Used car dealer sold really dodgy car
Discussion
Can someone clarify on the salvage site it says Cat S - Structural damage - is this the same as what should/would have been recorded on a HPI report i.e. Cat S ?
As this is not showing on the HPI report - does this mean they actively chose not to notify insurance company so as not to have it recorded?
Given that it shows Cat S - Structural damage - does this mean damage to the chasis?
As I understand it, a Cat S car has to be re-registered at the DVLA?
As this is not showing on the HPI report - does this mean they actively chose not to notify insurance company so as not to have it recorded?
Given that it shows Cat S - Structural damage - does this mean damage to the chasis?
As I understand it, a Cat S car has to be re-registered at the DVLA?
Sorry to see this OP.
I'm a member of a few model specific FB groups and every day I see posts from people who assume that HPI clear = never been in an accident. needs to be some sort of public information campaign or something
I've previously done some pretty major damage to a couple of cars which went through insurance but were not written off (15k repair to a 1 year old 3 series which needed entire new suspension, door and rear quarter panel welded on was one of them ) so the cars show as "HPI clear"
These days when buying a car I always lift the bonnet and check the headlights/other parts for a date stamp that corresponds to the build date of the car, another good one for the rear of the car is to have a look at that stuff they use to seal seams/welds, a repaired job is dead easy to spot as the seal will usually look very different. lift the boot carpet or look in the boot shuts.
Hope you get it sorted.
I'm a member of a few model specific FB groups and every day I see posts from people who assume that HPI clear = never been in an accident. needs to be some sort of public information campaign or something
I've previously done some pretty major damage to a couple of cars which went through insurance but were not written off (15k repair to a 1 year old 3 series which needed entire new suspension, door and rear quarter panel welded on was one of them ) so the cars show as "HPI clear"
These days when buying a car I always lift the bonnet and check the headlights/other parts for a date stamp that corresponds to the build date of the car, another good one for the rear of the car is to have a look at that stuff they use to seal seams/welds, a repaired job is dead easy to spot as the seal will usually look very different. lift the boot carpet or look in the boot shuts.
Hope you get it sorted.
There's a lot of vehicles on the road which have had damagewhich haven't been categorised as some owners don't go through insurance but are repaired themselves so no marker.
A wing, bumper, headlight washer bottle ect would be considered very minor .
If the car has been running and driving fine for this length of time I'd just get the airbag sorted and leave it at that.
Btw- the mot fail and advisory can make things look very dramatic for instance even wipers needing replacing can fall into the dangerous category which imo is ridiculous.
A wing, bumper, headlight washer bottle ect would be considered very minor .
If the car has been running and driving fine for this length of time I'd just get the airbag sorted and leave it at that.
Btw- the mot fail and advisory can make things look very dramatic for instance even wipers needing replacing can fall into the dangerous category which imo is ridiculous.
swiftguy said:
Can someone clarify on the salvage site it says Cat S - Structural damage - is this the same as what should/would have been recorded on a HPI report i.e. Cat S ?
As this is not showing on the HPI report - does this mean they actively chose not to notify insurance company so as not to have it recorded?
Given that it shows Cat S - Structural damage - does this mean damage to the chasis?
As I understand it, a Cat S car has to be re-registered at the DVLA?
It’s got nothing to do with someone not telling the insurance company. If the car is marked as CAT S in the add at a salvage auction it would have been put there by the insurance company. As this is not showing on the HPI report - does this mean they actively chose not to notify insurance company so as not to have it recorded?
Given that it shows Cat S - Structural damage - does this mean damage to the chasis?
As I understand it, a Cat S car has to be re-registered at the DVLA?
It will be because the insurance company have been sloppy and not updated the database.
If someone didn’t tell the insurance and repaired it themselves there would be no CAT marker against it.
swiftguy said:
OMG!
Just done the v-check - and its got
hidden history! - It's on a salvage site!
I'm fuming!
Salvage site says:
Category CAT S - STRUCTURAL
so assuming there is some serious structural damage to this car!
so tell me again how the dodgy dealer did not know about this!
THAT ...is NOT serious damage. Looks to be mainly all bolt on stuff. Any body shop worth their salt (with all parts ready to fit) would have that done in a few days.Just done the v-check - and its got
hidden history! - It's on a salvage site!I'm fuming!
Salvage site says:
Category CAT S - STRUCTURAL
so assuming there is some serious structural damage to this car!
so tell me again how the dodgy dealer did not know about this!
swiftguy said:
Not sure where you guys are getting 18 months - car was bought Dec 2021 - In March 2022 - 3 months after the car was bought the air bag light came on.
So you guys think it's ok for the safety sensors and wirings not to be connected and just left there held by cable ties.
No way of knowing if these sensors are working and in the event of, god forbid, a crash - not knowing if they will work to save lives!
The black paint of the side wing was visible in the engine bay.
Most of the garages were able to spot signs of accident damage, pointing to replaced side wing and window pillar also being painted.
We simply do not know the full extent of the damage.
