If your car’s recently been in an accident or one of its parts has finally packed it in, you might be wondering whether it can be repaired or if it should be sent to the auto wreckers.
Cars that are considered a write-off fall into one of the following categories: statutory write-offs and repairable write-offs.
A statutory write-off is where your car is damaged to a point where it’s unsafe to be repaired. A repairable write-off (also known as an ‘economic write-off’) is where a car could still be repaired safely, but it’ll cost more than it’s actually worth.
To figure out what should be done with your car, you should start by giving it a thorough inspection using the following checklist:
How old is your car and what is its mileage?
If your car is quite new and doesn’t have much mileage on it, it could still be worth salvaging.
However, as a general rule, the older your car and more kilometres it’s been driven, the lower in value it is – so even if the damage done to the car is minimal, it may not be worth enough to repair or keep.
Not all is lost, though! If your car has had a good run and you don’t think it can be returned to its former glory, you can still get some cash back by selling it to a car wrecker for parts.
Is the car drivable?
An obvious next step is checking if the car can still be driven. Is it structurally sound, or can its structural damage be fixed?
If you find there’s one or two damaged parts that need to be replaced, you may be able to repair it at a significantly reduced cost by sourcing used car parts from your local wrecker.
For car owners who aren’t as familiar with buying used parts, we recommend checking out our other guides on which car parts should be bought new and how to shop for quality used parts.
Does it have water, fire, or stripping damage?
Your car is unsafe to repair if:
- Fire has damaged the roof, floor, walls, chassis, firewall, or a pillar
- It’s been submerged in salt water to a level above the doorsill, or in fresh water up to the dashboard or steering wheel for over 48 hours
- A significant amount of the car’s interior, exterior, or other components have been damaged or removed
For non-car experts, it can be hard to tell how serious or extensive the damage is to your vehicle.
To get a professional assessment on whether your car is a repairable or statutory write-off, you can seek advice from the experts at Advanced Auto Wreckers.
Is your car insured?
A car is considered a repairable write-off if its salvage value plus the cost of repairs exceeds its market value. So, if your car isn’t insured, you’ll need to determine if the cost of repairing it yourself is worth it.
On the other hand, if the car is insured, you should seek the advice of your insurance company as they will assess whether it’s worth forking out for repairs.
If you’re still not sure whether your car is repairable, our team at Advanced Auto Wreckers can provide an assessment. We can also take your car off your hands at no cost to you, if it’s found to be a write-off or if you don’t have a comprehensive insurance policy on it.
If you’d like to discuss your current situation with one of our team or have further questions, give us a call on 08 9459 8155 and we’d be happy to help!