All those users who want to sell a car with a breakdown, do so know that they face more problems than simply selling a vehicle. As a general rule, damaged vehicles lose value with equal or even greater speed than the good condition cars due to the lack of use that brings the greater deterioration of the existing problem and, sometimes, the appearance of damages and additional breakdowns.
On the other hand, there are easy and economic faults to repair, which will not require a large investment and which will ensure an easier and more profitable sale of the vehicle. But what to do with a damaged car that cannot be repaired?
The options are scarce: scrap yards, workshops and some dealers such as Autoankauf Motorschaden may be interested in the vehicle, but you will have the disadvantages of investing time, negotiating and that the money you can get will be scarce.
How to sell a damaged car: what to do and what not to do
First of all, being aware of the disadvantages that selling a damaged car will mean you will be able to play your cards so that you get the best.
A good option might be to try to repair the vehicle, especially if it is damage covered by the vehicle insurance or that does not make much difference. In repair shops, you can make an estimate about the price of an arrangement in general, which may be convenient in some cases.
There are several types of faults that are common in many vehicles of a certain age:
- Airbags: if the airbag warning light comes on permanently, it means that there may be a fault in one of them. It is advisable to go to a workshop or authorized center to replace them. Price: between 30 and 120 euros, depending on whether you have to change any other piece.
- Stabilizerbar: The stabilizer bar is a metal bar that forms part of the suspension and joins the wheels of the same axle. It may be the case that a deterioration of the bar causes the fracture of some of the bearings, thus worsening the behavior of the car.
- Suspension arms: These are the elements that shape the skeleton of the suspension and provide support to the wheels. A break can cause a wheel to come off when the vehicle is running or run out of direction.
- Saturated catalyst: Too many exhaust gases can accumulate in the catalytic converter and be impossible to eliminate. When this occurs, the warning light of the engine or the polluting gases ignites.
- Brake discs: It is an element made of steel that joins the wheel, and by use it is common to wear every 90,000 km. Price is 100 euros. Particulate filter is an element in the exhaust system of diesel vehicles, whose function is to retain the particles generated by combustion. Sometimes it can become saturated with particles and cause the engine to fail. Price is from 200 euros.
Selling a damaged car requires some expertise to highlight all the positive aspects of the vehicle while minimizing the importance of the negatives. This is a general slogan when selling any type of car, but it is especially important in the case of damaged cars because a significant damage is a negative point in which any buyer is going to focus.
How many times have you seen ads saying simply “I sell a damaged car” accompanied by an unflattering photograph? At first glance, it is not the best strategy and the sale will be more effective if you adorn it with a good presentation. So, once you have thoroughly cleaned it, we must highlight the advantages of the car, such as its good condition, the extras it may have, if it has had only one driver (something well valued) or the number of kilometers it has rolled. Afterwards, we will have to explain what the fault is and, if a good way to expose it is found, the reason why we want to sell the car instead of repairing it. It is imperative to say that the car is damaged in the ad title to avoid contacts from people who are not really interested.
