With the recent birth of twins we now have 3 children and need a suitably large car. We have been offered a Renault Espace that is a repaired insurance write off. What should the value of this car be in relation to a similar car without that has not been through the write off process?
Are there any other things to watch out for, I am aware there may be insurance issues? Also if the vehicle has the necessary paperwork does that make it as safe as a normal car?
Thanks,
Bryan
Hi Bryan,
A properly repaired car, with all the correct paperwork is theoretically worth as much as a car that hasn’t been crashed. But with a common car, no one will pay the same money.
So it’s worth what the market will bear. Maybe 10% less, probably 25%, but probably not much more than a third less. I’m not sure I would risk it – there are so many Espaces and other MPVs out there with flawless histories.
I was told that to succeed in negotiation you have to be prepared to make an insulting offer. So phone the seller with a line like, “I am concerned about the re-sale value of a repaired car so I can only offer … (something incredibly small).”
You need to call the garage that is listed as having repaired the car and get a data check, to ensure it has been re-registered (having passed its test) as ‘accident repaired’. Theoretically it is then as safe as any car.