Category: Damaged Cars

We’ve covered a number of blogs about common faults found on specific makes of cars at Sell Your Problem Car ® and we have decided to give you extra support if you are experiencing problems with your vehicle. Our service is designed to be a customer-friendly as possible so we’ve written this guide to make it as easy as possible for you to get rid of your broken down car.

• Get the car to a secure place: If the vehicle breaks down at the side of the road try to get it recovered as soon as you can. If you are a member of a breakdown association call them out, they’ll try to fix the vehicle at the roadside or if the fault is major, they’ll offer a relay service to take your car to a garage or your home address.
• Get a quote for the work: See how much the repair is going cost, if the price is way above your budget or the car simply isn’t worth spending that type of money on, get in touch with our service.
• Use our ‘Request a Quote’ form: Fill in our simple-to-use quote form and provide us with your details and the make, model and mileage of your car. Mention the fuel type, confirm the registration and ensure the car is under 10 years old. Give us an idea of the extent of the damage so we can give you the best quote for your car.
• Email or call us: If you prefer an instant response why not call us instead? Speak to somebody in person and we’ll get the wheels moving right away.
• Accept the quote: Our quotes are the best in the business and it’s the fastest way to get rid of your car, just accept our offer via email.
• Have the money transferred: We can transfer cash straight into your account for the amount agreed.
• Say goodbye to the car: We’ll collect your car the next day and you can start thinking about ways you are going to spend the money… Simple!

In this blog we’re going to look at common problems with Mazdas, in particular the 6 series and what types of issues they have had since their launch.

Age is important if you buy a Mazda 6

Most of the problems with Mazda 6’s seem to stem from the slightly earlier pre-facelift models and the diesels seemed to be the worst. So this is where we focused the research and found three major issues that would cost a fair amount of money to fix.

1. Turbos: Early Mazda 6’s have been known to blow their turbos and as you know, this isn’t going to be a cheap fix. Most drivers would be tempted to scrap an older Mazda if the turbo had blown but before you do that, get in touch with us and see the difference we can make to the price. If you do get a turbo failure on your Mazda weigh up the cost of fixing the car and compare that to the price we’ll give you for the vehicle.
2. Clutches: Older Mazda 6’s tended to suffer from frail clutches and in a high proportion of cases they needed to have a new dual-mass flywheel changed at the same time. Could you afford that level of repair if your Mazda developed such a major problem or would you rather cut your losses and get another car? We will buy your broken down car no matter how bad the mechanical damage is.
3. DPF: The diesel particulate filter (DPF) is another issue that can be fatal to a Mazda 6. If the DPF stops regenerating it can result in low oil pressure and the car will either go into limp home mode or the engine will go bang! The DPF was updated on later models so if you have a slightly older version it’s a cause for concern. Try not to panic if your engine fails though. We give top prices for Mazdas and are always by the phone.

Continuing with our ‘common faults’ blogs we have picked the Maserati marque this time around. Maseratis are beautiful cars to look at but they are also known to have a few faults so it just goes to show, even the most expensive cars can let you down from time to time. Let’s look at the problems that are associated with these cars. Remember, if you own a Maserati and it’s having major issues we are simply a phone call away at Sell Your Problem Car ®!

• In 2009 the Maserati Gran Turismo was recalled due to electrical system failure. The instrument panel was the main problem but there have been other niggles with the car. Steering linkages tie rod assemblies and issues with the rear lighting system have resulted in the vehicle being recalled. We love Maseratis though, especially the Gran Turismo, so whatever the problem is remember to give us a call.
• In 2005 the Maserati Coupe was recalled due to faults with the fuel lines. It would seem the issue stemmed from the fuel line delivery and the hoses and pipes that were part of the system were at fault. If you have any fuel-related niggles with your Maserati and are facing an expensive repair bill why not speak to us first?
• Also in 2005 a large quantity of Maserati Quattroportes were recalled due to problems with their front suspension. The upper and lower ball joint nuts weren’t torqued correctly and this could result in the nuts on the ball joint jarring loose at some point and potentially freeing the suspension arm. Hopefully your car had this problem fixed at the time, but if you bought the car second hand you’ll never know for sure. Still, at least you’ll get an honest price for the Maserati if you contact us about the problem vehicle.

