Thread: Vehicle 'write off' question

Originally Posted by robzilla

financial write off or stat write off?

Vicroads have it listed as an inspected repairable write off.

Originally Posted by 87County

.......if it is an "economic write-off"

.......there certainly have been cases where the owner didn't want it back... that is, they wanted a replacement and had enough pull (or their broker had enough pull) to get a "new for old" replacement....

Being less than 12 months since first registered, I did think it could be a 'new for old' situation.


I'm having a professional comprehensive inspection done tomorrow, so we'll see what they say.

Murray

could also be if it has had a bump and the airbags have gone off it may need new "electronic" bits as well. Work mate of mine also works at Pick-A-Part and they get a few cars in that look OK but the airbags have triggered and it has been easier (read cheaper) to write the car off.


CHris

If it's listed as an "inspected write-off", rather than "repairable write-off" then it would suggest that it has been through the viv inspection and is all ready to be re-registered. Which i would find very very strange from what you have described its current condition to be.

If the airbags have triggered then the VIV process to re-register becomes a whole lot harder. You need to get an inspection and letter from the manufacturer stating that they certify the SRS system to have been repaired to their standards. Same deal for water damage, very hard to get a VIV.

I bought my D2 as a stolen/recovered repairable write-off and went through the repair/VIV/re-registration process without too much grief. Thankfully on mine the airbags hadn't been triggered though.


Al

From the training manual for THE Written-off Vehicles Register.

A repairable write-off is a vehicle that has been assessed as a total loss but is not a statutory write-off.

Total loss is a vehicle damaged by accident, collision, demolition, dismantling, fire ,flood, trespass or other event to the extent that its fair salvage value, when added to the cost of repairing it for use on a road or road related area, would be more than its fair market value immediately before the event that caused the damage.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

From the training manual for THE Written-off Vehicles Register.

A repairable write-off is a vehicle that has been assessed as a total loss but is not a statutory write-off.

Total loss is a vehicle damaged by accident, collision, demolition, dismantling, fire ,flood, trespass or other event to the extent that its fair salvage value, when added to the cost of repairing it for use on a road or road related area, would be more than its fair market value immediately before the event that caused the damage.

what he said, just the bit that goes BANG and inflates the airbag is over $1200 for some vehicles for one of them and with multiple units installed.....

the repair standard for some vehicles requires the replacement of ALL bags and Airbag sensors in the event of an airbag detonation event regardless of cause (spiking the batery on a jumpstart as a wild example) and if the airbag system doesnt work, the vehicle isnt allowed to be on the road AND your insurance may be void.

we've had more than one bodgy come in for a quick fix after a minor prang only to find out that "nope cant do it and wont touch it, manufacturer says this is required"

Originally Posted by ariddell

If it's listed as an "inspected write-off", rather than "repairable write-off" then it would suggest that it has been through the viv inspection and is all ready to be re-registered. Which i would find very very strange from what you have described its current condition to be.

If the airbags have triggered then the VIV process to re-register becomes a whole lot harder.

I probably didn't make it clear in my first post, that the vehicle has already been repaired and has a VIV certificate, and has just been re-registered in Vic.

I had a comprehensive inspection done today by a guy who used to be a VIV inspector. He said the VIV is very strict, with the main frame of the vehicle required to be within 4mm of it's factory measurements. The VIV costs the repairer $480 and the inspection I had done cost $269.
I'm waiting for the full report to be emailed, but the guy told me over the phone that the only thing he was at all concerned about was that the auto fluid hadn't been topped up after the rad/cooler had been refitted, evident by sluggish gear changes and low level on the auto dipstick.
Otherwise, the repair had been well done and there is no evidence of damage to the main rails or drive line.

He said the insurance situation is highly likely to be a 'new for old' policy, as we suspected because the car is so new. He also said that he's amazed sometimes, as an inspector, at how little damage it takes for an insurance company to write off a car.

Murray

Originally Posted by rijidij

He also said that he's amazed sometimes, as an inspector, at how little damage it takes for an insurance company to write off a car.

Murray

Again from the Training Manual.

A statutory write-off is:

a motor vehicle that has been damaged at least 3 of the following impact damage indicators:

. damage to an area of the roof equal to or exceeding 300mm x 300mm;

. damage to an area of the cabin floor pan equal to or exceeding 300mm x 300mm;

. damage to an area of the firewall equal to or exceeding 300mm x 300mm;

. any damage to the suspension;

. damage in the form of cracks or breaks to major mechanical components.

A motor vehicle or trailer, other than a motor bike, that has been immersed in:

. salt water above the doorsill level for any period; or

. fresh water for more than 48 hours.

Now in days gone by, this sort of damage was considered minor, and routinely repaired, but nowadays this is classified as a statutory write-off.

Note also that it is nowadays not permitted to repair (or modify) any steering or suspension component by heating, bending, welding, or chrome plating.

If it made it through a VIV already then so long as it's priced right and your inspection comes back ok then i wouldn't see it being any higher a risk than any other used car purchase where you don't 100% know the cars history.

The VIV inspection process is indeed very strict, and not open to the sort of abuse that you sometimes hear of with dodgy RWC certificates etc. There are a very limited number of places allowed to conduct VIV inspections so i really don't see any of them wanting to remotely run the chance of losing their ability to do so. You also don't get to pick which one inspects the vehicle when you book the VIV, Vicroads assigns one to you.

Keep in mind that the car will always show as an "Inspected write-off" so you'll need to factor in that it'll be much harder for you to sell on in future too.