The Drama Of Me Trying To Buy A Lexus Continues... Category 4

[nidgemo]

As I said yesterday, I, after a series of test drives etc, agreed to buy a really nice and very reasonably priced IS220D Sport...

So, before paying over any money, I thought I'd run a few checks on the car, just to be safe...

And found out the following.

* VRM recorded as a total loss by an insurance company

Condition alert

Recorded against VRM

Description LEXUS IS220D

Date 13/12/2006

Category D - Vehicle damaged but repairable - the insurer decided not to repair

Police stolen

VRM and VIN not currently recorded as stolen by the police

Insurance theft

VRM and VIN not currently recorded as a theft by insurers

Outstanding finance

VRM and VIN not currently recorded as having outstanding finance

Security watch

VRM and VIN not currently recorded on the security register as at risk

Plate transfer

VRM not recorded as having previous plates

Condition alert

VRM recorded as a 'total loss' by insurers

Condition inspected

VRM and VIN not recorded as a repaired insurance 'total loss'

To be fair, the dealer did tell me the car had been crashed and repaired, but he'd indicated it was only panel damage. The car also looks perfect - I could see no sign of repair - and everything is in full working order and the car drives well (I had 3 test drives)

So now I find myself just not knowing what to do.

I would like to get autolign to check and approve the repair, but I'm in northern ireland, and can't find anyone offering a similar service over here.

Would the remaining Lexus warranty on the car still be valid?

I also don;t know if the price I got is fair or not for a Cat D car - how much should it take off book value?

What about insurance - will I be able to get insured for it, and will it cost me extra?

Resale - when I go to sell it, someone else will have all these same questions - will I even be able to sell it? How much less would I have to accept to get a sale or trade in on it?

I'm still really tempted by it - they're quite hard to come by over here - particularly with such low age and mileage and in the exact colour and trim I want - or to at least to go back and face the dealer with it ans ask how much more he;ll take off the price - but I really on't want anything dangerous, to be ripped off, or have a car that will cost me fortunes in the long term.

[Steve ( West Mids )]

Walk away ..........

[Matus]

I wouldn't buy a crashed car.

[Parthiban]

Personally I'd walk away, it may not be serious but I am a little sceptical as to why the insurance company decided not to repair a few month old car.

There are so many bargains out there at the mo, I'd keep looking as there'll be a better car just round the corner. For the future though, I'd make sure the first thing you do is the history check and then possibly an RAC inspection too to make sure the car is all good before starting to really want it :)

Have a look at that other thread going on at the mo titled "Ouch", shows what a cat D repairable IS can look like - I certainly would not want to buy a car that looked like that at some point in it's life...........

This is apparently cat D:

[DJ Wozza]

Cat Mullered in my book

[jsj24uk]

I would say walk away. It is a buyers market at the moment in terms of the luxuary car market. Find a better one and haggle hard. They good ones are out there.

Jim.

[Gord]

walk away, well RUN AND FAST :D better car out there somewhere mate :D

[dgman]

me as well.

[Exiled]

Can't believe you are even considering it.

Is it a wind up?

[spikes]

dont do it :)

[nidgemo]

Can't believe you are even considering it.

Is it a wind up?

No - I really do like the car, and it all looks fine - just wanted opinions and advice - I think I've got it now though! :winky:

Seems like it's best avoided - certainly at that price.

Perhaps if the dealer knocked some serious money off it might be worthwhile, but hed want to be selling it at what - 75% of book value?

[spikes]

Can't believe you are even considering it.

Is it a wind up?

No - I really do like the car, and it all looks fine - just wanted opinions and advice - I think I've got it now though! :winky:

Seems like it's best avoided - certainly at that price.

Perhaps if the dealer knocked some serious money off it might be worthwhile, but hed want to be selling it at what - 75% of book value?

how much would you have to pay for a car like this in good condition in NI :)

[Steve ( West Mids )]

IMHO the price doesn't matter, the car has been in a crash and written off, it's been repaired but to what standard? It may be OK to your eyes but unless you are an expert then how are you going to know what has been done, OK the dealer says it's panels only but would an insurance company write-off a car that is less that 2 years old for a few panels? I doubt it.

