Your car will start accruing maintenance bills once it reaches a certain age. Have you ever taken a quick glimpse at an invoice for auto repairs and thought, “Was it really worth it?”
You may have previously spent a sizeable sum on one very difficult repair or a number of smaller adjustments over time. If your old automobile suffers additional damage, you might question if it’s really worthwhile to have it fixed at all or whether selling it right away would be better for your pocketbook.
There may not always be an obvious solution, but there are several things you can think about to guide your choice.
Is my car too expensive to repair?
You might need to sell your car in order to reduce your losses because maintaining a damaged vehicle on the road can be expensive. You should get a repair estimate from a reliable local garage to see if this is the case, and then do some market research on the car’s value. This will enable you to assess the financial viability of the quoted job.
Use our Sell Your Car online tool to find out how much you can get for your car.
This will enable you to weigh the costs and advantages and make an informed decision.
What types of damage is inexpensive to fix?
Vehicle damage can range from small aesthetic flaws to more serious structural problems. Any issue on the lower end of this range ought to be simple to resolve. Most of the time, a bodywork technician can fix any small dings and scratches for a reasonable cost.
You might strike it fortunate when it comes to replacing broken body parts like bumpers or doors by finding one in the appropriate colour for a fair price. Costs, however, might soar if your car needs more involved structural repairs. This is particularly true when the necessary parts are hard to find, or extensive labour is required to repair the damage.
What if repairing is higher than my car’s value?
The cost of repairs is higher (or very close to) the car’s purchase price. In this situation, determine if the suggested repairs are likely to raise the total value of your vehicle. You should think about selling the car instead of having it repaired if the expenditures are greater than 50% of its overall value.
Having a full service on my damaged car?
Maintaining your car’s value over time with routine maintenance is possible. Having a complete service history for your vehicle might also help to mitigate the consequences of depreciation. Maintaining the service schedule is absolutely necessary if you have an older vehicle and the damage isn’t too serious (for example, small bodywork dents or scratches without mechanical or structural damage), since this will ensure that everything else is functioning properly.
Are cars with damage hard to sell?
Selling a damaged car to a dealership or private dealer can prove difficult. The car may need repairs before it’s even considered roadworthy – and this will limit the pool of prospective buyers. You will also need to disclose any damage or issues.
