Possible dodgy CAT D repair - what to do!?

faisal_uk

faisal_uk

faisal_uk

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So to start from the top - My mum bought a car last October - 2008 1.6 Auris TR
I found the car through ebay and purchased it from an individual.

Mileage was stated at 6500 (no record of any service history - which seemed ok given the mileage)
Did a car check it all came back fine (including chassis no.) - apart from a CAT D write off.
This seemed ok to me as I checked out the implications of this and found it was generally minor damage which could lead to costly main dealer repairs. Also the cost was obviously lower than a faultless car.

The guy mentioned that it had been in a rear end collision and all repaired fine - so the story checked out.

However we took into Toyota for servicing yesterday and they said that the car had been repaired by a 3rd party and used parts had been used on the repair.
Also there was a lot of sealant over the welding which they would not take off to check the repair as it could be quite costly.

They advised us to get it checked out with DVLA to check it was all legal, but just wondering what we should do now. What do you reckon DVLA will say? also what do you think happened to the car after the crash - was it that someone bought it from the insurance company - how could I check this out?

Also we were thinking of changing the car soon as it has been fine mechanically but not the best to drive and handbrake is in a very awkward position! So I wouldn't mind getting rid of it!

Any thoughts welcome.
 
Sell it declare it's a CAT D buyer beware, take the financial pain, learn, move on

Anything else could get you and your mum into hot water
 
so you bought a circa 12-18 month old car that was CAT D written off and you assumed it was only minor damage?

As above you'll be taking a big hit on the price!
 
Trade it in with the garage that serviced it just go there on a sunday and get a trade in quote when the workshops not open
 
Quick before it falls to bits or explodes!
I suggest that having been repaired by a '3rd party' is not a disaster, and the 'used' parts may well have been plastic trim parts for all we know. And there's sealant over the welding. Well, Toyota themselves underseal cars from factory so it isn't a dodgy practice.
On the other hand, did you tell the service garage that the car was a Cat D or did they spot something obvious?

At least now the car has some service history.
 
SeatIbiza said:
so you bought a circa 12-18 month old car that was CAT D written off and you assumed it was only minor damage?
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This.

Cat D can mean a lot of things, assuming that it could mean minor damage and therefore whatever you buy only ever had minor damage is pretty silly really, sorry. :(
 
If it was nearly new then it'd take a fair amount of damage to write it off, it's not a 10 year old Corolla or something..
 
mjt said:
If it was nearly new then it'd take a fair amount of damage to write it off, it's not a 10 year old Corolla or something..
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Exactly, as far as I understand it, CAT D write offs with little damage happen on cars like mine, where any damage, even someone keying it would cost more to repair than the car is worth!
 
DiG said:
Exactly, as far as I understand it, CAT D write offs with little damage happen on cars like mine, where any damage, even someone keying it would cost more to repair than the car is worth!
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Cat D, is where the vehicle can be repaired for less then it's worth but the insurer has decided it's better value for them to write off the vehicle.

Lets say you have a car worth £10,000, you crash it and the repairs plus hire car etc. come to £7500.

The salvage might be worth £5000, so it's better for the insurer to write off the car pay out £10,000 and then sell the salvage for £5000. They end up £2500 better of and it's simpler. They also then don't run the risk of having to pay out extra if repairs were underestimated or the courtesy car is needed for longer then expected.
 
Take it to an independent bodyshop and get them to check the repair. Dealers love these scare stories as as they hope you will buy a new car off them. I bet as someone else has mentioned that if you took it there for a p/ex they would take it. But of course at a knock down price.
 
Bigsy said:
Wouldn't surprise me if its just the dealer over reacting / fishing for some more business.
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I agree. My 306 was an import and when it had to go back to the main dealer for some warranty work (I bought it from an independant) they made out like it was a huge deal.

If you are concerned then I would recommend an independent repair specialist would be a good next step.
 
K.C. Leblanc said:
Cat D, is where the vehicle can be repaired for less then it's worth but the insurer has decided it's better value for them to write off the vehicle.

Lets say you have a car worth £10,000, you crash it and the repairs plus hire car etc. come to £7500.

The salvage might be worth £5000, so it's better for the insurer to write off the car pay out £10,000 and then sell the salvage for £5000. They end up £2500 better of and it's simpler. They also then don't run the risk of having to pay out extra if repairs were underestimated or the courtesy car is needed for longer then expected.
Click to expand...

Interesting, didn't know that, thanks for explaining it!
 
thanks for the replies guys

will check out some trade-in prices over the next week and see what the damage is - only problem is the higher prices for buying from official dealers.

do you think it is worth contacting DVLA then? I don't think it is worth it really.
 
Slow down a bit here guys.

1) The guy selling it has done nothing wrong. He was under no obligation to tell you it was Cat D, and he DID tell you it was previously damaged.

2) Where is the indication that the repair is of poor quality? You didnt even know what had been done until somebody else told you.

All you have been told is that some second hand parts were used. So what? Great its not ideal, but why is this suddenly some sort of OMG QUICK SELL CAR issue?
 
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