How Does Body Damage Affect A Car’s Value?

No car ever stays in perfect condition forever. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Toyota Hilux or a Nissan, a Mazda or a Mercedes-Benz. Inevitably, it’s going to get scratched or dented. A car will eventually get bumped by a shopping cart in a parking lot or by an SUV at an intersection. Body damage is part of car ownership sooner or later.

Cosmetic damage is no big deal while you own a car. Body damage doesn’t often affect the way a car drives, although sometimes there are other mechanical issues hiding behind the smack-up. But where body damage really comes into play is when you want to sell a car.

Can You Sell a Car with Body Damage?

Can You Sell a Car with Body Damage? It’s possible to sell a car while it still shows the scars of road battles. Dents, dings, scratches, cracked bumpers – you name it, you can sell a car while it’s damaged. There are a couple of things to note though:

Some types of body damage can affect whether a car passes its WOF (Warrant of Fitness) inspection. For example, if a light is broken or the damage goes all the way through a body panel, it can be a safety hazard and need to be fixed before it’s allowed on the road again.
It’s difficult to sell a damaged car. Most people searching for a used car want something that can be driven right away, not something that needs to be repaired first.

You’re certainly able to sell a car with body damage, but it
could take longer and will absolutely affect the car’s value.

How Does Body Damage Affect the Value of a Car?

How Does Body Damage Affect the Value of a Car? It simply makes sense that a car with damage is going to sell for less money. Think of it this way: if someone has the option to buy a car just like yours in good condition or buy yours with all its physical defects, which one will they choose? Naturally, the one in good condition. To sell yours, you’d have to drop the sale price to the point where it offers a better value for the buyer.

But at what point does it make sense for the buyer? How much does body damage affect the value?

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There are two factors to consider:

The cost of repairs: Aside from normal wear and tear, how much will it cost the new owner to fix up the damage on your car? You can safely assume that each damaged panel will cost between $500 and $1000 to repair – more if they’ll need to replace the panel. Multiply each panel by an average of $700, for example, to determine how much the repairs will cost.
The Inconvenience: People only buy damaged cars for huge money savings. It’s going to cost more than just the repair total to make it worth it to buy your damaged car. It will take weeks in most cases before a car is fixed up and ready to drive. There has to be a discount for that wasted time too.

For just one banged-up panel, you can safely assume you’ll
have to slash $1000 off the sale price. And if it’s more than just one part,
you could be cutting your car’s price by half or even more to make it worth it
to a buyer.

What’s the Value of My Damaged Car?

What’s the Value of My Damaged Car? Online damaged car
calculators are often inconsistent, biased, and unreliable. You can pay for an
appraisal in person, but you don’t want to spend more money than you have to.

You can get a good idea of how much your damaged car is worth with a rough calculation. First, use Carjam.co.nz or aa.co.nz to find your car’s approximate selling price if it were in good condition. Next, assess how much damage is on your car. Is it in really rough shape or is it just some light scuffs and scratches? If the damage is really light, take 20 to 25 percent off the book value. If the damage is really bad, take 70 to 90 percent off the fair market value.

Let Us Make You an Offer

Atlas Auto want to buy your car in as-is condition, and we’ll make you a free no-obligation offer for it.

Whether you have a damaged Cars, SUVs, 4WDs, Vans, Trucks, Buses, RVs or a late-model car, visit Atlas Auto today to get a free no-obligation cash offer.

We also make sure that you get paid immediately we pick up your car. We provide same-day car removals and free towing.

Get your offer now to see how much your car is worth or Freephone: 0800 99 7000

Areas Served – North Island, New Zealand

Atlas Auto pick up cars, 4x4s, vans or trucks throughout North Island, New Zealand! We service all major cities & areas in North Island such as Hamilton, Auckland, Tauranga, Rotorua, Tokoroa, Taupo, Thames, Coromandel, Waihi, Huntly, Morrinsville, Matamata, etc

To find out more about the service area. Call us on 0800 99 7000