[Parthiban]

IMHO the price doesn't matter, the car has been in a crash and written off, it's been repaired but to what standard? It may be OK to your eyes but unless you are an expert then how are you going to know what has been done, OK the dealer says it's panels only but would an insurance company write-off a car that is less that 2 years old for a few panels? I doubt it.

It wasn't even 2 years old, I think he mentioned in another thread that it's a July 06 car, and according to above was written off in December 06, so wasn't even 6 months old!

Just out of curiousity, what's been going on with it between Dec 06 and now? Has it had other owners? Or has it been living in a salvage yard until someone found it and repaired it?

[simon k]

walk away, you made a good point about when you come to sell, there will be somebody asking the same as you now, and getting the same response

WALK AWAY

[Boothby Coggles]

walk away, you made a good point about when you come to sell, there will be somebody asking the same as you now, and getting the same response

WALK AWAY

Why not see what's available in N. W. England & if you find something get a cheap flight from Belfast via Ryanair or similar to follow up on it?

[Monster-Mat]

it could be water damage that has written it off...so there is no panel damage what so ever.

you need to find out for what reason it was written off before making a decission

[nidgemo]

Can't believe you are even considering it.

Is it a wind up?

No - I really do like the car, and it all looks fine - just wanted opinions and advice - I think I've got it now though! :winky:

Seems like it's best avoided - certainly at that price.

Perhaps if the dealer knocked some serious money off it might be worthwhile, but hed want to be selling it at what - 75% of book value?

how much would you have to pay for a car like this in good condition in NI :)

How much would I pay, or what's the going rate? ;)

Going rate, for a sport model, as they're few and far between, is about 16-17k for a 2 year old with 30-40k on it.

[nidgemo]

IMHO the price doesn't matter, the car has been in a crash and written off, it's been repaired but to what standard? It may be OK to your eyes but unless you are an expert then how are you going to know what has been done, OK the dealer says it's panels only but would an insurance company write-off a car that is less that 2 years old for a few panels? I doubt it.

It wasn't even 2 years old, I think he mentioned in another thread that it's a July 06 car, and according to above was written off in December 06, so wasn't even 6 months old!

Just out of curiousity, what's been going on with it between Dec 06 and now? Has it had other owners? Or has it been living in a salvage yard until someone found it and repaired it?

Exactly my thinking - a £26k car written off as a complete loss when less than 6 months old? Sounds like more than a few panels!

The sellers wife was driving it for the last few months, and as such there have been no owners (aside from the seller) in the interim - so it probably did sit in a yard for a while.

walk away, you made a good point about when you come to sell, there will be somebody asking the same as you now, and getting the same response

WALK AWAY

Why not see what's available in N. W. England & if you find something get a cheap flight from Belfast via Ryanair or similar to follow up on it?

I was thinking about that - problem is, I have the existing car to trade in against something, and it's a big trip to take over for a dealer to give me too low an offer for the 3 series or to not like a car when I see it! I'd also prefer to give a car a few good test drives on different days, so the flying over to a single dealer doesn;t really suit that.

I think my next step is to keep an eye on lexus belfast, give them a call, have a chat about trade in of my own car and trade in value etc, and then, if and when one I like both the look and price of comes in (or when recession hits hard enough that the prices come down a bit!) I'll be ready to just take a skip up the M1 and go for it...

Though they DO have a fairly well priced 220D sport Canterbury Blue / beige lipari cellensia thre at the minute that, if they were willing to come down a little, I'd be keen to have a look at...

But I think, after all this experience, buying approved used lexus, from a proper lexus dealer, is the best way to go.

[Ian M]

But I think, after all this experience, buying approved used lexus, from a proper lexus dealer, is the best way to go.

