How much does it cost to restore a car after an average accident? How to reduce the cost of restoring a car after an accident? Is it possible to restore a car after an accident?

Should I restore my car after an accident? Many car owners have faced this question. We will try to figure out when it is advisable to do this, and in which cases it is better to get rid of a damaged car.

text: Rostislav Chebykin / photo: author / 06.28.2018

No one is immune from misfortunes, and sometimes we all find ourselves in unpleasant situations. As the Americans say, shit happens. The road is often an unpredictable thing; an accident can happen at any moment, and not necessarily through your fault: “if it’s not you, it’s going to hit you.” If it’s a slight scuff of paint or a broken bumper, which often happens in big cities, then everything is clear: paint or replace it and move on. Also, if you have comprehensive insurance, then, in principle, everything is clear: in case of serious car accident They will take it away from you and compensate you instead. But what if you have compulsory motor liability insurance or an uninsured event? It becomes more interesting and complex, with its own pitfalls, which we will tell you about.

START WITH A DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

After an accident, you should contact a trusted service to estimate the cost of work and spare parts. If repairs cost more than half the cost of the car itself, then restoration becomes of little relevance. No one will return the money you invested, and after an accident you will only be able to sell the car for less than the average market price.

First of all, you should pay attention to damage to the “skeleton” of the car: if load-bearing parts, such as side members, are deformed, or, even worse, the body has moved, then restoring the car will cost a pretty penny. So, when a car goes into a ditch on high speed a small number of external elements are damaged, but the body twists. Often such damage is difficult to determine on your own; they can only be found in a service center with special equipment. We do not recommend restoring: even after expensive repairs, there is a risk that it will not be possible to return the body geometry 100% to factory parameters, and the car will drive to one side.

If the airbags are deployed, replacing them will cost a lot of money - safety systems in modern cars are very expensive. You can take whole pillows from disassembly, but even there little blood for the wallet is indispensable. On average, one airbag costs from 3 to 10 thousand, if we talk about the disassembled version.

If you decide to return your “swallow” to its previous form, then after troubleshooting (disassembling the car to determine the entire list of damages), it is worth setting aside another 30% for unforeseen expenses. Hidden damage that may come to light during the repair process will require additional costs.

REMEMBER WHAT YOU CAN SAVE ON AND WHAT YOU CAN’T SAVE ON

Car services, excluding service stations official dealers, as a rule, meet the needs of the client and do not interfere with the use of used spare parts from car dismantling yards. You can buy spare parts yourself, but some services themselves cooperate with car dismantling companies.

Often found body parts V good condition, while being much cheaper than new ones. If the front airbag goes off front passenger, which is located in the torpedo, you can try to “solder” the broken hole back. This will save a lot of money and not replace the entire dashboard.

If you do decide to restore the car, we highly recommend that you do not compromise on safety. Even if you are planning to sell the car, do not “jam” the activated AirBag sensors, think about the next owner. Many cars are equipped with seat belt pretensioning systems, which are activated even in minor accidents. It's worth replacing, although they are not cheap.

LEARN FROM OTHERS' MISTAKES

Let me give you a real example. The car spun around on the ice and was thrown into a fence. The victim in in this case came from a fencing installation company. OSAGO only reimbursed the cost of the fence. Recovery " iron horse" fell on the shoulders of the car enthusiast.

The entire side and front part of the foreign car was damaged. The service promised to meet the cost of 170–200 thousand rubles, which is less than half the cost of the car. There was another option: sell it for 80 thousand rubles, so that you could add and take a “whole” copy. But I didn’t want to give the car away for next to nothing, so the decision was made to restore it and continue using it.

Although the front spar of the car was a little misaligned, the service promised to restore the geometry of the body. 100 thousand rubles were spent on spare parts and another 100 thousand on the repair itself. However, as often happens, during the repair process unforeseen expenses began to emerge: electrical, seat belt pretensioners, suspension and others. The budget began to grow by leaps and bounds. First replace one, then another, third and so on. As a result, it took over 100 thousand rubles and a month and a half of waiting to restore the car, not counting the nerves spent during this time.

You could sell the rest of the car for 80 thousand, add the same 300 thousand and take the same one, albeit a little worse in condition, but not a damaged one. But, firstly, at the time the repair began, the owner did not yet know about all the intricacies and could not predict that restoration would cost a third more, and secondly, the car now has many new parts, and with fresh paint it began to look even better than before the accident.

