625 cars per day found to be insurance write-offs

ONE IN EVERY 33 vehicles given a history check is found to be an insurance write-off, according to data gathered by HPI.

In 2012 one in 33 vehicles checked by HPI was an insurance total loss – otherwise known as a write-off. This equates to 625 cars a day or over 223,000 cars per year being dangerously repaired and sold on to unsuspecting consumers.

All vehicles that are written off are put in to one of four categories, depending on the level of its condition. It is not illegal to repair and return 'written off for salvage’ vehicles back to the road as long as the seller declares the facts and provides evidence that the car has passed a Vehicle Identity Check (VIC).

Daniel Burgess, Managing Director for HPI explains, “Criminals continue to capitalise on a shortage of used cars for sale by disguising write-offs as a good buy.

“It’s all too easy to be taken in by shiny paintwork and a low price, but it could be hiding a multitude of faults that haven’t been fixed. Unscrupulous vendors will sell a write-off to make a quick profit but if the vehicle is not properly repaired any price is too high.”

Category A Scrap only – i.e. with few or no economically salvageable parts and of value only for scrap metal e.g. total burnouts. These vehicles should not appear on the road.Category B Break for spare parts if economically viable. These vehicles should not reappear on the road.Category C Repairable total loss vehicles where repair costs exceed the vehicle’s pre-accident value.Category D Repairable total loss vehicles where repair costs do not exceed the vehicle’s pre-accident value.

A vehicle history check such as that offered by HPI will reveal if the car has been given one of these categories as well as indicating if it is recorded as being stolen, has outstanding finance.

By Press Association reporters