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Off Topic Is my 2016 500c a write off...?

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Off Topic Is my 2016 500c a write off...?

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ShelbyFrancesca88

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Hi all!!

I’m new here, so apologies in advance if I get anything mixed up :D

So I was in an accident on Wednesday - I hit a stationary car at 35-40 mph (wasn’t y fault - not something I wanna get into as it’s a fairly long story) and my 2016 fiat 500c has suffered. The airbags didn’t go off, but the car is looking worse for wear.

I was just wondering do you guys think it’ll be written off? I know it varies depending on what company you’re with and who assessed the car but I’m still waiting to hear back from them and I can’t bear to wait, so I’d just like a rough guess.

Btw I would have included som photos if I knew how to add them to this... not too good with forum writing ?

I had a qualified body shop specialist and a mechanic go over the damage, and this is what they’ve come up with that needs replacing:

Bonnet
2x front wings
Front bumper
Front bumper reinforcing bar
Slam panel / radiator support panel
2x headlamps
2x sidelamps
Under bonnet pad
Lower front bumper grille assembly
Upper front bumper chrome finisher set
Upper front bumper centre badge & surround
Front bumper centre chrome trim
Bonnet latch assembly
Right hand bonnet hinge
Right hand front wheel arch liner and cover plate
Front number plate
Radiator
Air conditioning condenser
Air conditioning condenser pipe work
Engine cooling fan assembly
Air filter container assembly and intake pipe
Radiator expansion tank / reservoir
Radiator to engine hoses
Exhaust manifold heat shield
Lambder sensor
Repair offside inner wing flitch
PHP:
 
Probably will be a cat N but to be honest I usually replace much much more than that so if they do, try and buy it back. It’s an easy, easy fix. I could fix it it two days easy. If you don’t I’ll be looking out for it at the salvage companies and I’ll buy it!!
 
ShelbyFrancesca88 said:
Hi all!!
Click to expand...

Hello and welcome to the forum. So sorry to hear about your unfortunate experience.

Whatever we may think, the only opinion which actually matters is that of the insurance assessor.

I'd expect you'll hear something from them during the coming week.

Please do come back and let us know what they say.

Whatever the decision, I'll keep my fingers crossed it's what you're hoping for.


For anyone who may be interested, I've attached a copy of the current code of practice for the classification of motor vehicle salvage.

Those following another active thread might also note the code states specifically that, for Cat B vehicles:

"All SRS components including airbags and seat belts must be properly disposed of in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions - these components must never be resold or reused"

and

"When any vehicle is broken for spares, the criteria for category B apply"
 

Attachments

  • salvage-cop-v10-september-2017.pdf
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jrkitching said:
Hello and welcome to the forum. So sorry to hear about your unfortunate experience.

Whatever we may think, the only opinion which actually matters is that of the insurance assessor.

I'd expect you'll hear something from them during the coming week.

Please do come back and let us know what they say.

Whatever the decision, I'll keep my fingers crossed it's what you're hoping for.


For anyone who may be interested, I've attached a copy of the current code of practice for the classification of motor vehicle salvage.

Those following another active thread might also note the code states specifically that, for Cat B vehicles:

"All SRS components including airbags and seat belts must be properly disposed of in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions - these components must never be resold or reused"

and

"When any vehicle is broken for spares, the criteria for category B apply"
Click to expand...



I think those would always be deploying in cat Bs. You have to be licensed for cat bs, I can’t buy one!
 
typecastboy said:
I think those would always be deploying in cat Bs. You have to be licensed for cat bs, I can’t buy one!
Click to expand...

I think the point jrkitching was making is that it's against the code of practice to sell used SRS components removed from of any car broken for parts even if it has not been in an accident or subject to an insurance claim. Obviously there are lots of ebay sellers who don't follow the COP.


Robert G8RPI.
 
g8rpi said:
I think the point jrkitching was making is that it's against the code of practice to sell used SRS components removed from of any car broken for parts even if it has not been in an accident or subject to an insurance claim. Obviously there are lots of ebay sellers who don't follow the COP.


