Just got home to find a letter from the DVLA saying they can't issue a V5 for my newly acquired Mk2 as "it has previously been notified as accident damaged by an insurance company or notified to the DVLA as scrapped by the vehicle keeper"... and again... Suppose it serves me right for not getting an HPI check done, but a) all the panels are straight and stickered, b) it drives fine, c) it was bought off another forum member and d) it was only cheap (but not suspiciously cheap!). Anyway - as I say, it drives fine, and looks and sounds fine, so I'm not too bothered - it's just the hassle of getting it to the nearest checking place (in Derby, it seems) to get it certificated. And the main worry - and reason for this post - will it affect my insurance? Hopefully not, but the V5 is going to say "Accident Damaged" now
This will indeed potentially affect your insurance. Some insurers may ask an additional amount, and / or ask for an 'engineer's report' (as Direct Line put it) in order to insure the car. Of course, I don't know if they will necessarily find out if you don't tell them. However, in the event of the car being written off again and an insurance company making a payout to you, they will probably pay around half the market value for it, because a full payout has already been made for it before. And, apparently, they will definitely check. My 16V is on the VCAR register (was written off once, but the car is now repaired and is totally straight) and it is insured with HIC. It looks like I am going to be getting a very good agreed valuation with HIC - for near market value (i.e. reflecting what the car would be worth with a clear HPI check) - which is fortunate because it (hopefully) ensures that I won't get peanuts if someone drives into the back of me. Also, HIC did not care about it being on VCAR. Didn't affect it at all. They told me that they don't check this when you set up your insurance. Oddly, my V5 does NOT say anything whatsoever about the car once being written off, etc. I have never, ever had any issues with the DVLA over it. The only clue about anything being 'wrong' is that there is a 'Condition Alert' that flags up on the HPI check. I have no evidence that it has been inspected after being repaired or whatever. I have no certificate. So I am wondering if maybe it doesn't need to be inspected if it was a catagory C or D? Maybe the system has changed since 1994? Can anyone throw any light on that? Sorry for the long post - just thought I'd tell you what I've learned. It's a shame to hear about your car. But I wonder if there is a chance that there's been an admin error? Maybe the previous owner notified them that it had been scrapped in error? Just a slim chance, I guess. Edited by: Trev16v
Thanks Trev - that is (fairly!) reassuring I must admit I am still holding on to a faint hope that it's a DVLA cock-up... the previous owner's V5 looked fine, and it just all seems very odd. Will call DVLA tomorrow and see if they can shed any more light on what exactly is supposed to have happened to it. The letter wasn't exactly specific. I'll let you know how I get on, anyway! Cheers, Iain
Well, spoken to nice Welsh lady this morning, and apparently it's "Category C", but whoever owned it when the damage happened didn't make it available for the insurers to inspect - hence the problem. Oh well, could be worse If I'd bought it before September this year then the V5 would have been okay - it's only recently that they've started noting this part of the history on there (which is why the previous owner's V5 was fine). Damn! Now my V5 is going to say "previously accident damaged" That's going to give someone some serious haggling possibilities (wish I'd known when I was buying it!). Oh well, next time I'll be getting an HPi check done, regardless of how cheap the car is...
I thought all insurance companies did an HPI check before insuring a vehicle... And as i'm finding out at the moment HPI doesn't count for sh1t sometimes...
Nice of the last owner to pass on this minor detail to you. They must have known and also been the one to repair it. A forum member on here you say??
Yeah, it's weird isn't it - my insurers never mentioned a thing... Can't work out how the DVLA can find out so easily, but my insurers didn't - after all, it's an insurance-type-thing?! I dunno. Not just a forum member, a club member too... But there was nothing on their V5, so they may not have known - the only reason I know is that the DVLA have this new rule. I mean it's got insured, and the seller put 6 months tax on it, and only just had it MOT'd...
"Vehicle extensively damaged and insurer has decided not to repair. May be repaired and put back on the road. Has to pass an inspection to be re-registered as damaged repaired."
The DVLA / HPI / AA / RAC car checking facilities all pull their information from the same database. I'm assuming that insurance companies do too... They should have picked up on it and told you about it.
I'm confused. So does this mean that next time the V5 for my 16V is changed - even if it is just a change of address if I move, or whatever - the DVLA will possibly ask me for an inspection report? Despite the fact that I've never had any hint of trouble before now? Can I ask what you paid for the car by the way?
Mine doesn't even have a catagory by the way, according to Equifax. The entry on the Condition Alert simply states "Vehicle has been the subject of an insurance total loss payout". They said to me that, at the time in 1994 when it happened, the catagory system didn't exist.
Cough *1300 quid* Cough It does look mint, though... all stickers intact, original glass, no apparent panel damage, engine not too clean (if you know what I mean). As far as I can tell the reason for the "Vehicle Identity Check" is basically to try to verify it is the same car as on the paperwork. I mean, it's officially "roadworthy", with the MOT and everything. And the reason they haven't just sent me a new V5 is that they want the identity check, not specifically because they're bothered about the accident damage. More info here From the info behind that link it sounds like you'd be okay as long as the accident happened before 07/04/03 Hope that makes some sense! My explaining powers are weak today (somewhat stressed ) On the plus side my Ronal LSs should be with me on Tuesday! So at least I can drive to the inspection centre in style...
Well, I paid several times what you paid I knew the car was on VCAR but I didn't realise the implications at the time. How much is the VIC check? Just make sure you go with someone like HIC who will be prepared to give you a good agreed valuation for the car. Otherwise you will get peanuts if someone drives into the back of you and trashes it.
VIC thing is about 35. Nearest place is Derby though (can't believe there's nowhere in Leicester or Nottingham!) Will have to wait til New Year now - there's no way I can get time off work during the week... Check only supposed to take 1/2 an hour, but it'll take me an hour each way to Derby. With Direct Line at the mo, but they were being an arse about the alarm, so have already got a (better) quote off HIC. Haven't worked out yet whether I have to tell them about this or not...
Its Vosa that need to inspect it, My GTD was a cat C vehicle, I bought it and rebuilt it myself, I didnt have a problem getting it insured to take it for its MOT and VIC check the VIC test has nothing to do with road worthiness, (unless the spot something major) and thats why if its driven to the vic check it must be insured and mot'd, the test just makes sure its the same vehicle, or if its had a new chassis/monoqock(SP) body engine ect, they told me they wanted to see the recipts for what work i'd done, but I took them a fair sized stack of receipts and they didnt want to look at them . Once it passes the test, I took the documents from them to my local vro, to get my tax disc, though they charged me 20 for the log book, even though I now know if the is a cat C the DVLA distroys the orriginal so ther is no way you could have a copy of it, so if its a cat c dont psay the 20, that said I'd go down and get my 20 back but when I got my seccond V5 back after changing the plates they forgot to put the "Vehicle extensively damaged/repaired" bit on.
Quite a statement to make Deako.How do you know the previous owner knew about it?????As he said, its not on the V5, so its quite possible they had no idea. and Why MUST they have been the one to repair it??? I fail to see how you came to that conclusion.
Can you not have it inspected now and get them to re-V5 it when they have a suitable engineers report? Or maybe a Q plate?
Yep, that's what I said alright I honestly don't think the previous owner knew. There's no reason why he would... and to be honest he's as upset as I am about it. I don't think it's the end of the world, though. Will check out insurance situation on Monday. Hopefully all it will mean is an extra 35 for the VOSA/VIC test. After all, whatever the V5 ends up saying, it's a nice looking car that drives fine