I'm going to play devils advocate here (I'm not against you but I'm trying to get you to look at all sides) & say if this repair was so noticeable, why didn't you see it straight away?So you guys think it's ok for the safety sensors and wirings not to be connected and just left there held by cable ties.
No way of knowing if these sensors are working and in the event of, god forbid, a crash - not knowing if they will work to save lives!
The black paint of the side wing was visible in the engine bay.
Most of the garages were able to spot signs of accident damage, pointing to replaced side wing and window pillar also being painted.
We simply do not know the full extent of the damage.
Also why didn't you take it back to the dealer
The Air Bag wiring loom is a simple (& it's not uncommon for seat belt/air bag lights to come on in cars that have never been in a crash) fix, cars get repaired all the time & lots are just fine.
9 months in & it seems apart from the air bag light the car is driving just fine so get it fixed, so your sister can just enjoy her car.
It's not a CAT car the dealer hasn't lied to you & imo there's no reason to reject the car.
It may have not had the best insurance repair but unfortunately that's sometimes how things are, you're sister is now 9 months into the ownership & the only issue is the wiring loom.
So again I say fix it & move on, you could ask the dealer to go halves on the cost but I'd expect nothing.
Thanks all for the replies - the good and the bad.
Those that are saying no big deal, seem to be overlooking a major point here.
There is a mechanic out there who did what was needed to make this car look pre-accident.
Yet he couldn't care less about the safety components, made no attempt to fix them, just cable tied them up - full well knowing that the future occupants of this car, he would be putting their lives at risk, my sister and her children's lives at risk, as the air bag and safety systems would not have functioned!
This mechanic belongs in Jail!
C'mon let's see what excuses you are going to make up for him?
Those that are saying no big deal, seem to be overlooking a major point here.
There is a mechanic out there who did what was needed to make this car look pre-accident.
Yet he couldn't care less about the safety components, made no attempt to fix them, just cable tied them up - full well knowing that the future occupants of this car, he would be putting their lives at risk, my sister and her children's lives at risk, as the air bag and safety systems would not have functioned!
This mechanic belongs in Jail!
C'mon let's see what excuses you are going to make up for him?
Problem is if the airbag warning light stays off then there isn’t really a problem.
I get the fact the wires were not run in their respective areas etc but unless someone has knowingly defeated the system by bypassing things then I’m not sure what you can do.
It’s a very difficult area, I once purchased a car that had been in a small accident but was repaired to a good standard, it’s still in the family and is the best car I’ve owned to date.
Oddly enough it is an Audi A3.
I get the fact the wires were not run in their respective areas etc but unless someone has knowingly defeated the system by bypassing things then I’m not sure what you can do.
It’s a very difficult area, I once purchased a car that had been in a small accident but was repaired to a good standard, it’s still in the family and is the best car I’ve owned to date.
Oddly enough it is an Audi A3.
swiftguy said:
Thanks all for the replies - the good and the bad.
Those that are saying no big deal, seem to be overlooking a major point here.
There is a mechanic out there who did what was needed to make this car look pre-accident.
Yet he couldn't care less about the safety components, made no attempt to fix them, just cable tied them up - full well knowing that the future occupants of this car, he would be putting their lives at risk, my sister and her children's lives at risk, as the air bag and safety systems would not have functioned!
This mechanic belongs in Jail!
C'mon let's see what excuses you are going to make up for him?
So someone has repaired a car and hasn't done a great job.Those that are saying no big deal, seem to be overlooking a major point here.
There is a mechanic out there who did what was needed to make this car look pre-accident.
Yet he couldn't care less about the safety components, made no attempt to fix them, just cable tied them up - full well knowing that the future occupants of this car, he would be putting their lives at risk, my sister and her children's lives at risk, as the air bag and safety systems would not have functioned!
This mechanic belongs in Jail!
C'mon let's see what excuses you are going to make up for him?
Hardly crime of the century.......
Yes it's been damaged but it really isnt what you are trying to make it out to be.
Have you done a fresh hpi check today? Sometimes there can be a hell of a lag between being written off and actually appearing in the database so at the point of sale it may have been hpi clear but it could be showing now.
How would the dealer know about it if it was showing as clear when he purchased it?
Equally an MOT won't show poor repairs so as long as things like headlight aim is ok it would still pass.
swiftguy said:
Thanks all for the replies - the good and the bad.
Those that are saying no big deal, seem to be overlooking a major point here.
There is a mechanic out there who did what was needed to make this car look pre-accident.
Yet he couldn't care less about the safety components, made no attempt to fix them, just cable tied them up - full well knowing that the future occupants of this car, he would be putting their lives at risk, my sister and her children's lives at risk, as the air bag and safety systems would not have functioned!
This mechanic belongs in Jail!
C'mon let's see what excuses you are going to make up for him?
Just saw that it's a CAT car, now that does make a difference.Those that are saying no big deal, seem to be overlooking a major point here.
There is a mechanic out there who did what was needed to make this car look pre-accident.
Yet he couldn't care less about the safety components, made no attempt to fix them, just cable tied them up - full well knowing that the future occupants of this car, he would be putting their lives at risk, my sister and her children's lives at risk, as the air bag and safety systems would not have functioned!