To summarize, it can be noted that there is no need to rush in making a decision - to restore the car or not. First, make sure that you have an amount 30% more than what the service tells you. And then ask yourself the question: are you ready to accept the fact that when you sell a restored car, you will not get back the money spent, and that you will sell the car for less? market value? If the answer is positive, balanced, repair it to your health; if not, it is better to sell the car as is and look for another one.

Accident. Hospital. Problems with the traffic police. Once broken car... All this is familiar to many of us, unfortunately. But life doesn’t stop there, you need to keep living! Of course, this is a lot of stress and financial losses, but if you look at all this from the other side, it may turn out that you are incredibly lucky, for example, in that you survived.

When litigation and proceedings subside, several logical questions to which you need to find answers: “?”, “Should I sell the car after an accident or repair it?”, and also “Is it worth repairing a damaged car before selling it or selling it as is?”

In this article I will try to give answers or at least help minimize your losses, I hope that after my advice and conclusions you will be able to weigh the pros and cons and draw the right conclusion.

So, the car is dented or completely broken, are you faced with the choice of repair or sale, sell as is or restore? First you need to assess the complexity of the blow and all the damage. To do this, it is not enough to just look at the car or feel the dent; no, if your damage boils down to a dented fender or a couple of scratches, then the question of selling is simply not worth it. This damage is cosmetic and can be easily corrected by specialists. and recovery paint coating will cost you several hundred dollars, and selling the car just because of this is stupid, to say the least.

Another thing is a serious side or frontal impact. In such cases, you need to be careful and treat it appropriately. The fact is that body elements: fenders, bumpers, doors can be repaired without difficulty in almost any workshop that specializes in this. The point is different - is it broken? body geometry, in other words, did the body (frame) and all its parts “steal”? It is impossible to check this “by eye”; sometimes even an insignificant deviation is fraught big problems. Violation of geometry is fraught with many problems, for example:

• The car will pull to the side while driving;
• Available ;
• Loose fit of doors, hood, fenders and other parts of the body;
• And most importantly, in the event of a repeat accident, it is impossible to predict the “behavior” of such a body. Due to a violation of the geometry of the body, the impact will not be absorbed evenly; as a result, the body together with the passengers may be “flattened” or squeezed “into an accordion”.

In order to check whether there is any drift to the side, you will have to deliver your damaged car to experts who, using special equipment and knowledge will be able to draw a conclusion about the feasibility of repairs.

There are situations when the body “doesn’t move”, but repair a car after an accident it makes no sense. For example, when there are serious damage all parts of the body, it is necessary to putty and paint more than 80% of the surface of the car, etc. In this case, it is necessary to estimate the amount of work; for this, invite an appraiser or an expert, or someone who will perform all this work. If they quote you an amount that is half the cost of your car, it is better to refuse repairs. Its profitability is questionable and it will be cheaper.

Do not rush to immediately agree with the amount that the master will name, take your time and invite a second specialist who is ready to take on this work, sometimes the difference can be very significant. If several experts came to the conclusion that it would be better sell a used car, then I recommend listening and moving on to another no less important issue how to sell a broken one more profitably, with minimal loss for yourself and your wallet.

Option one - repurchase of damaged cars

This option is perhaps the simplest, but at the same time the most unprofitable. As a rule, those who buy such cars are either “outbidders” or SROTS, who pursue two goals: buy cheaper and sell more expensive. Therefore, you shouldn’t expect “miracles” in this case; you will most likely be offered “pennies” for your car, or for what’s left of it. If the car is damaged, but all the mechanisms except the body are intact, you should not rush and resort to such methods of selling cars after an accident. For example, if you place an advertisement for the sale of a separate engine or some parts from it, you can not only sell a used car profitably, but it’s also good to make money on it. However, there are also unpleasant aspects, such as the constant need to place and monitor ads, which can take a lot of time and sometimes money. Here, as they say, you decide what is best and most profitable for you.

