Process of buying a 'written off' car

[robbyj]

Looking at a car, test drove it lovely 6 speed manual, smooth, drove well, cold air con, brakes were great, cosmetically hasn't been looked after too great. But mechanically seems perfect. Couldn't see any oil leaks anywhere. I will talk to the mechanic where she gets it serviced (genuine bloke), and she will also be selling with a rwc. So no drama's there..

So after asking every question i could think of i've learned from her that it was 'written off' but she had no problem swapping it from qld to vic rego.
Now apparently she she hit a roo a while ago and there's a little bit of panel damage that i got quoted 1500 to fix.

I've checked insurance which is a killer for a powerful car, 1350 premium being that i am 22. I asked her if she had it insured and she said yeah with aami but they wouldnt fix it when she hit the roo so she doesnt have it insured anymore..

Starting to sound a little dodgey.. especially when she asked what price was i thinking? said my price and she agreed she was 'hoping to get that same amount for it'

So my question is for anyone with experience in something like this, what is required to get a check done with vic roads? rego number and vin number? any more details i need to take to them? Can they tell me why it was written off and whether it was a repairable write off or not? Is there any way she could be pulling a dodgey on me and i go to transfer it to my name and i cant register it.

It is currently registered til Aug next year. But the rego plate is ZWZ so only recently registered..

First time buying a car, as my first car i bought off my parents when they upgraded. So don't want to get stung with a car i couldnt use. Any advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Rob

[redxm]

So, if its been written off by an insurance company, someone has been paid out and the car now belongs to the insurance company, unless another arrangement has been made.

I cant speak for Vic, but if a car in NSW is written off, it can never be registered again.

Do your homework.

[BadMax]

Walk away from it. If you're going to buy a VIV car, buy one that has been done in Victoria as we have the most stringent legislation to jump through. It's not a guarantee it's perfect but a little more assuring than other states.

[ratter]

VIV can be a pain unless things are done 100% according to the rules

[Itsme]

If a car is officially written off by a state authority not to be registered again then it cannot be re-registered in any other state, is this correct?

[Spammy]

There are a million used cars for sale -- find one that has not been a write off.

[xisled]

Originally Posted by trublu

If a car is officially written off by a state authority not to be registered again then it cannot be re-registered in any other state, is this correct?

There is 2 types of written off cars.
Statutory write off means, car can never be re-registered anywhere in Australia.
The second is a repairable write off, this can be repaired and re registered once the car is repaired and all checks complete.
Just because the car is written off does not mean it can not be registered.

If the car has passed all the checks then you will be able to register like any other car. Sounds like it has had the VIV done.

To check the status of the car visit http://www.ppsr.gov.au/Pages/ppsr.aspx.

If it is deemed as repaired write off, then it has passed the VIV and can be registered.

When buying a written off car you will not be able to remove the written off tag. The car will only be worth a quarter of market value and if you ever sell it you will need to tell the buyer it has been written off.

[zilo]

I have now done FIVE re-registrations of repairable write offs.

They are perfectly fine if they pass a VIV test.

In fact, I would rather buy a used vehicle that has done a VIV test rather than a wild card from a car yard.

Remember, they are economical write offs...not safety write offs.

The last one I bought had a tree branch fall through the windscreen and puncturing the dashboard.

I did all the internal work myself which included a new dashboard skin.

A professional panel beater picked out the roof panel and re-spotwelded it.

Total cost?

$3500 + 1200 +_ 600 for a VIV + roadworthy 140+ rego 800

6500 bucks and I have a car for my sister worth 12 grand.


Insurance co wrote it off because it was too big a repair cost, but my time wasn't factored in of course.


Other point to mention is once a car is 15 years old it can be written off and doesn't appear on the written off register and doesn't need a VIV.

So lots of people buy write offs and don't know it I suggest.

[robbyj]

Originally Posted by xisled

To check the status of the car visit http://www.ppsr.gov.au/Pages/ppsr.aspx.

If it is deemed as repaired write off, then it has passed the VIV and can be registered.

Just found that site looking through vic roads webpage. Ill go get the VIN number this week and do the check.

So it will say 'repaired write off' or similar if it has already passed a VIV,
and 'repairable write off' or similar meaning it hasn't passed a VIV and will need to organize that.

Will it give a description of why it was written off?

Her price is well below market value, but i will knock her back some more to make the purchase worth it in terms of resale value

[robbyj]

Originally Posted by zilo

Other point to mention is once a car is 15 years old it can be written off and doesn't appear on the written off register and doesn't need a VIV.

So lots of people buy write offs and don't know it I suggest.

It is a 2005 model so should appear on the register.

[Crazy Dazz]

Like most things bureaucrats come up with, the system is a flaming joke. My daughter managed to scrape down both sides of her AU, minimal cosmetic damage, but owing to the cost of labour in WA, the cost of repair was uneconomical and so it gets written off for want of a paint-job.
Yet I have seen expensive cars that have been absolutely totalled, getting rebuilt because its viable to spend $50k fixing a $80k car.

An additional problem in WA seems to be that because we don’t have routine inspections, when they DO get their hands on your car they behave like absolute *********.

[robbyj]

So the PPSR check returned the following results

Search Criteria
Registration state: Current

Registration Details
No registrations exist for this serial number

NEVDIS Details

All details match the car

State vehicle registered: VIC

Written off:
Collision, QLD, Jul 2012, Inspected
Collision, NSW, Jun 2011, Inspected
Collision, WA, Oct 2009, Economic Repairable Write-Off

Stolen: no data



So what do i make of this data?