This mechanic belongs in Jail!
C'mon let's see what excuses you are going to make up for him?
Do you have a copy of the HPI report? As you'll be able to make a claim against them depending on when the car was Cat'd.
Tell your sister to talk to the finance company as they will also put pressure on the dealer as the car is now worth less.
Why does the repairer belong in jail?
The car drove fine, yes?
So the issue again is the airbag loom, which is nothing to be jailed for.
Calm down & go about this logically.
Get your sister to talk to the finance company & explain that she's discovered that the car is an Insurance write off.
Then I'd do another HPI check to see if it's still showing as clear then get her to call HPI & explain that she purchased a car after using their service & it turns out it's an insurance write off.
Finally call the dealer & be CALM saying things like someone needs to go to jail/they knowingly sold a CAT car etc.
Explain what you've discovered & let them respond.
Did your sister do her own HPI check when she bought the car?
I'm not surprised at the OP's discovery, not in the slightest.
I've been looking for a replacement for our Fiesta that was written off two weeks ago. It'll be another Fiesta as it stood up well to being hit head on by a Freelander and we escaped with relatively minor injuries.
I've done around a dozen vehicle checks using Total Car Check. Three cars have been through salvage auctions, another had a mileage discrepancy and two more were mis-described by dealers.
It's minefield I can really do without having to walk through at the moment; there's enough to do with recovering from injuries, sorting out claims and trying to cook, shower etc.
I made two appointments to view cars this weekend, both were cancelled by the dealers because the cars, which have been advertised on AutoTrader and on their websites for over a week 'aren't ready'.
I've been looking for a replacement for our Fiesta that was written off two weeks ago. It'll be another Fiesta as it stood up well to being hit head on by a Freelander and we escaped with relatively minor injuries.
I've done around a dozen vehicle checks using Total Car Check. Three cars have been through salvage auctions, another had a mileage discrepancy and two more were mis-described by dealers.
It's minefield I can really do without having to walk through at the moment; there's enough to do with recovering from injuries, sorting out claims and trying to cook, shower etc.
I made two appointments to view cars this weekend, both were cancelled by the dealers because the cars, which have been advertised on AutoTrader and on their websites for over a week 'aren't ready'.
Edited by Riley Blue on Monday 15th August 06:55
swiftguy said:
West Wales you are from? Are you swift GTi guy or in a newer one?
(Off topic)
ZX10R NIN said:
Just saw that it's a CAT car, now that does make a difference.
Do you have a copy of the HPI report? As you'll be able to make a claim against them depending on when the car was Cat'd.
Tell your sister to talk to the finance company as they will also put pressure on the dealer as the car is now worth less.
Why does the repairer belong in jail?
The car drove fine, yes?
So the issue again is the airbag loom, which is nothing to be jailed for.
Calm down & go about this logically.
Get your sister to talk to the finance company & explain that she's discovered that the car is an Insurance write off.
Then I'd do another HPI check to see if it's still showing as clear then get her to call HPI & explain that she purchased a car after using their service & it turns out it's an insurance write off.
Finally call the dealer & be CALM saying things like someone needs to go to jail/they knowingly sold a CAT car etc.
Explain what you've discovered & let them respond.
Did your sister do her own HPI check when she bought the car?
Thanks,Do you have a copy of the HPI report? As you'll be able to make a claim against them depending on when the car was Cat'd.
Tell your sister to talk to the finance company as they will also put pressure on the dealer as the car is now worth less.
Why does the repairer belong in jail?
The car drove fine, yes?
So the issue again is the airbag loom, which is nothing to be jailed for.
Calm down & go about this logically.
Get your sister to talk to the finance company & explain that she's discovered that the car is an Insurance write off.
Then I'd do another HPI check to see if it's still showing as clear then get her to call HPI & explain that she purchased a car after using their service & it turns out it's an insurance write off.
Finally call the dealer & be CALM saying things like someone needs to go to jail/they knowingly sold a CAT car etc.
Explain what you've discovered & let them respond.
Did your sister do her own HPI check when she bought the car?
My sister relied on the HPI report that the dealer presented her, she didn't do her own HPI report.
Yes, she will be speaking with both the dealer and the finance company to reject this car claim all monies back plus all costs.
Why does the repairer belong in jail? - because the repairer knowingly and deliberately chose not to fix the air bag wiring - which was broken and in clear sight once you remove the bumper. He would've known if this car now had a crash none of the air bags would have gone off and so putting the lives of the occupants at fatal risk. If a MOT tester decided not to report something that was critical to the safety of the car. The owner takes the car and the car crashes due to the critical component failure - does the MOT tester not bear any responsibility? Similarly a gas engineer servicing a boiler, decides to overlook a failed safety component on a boiler, boiler blows up - does the gas engineer not bear any responsibility?
I paid for the v-check today, this does the HPI check as well I believe and showed no insurance write off, image attached:
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/fYJMyCRh.png[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/89HgeCW6" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/89HgeCW6.png)
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