Robert G8RPI.
Click to expand...



They would not be viable financially to repair if they weren’t available.
 
ShelbyFrancesca88 said:
Hi all!!

I’m new here, so apologies in advance if I get anything mixed up :D

So I was in an accident on Wednesday - I hit a stationary car at 35-40 mph (wasn’t y fault - not something I wanna get into as it’s a fairly long story) and my 2016 fiat 500c has suffered. The airbags didn’t go off, but the car is looking worse for wear.

I was just wondering do you guys think it’ll be written off? I know it varies depending on what company you’re with and who assessed the car but I’m still waiting to hear back from them and I can’t bear to wait, so I’d just like a rough guess.

Btw I would have included som photos if I knew how to add them to this... not too good with forum writing ?

I had a qualified body shop specialist and a mechanic go over the damage, and this is what they’ve come up with that needs replacing:

Bonnet
2x front wings
Front bumper
Front bumper reinforcing bar
Slam panel / radiator support panel
2x headlamps
2x sidelamps
Under bonnet pad
Lower front bumper grille assembly
Upper front bumper chrome finisher set
Upper front bumper centre badge & surround
Front bumper centre chrome trim
Bonnet latch assembly
Right hand bonnet hinge
Right hand front wheel arch liner and cover plate
Front number plate
Radiator
Air conditioning condenser
Air conditioning condenser pipe work
Engine cooling fan assembly
Air filter container assembly and intake pipe
Radiator expansion tank / reservoir
Radiator to engine hoses
Exhaust manifold heat shield
Lambder sensor
Repair offside inner wing flitch
PHP:
Click to expand...

My wife had a similar accident (hit the broad side of a car that turned in front of her) at a similar speed in her 2015 mini, last year, it’s fair to say the mini is a much “meatier” car than the 500 and it didn’t suffer the same extent of damage that your list of repairs suggests, that said they still wrote off the mini and we got a new car, and somewhere someone like typecastboy put it back together and it’s now trundling about the roads happy again.

However under the circumstances we definitely didn’t want the car back and from a safety perspective as well as piece of mind, my wife was much happier to get a payout and a new car.
 
Will have to wait and see what they say, here's a picture of a Mazda 6, they wrote the car off for this! mazda pic.jpg
 
typecastboy said:
They would not be viable financially to repair if they weren’t available.
Click to expand...

I understand that, but while there is currently no law against selling used SRS parts (inc. Vehicle Pyrotechic Devices, VPD's) in the UK it very bad practice. First you have no history for the parts or why they were removed. Secondly most sellers do not ship them properly. Even if they mark the package correctly (airbags and pre-tensioners are hazardous goods) most do not know how to make them safe for shipping or have the correct shorting plugs etc. This puts postal workers and even aircraft at risk (Though I'm not aware of any aircraft incidents - yet). If you fit a used device and it fails you could be sued. I guess you are doing your repairs "privately" so won't have liability insurance (also watch out for the tax man they do look out for people selling lots of cars).
It's your choice at the end of the day and that of the purchaser but I's avoid a write-off generally and certainly would avoid one that did not have full details and an invoice from an approved repairer.


Just to give balance, here's a report supporting used VPDs
http://www.bvsf.org.uk/cms/images/PDFs/MVDA-BVSF airbag report 16 03 2016.pdf


Note however it excludes water or fire damaged vehicle and often it's impossible to tell the storage conditions of a used car especially if glass ids broken.


I guess a used VPD from a broken car could be better than a fake "new" one but that's a different story.


Robert G8RPI.
P.S I've worked with pyrotechnics and have designed firing circuits for aircraft and a car.
 