One of our earlier blogs looked at potential problems to look for when you drive an Alfa 156 so we thought we’d continue in a similar fashion at Sell Your Problem Car ® with a sneak peak at issues that are known to affect the Dacia Duster. We’ve trawled car forums, read reviews from real owners and found a few niggles you should look for. If your car is suffering from something major, try to stay calm, we’d be more than happy to provide you with a great quote for the vehicle.

• Bad tracking and alignment: Rather worryingly a few owners of the Duster have reported their car’s pulling to the left. There seems to be a problem with the rear axle and it would appear the car suffers from poor tracking which isn’t great news. We’re not bothered about this problem though, we’ll still give you a great price for the car.
• Catalytic convertor faults: A number of owners have experienced cat failure with their Dusters which usually starts with a warning light in the dash. A new cat isn’t cheap but it’s essential to reduce the exhaust gases from the engine, if your Duster’s exhaust system is a problem and you simply want shut of the car, give us a call and we’ll set the wheels in motion.
• ECU faults: Even more worrying is a fault on the engine management system, owners get a warning light on the dashboard and the car goes into limp home mode. The car displays a number of error codes and according to owner’s forums dealers are at a loss as to what’s causing the problem. Does your Duster act this this? If so, maybe it’s time to get rid of the car so speak to one of our team at Sell Your Problem Car ®.

There are some makes and models of cars that are renowned for reliability issues and sadly, if you own an Alfa there’s a good chance your little slice of Italian pedigree will let you down at some point in the future. Don’t worry though, we’ll give you the best price possible for your car and if you are experiencing any of the following issues with your Alfa 156 we’d love to take the car off your hands.

• Cambelt: Originally the service schedule from Alfa Romeo advised the cam belt on a 156 should be replaced at 70, 000 miles. This has since change to 36, 000 miles so if your car has gone over that figure think about getting the belt, tensioners and variator replaced as soon as you can or could be facing a monster repair bill. If the belt snaps that’s the engine gone, don’t worry though, we’ll still buy a non-running car.
• Electrics: Another niggle on Alfas nearing their 10^th birthday, owners have reported intermittent faults with the electrics on Alfas and that can include faults with the wipers. If the electrics are playing up with your Alfa and you simply haven’t got the time or the money to spend fixing the problem gives us a call, we’d love to help.
• Front wishbone suspension: Squeaking from the front suspension is normally a sign that all is not well with the car. It transpires the upper front wishbone bushes are the main culprits and the noise becomes more noticeable when you drive over speed bumps. The chances are you’ll have to get the parts replaced or you can simply sell the car to us as it is and walk away with the cash. That’s the good thing about our service, we’ll buy any problem car and with Alfa’s track record for reliability that could be sooner rather than later!

What is a Category C damaged car?

When a car is involved in an accident or otherwise damaged in the United Kingdom, insurance companies will examine the car’s condition and assign it a rating based on the damage. These categories can impact whether the car is able to be insured in the future and if the car can even be resold or salvaged. A Category C rating is a fairly common one, as the car is damaged, but can still be used. A Category C car may be used again as it is, or repaired or used for parts and scrap.

How categories are decided

The categories of damaged cars go from A to D although there is also a category X. Category A is the most serious and means that the vehicle is essentially impossible to repair and cannot be resold, only crushed. Category X means only minor damage, and the vehicle can still be resold and insured with almost no problem. Categories B through D are more severely damaged cars, that insurance companies may decide are still serviceable with repairs, but it is too expensive to do do.

Category B cannot be resold, but parts can be pulled out for resale, while Category C and D cars can be repaired and resold, but may not initially be able to be insured. Adjustors from the insurance company will come, or use pictures, and inspect the car and assign it a category based on the damage, cost of repairs and the input of a qualified mechanic.

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Dual mass flywheels (DMFs) are used on standard manual transmissions to reduce the torsional vibrations that occur when shifting. Without the DMF, there was a higher chance of long-term damage due to excessive vehicle vibration. Over time, luxury, high-performance UK vehicles started putting dual mass flywheels in their clutches to improve ease of shifting.

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