Now you can CHECK if you’re buying a crash-damaged used car. Picture: File.
Now you can CHECK if you’re buying a crash-damaged used car
Ending up with a crash-damaged used car is now a thing of the past, according to the South African Insurance Association (SAIA).
Now you can CHECK if you’re buying a crash-damaged used car. Picture: File.
Anyone who’s ended up fleeced with a crash-damaged used car knows what a nightmare it is. Now the South African Insurance Association (SAIA) is ready to launch its Vehicle Salvage Database (VSD), reports TopAuto.
NEVER BUY A CRASH-DAMAGED USED CAR AGAIN
More than a year in the making, SAIA’s VSD will stop anyone from buying a crash-damaged used car by sharing all the details of any Code 3, 3A and 4 vehicles. This applies to cars insured under the SAIA umbrella, and is VIN-based search system that’s also free of charge.
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Anticipated to come online before the end of the month (August 2023), the delay in the launch came about from talks with the Department of Transport and South African Police Service (SAPS). In that time, it was resolved that the VSD must by a reliable database. It must clarify the legal status of information provided. Accordingly, it should have a process for identifying errors and missing information.
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Beyond that, it must carry historical data. Auditing the accuracy of the information regularly is critical. Unsurprisingly, all stakeholders believe the system is of great importance to the buying public to assist South Africans identify crash-damaged used cars.
MASSIVE PROBLEM IN SA
The VSD code descriptions align with SAIA salvage codes, namely:
- Code 1: New motor vehicles delivered by a dealer to the first owner.
- Code 2: Used motor vehicles with one or more previous owners.
- Code 3: Rebuilt/permanently unfit for use. This is for vehicles that were repaired and re-registered after previously being declared permanently unfit, or vehicles from an unregistered manufacturer.
- Code 3A: Spare parts only. This means they may only be broken up and used for spare parts and have been reported to the Insurance Crime Bureau (ICB).
- Code 4: Permanently demolished by means of crushing or melting the chassis to such as extent that the vehicle is unusable.
CODE 2 COMING SOON
The SAIS plans to add Code 2 for written-off vehicles before the end of the year. These will share one or more of the following traits:
- Can be repaired to a safe and roadworthy state and declared a Code 2.
- Structural damage that can be repaired according to the manufacturer’s specification.
- Deemed uneconomical to repair by insurer when damage is more than a specified percentage of the car’s value.
It is in this Code 2 ‘grey area’ where contentious decisions around crash-damaged used cars tend to be made. With unroadworthy and poorly repaired vehicles ending up back on the road, says the SAIS.