Option two - selling damaged cars "as is", that is, in the form in which it is after the accident

This option is very controversial and has its own characteristics. First of all, there is a purely psychological problem when a potential buyer sees your damaged car mobile, simply becomes horrified and immediately refuses to buy such a car. On the other hand, some are, on the contrary, “for” such sales, since in this form the buyer sees all the sore spots and knows what awaits him when buying such a car. Important nuance- the price of such a car will certainly be lower than if you spent money on repairs and sold your car after an accident as new, but more on that later. No need to think that broken cars no one will buy it or that no one needs a broken car. There are people who, for example, do not have enough money to buy new car, and in the case of a car after an accident, the price will be significantly lower. Concerning appearance, then even the not very aesthetic appearance does not bother some buyers. There are also those who make money by buying a “problem” car, fixing it, or simply finding a buyer who is ready to buy the car after an accident and selling it at favorable price taking into account your interests.

Option three - sell the damaged car after preliminary repairs

This method can hardly be called humane, since the one who chose it has one goal - to hide traces of the accident and as profitably as possible sell a car after an accident. It’s good if all the damage is trivial restoration work paintwork, but what if this is not the case and you are trying to hide more serious global damage? What then? Then you are no different from those scammers who profit from gullible customers. It’s up to you, of course, but when choosing this method of selling, you must be prepared for the fact that one day the truth will “come out.” It’s good if this happens during a check at a service station or repair, but if not, everything will be revealed during an accident and people will die who did not suspect that the car no longer has its former strength and that terrible things happen to it when it hits.. Then it will be difficult for you to envy, because the buyer you deceived after the experience can go to great lengths and you cannot avoid litigation. Both physical and legal reprisals may await you, everything may turn into new problem With lawsuits and proceedings.

The main problem buying and selling used cars is - panic fear buyers "buy a pig in a poke." When selling such a car, it will be very difficult for you to prove that the damage is associated only with a bent door or, more often than not, it doesn’t even come to that, the buyer runs away and you are left with nothing. What is - that is, indeed, few people dream of buying a damaged car after an accident, but there are also understanding people who know that the bumper or door in a car is not the main thing, and a significant discount, on the contrary, makes such a car more profitable to buy. There are many devices with which you can find out whether a car has been in an accident or whether it is completely intact. Specialists charge a lot of money for such an examination, but it is worth it, which is why many buyers go to buy a car with such “gurus” who help avoid scammers.

In conclusion, I want to draw some conclusions...

If you do happen to have an accident and your car is seriously damaged, do not despair, but thank God that you are alive. I don't recommend it sell a used car under the guise of a whole one, purely from a human point of view, as it goes folk wisdom: “You can’t build happiness on someone else’s misfortune!”, and you’ll even take sin on your soul.

Instead, it’s better to tell the buyer the truth, don’t doubt there will be one, the main thing is to make every effort to do so. Place several advertisements on several websites, in newspapers or bulletin boards, do not skimp on descriptions and photos (read it, it will help you sell the car), write the truth and there will be no problems.

If after several months or years you still haven’t managed to sell your junk car, try selling it in parts. Don’t forget to deregister the car and resolve all “paper” issues. If you are unlucky here, then there is only one way out - buyback of damaged cars. Find a suitable company, arrange a meeting and make a deal.

In case of critical damage to the car, lack of time, desire or opportunity to deal with the damaged car, I recommend selling it for scrap. In this case, you will at least get something from your four-wheeled friend.

That's all for me. Thank you for reading to the end, I may have missed something, I will be glad for any additions and comments, please use the appropriate form. Take care of yourself and your car! Until next time.

After Road accident to the driver have to contact insurance company to receive compensation or referral for car repairs. The procedure is not complicated, but it is labor-intensive and time-consuming.

Dear readers! The article talks about typical ways to resolve legal issues, but each case is individual. If you want to know how solve exactly your problem- contact a consultant:

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And before contacting the insurer, you need to study the rules for restoring the car after traffic accident.

What does the cost depend on?

The cost of repairs depends on the damage sustained as a result of the accident. To determine the amount of damage, an assessment is carried out in one of the following ways:

1. On one's own. The driver can visually assess the damage without calling the traffic police. For this purpose, a Europrotocol is drawn up, according to which maximum compensation can be received from the insurance company in 50,000 rubles. It is important to take into account that errors should not be made in the documents, which could lead to refusal of payment.
2. Experts. According to latest changes c, damage assessment must be carried out by an expert appointed by the insurer. In case of litigation, it is carried out independent examination in third parties.

