Battered sheet metal: Selling an accident car - what you should consider!

Once you have been inattentive for a moment, and it has already happened. They are just a little shocked, but the car has taken more. So the new car now becomes an accident car, so you are faced with the decision of whether to sell the vehicle. Is that possible despite an accident? Is a repair worth it at all?

When is my car an accident car?

The question of when a broken car is considered an accident car is actually quite easy to answer. If your vehicle is damaged, no matter what it is, it is technically no longer accident-free. In practice, however, there is a large gray area here, not every damage makes the car an accident car. If someone caused damage to your car and then drove away, this person has committed a hit-and-run.

So if you have a scratch in the paintwork while parking or someone rolls into your bumper at the traffic lights, it depends on how much damage you have. If it is no more than 200 euros, this is to be considered minor damage and not an accident. You don't have to label the car as an accident car if you want to sell it.

If you have an accident with a leased car, you should be particularly careful and inform both the insurance company and the lessor as soon as possible.

Can I sell a car with accident damage?

Depending on how severe the damage was, it can be difficult to sell an accident car. But often it's easier than you think. The market for accident cars is definitely there, so it can be worthwhile to sell even a badly damaged car instead of having it scrapped.

If the damage amounted to more than 200 euros, you are obliged to tell the buyer about the accident. If you don't do this and sell the car as accident-free, you can be liable to prosecution for fraud. Whether it is worthwhile to clean the interior of an accident car and remove the odors in the interior is another question and probably no longer quite as relevant.

Is an accident car worth as much as an accident-free car?

The reason why you commit fraud when you conceal an accident is the price. If your vehicle has had an accident, this reduces the value – even if the damage is no longer visible due to a professional repair. Normally, in the event of an accident involving insurance, an expert opinion is always requested, in which the depreciation of the vehicle would then be noted. Such an appraisal is one of the documents for the car sale that you present to the buyer.

An accident-free car can of course be sold at a higher price if you have kept the loss of value low.

Nothing left to save: Sell a car with a total loss

Also, if the car has suffered a total loss after a serious accident, or the repair would cost more than the car is still worth, you can consider selling. Some dealers specialize in the purchase of accident cars, and prepare the cars, sell individual parts or ship them abroad.

Scrapping a car will cost you money again, so selling it is almost always the better alternative – because you will at least get a few euros for your vehicle. You should deregister the car in advance, because it is no longer roadworthy anyway. Once it has been deregistered, you need a parking space on private property for it, because you are then no longer allowed to park the car on public property, especially not in zones where a residents' parking permit is required due to the limited space.

However, if you have a car with a total loss, you should contact a specialized dealer who will prepare an appraisal and offer you a fair price. Privately selling an accident car with a total loss will be rather difficult.

Patched up: Sell repaired damaged cars

In most cases, repaired accident cars can be sold without any problems. Especially if buyers only have a small budget available, accident cars are an option to save some money. Because if the damage has been repaired professionally, you as a seller only have to expect minor losses when selling.

However, it is important that you can document the repair. This means that the invoices, appraisals and receipts of the workshop and the appraiser (if required) must be able to be shown at the time of sale.

The purchase contract should state that the buyer has been informed of the accident and still consents to the purchase. If you have also offered the car well maintained and in good condition, you can still charge good money for an accident car.

Repair or sell an accident car?

Whether you should sell or repair your car after an accident depends first of all on how expensive a repair is and how much the car is still worth in return. In the case of older vehicles, repair is usually no longer economical, resulting in a so-called economic total loss. If you have a fairly new car, a repair is usually worthwhile.

In any case, you should have a professional appraisal prepared and make the decision on the basis of this. If you want to sell the car with the existing damage, it should of course be clearly visible in the pictures for the advertisement. In addition, the damage must also be mentioned again in the sales advertisement.

Accident car: tips for a safe sale

Only when there are only self-driving cars on the road will there probably be no more accidents. But that will take some time. To ensure that the sale of an accident car works smoothly until then, and that both you and the buyer go home satisfied, there are a few tips that you should take to heart.

Do not conceal accident damage

As already mentioned, it can have legal consequences if an accident is concealed. But apart from that, it's unfair, because buying a car is an emotional event and both parties should be trusting and honest with each other.

Test drive is important

You are not obliged to offer a test drive, but would you buy a car without having driven it for a short time? If you're selling the car privately, go along and let the interested person do a few laps around the block.

Find specialized dealers

If no one contacts us privately, then look specifically for dealers who buy accident cars. Here you have a better chance of selling the car and usually also receive a fair price and an expert appraisal.

Spruce up the accident car

Whether it's a normal sale or whether you want to sell an accident car – the first impression counts. Therefore, you should give the car a wash, clean the interior and polish the paint if necessary. A well-maintained car increases the chances of a sale.