Do not buy this car

digitaldr

If you're in the market for a Silver Audi A3 1.6L two door don't buy my old one! It was rear ended by a boy racer a couple of months ago and was declared uneconomic to repair by the insurance company - suffered extensive damage. They sold it on to a salvage agent who is planning to repair and sell it :eek:

Even though it wasn't delared written off I certainly wouldn't buy it. The reg is 98 D 69912.

bbbbb

would this show up in cartell.ie?

Interceptor

digitaldr wrote:

suffered extensive damage...

Doesn't necessarily mean it can't be fixed though. If the chassis and monocoque aren't damaged it might be a pull-and-panel job to straighten it. If it was rear-ended then the drives/steering should be unaffected. Insurance companies often write off perfectly fixable cars (I've bought several) and provided the repair is up to standard and the buyer is made aware of what has been done then there shouldn't be a problem.

'cptr

digitaldr

I'm not an expert but I'd say it was damaged pretty badly as he hit it pretty hard - I'd say he was doing at least 40 mph - his brakes failed (88 escort!) As I say not written off but probably almost.

Anan1

digitaldr wrote:

If you're in the market for a Silver Audi A3 1.6L two door don't buy my old one! It was rear ended by a boy racer a couple of months ago and was declared uneconomic to repair by the insurance company - suffered extensive damage. They sold it on to a salvage agent who is planning to repair and sell it :eek:

Even though it wasn't delared written off I certainly wouldn't buy it. The reg is 98 D 69912.

Given the money Audi charge for parts, it doesn't take much damage at all to make an 8 year old A3 beyond economic repair. Provided the car is repaired correctly, and the buyer is informed, it'll be fine.

Mayshine

Its called Category D in the UK. Maybe the same here. So long as it is proffessionally repaired and the buyer is informed then there is no problem.

If you are planning on running a car for a good few years a Cat D car can make some sense

Anan1

Mayshine wrote:

Its called Category D in the UK. Maybe the same here. So long as it is proffessionally repaired and the buyer is informed then there is no problem.

If you are planning on running a car for a good few years a Cat D car can make some sense

I think damaged beyond economic repair is cat C in the UK, and cat D is just an insurance payout on the car. Not sure, though.

crosstownk

Technically speaking, no car is beyond repair. A write off simply means that it is uneconomical to repair. A lot of crash repair centres buy 'written-off' cars and repair them. Most of these repaired cars give plenty more years of service. The ones you have to watch out for are the ones that are repaired by cowboys and it is a legal requirement that the seller tells the buyer about any crash damage BEFORE the sale concludes.

Anan1

crosstownk wrote:

and it is a legal requirement that the seller tells the buyer about any crash damage BEFORE the sale concludes.

Does the seller have to volunteer this information, or are they only obliged to answer truthfully if asked?

crosstownk

AFAIK it should be offered as the dealer is obliged to ask the previous owner about crash damage.

Anan1

crosstownk wrote:

AFAIK it should be offered as the dealer is obliged to ask the previous owner about crash damage.

I had thought that too, but I think I read a thread earlier today (which I'm too lazy to look up;) ) the gist of which was that the seller did not have to volunteer the information, but could not lie if asked. The problem with this, if course, is that if the buyer doesn't have it in writing...

crosstownk

Its a while since I sold cars but I remember the old long type SIMI Vehicle Order Forms had a specific Yes/No tick box with a question something like "Has the vehicle had serious crash repairs" - I dont remember the exact words. This question is supposed to be asked by the salesman who is accepting the car as a trade-in. The salesman should offer this information to the next owner. This used to be the policy in the dealership I worked in.

andrew_ireland

bbbbb wrote:

would this show up in cartell.ie?

Sorry, don't want to be hijacking this thread but that cartell site is cool:)

Bogger77

andrew_ireland wrote:

Sorry, don't want to be hijacking this thread but that cartell site is cool:)

I checked my old car, one I know was written off as beyond ecco repair (roof and doors cut off by jaws of life), and it doesn't flag it on the free report.

John R

Bogger77 wrote:

I checked my old car, one I know was written off as beyond ecco repair (roof and doors cut off by jaws of life), and it doesn't flag it on the free report.

The free option only gives make and model, for any useful info you have to pay.

The prices are way too high, especially considering the info is not guaranteed 100% accurate.

Zoot

I wrote off a Nissan XTrail a couple of years ago - went aquaplaining and just glided off the road and ended upside down in the bog. Thankfully no injuries or others involved.

There was water in the bog and it got into the electrics.

Insurance wrote it off as a technical write off - ie. uneconomical for them to repair. I enquired and could have bought it back off them for €8k - but I don't have the contacts for repairing something like that.

Thing is, the car was under 2 years old and in very good condition, so I am sure someone is happily driving around in it now and see no reason why it should have been thrown on the scrap heap.

I was just grateful that I didn't have to take the burden of repairing the car and then trying to sell it on again later.

digitaldr

Interceptor wrote:

provided the repair is up to standard and the buyer is made aware of what has been done then there shouldn't be a problem.

'cptr

Is there anything similar to a Thatcham approved inspection in Ireland - this from [url]www.hpicheck.com:[/url]

Write-off

This is a term for a vehicle that has been declared a total loss by an insurer following accident damage or theft.

Although write-offs can legitimately be allowed back on the road, almost half are beyond repair. Look for the ones that have passed an independent inspection, such as those on HPI's Condition Inspected register. Since 1997, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has provided classification of damage to vehicles that have been written off. Category 'A' or 'B' must never reappear on the road, whilst 'C' and 'D' may do so following proper repair, passing an independent Thatcham-approved structural examination.