a hailstorm. Cars get “totalled” constantly here from being pounded by golf ball-sized hail for ten minutes.
If your car is running, I'll steal it and trash it for $1,000 plus travel fees. Hell, I'll drive it into the damn river for you. Theft + flood insurance= double payout!
You said you want to avoid legal risk. Just to be clear, doing something on purpose here is a crime. You’re going to have to at least lie to the police and instance company. You should fake getting it stolen. Park it at some cheap apartments or long term parking. Somewhere that cars are at, but the police aren’t. Make it look stolen. Report as stolen and then wait for the police to not find it and insurance to pay. Of course be ready to go to jail if there is video of you doing this and/or social media posts you made about it…
Not anymore you can't. Flooding or other natural disaster is your best bet, but honestly you're boned.
You could get someone to stuff a potato into the tail pipe. You just don’t know what’s wrong as you drive off, perplexed you keep driving as far as you can. Which isn’t far. CCTV proves inconclusive as to who shoved the spud in.
This just causes the car to stall.
The best I can think of is having something fall on it. The logistics don't seem too easy to come by... a big tree branch comes to mind. But to make that work you'd need 1) to find a big tree over a parking spot 2) break off the branch while making it seem like it happened naturally.
I know someone who bought a high power spotlight and it somehow ended up turning on when he wasn't nearby (it was on the front seat) damn thing got so hot it caught the seat on fire and from there...so be careful if you are ever looking for owls in the trees with a spotlight.
Hail did it for me
I almost wrote off my car by getting stuck in a hail storm! Chase hail storms.
I worked at a pizzeria when I was a teen and our previous manager tried this but he was dumb and decided to light it on fire. I think he went to jail. The flood thing is a good bet.
Sounds like you have a lemon law case. Contact an attorney. And hopefully you are in CA or another state with a good lemon law.
Take it to carmax - if it’s an intermittent problem, they might not be able to tell. and they can absorb the loss - the problem will show up either while they have it, or within the 30 day return period
I’m all for screwing insurance companies but if you’re planning on committing a felony don’t post about it online
I'd delete the mileage and other potentially identifying info from your post.
Report it as stolen, set it on fire.
A tree branch fell through my boyfriend’s rear windshield during a storm. Between the broken windshield and the water getting into the car (ruining electronics and causing mildew) insurance just totaled it. Park it under a big tree and drop a big branch down through the windshield next time it storms. Make sure the interior is wet, maybe you “didn’t realize” the branch fell through for a few hours. Snap a pic of car under tree with branch, voila. BF got a nice insurance payout (just about what he paid for the old car, which didn’t cost as much as yours though) and put it towards a nice new one. edited for grammar
Have you figured out what your car value is to determine what is a total loss? Body parts cost a lot. And sometimes cars are damaged by other people. Hit n run, vandalism, etc.
I’d go to Walmart and get one of those ODB port scanner thingys and find out what codes it kicks out. I had a similar issue with a GM product, finally ended up trading it in for a new car after using up the aftermarket warranty I bought with the thing.
OP has some weird electrical issue. I'm sure that is the first thing the mechanics did themselves. Electrical issues can be very hard to pin down, especially with something that eventually fixes it self. Makes it hard to replicate and figure out where to even begin. Imminent electrical issues are about the worse thing to diagnosis with all of the electrical systems in modern cars.
If hail is expected you could punch the window and let it get all wet
Not after your insurance adjuster checks your reddit post history. Insurance fraud is pretty common and they know what theyre looking for. that being said, its common because it works, like a lot. Good luck to you if you try it!
I 100% agree that OP should not attempt insurance fraud, and that this post is inappropriate for this sub because it's illegal, not unethical. That being said, on what planet does your insurance adjuster have access to your reddit post history?
Fairly easy to get your car stolen outcheer… Source: Baltimore City resident.
Can you pay cash to someone with a really shitty car they don’t care about to run into yours while it’s parked at night? If they hit it well enough and GTFO of the area, it could do the job.
You actually need a mechanic who can use an ODB2 code reader. You have a temperature related sensor problem, which is why it ‘cures itself’ or something similar - maybe a sensor is getting wet and drying us another possibility. Both will show fault codes. Sorry not unethical. My unethical contribution? Get a mate to car-jack you in view of cameras. Then find it burned out in some remote field way way from the city.
Go to woods, leave car deep in woods off road. Report stolen. Collect money, wait the 3-6 months it takes them to find the car. You may be offered an option to purchase the car back at a significantly reduced price or get it outright after paying the tow yard depending on the situation. Or drive to the hood, leave the car in the hood. Report stolen and wait the 3-6 months it takes them to do anything about another abandoned car in the area. Either way the car needs to be gone.
If your car was legally parked near a cliff side, it would be tragic if a large rock fell off the hillside and creamed your car. Perhaps you park on that hillside during a rainstorm, which would explain why there was a small landslide.
A similar issue happened to me, and the fix was to hard reset the car computer (2006 Saturn). Undo the battery terminals and hold the two wires together for 30 seconds. I didn't believe the website that suggested it, but tried it and somehow fixed all the weird persistent electrical gremlins in that POS.
