Buying a CAT D Lexus

[stericker]

Purely as a matter of interest would a member consider buying a CAT N (formerly D) Lexus ?

For instance: A LS600h currently advertised on eBay for just under £9000 with 115,000 miles on the clock

would probably be worth nearer £15,000 (?). The seller infers minor damage, now repaired, but surely the damage

must have been fairly major for the insurance company to write it off.

[Ala Larj]

12 minutes ago, stericker said:

but surely the damage must have been fairly major for the insurance company to write it off.

Not necessarily. More and more cars are getting 'written off' these days because the cost of repairs does not make it viable against the value of the vehicle. With cars like Lexus even minor bodywork damage can cost a lot of money to put right, hence them getting written off. It would certainly be worth checking what work was done to ensure that nothing relating to safety was involved.

[ambermarine]

The problems with buying a written off car ,is you know it is and that for me is the reason I would not buy one, the intangibles would play on my mind not knowing the true history of its damage and the subsequent repairs how good they were etc.

I once bought a written off LS400 but for spare parts and was'nt  worried about the front suspension and steering gear damage that the seller said would repair ok .I stripped the car except for the engine and transmission and sold that on.

If I was buying another Lexus it would have to have no baggage so in answer to your question ,No.

[Britprius]

There is one for sale on eBay with front end damage still drive-able for £4795. This would repair for less money, and you would have full knowledge of what the damage was.

John

[MLW]

I did it once with a VW Passat. It was all up front. Even spoke to the garage that did the repair work and got the certificate saying it had all been repaired to top millimetre correct spec. All measured on a jig.

However, it never felt right. The boot slightly leaked. Overall, it just always felt like a car that had been extensively fixed after a big whack, which was what it was. The world is full of second-hand cars so I would never get one again. I never consider them, Selling it on in a few years time might be very difficult. HPI will show it up immediately. Wait and wait and a good one will come along soon.

[Britprius]

Unfortunately HPI will not always show up a damaged vehicle. It will only show where there has been a insurance claim. There are many situations where this is not the case. You will find many salvage yards advertising damaged cars as "not recorded".

John.

[Malc]

2007 Citroen Xsara top of the range with 60k miles and Full service history and new cambelt etc at £1200 a few months back from my indy for my daughter.

Written off by the insurers prior to him buying it at auction, write-off caused by likely cost of repair to a small dent on the rear wing and the front bumper ( one bracket ) being snapped off ...  everything sound, he didn't repair anything .............  car drives a dream and you wouldn't notice any damage that wasn't cognisant with a 10 year old 60k mileage family runabout..

Guess he made about £500 on the deal after giving it a service, cambelt change and new MOT

Some write-offs like the above  are fine BUT beware, many others are just heaps of pitta waiting for the money pit to open 

ONLY buy a write-off if you know the history, the seller and the extent of the damage prior to repair

Malc

[GEN]

No, I would not buy a cat D LS400 but I have been (for several years) /am driving one!  How?  My immaculate (for the age) 1998 was legally parked while waiting for a friend when a less than careful (putting mildly) driver in an X60 Volvo scraped the side of it starting from the rear side bumper to the rear door(before my eyes) resulting in £2000 damage according to the Lexus estimate.  My insurance company coordinated with the other driver's insurance and informed me that the car had been written off. They didn't even ask me! The damage was entirely esthetic and it has passed every MOT since with no trouble.  I fought the decision but in the end had to give in as neither insurance company was willing to budge. The other driver's insurance offered more (under £1800) and I was then able to buy it back for £600. My only other option was to sue the other driver at my own cost and with no support from my own insurance.  My insurance company (the cheapest I could find, over 16 years NCB) it still charging me the same as before!  My LS400 drives as well as before but doesn't look so good.  As for insurance companies.......... 

[katana92_uk]

depends how bad damage was. If they can provide with previous pictures I would not worry too much. 

My LS is also CAT D now but it was hardly cosmetic damage, but insurance decided to write it off.

 

[Malc]

in general and in my old age view ...  people usually worry a tad too much about superficial bodywork issues, the tiniest of scratches etc .  BUT of course, it's their pride and joy ! and they can 

Delhi is my prime example I guess ( in my experience over recent years )  ...........  no one, absolutely no one stops for a dent or a scratch or even a minor'ish collision .........  if a bumper falls off in a knock, you just stop the car, pick up the bits on the road and swear and shout a bit and carry on your journey .........  it's life, it's only a car 

No one takes any notice of it...............  there's never enough speed to do terrible damage .....  you just avoid the elephants mainly,

Malc