You put two wheels in the dirt, caught a rut, and slowly rolled onto your roof. The car looks surprisingly okay—just a dented roof and broken glass. You think, “It’s fixable.” The adjuster takes one look and totals the car. Why?
Key Takeaways
- Structural Integrity: A crushed roof (A/B/C pillars) compromises the safety cage of the unibody. Insurers rarely repair pillars due to liability.
- The “Rollover” Flag: Rollovers often starve the engine of oil while upside down. The insurer assumes the engine is toast even if it runs.
- Total Loss Threshold: If the repair cost + salvage value > car value, it’s totaled. Roof jobs are labor-intensive (cutting, welding, painting the whole car).
- Safety Equipment Damage: In a rollover, seats and belts are stressed. They must be replaced. That adds $2,000+ to the bill.
The “Why” (The Trap): Liability of Repair
No body shop wants to weld a new roof on a track car and guarantee it will hold up in the next rollover. The liability is too high.
Therefore, adjusters write the estimate to replace the entire shell or total the car.
The Investigation: The Estimate
I looked at a repair estimate for a 2024 Subaru BRZ rollover.
- Visual Damage: Dented roof, broken windshield, scratched mirrors.
- Hidden Costs:
- Replace Roof Skin & Bows: $3,500
- Check/Replace Pillars: $4,000
- Paint Blend (Whole Car): $6,000
- Engine Inspection (Oil Starvation): $1,500
- Replace Seats/Belts: $2,500
- Total Repair: ~$17,500.
- Car Value: $30,000.
- Result: It’s close to a total loss (approx 60% threshold plus salvage value).
Comparison Table: Rollover Outcomes
| Damage | Repairable? | Likely Outcome |
| Fender/Bumper | Yes | Repair |
| Suspension/Wheel | Yes | Repair |
| Roof/Pillar Crush | No (Usually) | Total Loss |
| Frame Rail Kink | Maybe | 50/50 |
[IMAGE: Photo of a car resting on its roof in a gravel trap]
Step-by-Step Action Plan
- Shut it Down: If you roll, turn the engine off IMMEDIATELY to save the bearings.
- Accept the Total: If the roof is crushed, you probably don’t want the car back. Take the Agreed Value check and buy a fresh one.
- Harvest Parts: If they total it, ask to buy back the wreck. The suspension, wheels, and maybe engine are still good for a new build.
- Check Your Neck: Rollovers compress the spine. Go to a doctor even if you feel fine.
FAQ
Can I cut the roof off and make it a convertible?
Not if you want the insurance money. They pay for the car as it was.
Does a roll bar help?
Yes! A roll bar might save the roof from crushing, turning a total loss into a repairable incident. And it saves your head.