[sneaky]

currently rego'd.
written off 3 times now.
not stolen/recovered.

the car would have to be selling way under normal market value to even consider it.

[xxx000]

agreed ^^

[Bushbasher]

It's crashed bad enough to be written off 3 times so IMO either that car has an inherent fault that makes the thing dangerous under certain conditions causing it to crash .......... or it's jinxed and has had a curse cast upon it by some very irate witch who was cut off in traffic by this car one day.

Either way, that car seems to have some bad karma and I'd be walking away from it.

[FGII-XR6]

if it is currently registered it has been through the process and can be re registered in any state .
In NSW any car written off in any state can't be re registered in NSW , but if the car was a repairable write off in another state and has been re registered in another state after being repaired you can register it in NSW.
the key point here is that the car is currently registered so it is treated like any other car , the fact that it was a write off will always show in a title search but not impact on registration

[Iggle Piggle]

Originally Posted by Bushbasher

It's crashed bad enough to be written off 3 times so IMO either that car has an inherent fault that makes the thing dangerous under certain conditions causing it to crash .......... or it's jinxed and has had a curse cast upon it by some very irate witch who was cut off in traffic by this car one day.

Either way, that car seems to have some bad karma and I'd be walking away from it.

That bit in bold - I'm thinking there is a fair chance that inherent fault could be the current lady owner.

Agree that car sounds like bad news - don't walk away from it, RUN!

[The Yeti]

I agree with every thing said above, and to add to them. You said the owner said the insurance company refused to repair the last lot of damage. WHY? was she simply not covered for that? Or is there some kind of lean on the car where they will only insure it for 3rdparty property?

Id be looking for another car unless this is being purchased for salvage price

[robbyj]

Ah ok so the "collision, inspected" means that it is written off and inspected, or just crashed..

According to redbook the private market price is $18,800 - $21,600, and so far we had negotiated to 12k, pending this check and a RWC.

I think ill save my pennies and wait for a non cursed car haha

[blackwasp]

it doesn't say crashed 3 times.
it was crashed in w.a in 09
inspected in nsw 2011 probably knocked backed and taken to qld
inspected in qld 2012 inspected ,passed and regoed
taken to vic and swapped qld rego for vic rego

please give people correct info when responding!

[BadMax]

Originally Posted by Bushbasher

IMO either that car has an inherent fault that makes the thing dangerous under certain conditions causing it to crash ..........

Oh yes, I forgot that cars crash themselves. Guns remove themselves from safes and kill people...

[FPV414]

Carsales link to this beast? Lol.

[Morexbs]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

it doesn't say crashed 3 times.

Actually,it does.

[nuthin' fancy]

Originally Posted by robbyj

So the PPSR check returned the following results

Search Criteria
Registration state: Current

Registration Details
No registrations exist for this serial number

NEVDIS Details

All details match the car

State vehicle registered: VIC

Written off:
Collision, QLD, Jul 2012, Inspected
Collision, NSW, Jun 2011, Inspected
Collision, WA, Oct 2009, Economic Repairable Write-Off

Stolen: no data



So what do i make of this data?

More hits than Elvis.

Grab a bargain if the car drives well and is within manufacturers tolerances, but only if you plan to keep it until is worthless.

[D Block]

In my opinion...seller is looking for a schmuck...dont be that guy!

[ILLaViTaR]

if it's an 05 XR6 turbo/fpv with 3 write offs I wouldn't pay more than 3-4k for it. Consider it parts whether it be parts or not.

[MercurySilver]

i wouldnt bother
spend 12 on something else or save a few more pennies and spend 15 to 16

[cal0006]

It's a shame that a lot of people in general hear "write off" and isntantly think of a mangled up, body-warped wreck, when that's not always the case. Write offs can be a old bomb 95 Magna with 2 panels dented and scratched that is cheaper to write off than repair.

However on the contrary, newer vehicles that have been written off would require a lot more damage to be repaired, and that's where it gets dodgy. Sure, a car can be T-boned and get new doors and panels put on, but the chassis may not be sitting right, or there may be enough weakening of the structure to compromise the vehicle should it roll over, or be involved in a major accident.

IMHO I would steer clear (pardon the pun) of any vehicle that even shows signs of being a write off in the past. While there is that chance that the car MAY be 100% fine, there is the matter of resale value, safety, and more.

[xisled]

Originally Posted by cal0006

It's a shame that a lot of people in general hear "write off" and isntantly think of a mangled up, body-warped wreck, when that's not always the case. Write offs can be a old bomb 95 Magna with 2 panels dented and scratched that is cheaper to write off than repair.

However on the contrary, newer vehicles that have been written off would require a lot more damage to be repaired, and that's where it gets dodgy. Sure, a car can be T-boned and get new doors and panels put on, but the chassis may not be sitting right, or there may be enough weakening of the structure to compromise the vehicle should it roll over, or be involved in a major accident.

IMHO I would steer clear (pardon the pun) of any vehicle that even shows signs of being a write off in the past. While there is that chance that the car MAY be 100% fine, there is the matter of resale value, safety, and more.

Using a 95 Magna is not a good example as cars that are written off after being 15 years old do not appear on the WOVR register, and do not need to be inspected to be registered.

Note this is for Vic.

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/...gisterWOVR.htm