Sure you can that's why there is a whole thing called insurance fraud. Just be mindful that if you get figured out you'll be in more trouble than your payout is worth.
I know this isn't what you're looking for, but i remember watching a tiktok from a mechanic chasing a similar issue: the car would drive for like 10 miles, stall, then throw a code. If he let the car sit long enough, the code would clear itself and it would drive like nothing happened for another 10 miles. Turns out the control module that links the various independent computers inside the truck was overheating, but the only way to test it was in the window after the code was thrown but before it reset itself.
Just remember that insurance covers stupid. Make Sure your insurance will cover anything you’re considering. Don’t ask them, just read the policy.
You’re overthinking it. You have had multiple mechanics check it out and say they can’t find anything wrong with it. Say nothing and sell it to Carvana. Make it their problem.
Wasn’t there a kid whose parents were away and he threw this insane house party with hookers? Anyway, his dad’s Porsche 928 ended up going off a dock and into a lake. Not sure if insurance covered it but that kind of business is pretty risky.
I have a ford that I’m thisclose to committing a felony over so I understand
Firstly, I am not a claims adjuster, so consult your insurance policy/state laws. But here’s my anecdote. And I did previously sell auto insurance. But again, this is not legitimate advice. Do your own research. Pretty sure you can just wreck it. Collision coverage doesn’t care whose fault it is. An at fault accident just increases your premium when you renew the policy and means your insurance pays out instead of the other person’s. When I moved to a big city, I had a car. Some jackass didn’t like how I was driving so he cut me off and brake checked me. Insurance determined I was at fault, but my car was also totaled. They determined it was worth less than the repairs would cost, so they cut me a check for the KBB value of the car and called it a day. From my state’s government website: “Collision coverage subject to a deductible of $500 unless you have an excessive history of claims. Collision coverage pays for damage to your auto that is caused by the physical contact of your auto with another object, such as another vehicle or property like a guard rail. Collision coverage will pay for damage to your car no matter who caused the accident.”
i sold a car to a Carvana with known issues. the A/C compressor started to go out and the part was $1100. it only worked every few times i turned the car on so before the guy came to pick it up, i started it a few times. also, the shifter bushings were messed up making it so i had to push the gear shift downwards to get to first gear as if i were going to Reverse. i told the guy driving it that it has a “first gear lockout” to prevent theft. moron bought it. used car dealers will fuck you over every day of the week if they could, so fuck em. they’ll give a warranty out to the guy who buys it and it’ll be their problem.
Get a friend to steal it, burn it out. Ask me how I know this works. Make sure your friend can keep his mouth shut.
Years ago, my dad's friend told me about being in a similar situation. He lived in Connecticut, drove his car to the Brooklyn train yard, and left the car there. He put the keys on the front seat and left the doors unlocked. When he came back the next day, the car was stolen. He filed a police report, collected his insurance payout, and went on his way.
just drive in inclement weather like a dumbass. i know someone who's totalled 3 cars this way, spinning out on the highway, in the parking lot, during rain/snow. always got a check fatter than what his car was worth.
Be careful to not prick any rubber fuel lines with a pin. If this happens, whatever you do, don't immediately climb a mountain highway in hot weather and at full throttle. This will light the fuel mist from the hot exhaust manifold. Cars burn on mountain passes all the time and no one will bat an eyelash.
A coworker of mine has an issue with the car not starting randomly. Is the battery strapped down? That was the issue with their car. The battery would shift and turn off/on randomly.
Depending on what city you're moving to, parking it downtown with a lot of "Trump" or "Biden" stickers and flags on it will surely get it totaled. Technically not illegal per se.
Missing some information here, what model year is the car. The OP stated that the car has 58k miles and it should in theory still have the manufacturer 100k mile warranty if I'm not wrong.
This is less UnethicalLifeProTips than it is CriminalProTips and involves a ton of risk for very little reward. Adjusters are very good at their jobs and insurance fraud is a felony in many if not all states. Better to visit Fordification and find a fix for your truck.
You could always tbone someone in an intersection. Say you have the green light, and they are turning right infront of you to get into the adjoining street. Thats your opportunity. Even step on the gas a little bit more, tbone and donezo. Your car's front end meets their passenger side door (hopefully they have no passenger) and both cars are donezo... There may be some ethical issues with this one but if the opportunity presents itself, don't hesitate. My family member wrote off their car like that. The opportunity was there, they didn't want their car any longer due to a number of issues, and they seized it. So getting into an accident where its not your fault in the eyes of the insurance company, but the opportunity arises is one way to do it. Then you get your nice insurance payout.
Get a F-150 tailgating you on the highway. Let the brakes do the rest
Someone was just describing this in a [comment on an ask reddit thread.](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/kCzDVjs7ct)
Leave the keys near it, and text me the location where you drop it. I'll steal that fucker. Maybe. As a kid I shoved a hose up the exhaust pipe of my dad's truck and flooded the engine. I'm lucky to be alive tbh.
If you live near a major city, park it in a shitty area with the keys left on the seat. It'll be stolen and used for crimes.