Drivers rarely use the European protocol due to the complexity of paperwork. The slightest mistakes will lead to the insurer refusing to issue a referral for vehicle repair.

You will have to prove your right judicial procedure, But this method has significant disadvantages:

• lengthy proceedings, including drawing up a statement of claim, collecting evidence, conducting an examination, etc. Litigation can last several months;
• it is necessary to pay the costs of filing a claim and conducting an examination;
• the proceedings do not always end in favor of the plaintiff or the insurer is obliged to pay an amount less than the actual damage to the car.

Considering the shortcomings of the Europrotocol, drivers prefer the classic option, which consists of registration of the scene of the incident by employees traffic police.

In this case, the damage assessment is carried out by professional experts working with the insurance company.

And to find out the cost of repairs, you will need to submit an application within 5 days from the date of the accident and provide Required documents. They include an inspection report of the car at the scene of the accident.

This document contains important information:

• information about the inspection of the damaged vehicle and information about the owner;
• grounds for conducting an independent examination (road accident in the form of a collision of two or more cars);
• a detailed description of the scene of the incident;
• information about the damage received, which is visualized at the time of inspection (this includes dents, chips, scratches);
• information about possible hidden damage to the vehicle (it must be indicated in which part of the vehicle internal damage may occur);
• data about external factors, which made it possible to determine cause of the accident and the guilty party;
• signatures of the parties agreeing with specified information and full name of the employee who prepared the document.

The inspection report must be accompanied by photographs from the scene of the incident, which visualize:

• license plates of the vehicles involved in the accident;
• general damage plan;
• Close-up of each damage.

Taking into account the specifics of the work of insurance companies and the rules for obtaining insurance, the cost of repairs is influenced by the following factors:

• the number and type of damage received;
• no errors in documents;
• completeness of information in the inspection report;
• quality of information from the scene of an accident.

Much depends on the integrity of the insurer. Reluctance to make payments leads to lengthy litigation and a reduction in the amount of compensation.

The insurer may charge fees for bank transfers, payment processing and other imaginary services.

The policyholder should know that according to the rules of compulsory motor liability insurance, the insurance company is obliged to fully reimburse all costs associated with restoring the car after an accident. You don't need to pay anything out of pocket!

Who assesses the cost of car repairs after an accident?

The cost of car repairs is calculated after assessing the damage.

As mentioned earlier, this is done in three ways:

• on one's own;
• insurance company experts;
• independent experts.

Self-assessment of damage is possible for minor damage totaling up to 50,000 thousand.

In this case, the basis for receiving compensation or referral for repairs from the insurance company is.

The second way to assess damage is to contact experts collaborating with the insurance company. As a rule, the service is free, but has an increased risk of receiving incorrect calculations.

It is not profitable for insurers to pay for expensive repairs, so the amount of damage is often greatly underestimated. The opposite can only be proven in court.

But write statement of claim It is only worth it if the policyholder is confident that the calculations were made incorrectly, so as not to incur the costs of pursuing a lawsuit.

It can be difficult for drivers to prove that their car has hidden damage. The appraisers are missing out. this moment, indicating in the report only visible scratches and dents.

The policyholder must personally check this process, based on the one compiled after Road accident document about vehicle inspection.

If the driver does not agree with the assigned amount, he will need to go to court, which will order an additional examination.

It is more profitable for the driver to contact an independent expert and pay for his services. This will provide up-to-date information about the cost of repairs. But this opportunity not always provided.

According to the rules of OSAGO, the examination can only be carried out upon the direction of the insurer.

And if the insurance company gives permission to contact a third-party organization, then the driver can send his car to a professional expert.

Prices for appraiser services

The cost of appraiser services depends on several factors:

• type of vehicle;
• the amount of damage caused;
• region of location;
• availability of additional services.

The cost of paying for the appraiser's services is borne by the driver. But if the examination is carried out at the request of the court due to the insurer underestimating the amount of compensation, then the money spent will be reimbursed by the insurance company.

If an independent examination produces a similar result, the insurer is not obliged to compensate for the costs.

