Car totaled by hail. Keep or relinquish?

You should take it to a Paintless Dent Removal (PDR) shop and see what they would charge. Ask for the non-insurance price.

I once had a hail damaged car that was totaled because the cost to fix at a conventional body shop was well over $7k. PDR guy did it in 3 days for $2k.

 

You're likely on the cusp of head gasket failure, maybe best to fold.

Unless the EGR system is fully cleaned, at least every 50k, head gaskets tend to fail, around 150k typically.

 

With $7,000 you can buy a new car "payment" or...keep driving your current as-is "beater" for $7,000 minus the buy-back. The GEN III's are not bad cars, but they just require maintenance...something a lot of Prius owners think "should-not-be". Either option, you "will be" buying a new or replacement car...now or in a year or two. Consider this...will you have $7,000 to put down on a replacement later? That's the decision you have to make. I can't speak your to financials, age or current status in life, but you did state you can't fix cars.

Best wishes whatever you decide.

 

The $7000 is irrelevant, OP gets it either way. Only question is if the car is worth $1400 as-is. Since you can't buy much for $1400, I say yes.

None of us really know what the average mileage for HG failure is. We don't even know why it happens.