HOW MANY CRASHED AND DAMAGED CARS ARE SOLD IN IRELAND 2022

The MyVehicle.ie crashed and damaged car report has been released for the month of July. Have you been affected by one of these previously crashed or damaged cars?

Franchise Dealerships

In the month of July, we had 254 vehicles which were damaged or written-off in franchise dealerships. This was an increase of 55 over the previous month. This indicates that occasionally, even main dealerships get caught out when buying in previously written-off or damaged vehicles.

It is always a very good idea to purchase a Full car history check before buying any used car, even from the main dealer. Not all car checks are the same, though. A report by another history check provider may not show any damage alert.

Discrepancies at the main dealerships

In June, there were 105 vehicles that had some kind of mileage discrepancy at main dealers but during July there were 88 vehicles which had some kind of mileage discrepancy which was a decrease of 17. It is always a good idea to run a car check before buying from any car, whether that be a franchise dealership, trader or privately.

Independent car dealers

During June, there were 408 previously damaged vehicles sold at independent garages and in July the number of damaged or written-off vehicles was 265, Can see huge dip of 143 vehicles over the previous month.

When you buy a used car, don’t just take the seller's word for the history of the vehicle. A trader may say that the car “just had a tip” but this could be code for; ‘it might have been damaged before, but I have told you just enough to cover myself and I hope it doesn’t come back on me’.

Unscrupulous car traders are very prevalent in the used car market. The only way to protect yourself from buying a damaged or categorised car is to get a background car check.

Discrepancies at independent dealerships

During June there were 189 vehicles, with discrepancies of some kind or another but in July there were 120 vehicles displaying a discrepancy on a History Check, a decrease of 69. In some instances, a mileage discrepancy cannot be resolved and so a certain number of these vehicles are found to be 'clocked' after investigation.

Private Car Sales Sector

The private car sector will normally have more problems associated with it and the biggest risk also when it comes to buying a used car. During the month of July, there were 402 vehicles sold in the private sector which were previously damaged or written-off. This was a decrease of 538 vehicles over the previous month when there were 940 vehicles that had some kind of damage.

When you buy a car privately, there is almost zero chance of any comeback or consumer rights after you have bought the car. It is imperative then, that you run a car check before you buy from a private seller and subsequently find out that there is a big issue with the vehicle that you may regret

It should be noted that many people who sell their cars privately may very well not know anything about the full background history of the car and may themselves have bought the car from the previous owner without knowing its true history.

The owner previous to the current owner may also have not known about car checks and so a buyer in the private market runs a bigger risk than buying from a main dealer.

Mileage discrepancies in the private car sales sector

When it came to discrepancies, though, in the private sector there was a significant drop over the previous month. In June, there were 443 vehicles with some kind of discrepancy on the record but this came to 374 vehicles in July, a drop of 69 over the previous month.

Don’t be one of these unfortunate car buyers. Even if you have already bought a car, it's never too late to run your car background check. It is best to do it sooner or later and even after you have purchased the vehicle just in case you need to contact the seller for quick resolution.

Thousands of cars are showing a hidden past each month, so make sure you know what you are buying. Your pre-purchase research should be second-nature as it will prove to be extremely important. Remember...

Every vehicle has a past, check if it has a future!

Author

Justin Kavanagh
Justin Kavanagh is a recognised leader in automotive intelligence and vehicle data supply to the entire motor industry. He has almost 20 years experience in building systems from the ground up. As the Managing Director of Vehicle Management System, he understands the need and importance of trustworthy and reliable vehicle history and advice to both the trade and the public.
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