Let's consider approximate cost services of an appraisal company, depending on the type of vehicle:

Vehicle type	Light damage (up to 60 thousand rubles)	Average damage (up to 150 thousand rubles)	Heavy damage (more than 150 thousand rubles)
A car	3,000 rub.	4,500 rub.	5,500 rub.
Freight car	5,000 rub.	7,000 rub.	12,000 rub.
SUVs	5,000 rub.	6,000 rub.	11,000 rub.
Minibuses	4,000 rub.	5,500 rub.	10,000 rub.

The indicated cost is approximate. The exact price for services is calculated individually after contacting an appraisal company.

To do this, you will need to submit the car for a preliminary inspection in order to visually evaluate upcoming work and state the cost of the service.

It is worth considering that appraisers are responsible before the law for the accuracy of the information provided. For this reason, they do not take bribes to inflate the amount of damage.

If during the trial a violation is revealed of this type, the driver and the appraisal company will have to bear criminal liability.

The insurance company has the right to go to court if the indicated amount of damage seems too high. For determining actual size damages, another examination will be carried out, on the basis of which conclusions will be drawn.

When to start

Many car owners try to repair their car as quickly as possible after an accident.

But this cannot be done: first, the damage is assessed and the amount of damage is calculated. This is the only way to receive payment from the insurance company.

Often, car owners carry out repairs first and then present the bill to the insurance company. Such actions are beneficial only in terms of time: the car gets on the road faster.

But the insurance company has the right to refuse compensation to the policyholder for the money spent, since it is impossible to adequately assess the amount of damage caused in the accident.

Repairing a car after an accident under compulsory motor liability insurance is carried out after performing a number of actions:

1. Preparation of required documents.
2. Contacting the insurance company.
3. Damage assessment.

All of the above actions take several weeks, and sometimes even months. But in order to receive compensation in full, you will have to spend the specified time period.

Restoration of the car begins after agreeing on the indicated amount of compensation and the cost of repair work.

If the policyholder agrees with the terms of the insurer, he is given a referral to a service station or compensation is paid.

In cases where the car owner is not satisfied with the announced amount, he can go to court to appeal the decision.

If the policyholder has made a choice in favor of receiving monetary compensation, then he will also need to wait for the examination.

The process of issuing money itself consists of several stages:

1. Notifying the insurance company about the occurrence insured event. This must be done immediately, after calling the traffic police and providing medical care to the affected people.
2. Contacting the insurance company. The deadline is 5 days. If the policyholder, for good reason, cannot visit the insurer’s office, one of the relatives can do so, subject to the provision of a medical certificate.
3. Appointment of examination. The car owner and the culprit of the accident must be present. After the examination, the amount of damage and repairs is announced. If the policyholder agrees with the amount of compensation, all necessary documents are signed.
4. Receipt of funds within 20 days from the date of issue of the decision. Compensation is transferred to bank card or invoice using the specified details.

What is better after an accident, money or repairs?

When choosing between receiving monetary compensation and agreeing to repairs, you should take into account the insurance rules. Many insurers do not provide a choice by issuing a referral to a service station after an assessment.

If it is possible to give preference to one of the two options, you should consider the features of both methods of car restoration.

Car repairs sent by an insurance company have some nuances:

1. The policyholder does not have the opportunity to choose a service station. The car will have to be sent to a workshop with which the insurer cooperates. And this is not always convenient in terms of the organization’s distance from home, its reputation and other parameters that the driver usually pays attention to when choosing a service station.
2. The policyholder will have to leave the car at the station without controlling the process of restoring the car. And this threatens with poor-quality repairs and missing hidden damage.
3. After poor-quality repairs, there is no one to make a claim to correct the defects. The insurance company says to contact a service station. The workshop claims that they did everything for the amount that was transferred from the insurance company.
4. Repairs are paid for, taking into account wear and tear of parts; you will have to pay extra at your own expense.
5. It takes a lot of time to issue a referral to a workshop and repair a car. The policyholder sometimes has to wait several months. IN best case scenario, the car is running and you can move around on it.

And if the car was badly damaged in an accident and cannot be used without repair, you will have to make do with other means of transportation for several weeks.

Having received the money in hand, the car owner can independently choose a workshop and decide on the need for repairs. In some cases, restoring a car is pointless; it is faster and more profitable to purchase a new vehicle.

Choosing your own auto repair shop allows you to save money cash by selecting an organization where services are provided at low prices.

