If you look on salvage rebuild Uk on YouTube, you can see cars that they sometimes buy with little damage that have been written off. It’s today’s world.

Just watched salvage rebuild and they was talking about cars being written off with little damage. One thing Chris said was that there is not the capacity in the industry to repair all accident cars meaning that it would be a long wait to get your car back. Then throw in car hire charges it’s cheaper to write it off.

Had this issue with son's car before Christmas. He crashed into a concrete fence post damaging the bumper, bonnet, headlights and bumper support beam of his Peugeot 108. Car was 8 years old and had cost £4500. Insurance would have written it off, giving him little for it and then a massive hike in next years premium. He's 17 on first year insurance. Got a quote from a body shop, to repair using new parts £5k. Spoke to another local guy who has a small 'back street' body shop and had done work for us before. He was happy for me to source and supply used parts and quoted approximately £1000 for his labour, body jig pulling and painting. I managed to source all the panels from a breakers advertising on ebay for £1200 (worst purchase I've ever made with a lying crook and instead of the 48h courier advertised it took a whole month for most of the parts to be delivered).
But once I finally got the parts the garage turned it round in 4 days and it's looking good as new. Seems strange having insurance and not using it but financially this was the best option.
So what I'm saying in a long winded way is that damaged cars that insurance companies won't fix can be repaired in a more cost effective manner if you're prepared to arrange it yourself.
Get the car back and a settlement figure and get a local bodyshop, not a big outfit to repair it. Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

That’s how salvage rebuild Uk operates. One is the parts and car buyer searching the internet for the cheapest bits. The other (Chris) does all the body work etc. I think people don’t realise how much time and effort goes into searching the internet, ringing around checking prices. As you said insurance will just fit new stuff, they won’t be searching for used parts etc.

Bobupndown wrote:

Had this issue with son's car before Christmas. He crashed into a concrete fence post damaging the bumper, bonnet, headlights and bumper support beam of his Peugeot 108.

Didn't make a claim.
Insurance company were informed of a damage only accident, as you are supposed to do but didn't instigate any claim. Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

im just waiting on copart to come back with a valuation. I guess it wont cover a replacement car cost as they only pay on vehicles value. Still not sure how co part vultures got their hands on it before the local approved repairers had the opportunity to look at it. Whole industry is a rip off, and its more annoying when your not even at fault.

So copart comes back at £5500. I was advised never to accept the first valuation so i said it seemed a bit low and they have advised i can reject the offer if i can find 3 similar cars for sale 2012, xs , same transmission and mileage to within 10k. I have looked across all the major platforms they recommended, auto trader etc and cant find a single matching vehicle within the mileage limits they have set.Only two i could find were 2011 td4 manuals which i asssume would have a lower value. I contacted them again to explain and they came back with a different story saying as the car was over 8 years old, i should only be looking at privately advertised vehicles? the original email stated retail sales on the five sites they sent me to look. Retail i assume is a garage, not a private seller, so two different responses. Anyone think this is a fair valuation for a car with 2months mot, 116k, average condition.

In my opinion it is a fair offer. Your car is the same colour & model as mine - but 6 months newer (based on the reg plate) & lower mileage. Mine had 140k on the clock when purchased last August from a trader for £4600. So factoring the difference in mileage, then a subjective "market value" would be (140/116)*4600 = £5,551.72. Obviously that number is 6 months old - both our cars will have depreciated since then, more than likely by more than £52...

More importantly, with the copart offer, you could replace the car with something like this:-

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2...ar-to=2012

I know the car in the advert above is 6 months older than yours, but it is an HSE - and it comes with a tow hook so that would be one less hassle to bother about. The asking price is £300 above the Copart offer - but a cash offer (i.e. no trade in / finance) should take care of that. I'm sure there are other examples out there.

Just my opinion - others may have a different view.

^^^^
I agree 100% (Now Sold). 2008 Freelander 2 (Nazca Sand) SE TD4 Auto. Statutory write off & on WOVR for hail damage but still road legal.
171037Km as of 09/05/22
Superchips Bluefin Flash
Nanocom Evo II (also sold)

Fatal Apathy wrote:

In my opinion it is a fair offer. Your car is the same colour & model as mine - but 6 months newer (based on the reg plate) & lower mileage. Mine had 140k on the clock when purchased last August from a trader for £4600. So factoring the difference in mileage, then a subjective "market value" would be (140/116)*4600 = £5,551.72. Obviously that number is 6 months old - both our cars will have depreciated since then, more than likely by more than £52...

More importantly, with the copart offer, you could replace the car with something like this:-

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2...ar-to=2012

I know the car in the advert above is 6 months older than yours, but it is an HSE - and it comes with a tow hook so that would be one less hassle to bother about. The asking price is £300 above the Copart offer - but a cash offer (i.e. no trade in / finance) should take care of that. I'm sure there are other examples out there.

Just my opinion - others may have a different view.

Looks like a good car for a good price, BUT, it has an odd alloy on the N/S front the one that matches the rest is in the boot? I would be quite weary of a trader who hasn't noticed or not fitted the correct one for reasons unknown ? Just my opinion of course.

Back to the price, it seems fair to me. Only yesterday and after a conversation with my wife I got an online valuation for our car. 2013 SD4 HSE, 62.000 miles and absolutely mint. It has full service history is 2 owner and had the W/Pump and T/belt done by LR dealer 3 years ago 4 new Pirelli Scorpion tyres last year. seems at the moment I'd be doing well to get £8000 for it. 2007 TD4 XS The work horse that earns its up keep
2013 SD4 HSE The posh one for towing the caravan
1973 Triumph Stag I bought in 2009 and restored.

The N/S is standard for 2012 HSE, There are a few 2013 HSE models about on Autotrader
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2...mp;fromsra my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

Yes, I know the car has 3 later HSE 18" wheels but a dealer who advertises a car with one odd wheel doesn't exactly inspire confidence in any potential purchase from them  2007 TD4 XS The work horse that earns its up keep
2013 SD4 HSE The posh one for towing the caravan
1973 Triumph Stag I bought in 2009 and restored.

congoblue wrote:

Bobupndown wrote:

Had this issue with son's car before Christmas. He crashed into a concrete fence post damaging the bumper, bonnet, headlights and bumper support beam of his Peugeot 108.

So how did you get round the insurance co wanting to write it off? (just interested not a trick question). In my experience once the insurance co is involved they'll put up your premiums whatever and you have few options other than them writing it off and you buying it back.

Thankyou for all your replies and thoughts, and indeed the link to an alternative vehicle. I can also of course add into the mix that i would have to pay for its service and mot in a few weeks and that isnt likely to be cheap, and deoending on where i buy, i may even get a small warranty. Not sure what the difference is between the xs and the hse, but there does seem to be more availability of hse's so maybe that is the way forward, adding a few extra dollars to get a lower mileage example. Have fancied a disco sport for a while, but the ingenium engine scares me and the 2.2sd4 is even harder to find at affordable money.