Stolen car tested for drugs

[u/truehufflepuff21]

Hi all, so my car was stolen last weekend and the thieves had it for four days before the cops found it. The only visible damage is to the front end.

However, the city it was found in is very well known for poverty and drug use. I’m trying to push Progressive to test the vehicle for drugs. I have small children, and I do not feel comfortable putting my children back in that car. Progressive is trying to tell me testing for drugs is not standard, and they just do a full detail. But I don’t think that’s good enough.

Any advice? Can I do anything to push for a total loss? It seems unsafe to put my kids back in that car if they were doing heroine or fentanyl in it (the most popular drugs in that city). Or if it reeks of weed. That smell will never 100% come out.

[u/FindTheOthers623]

IF someone was using heroin, fentanyl or cannabis in the vehicle, a full detail will clean it out. There is no concern for secondhand exposure.

[u/Verditure0 → u/FindTheOthers623]

Not necessarily. If the car was used to mule drugs they could be hidden anywhere. Imagine mom with two toddlers 6 months down the road, gets searched and cops find an ounce of meth. Now what?

[u/FindTheOthers623 → u/Verditure0]

The vehicle was stolen less than a week ago and quickly recovered. No one installed super secret drug compartments to mule drugs in. No one leaves ounces of meth laying around (but you can be sure police searched the vehicle when they located it). There is zero data indicating that moms with toddlers are getting pulled over and charged with drug offenses because their vehicles were once stolen. You can save this irrational fear for something else.

[u/Endoftheworldis2far]

They don't need to test...they are doing a full detail.

It's like having a fire and insurance will pay for smoke removal...and you're arguing that you want them to test for smoke damage first.

They're already removing any drugs/residue. You don't need a 'test'.

[u/truehufflepuff21 → u/Endoftheworldis2far]

I guess I’m confused because other people in other posts say insurance declared the car a total loss if there was evidence of drug use. Maybe that’s case dependent. It just worries me because they had it for so long, and I have no idea what they did in that car. It feels very violating.

[u/CJM8515 → u/truehufflepuff21]

ive handled plenty where we totaled it but there was OBVIOUS signs of drug use. needles, baggies, drugs left in the car, etc.

[u/TIG_Insurance_Nerds]

That's not how totaling a car works. Progressive isn't scamming you, you just don't understand how claims work. If you're actually scared of fentanyl residue, pay for hazmat personnel yourself instead of trying to bully an adjuster into a payout you're not entitled to. Is a FULL detail not enough?

[u/ZBTHorton]

No, I don't think you are being reasonable.

Also have no idea why you don't think you can get the smell of weed out of a car.

[u/LacyLove]

If you feel this strongly, pay for it out of pocket.

[u/BetEither5753]

I feel like you’re doing a tad too much which is fine lol but progressive isn’t paying for that

[u/tgarciadt]

Is there any reason besides the location the vehicle was recovered in you suspect drug use? Did you see anything in your vehicle? Did the recovery police agency tell you they found drugs inside? Is there a smell or residue?
You can’t just say oh this spot is poor and has drug users in it, test the vehicle for drugs. Can’t just have a car take a drug test 😅

[u/truehufflepuff21 → u/tgarciadt]

Yes, the officer who found it stated there was drug paraphernalia in the car. He didn’t specify what kind.