What does "Heavy damage" mean?

[aclivity]

Couple of weeks ago I was burgled and my car taken. It was found a few days later in Liverpool with two people in it. The two people have been arrested and are suspected of both the break in and the robbery, but still not charged as I understand it.

Anyway, I've been away on holiday for the last week and so have been playing a bit of catch up with the police, the insurance company and the recovery firm. I have no details but it seems that in the course of the stop and arrest, my car was damaged. No-one I have spoken to has actually seen the car, but it has been reported to me that it has "heavy frontal damage". What does that mean? I suspect it's crashed after a police chase, but there is no confirmation of this - I don't think I would be told anyway (unless it appears on road wars of doom at some point in the future).

Just wondering now whether the car will be written off, and if so, how much I'll get. It's a 56 reg V6 Hyundai Coupe, condition was as like new as possible for a 4.5 year old car, a smidge over 60k miles, full service history ... what are they likely to value it at, and how does that compare with the cost of repairing "heavy frontal damage"?

[JulianHJ]

From the sound of it, a Cat D or Cat C might be on the cards. What's the realistic book value? Factor in a repair bill of possibly several grand, depending on the definition of 'heavy' and a write off is likely.

[Some Gump]

Sorry to hear that OP.

I'm no expert, but from looking at salvage ads, you get "light front", "heavy front" etc a lot. I suspect "heavy front damage" is pretty severe, i.e not just panels.

Either way, hope it works out for you.

[dowahdiddyman]

First thing is they will value it at nowhere near what you think it is worth, and nowhere near enough to buy another one of the same age.
Another thing is if it is heavy frontal and a 4.5 yr old Hyundai they will probably say it is not viable and write it off, which would be a shame.I`ve got a 53 plate 2ltr and although it ain`t the quickest thing going I like it.

[TallPaul]

It depends on who is describing the damage- when a salvage company says a car has "heavy damage" its usually pretty bad, maybe needing a shell, or at least jigging and new inner wings etc. If Joe Public is diagnosing it, it may just want a light pull and new front exterior panels. You really need to see it for yourself, never rely on a third party's description.

[aclivity]

Thanks for all the answers

TallPaul said:

It depends on who is describing the damage- when a salvage company says a car has "heavy damage" its usually pretty bad, maybe needing a shell, or at least jigging and new inner wings etc.

This is the worry ... the person who said "heavy damage" was in the office of the salvage company reading their notes from the recovery. It was taken to the insurers repair company late on Friday and I won't be told the results of their review until Monday.

I'm just hoping that I can get access to the stuff in the car - there is nothing of any real value in the car (except the tax disc!) but my son drew some pictures of me and him in the car when I first got it, and I want those back.

[Some Gump]

aclivity said:

This is the worry ... the person who said "heavy damage" was in the office of the salvage company reading their notes from the recovery. It was taken to the insurers repair company late on Friday and I won't be told the results of their review until Monday.

I'm just hoping that I can get access to the stuff in the car - there is nothing of any real value in the car (except the tax disc!) but my son drew some pictures of me and him in the car when I first got it, and I want those back.

Then stay on it like a hawk.
I lost a car to fire, insurers assessors said I could get access in 2-3 days. When I eventually got them on the phone, the car was the other end of the country, and my cd's, nav etc etc were a distant memory.

[Aviz]

Mine was written off due t heavy damage. I went to collect the bits out of it, and noticed that it had no damage at all. I let them write it off, and pay me out as I don't want it back after it had been nicked.

About 2 weeks later they rang me to say that they had made a mistake, and it was going to be repaired (a new set of keys was all that was needed ) I told em to stick it as I'd already bought a new car! Turns out the only info they had was a note on the computer to sy it had been involved in an accident, and from this they had written it off without a surveyor even looking at it !

[Dalto123]

Sorry to hear about that OP:

I went on What Car for a valuation and this is what I got:

Dealer £5,785
Private £5,310
Part exchange £4,895
Trade £4,645
Cost new £19,190

This was the result of entering the details of your car details, but thats not with the damage, I'd take off between £1000-and £2000 possibly as this may be a bit worrying to a potential buyer.

[aclivity]

Cue the inevitable comments of "that'll T-Cut out" and "I've MOT'd worse", but following todays little trip out to Ellesmere Port I have some photographic evidence of what "Heavy Damage" means:
{click thumbnails for bigger picture)




3, probably 4 wheels bent.
NSF wheel is pushed backwards.
NSR wheel looks to be leaning outwards.
Both airbags deployed.

[Six Fiend]

Bugger!

[thinfourth2]

Pity it wasn't a lot worse as it would save me from having to pay the thieving little sts benefits

[aclivity]

so is it a write off?

Given the values posted above (which seem a little high to me), could it be repaired within that cost?

• Wheels - assume they have to replace 4, surely 4 OEM wheels will be at least £600?
• Tyres - currently has 6 month old, less than 5000 mile, Avon ZZ3's at £100 each. OEM was Michelin Pilot Sports, they are around £170 each (as an aside, assuming it's not written off but is repaired, can I reject the tyres if they put some crap ones on; I won't drive on crap tyres?
• New dashboard and 2 airbags - surely must be a fairly expensive part, and fitting would not be a simple job?
• NSF suspension is borked, I guess needs full replacement.
• Panelwork - wing, inner wing, bonnet, other bits of red metal.
• Battery - is smashed up inside so also I guess is everything that used to be between the headlamp and the battery. Think that was airbox and fuses, can't really remember more than that.
• Headlamp unit - seem to recall that these are not cheap items.
• Bumper / grille / radiator (not sure about this last item, it looked pretty pushed back into the engine bay, but then I don't usually see it from that angle!
• The NSR wheel leaning out like that, does that suggest underlying / suspension damage?
• Labour? Got to be quite a few hours, surely?
• Paint matching
• New plates, as the old ones were removed and replaced by someone else's plates. (second aside, the owner of a red coupe in St. Helens may be getting speeding tickets in the post around now, apparently)

I'm sure there is more to be done, as I've been writing that list I have had an increasing sinking feeling about the whole thing. It's not that I am particularly attached to the car, but still would rather not see it in that state.

[Shaw Tarse]

Sorry to see that, but if it was me I'd be hoping for it to be written off.

[aclivity]

Shaw Tarse said:

Sorry to see that, but if it was me I'd be hoping for it to be written off.

I am on the horns of a dilemma. I think I want to see it written off (or rather, I don't think I want it back after that lot has been fixed?), but I guess after 60,0000 miles I have kind of grown accustomed to it's face.

Written off would probably be the cleanest option, I suppose.

[emicen]

I've noticed a lot of salvage photos seem to be done poorly with a fisheye lens and result in wonky wheel angles where none really exist. So double check on the rear damage.

However, in terms of the front damage I'd be amazed if that didn't need a leg pulling and that's a write off in something that old/value when the lights, suspension and airbags are taken in to account.

All imho. Sorry bud

[thinfourth2]

Its a write off as sure as my arse points downwards

[Jimmyarm]

I would be very suprised if that that wasn't a write off.

Expect to see it on ebay soon

[aclivity]

emicen said:

I've noticed a lot of salvage photos seem to be done poorly with a fisheye lens and result in wonky wheel angles where none really exist. So double check on the rear damage.

It actually looks worse in real life than on the photo. There is a definite lean outwards, like it's been smacked sideways into a kerb or something?

Is it salvage yard humour to approach the vehicle from the least damaged side? As the guy took me out to it, approaching from OS rear, I thought ... doesn't look too bad!

[Deerfoot]

thinfourth2 said:

Its a write off as sure as my arse points downwards

I concur.