Probably so, but even then there are cautionary tales.

Happy hunting!

[doog442]

But I think, after all this experience, buying approved used lexus, from a proper lexus dealer, is the best way to go.

Probably so, but even then there are cautionary tales.

Happy hunting!

bloody right..mine had a missing service and had been in a previous accident with damage amounting to £3k at Lexus prices...yet still sold as Lexus approved :tsktsk: Lexus approved doesnt mean anything

[philthy]

Can't believe you are even considering it.

Is it a wind up?

No - I really do like the car, and it all looks fine - just wanted opinions and advice - I think I've got it now though! :winky:

Seems like it's best avoided - certainly at that price.

Perhaps if the dealer knocked some serious money off it might be worthwhile, but hed want to be selling it at what - 75% of book value?

how much would you have to pay for a car like this in good condition in NI :)

To me it wouldn't matter what he knocked off the price. It's a cat D write off and always will be no matter how pretty anyone makes it look. If I was aware a car was a cat D write off I'd walk away fast. I wouldn't risk either my family or myself in one or my finances. There's a better car around the corner and I'm sure deep down you know it. Just be patient and wait for it. Don't be tempted with this car at all and at any price.

[ihpj]

I'm surprised that this car has been able to make its way into the Lexus AUC programme - I thought they didn't allow for written off vehicles at all?

[harv]

Slow up chaps i think your a little mis informed her on certain things . Ok yes you are right i think a cat d car would have to have a significant saving over new to make it a sensible choice however a few facts rather than imotive blabbing.

My car was subject to an accident at 3 months old . the damage was rear quater , boot floor and o/s suspention . I spoke to the assesor and he said its at the point of total loss as the damage will be around 9k to repair.

being a lease car i would have just paid the lease off and had to start again on a new lease , the way prices had gone i wouldn't lease the same car , so decided to let them repair the car. They did , it was perfect , and has driven perfectly since (ok lets forget the fuel economy issues shall we ) no creaks rattle in fact i havn't had any of the rattles other new is drives seem to have done .

however come to resale , my car will fetch the same money as any other clean lexus of similar spec and milage because as it wasn't a total loss then its not recorded however it could have been now on the road with a new owner with a cad d rating because at salvage it would have been bought and repaired .

Unless your insurance company uses some dodgey back street repaired a repaired car should be fine , a modern bodyshop is a great place , my mate owns an approved BMW bodyshop and their spot welder which cost 20k records every detail about a car they fit new panels too and if its involved in another accident BMW have them inspected to check that the previous repair didn't weaken anything .... its not a filler and cellulose bodge these days .

righting off alot of cars these days is due to manufacturers costs on new parts even on a 3 month old car , so please think a little carefully about your advice and make sure its factual and not speculative.

this might be the right car at the right price for this buyer , that depends on what the price is.

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

There isn't any theoretical problem, provided it has been repaired properlyand you can get an independant inspection completed to satisfy yourself. As harv says, there are probably shed load of cars which have been damaged and repaired which you and I have bought over the years without knowing anything just because it wasn't on a register.

The key things are these:

1) Would you buy a car if you knew it had been pranged badly - recorded or not?

2) Stolen recovered cars can be Categorised - some with minor damage to door skins/locks (including steering locks etc), where I think they have been recovered AFTER the insurance company has paid out

3) Flood damage

4) The "black" mark will remain like a "mole" on the face of the car and any further HPI checks for ever - meaning it will not be worth anything at all at PEX time, and I believe you have to legally tell the new purchaser/garage at PEX. You'd have to prepared to NOT get a PEX price even offered and rejection it in the future...No garage at all will care about how well it was repaired or where i they are taking on this liability - the fact that it is recorded is bad news, end of...they'll struggle to sell it...

5) As a result of 4) above, it really is only worth a fraction of the guide price...unless you can get it cheap and keep it for 10 years...

Personally, I would walk! Once it's recorded you are taking on the liability of a tainted car...