Hi, sorry to hear about your accident

I had my Abarth 500 (61 plate) wrote off back in march of this year. doing 65 mph when a car turned into my lane with no signals whilst they were traveling 30 mph

the list of parts that needed were: Front bumper, front grills, badge assembly, front crash bar, left hand side intercooler, intercooler pipes, front left wing, front left door, front left wheel arch liner, DRL assembly, Front left xenon headlamp, bonnet and then paint. as well as the factory side stripes.

obviously some of the abarth parts are more expensive. aslo the xenons are £580 each. but it does seem like yours will be wrote off unfortunately.
 
AJ 96 said:
Hi, sorry to hear about your accident



I had my Abarth 500 (61 plate) wrote off back in march of this year. doing 65 mph when a car turned into my lane with no signals whilst they were traveling 30 mph



the list of parts that needed were: Front bumper, front grills, badge assembly, front crash bar, left hand side intercooler, intercooler pipes, front left wing, front left door, front left wheel arch liner, DRL assembly, Front left xenon headlamp, bonnet and then paint. as well as the factory side stripes.



obviously some of the abarth parts are more expensive. aslo the xenons are £580 each. but it does seem like yours will be wrote off unfortunately.
Click to expand...



That would be a dream for me to repair. I’ve been after an Abarth for a while but there’s just none available.
 
typecastboy said:
That would be a dream for me to repair. I’ve been after an Abarth for a while but there’s just none available.
Click to expand...

A little more respect for the feelings of other forum members, please.

A fellow Fiat owner has suffered significant damage to their car and now has the unpleasant task of dealing with the aftermath of an accident. They're quite rightly concerned about the future of their car; gloating over the prospect of getting your hands on salvage cheaply isn't in the best of taste.
 
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jrkitching said:
A little more respect for the feelings of other forum members, please.

A fellow Fiat owner has suffered significant damage to their car and now has the unpleasant task of dealing with the aftermath of an accident. They're quite rightly concerned about the future of their car; gloating over the prospect of getting your hands on salvage cheaply isn't in the best of taste.
Click to expand...



I was talking about an Abarth in general not gloating over any prospect. I was talking about the one in March by AJ’s post not the one this thread is about [emoji51]
 
Last edited:
typecastboy said:
I was talking about an Abarth in general not gloating over any prospect. I was talking about the one in March by AJ’s post not the one this thread is about [emoji51]
Click to expand...

I understood your point, two things are immediately jumping out here, one is that there is an element of the forum that insist on keeping things legal and correct and that’s fine, then there is a level below that of people who Get far too carried away and won’t have you say anything that might cause offence, or break the finer details of the interpretation of a word in a law or bill, in this instance the “best practice” is not as far as I am aware a law.

Secondly this all looks bloody ridiculous, that someone has come here asking for advice, a new member, first post, following an accident which I’m sure is upsetting, meanwhile their post has been hijacked in an attempt to have a go at someone for reasons that are immediately unclear, reading down I cannot make head nor tail of why the best practices for reusing airbags was relevant in replying to the OP,

So as usual scared off a new member by hojacking the thread almost from the get-go :confused:
In certain forums every post has to turn into a theological debate
 
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And my final words on this thread before I get accused of gloating over someone else’s misfortune again [emoji51] is to the OP to say, if they do write it off and you manage to buy it back and need any help, send me a PM. Some bits you need I may be even able to give you for free.
 
We're now discussing two spearate topics in this thread; the OP's unfortunate accident, and reusing SRS parts and other salvage matters.

Robert (g8rpi) has started a new thread specifically to disuss the reuse of airbags and other SRS parts reclaimed from salvage vehicles; please can you continue those discusssions in that thread.

Meanwhile, we're continuing to keep our fingers crossed for the OP that the insurance assessor makes a decision that they're comfortable with.
 
AndyRKett said:
It reflects the often pious nature of some people here who quote the rules books like they’re gospel sermons ;)
Click to expand...


This brings to mind Harry Day's famous quote:

"Rules are made for the obedience of fools, and the guidance of wise men."

Unfortunately there are too many fools who think they're wise men.
 
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