And in case of poor-quality repairs, there is someone to demand compensation for damage or rerun works

But receiving monetary compensation is not always relevant. In some cases, there is not enough money to restore the car, and you have to pay extra from personal funds.

The insurance company is obliged to fully cover all costs associated with repairing the car after an accident.

But the policyholder must decide for himself: to take advantage of the insurance company’s offer or take compensation for further repairs of the car.

It should be borne in mind that insurers are reluctant to agree to pay out money, so you will have to wait a long time for the funds to arrive in your account.

How to protect yourself from deception

Restoring a car after an accident is a long and labor-intensive process that requires utmost attention.

You cannot completely trust the insurance company and the service station where the referral for compulsory motor liability insurance was received. Often repairs are carried out poorly and new damage may appear.

To avoid this, you should follow several rules:

• if there is a choice of auto repair shops, you should choose an organization with good reviews and reputation;
• when handing over the car, a vehicle acceptance certificate must be drawn up, which indicates all existing damage;
• An agreement is drawn up with the auto repair shop, which specifies a list of planned work with the cost of the service;
• After completing the repair, be sure to check the quality of the work and check the contract.

If the policyholder is dissatisfied with the quality of the work performed, he can write a complaint and not sign the car acceptance certificate.

Issues regarding the repairs made should be resolved on the spot; in the future, defects will have to be corrected at your own expense.

When the unpleasant situation with an accident on the road is left behind, car restoration after an accident is a priority for the vehicle owner. The consequences of a traffic accident for a car can be different - from the complete loss of the car’s ability to move to external defects or small scratches on the body. How and at whose expense a car is restored after an accident, we will discuss in this article. You can ask additional questions to the site’s on-duty lawyer, because the nuances of the accident may have specific features.

Who and how carries out car restoration after an accident?

After an accident, cars should not be moved so that such actions are not regarded as... Do not move debris or parts. If you make sure that there is no disagreement about the fault and the list of damages to the car as a result of such an accident. Record the location of vehicles and damage using photos or videos.

If, in a situation where the driver used a standard scheme for reporting an incident, the car is not repaired until it is inspected by insurers and the issues of bringing administrative or criminal liability are resolved. Moreover, for compensation of damage and payments under compulsory motor liability insurance, we strongly recommend making an independent one. The amount of damage may differ from the insurance payment.

The culprit of the accident restores the car at his own expense. He will not receive any payments either under compulsory motor liability insurance or from the second participant. The only possible compensation is at .

An innocent participant in an accident can have the car restored at a station where it will be sent by the insurance company (and soon, thanks to a bill introduced in the State Duma, this method may remain the only possible one). He can restore it himself at his own expense. If the limit is exceeded, the actual costs incurred to restore the car are reimbursed by the person responsible for the accident, voluntarily or in court.

When to restore a car after an accident

The answer to this question depends on many factors. First of all, if road accident participants have drawn up a European protocol, within 15 days after submission they do not have the right to repair vehicles. This time is necessary for insurers to inspect the car for damage and evaluate it.

After all the proceedings in the case are completed, it is necessary to decide whether the car will be repaired, whether the owner will submit documents for it or sell it as is. The solution to this issue depends not only on financial capabilities, but also on an assessment of feasibility.

When restoring a car after an accident, it is also necessary to take into account the fact that changes to the license plate units of the car are not allowed. In the future, difficulties will arise with the operation of the machine (more details). Therefore, restoring a car after an accident is advisable after receiving advice from repairmen.

If it makes sense to check it, incl. for involvement in an accident. Information about the damage caused is entered into the database, which may affect the choice of the subject of the contract. You will see whether the car was restored after an accident, check the seller’s honesty.

When concluding transactions with a car (purchase and sale) that has not been restored after an accident, pay close attention to the text of the contract and the drafting. It makes sense to carefully describe all the shortcomings, incl. hidden.

If the restoration of a car after an accident exceeds the amount of the insurance payment received, the owner of such a vehicle (after repairs, if there are documents about the actual cost of repairs) has the right to file a lawsuit and reimburse additional expenses incurred.

