car been written off... twice?!

Natwee

Natwee

Natwee

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4 Jan 2011
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Been looking at buying a car which is on the other side of the country to us.


Its a private seller and he has owned it for a year. it has passed its MOT a month ago.

We contacted the seller to ask if it was OK for us to send the RAC or AA inspection people to have a look at it, he said it was fine and he had no problem with that.

So we call the AA and they said that they cant get out till nxt week to have a look at it, but that negative reports were coming up, but that he cant see what they are so to do the £20 vehicle checker thing. We did that and it is coming up saying that the car has been written off twice, once a year after it was made.

Is this reason to just walk away?

My bf now doesnt want to spend the £200 having them inspect it as "theres a higher chance it will come back bad" but I said that any car could come back saying it is rubbish, so theres no difference. That and its passed its MOT so its safe to be on the road.

Also the reports say it is a silver car and this one is white.

Thoughts please??
 
Firstly the fact a car has passed an MOT doesnt neccesarily mean it's safe or properly repaired.

This car is sounding all sorts of alarm bells. What is it, how much is it and why are you still so keen on it despite its increasingly patchy sounding history?
 
while a car being listed as written off can be alarming, if it has been repaired properly it can be an excellent way to get a bargain. I'd certainly get a full check on the vehicle if you are spending a large sum. But if he hasn't even mentioned the fact that it is Cat D then he either doesn't know (it happens) or he's pulling a fast one. I'd do some more digging and ask him if he HPI'd the vehicle when he bought it etc.
 
Id stay away. Its on the otherside on the country, been written off twice and isnt documented the right colour. Plus it will be harder to insure and sell back on.
 
resprays after accidents are not uncommon, my wife has a cat d mini in bright pink, it was only sprayed pink by the previous owner as it was purchased damaged repairable.
 
matthab said:
Id stay away. Its on the otherside on the country, been written off twice and isnt documented the right colour. Plus it will be harder to insure and sell back on.
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we got an insurance quote using the registration number and there was no difference in price tbh!

edit: also we probably wont be selling it again, we will keep it till we NEED to get rid of it, so it would be worthless anyway,
 
[TW]Fox;20854535 said:
Firstly the fact a car has passed an MOT doesnt neccesarily mean it's safe or properly repaired.

This car is sounding all sorts of alarm bells. What is it, how much is it and why are you still so keen on it despite its increasingly patchy sounding history?
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Far enough! i know nothing about cars hence why i thought id ask on here \:D i thought an MOT meant it was safe etc.

its a z4, i was keen because its pretty, hasnt done huuuge amounts of miles is he colour we wanted, and is quite a bit cheaper than other equivalents. its 6k.
 
£6k only buys a properly crap Z4. Do not buy it. Get more money and buy a nice one.

Don't buy old BMW's on the cheap, they'll just bite you.

You will have a job on finding a white Z4 though as IIRC they didnt offer the E85 in white.

If its been written off twice it will have had two pretty hard smacks - even the older Z4's are usually worth enough for most damage to be repaired. The 3 litre Z4's are reasonably quick at under 6 seconds to 60 so it's not uncommon for ham-fisted drivers to fling them into things sideways.
 
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lookitsjonno said:
while a car being listed as written off can be alarming, if it has been repaired properly it can be an excellent way to get a bargain. I'd certainly get a full check on the vehicle if you are spending a large sum. But if he hasn't even mentioned the fact that it is Cat D then he either doesn't know (it happens) or he's pulling a fast one. I'd do some more digging and ask him if he HPI'd the vehicle when he bought it etc.
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asked the bf and he said this:

he HPI and everything came back clear

also apparently I could have been written off from accident 1 just because it was within the first year of its "life" and the policy means they have to provide a brand new one
 
[TW]Fox;20854647 said:
£6k only buys a properly crap Z4. Do not buy it. Get more money and buy a nice one.

Don't buy old BMW's on the cheap, they'll just bite you.

You will have a job on finding a white Z4 though as IIRC they didnt offer the E85 in white.

If its been written off twice it will have had two pretty hard smacks - even the older Z4's are usually worth enough for most damage to be repaired. The 3 litre Z4's are reasonably quick at under 6 seconds to 60 so it's not uncommon for ham-fisted drivers to fling them into things sideways.
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its a 2 litre, i dont want a 3 litre! for the exact reason you have posted lol
 
HPI doesnt come back clear if the car has been subject to two writeoffs which now show on an AA report.

You don't want a Z4 thats been stuffed on two seperate occasions and then repaired with a cheap white spray job.

Having had a quick look it seems the Z4's have shed a huge pile of value since the last time I checked, it seems £6k does give you quite a selection. The 2.2 for example is pretty unloved and you would probably get quite a tidy one of those for £6k.

Have found the one you are looking at. It's a facelift 06 plate car! It's crazy cheap. Did you not spot the photograph of the service history showing it went 4 years from new without a service?
 
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Natwee said:
really? how come?
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Because he's told you it was HPI clear when it's been written off twice?

Look at the advert again. Non standard front lights yet completely stock, base alloy wheels. So he's not a modder as the first thing anyone who cares even slightly about that would do is bin the awful tiny wheels. So why has it had new lights? Well, because aftermarket lights are cheaper than BMW lights I guess, so a suggestion it was repaired after at least one of its accidents on the cheap.

Then look at the service book. A 2006/06 plate car not serviced for the first time until 2010? Yes the BMW servicing is variable and its a low mileage car but come on, 4 years? It says in the handbook to get the oil changed every 2 years if you cover under 6k a year.

Just why bother? Everything about this car has flashing red lights IMHO.

The next cheapest white (I assumed when you first posted it was a prefacelift which they didnt do in white) 2.0 Z4 is a year newer but has 3 times the mileage but costs... £14,000.

What does this tell you about one thats £6000?
 
Walk away.

An MOT is no guarantee either. All it means is that the vehicle is roadworthy, to a very basic standard. It can drive appallingly, break down all the time, and still pass an MOT.
 
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