Serious car damage usually comes with a variety of other problems. But even if no one was seriously injured in the accident, even if you are clearly and undoubtedly innocent, and even if the cause was a force majeure circumstance, like a tree blown down by the wind, the owner of the damaged car finds himself in an extremely stressful situation. Monetary losses, disrupted plans, conflict situations that need to be resolved without compromising your interests. But in this case it is necessary to do something with the damaged car, and the sooner the better.

Why you should hurry is clear without detailed explanations. Every day and every week of owning a hopelessly damaged vehicle is hassle and wasteful expenses, ongoing hassle and uncertainty.

So, when bureaucratic and, if you are especially unlucky, court cases related to road accidents come to some certainty, solving the problem comes to the fore damaged car. To begin with, the choice is between repair and sale. Try to restore or sell a damaged car. And if you sell, then whether to repair the damaged car for sale.

All these options have their own characteristics, difficulties, advantageous and disadvantageous aspects. And you can make a profitable decision only after considering all the nuances.

Sale or repair options:

The car's body is moderately damaged, there are defects in some external parts and devices - broken glass, headlights, bumper, etc. If there is no money to replace the car, but you need to drive, then repairs and replacement will bring the car into a tolerable condition and will allow you to use it successfully for some time. Yes, it’s not always possible to choose original parts or their decent replacement, painting broken body always worse than the original, but if there is no way out, it will do.

A seemingly harmless, but very expensive option - extensive minor damage body The cost of repairs can reach 50% of the cost of the car, but the result will still be a damaged car with a quickly deteriorating body.

There are deformations of the frame - the geometry of the body is broken, in the words of experts. Yes, in this case a recovery attempt is possible, but there are two “buts”. Such repairs, whether they bring results or not, will be very expensive, and operational properties The cars cannot be completely restored.

So decide - should you use an unreliable car yourself, sell it, passing it off as serviceable, and risk a serious scandal that smoothly flows into court? Or is it even more unreasonable to invest a lot of money and sell it cheap? Please also keep in mind that an estimate of the cost of repairs can be carried out quite competently either by a paid expert or by a repairman who is either conscientious or not.

10 reasons not to repair your car after an accident

What are the dangers of operating a car that has suffered an accident with body deformation?

• When driving, the car is likely to pull to the side. Moreover, the higher the speed, the sharper the displacement. And higher risk!
• Uneven tire wear. It’s not just inconvenient, but sometimes even dangerous.
• Deterioration of fit body parts between themselves - the possibility of breakdowns increases sharply.
• General weakening of the body, especially dangerous with strong mechanical impact. That is, the car will break much faster and more severely in a collision.

What are the disadvantages of repairing for the purpose of selling a damaged car?

• This vehicle with any, even the most expensive repair, it loses a significant part of its market value. There are many costs, little return.
• Trying to sell a damaged car while hiding its damage from the buyer is a very real reason for being accused of fraud. With all the ensuing consequences.

Questionable points of repair for further operation

• Waste of time. The fact is that accurate damage assessment is often difficult. There is no way to calculate in advance the timing of work, the time to search for spare parts and Supplies, money spendings. For many more weeks, or even months, hidden damage caused by an accident will appear in the repaired car. In the end, the owner of such a car begins to greatly regret that he did not dare to sell the damaged car, but it is no longer possible to win back and return the money.
• If the car has been in water, problems with the electronics will definitely begin - perhaps right now, or perhaps on the road, in a foreign city, on the highway, despite the fact that the costs of bringing it into decent shape will be significant.
• If a fire occurs, the car will lose a significant part of its comfort and attractiveness, and may not be able to be restored at all.

All listed points– a reason to sell the car as quickly as possible and without attempts to restore it. The fact is that the most likely buyer will want to purchase such a vehicle for low price. For disassembly or, less often, for repair with subsequent operation. Your attempts to eliminate defects will not increase the value of the car, but will only take time and money.

How to sell?

You can advertise, update them, communicate with potential buyers who will strive to get something usable for the price of a used car.

You can contact a used car dealer and offer your car. Such buyers, unlike ordinary private individuals, are serious about buying back a used car, have the money for this purpose, and it will be easier to negotiate with them.

You can send your used car for evaluation directly from this page and you might like our price!

To summarize: the more serious or extensive the damage to a car, the less likely it is that it can be fully restored. Therefore, it is better not to waste effort, time and money, but to quickly get rid of such a car.